I also like to sleep during the day!
See I've got dimples TOO!!!
I've got Dimples just like my mommy and daddy!
I also like to sleep during the day!
I also like to sleep during the day!
Six Pound Baby
Today we went to the Doctor's office because our baby girl was having some tummy trouble so they switched her to a different formula. While at the office they weighed her and to my surprise she is now 6 pounds 1 ounce.
She loves to eat just like her mommy. :>
Here she is!!! Like a model
My Sweet Baby Girl
Now that I feel a bit better I just wanted to take the opportunity to thank everyone for their prayers and love. I am so excited to have my sweet baby home. It has been really nice to have Alane with us this week and we are sad she has to go home, but we know she has other cute kids to take care of. We can't wait for all the family, Grandparents, great grandparents and great great Grandmas to see Gabriella. She is so special to me, and I hope that she will know how much her daddy and I love her. We are so thankful for our parents and for all they do for us. Hope you enjoy these pictures.
Meredith
Welcome Gabriella!
It’s interesting how life kinda ebbs and flows around you. On Sunday in church we heard a lesson about keeping a journal, so that my posterity and I could benefit from it. Well, I guess I got a pretty inspirational journal entry last night, and so in an effort to capture some of the events, as well as my own thoughts and feelings, I thought I’d give it a whirl.
Yesterday was a pretty big work day for me. In addition to the normal work day, there was a good chance that I would get time to use one of the program testbeds to help me check out some of the work I’ve been doing over the past several months. As the day wore on, however, I was told that another group with higher priority would be taking my test time back. I was actually a bit relieved, and said that I’d prefer to reschedule for sooner rather than later because our baby was due in the end of July. Well, at the last minute they gave me back my time, and so I ended up putting in a 13 hour day at work.
When I got home at about 8:40, I was pretty beat. Meredith had tossed a pizza in the oven, which was ready right as I walked in the door, so we could eat and relax. Even though Meredith quit working several weeks ago, the office had asked her to come in on Monday to help out, and it turned out that they would need her help Tuesday too. We were both tired and nearly ready for bed.
At about 9:30, Meredith decided that some ice cream would hit the spot, but she needed to make some room. She went to the restroom, and according to her own account, felt a kind of internal thump and then a lot of liquid started to come. And come. And come…she could tell that her water had broken. She called for me to find the doctor’s office number and I dialed it up. She spoke with the office personnel, and they called up her doctor (Dr. Graham), who happened to be on call. After making a couple of brief phone calls to parents to tell them the news, we hurriedly threw together as much stuff as we could (we were a bit unprepared…Meredith had been having contractions, but you could count the number of contractions in one day on a hand or two) and headed off to the hospital. After a quick U-turn back to the house (“Did I lock my car?”), we got to the hospital a short while after 10 pm. They took us upstairs, and we went into a birthing room. Meredith had been having what felt like menstrual cramps since about the time her water broke, and they had been intensifying. The nurses came in and did an assessment, and thought that the baby appeared to be a breach baby. Dr. Graham came in a bit later and confirmed that fact. With no fluid, there was no way of even attempting to turn the baby—she had to come via Caesarean Section.
At that moment, Meredith and I kinda looked at each other and I could feel the collective terror between us. We had taken Lamaze classes, and felt somewhat prepared for that adventure, but this was a new wrinkle. Meredith got a bit teary, but stayed resolute and strong and answered all of the doctors’ questions. The one feeling that we both had was that at least it would be over very soon. The doctors and nurses were all great—the anesthesiologist was funny and nice, and everyone else rallied around Meredith as they prepared for the surgery. After all of the planning was over, they wheeled Meredith into the OR, leaving me alone in the birthing room. At that point, I completely lost it. I don’t think it was any one thing that made me do it—I think it was just all of the pent-up anxiety, and fear of the unknown. I managed to pull myself together after a few minutes, and then I went to wait to be called into the OR.
I went into the OR, and being a bit squeamish, focused my attention on the top half of the operation (the bottom was separated by a sheet). I think both Meredith and I were nervous, but Meredith didn’t show it. She sounded cool and calm and was inspirational in her strength. I was in awe of her coolness, because I felt as if I would just fall to pieces at any second. After a few minutes, they mentioned that they had a foot, and then some arms, so I summoned some courage and peeked around as they pulled little Gabriella out. I then went to her when they put her on the table and began to evaluate her. They let me cut the cord (actually, I had kinda been against doing it, but to be honest I simply lacked the willpower to say no), and then she and I moved over to the nursery to get all of her measurements. At this point I had the oddest sensation—I felt joy to have her with me, and that she looked so wonderful, but it just didn’t feel completely real. Because of the infrequency of the contractions, I hadn’t done much to fully prepare myself for the baby’s arrival, and now that we were here, I still didn’t feel prepared. I had a bit of a sad feeling too—to be honest, I’m not entirely sure why, because it wasn’t like I was sad that my “old life” was gone—perhaps I didn’t feel ready to share Meredith with someone else.
We went to the nursery and went through the steps. She seemed to do very well in all of the tests, though I was shocked to hear that she was a mere 0.6 ounces over 5 pounds. She was so pretty though, and I was happy to be with her. I got to hold her a little, and take a bunch of pictures. I went back and visited with Meredith again after a few minutes, and told her about the baby. Meredith looked so tired, but happy too. I felt bad that the only contact she had with the baby thus far was by looking at the LCD on the camera. After that, I went back to the nursery and held Gabriella until I knew that Meredith had been transferred to her room, and went to meet her then.
That’s all I feel like writing about now—the staff has been truly wonderful, and have taken such good care of us. I still feel so immature and unprepared to be in charge of someone so important, but will do my best no matter what.
The details:
Gabriella Melinda
5 lbs. 0.6 oz.
18" long
Pictures coming soon...the web is being retarded... :/
Yesterday was a pretty big work day for me. In addition to the normal work day, there was a good chance that I would get time to use one of the program testbeds to help me check out some of the work I’ve been doing over the past several months. As the day wore on, however, I was told that another group with higher priority would be taking my test time back. I was actually a bit relieved, and said that I’d prefer to reschedule for sooner rather than later because our baby was due in the end of July. Well, at the last minute they gave me back my time, and so I ended up putting in a 13 hour day at work.
When I got home at about 8:40, I was pretty beat. Meredith had tossed a pizza in the oven, which was ready right as I walked in the door, so we could eat and relax. Even though Meredith quit working several weeks ago, the office had asked her to come in on Monday to help out, and it turned out that they would need her help Tuesday too. We were both tired and nearly ready for bed.
At about 9:30, Meredith decided that some ice cream would hit the spot, but she needed to make some room. She went to the restroom, and according to her own account, felt a kind of internal thump and then a lot of liquid started to come. And come. And come…she could tell that her water had broken. She called for me to find the doctor’s office number and I dialed it up. She spoke with the office personnel, and they called up her doctor (Dr. Graham), who happened to be on call. After making a couple of brief phone calls to parents to tell them the news, we hurriedly threw together as much stuff as we could (we were a bit unprepared…Meredith had been having contractions, but you could count the number of contractions in one day on a hand or two) and headed off to the hospital. After a quick U-turn back to the house (“Did I lock my car?”), we got to the hospital a short while after 10 pm. They took us upstairs, and we went into a birthing room. Meredith had been having what felt like menstrual cramps since about the time her water broke, and they had been intensifying. The nurses came in and did an assessment, and thought that the baby appeared to be a breach baby. Dr. Graham came in a bit later and confirmed that fact. With no fluid, there was no way of even attempting to turn the baby—she had to come via Caesarean Section.
At that moment, Meredith and I kinda looked at each other and I could feel the collective terror between us. We had taken Lamaze classes, and felt somewhat prepared for that adventure, but this was a new wrinkle. Meredith got a bit teary, but stayed resolute and strong and answered all of the doctors’ questions. The one feeling that we both had was that at least it would be over very soon. The doctors and nurses were all great—the anesthesiologist was funny and nice, and everyone else rallied around Meredith as they prepared for the surgery. After all of the planning was over, they wheeled Meredith into the OR, leaving me alone in the birthing room. At that point, I completely lost it. I don’t think it was any one thing that made me do it—I think it was just all of the pent-up anxiety, and fear of the unknown. I managed to pull myself together after a few minutes, and then I went to wait to be called into the OR.
I went into the OR, and being a bit squeamish, focused my attention on the top half of the operation (the bottom was separated by a sheet). I think both Meredith and I were nervous, but Meredith didn’t show it. She sounded cool and calm and was inspirational in her strength. I was in awe of her coolness, because I felt as if I would just fall to pieces at any second. After a few minutes, they mentioned that they had a foot, and then some arms, so I summoned some courage and peeked around as they pulled little Gabriella out. I then went to her when they put her on the table and began to evaluate her. They let me cut the cord (actually, I had kinda been against doing it, but to be honest I simply lacked the willpower to say no), and then she and I moved over to the nursery to get all of her measurements. At this point I had the oddest sensation—I felt joy to have her with me, and that she looked so wonderful, but it just didn’t feel completely real. Because of the infrequency of the contractions, I hadn’t done much to fully prepare myself for the baby’s arrival, and now that we were here, I still didn’t feel prepared. I had a bit of a sad feeling too—to be honest, I’m not entirely sure why, because it wasn’t like I was sad that my “old life” was gone—perhaps I didn’t feel ready to share Meredith with someone else.
We went to the nursery and went through the steps. She seemed to do very well in all of the tests, though I was shocked to hear that she was a mere 0.6 ounces over 5 pounds. She was so pretty though, and I was happy to be with her. I got to hold her a little, and take a bunch of pictures. I went back and visited with Meredith again after a few minutes, and told her about the baby. Meredith looked so tired, but happy too. I felt bad that the only contact she had with the baby thus far was by looking at the LCD on the camera. After that, I went back to the nursery and held Gabriella until I knew that Meredith had been transferred to her room, and went to meet her then.
That’s all I feel like writing about now—the staff has been truly wonderful, and have taken such good care of us. I still feel so immature and unprepared to be in charge of someone so important, but will do my best no matter what.
The details:
Gabriella Melinda
5 lbs. 0.6 oz.
18" long
Pictures coming soon...the web is being retarded... :/
Being Showered
Last week was very eventful…I had a birthday and a baby shower. For my birthday Steve took me to spend the night in Cherry Creek and even made me a birthday cake from scratch. (It was delicious; I think he should do all the cooking, hee hee). My baby shower was also really neat. I could tell Shelly and Leia put a lot of time and effort in it and it turned out beautifully. My mother-in-law, sisters-in-law, and bro-in-law also surprised me by sending the baby some very cute gifts and a quilt. Even one of my best friends flew in from Texas to surprise me. I had no idea Lisa would be there, my friends are so sneaky. I’m very lucky to have the friends I do and I want them to know how much I appreciate it. Here are so pictures from the shower, hope you all enjoy them.
Meredith
Six weeks to go and I'm not complaining (NOT)
I have been so bad keeping up on this Blog, but thanks to a friend (Lisa) reminding me about putting some pics up, I figured I had put this opportunity off long enough. Between my church calling, unofficial calling as a Ward Pioneer Trek Coordinator, work, pregnancy, and just being alive I have been way too busy. Thankfully work has slowed down and the Trek is almost here. Now I have to give a talk in Sacrament on the 25th, I think. Oh well, I guess this is my complaining entry.
Enough with the "poor poor pitiful me." I am excited for 6 more weeks of back pain, and frequent trips to the bathroom. Well not really, but I am excited for a new little person to come into our home. Since I'm no longer going to work full time I have been able to work on the house a little more. I guess it's actually been Steve working on the house: he put in a new bathroom vanity, light fixture, paint and sink. Then he painted our bedroom a very soothing light blue. The poor guy has been pretty busy...but I did make the curtains for the bedroom.
As for pictures of big belly me, I did finally have Steve take a picture and I will be posting that very soon.
Six more weeks, six more weeks... I can't wait!
Me at about 30 weeks
Me with my Boss and other Boss
I am probably about 33 weeks here
Enough with the "poor poor pitiful me." I am excited for 6 more weeks of back pain, and frequent trips to the bathroom. Well not really, but I am excited for a new little person to come into our home. Since I'm no longer going to work full time I have been able to work on the house a little more. I guess it's actually been Steve working on the house: he put in a new bathroom vanity, light fixture, paint and sink. Then he painted our bedroom a very soothing light blue. The poor guy has been pretty busy...but I did make the curtains for the bedroom.
As for pictures of big belly me, I did finally have Steve take a picture and I will be posting that very soon.
Six more weeks, six more weeks... I can't wait!
Me at about 30 weeks
Me with my Boss and other Boss
I am probably about 33 weeks here
Half way there!
Half way there!!!
Okay, so by now everyone knows I haven't been very helpful when it comes to posting entries...BUT I thought tonight I would try to redeem myself. I have to admit I was pretty nervous about the ultrasound visit. I really wanted to know what it was, and as it figures the baby didn't want to give us a peek. It wasn't until the latter half of the visit that the techs said it was a girl. It's so crazy to think I'm having a little girl and even more crazy that she's inside me. I've told Steve this before but I never really saw myself having kids, not that I didn't want them but that I would be a MOM. I still need my mom! But, I'm excited our little family is growing and I'm excited to be a part of something so much bigger than myself. Family is so important and I don't know what I'd be if I didn't have parents that wanted and loved me. I hope our little girl has the opportunity to know her family (Aunts, uncles, grandparents, great-grandparents, and as of right now a great-great grandma). To be honest I'm scared but I know things will work out. I already love her more than I thought I could and she isn't even here yet.
And I promise I'll try not to wait a year before I publish my next post.
Okay, so by now everyone knows I haven't been very helpful when it comes to posting entries...BUT I thought tonight I would try to redeem myself. I have to admit I was pretty nervous about the ultrasound visit. I really wanted to know what it was, and as it figures the baby didn't want to give us a peek. It wasn't until the latter half of the visit that the techs said it was a girl. It's so crazy to think I'm having a little girl and even more crazy that she's inside me. I've told Steve this before but I never really saw myself having kids, not that I didn't want them but that I would be a MOM. I still need my mom! But, I'm excited our little family is growing and I'm excited to be a part of something so much bigger than myself. Family is so important and I don't know what I'd be if I didn't have parents that wanted and loved me. I hope our little girl has the opportunity to know her family (Aunts, uncles, grandparents, great-grandparents, and as of right now a great-great grandma). To be honest I'm scared but I know things will work out. I already love her more than I thought I could and she isn't even here yet.
And I promise I'll try not to wait a year before I publish my next post.
It's (going to be) a girl!
I thought I'd give an update on some goings-on around here. First, the big news: we had the ultrasound yesterday at 20 weeks, and the pictures show that it's a little girl in there!
Here she is!
Well, I have to say that I'm so glad the appointment is over. They take a lot of meticulous measurements, and I admit that I was terrified that they would find something wrong. However, my fears were in vain, as everything looked healthy.
We've avoided buying stuff for quite a while, just because of the uncertainty of it all, but last night I just couldn't help it any more. Here's the goofy stuff I bought:
I know it's silly, but I'm pretty excited. I have to say that I'm a bit relieved...as the oldest of six, four of those being girls, for some reason I feel a bit better prepared for a girl, and I know Meredith does (no boys in her family).
Other than that, life rolls on. I'm putting in new flooring in the walk-in closet today, which seems to be going reasonably well (for one of my projects, at least).
Here she is!
Well, I have to say that I'm so glad the appointment is over. They take a lot of meticulous measurements, and I admit that I was terrified that they would find something wrong. However, my fears were in vain, as everything looked healthy.
We've avoided buying stuff for quite a while, just because of the uncertainty of it all, but last night I just couldn't help it any more. Here's the goofy stuff I bought:
I know it's silly, but I'm pretty excited. I have to say that I'm a bit relieved...as the oldest of six, four of those being girls, for some reason I feel a bit better prepared for a girl, and I know Meredith does (no boys in her family).
Other than that, life rolls on. I'm putting in new flooring in the walk-in closet today, which seems to be going reasonably well (for one of my projects, at least).
Big Changes Ahead...
Well this has been quite a month. I had intended to post some sort of retrospective on the past year, but January has been so busy (or I've just been lazy...you be the judge) I'd rather talk about more recent events.
First, Meredith and I are expecting a baby! We went to the doctor just after the first of the year, and he confirmed our previous suspicions. Not only did he confirm what we were already pretty sure of, he gave us an extra month for free! What I mean is that we went in expecting that Meredith was about 6-7 weeks along, but at looking at the ultrasound, the doctor said that the baby was far along enough to characterize it as around 11 weeks along instead! So the due date is July 26th. We're very excited, though both terrified as well. I've realized that I have a ton of experience and confidence when it comes to young'uns that are already born (I'm the oldest of 6...it comes with the territory)...I never paid attention during the pregnancy stuff. So Meredith and I are learning together.
I've also started school again. I enjoy learning, but it sure is tiresome. It's hard to put in a full day's work, to come home and work more. Just gotta keep my eyes on the prize I guess...even though it's several years from now.
Hmmm...what else...I guess most of the other work I've been doing has revolved around the first thing. Since Meredith hasn't been feeling 100%, I've tried to pitch in a bit more around the house (hopefully Meredith agrees with that statement), so I just haven't devoted as much time to other things. And it doesn't hurt to have new games to play either :) .
Well anyway...I guess that's it for now. Thanks for continuing to support our site by visiting...I wouldn't do this if it weren't for you guys.
Steve
First, Meredith and I are expecting a baby! We went to the doctor just after the first of the year, and he confirmed our previous suspicions. Not only did he confirm what we were already pretty sure of, he gave us an extra month for free! What I mean is that we went in expecting that Meredith was about 6-7 weeks along, but at looking at the ultrasound, the doctor said that the baby was far along enough to characterize it as around 11 weeks along instead! So the due date is July 26th. We're very excited, though both terrified as well. I've realized that I have a ton of experience and confidence when it comes to young'uns that are already born (I'm the oldest of 6...it comes with the territory)...I never paid attention during the pregnancy stuff. So Meredith and I are learning together.
I've also started school again. I enjoy learning, but it sure is tiresome. It's hard to put in a full day's work, to come home and work more. Just gotta keep my eyes on the prize I guess...even though it's several years from now.
Hmmm...what else...I guess most of the other work I've been doing has revolved around the first thing. Since Meredith hasn't been feeling 100%, I've tried to pitch in a bit more around the house (hopefully Meredith agrees with that statement), so I just haven't devoted as much time to other things. And it doesn't hurt to have new games to play either :) .
Well anyway...I guess that's it for now. Thanks for continuing to support our site by visiting...I wouldn't do this if it weren't for you guys.
Steve
Back from Kentucky
Well, we just got back Monday from a nice trip to Meredith's parents' for Christmas. It was a nice week...we got to see a lot of Meredith's family, and just had a good time with everyone. We got wonderful gifts from our families, and had fun getting them gifts as well, even though we weren't able to spend as much on gifts this year, having spent a lot of money on gifts for ourselves (or our house).
I suppose I should mention one new item I got. Several months after preordering, I picked up my Xbox 360 at EB Games on Tuesday morning and quickly set it up. I have for the most part been a pretty big slacker when it comes to setting up our AV equipment, but getting in a new toy inspired me. I have 2 games for it right now, which are Call of Duty 2 and Perfect Dark Zero. They're both way fun games...I've spent way too much time on them over the past couple of days. I really like the new controller...I got used to it really quickly. It's kinda funny though...I sold my old Xbox about a month and a half ago in anticipation of getting the Xbox 360 in, and so my fingers are going through some sort of callousing period, as they reacclimate themselves to gameplaying.
We've gotten quite a few rooms close to finality now. Since I have this week off, I've been working hard on the house, and have gotten several projects done. Soon we'll be down to cleaning, which will be a relief.
Well, I guess I'll post some sort of 2005 retrospective here in a couple of days.
Until then...
Steve
EDIT: I thought I'd add my gamercard to this, for all of my Xbox playing friends:
I suppose I should mention one new item I got. Several months after preordering, I picked up my Xbox 360 at EB Games on Tuesday morning and quickly set it up. I have for the most part been a pretty big slacker when it comes to setting up our AV equipment, but getting in a new toy inspired me. I have 2 games for it right now, which are Call of Duty 2 and Perfect Dark Zero. They're both way fun games...I've spent way too much time on them over the past couple of days. I really like the new controller...I got used to it really quickly. It's kinda funny though...I sold my old Xbox about a month and a half ago in anticipation of getting the Xbox 360 in, and so my fingers are going through some sort of callousing period, as they reacclimate themselves to gameplaying.
We've gotten quite a few rooms close to finality now. Since I have this week off, I've been working hard on the house, and have gotten several projects done. Soon we'll be down to cleaning, which will be a relief.
Well, I guess I'll post some sort of 2005 retrospective here in a couple of days.
Until then...
Steve
EDIT: I thought I'd add my gamercard to this, for all of my Xbox playing friends:
Homeownership! Ugh...I mean yay!
Well, I reported in our last post that we were about to get the keys to our new house...we got 'em! And ever since, our lives have been changed from before. I've had many new experiences...for one, I shoveled the driveway for the first time in my life. Having grown up in Florida and then living in apartments in the snow belt, I'd never raised a snow shovel before. Isn't it exciting? I don't think so.
Well, to chronicle my experience, here are the projects so far:
1) Painted the den, living room, and both bathrooms. It wasn't that bad, but the perfectionist in me still cringes at the imperfections in our painting. I don't think anyone else would ever notice unless looking closely, but it still bugs me.
2) Put up new cabinets in the bathrooms. This was pretty easy.
3) New blinds/shades in the kitchen. Again, not bad.
4) Bought like a zillion things. I love the house, but it has to have lightbulbs, smoke detectors, rugs...tons of stuff.
5) Put together a lot of things. Computer desk and shelves, quilt rack...again, I like getting new things, but if I don't have to use another allen wrench for a long time, it won't hurt my feelings. By the way, if anyone needs one of the allen wrenches that come with furniture, let me know. I have about 10 of them now.
Looking back on my list, it looks pretty small. We've done a lot though...nearly every day I come home and work on something. We're also getting pretty close to starting to put stuff up on the walls...I think once we reach that milestone, it'll feel even more like home.
I used to read Dave Barry's books about moving and home repairs and laugh and laugh...now I see that his commentary was not as funny as I originally thought. Still funny...just in a different way.
Well, that's about it. I have my final exam tomorrow morning...I'm scared to death, but that's nothing new. My hw partner and I have done very well on the homework, but it's open book, which often makes it even harder. Wish me luck!
Thanks for reading!
Steve
Well, to chronicle my experience, here are the projects so far:
1) Painted the den, living room, and both bathrooms. It wasn't that bad, but the perfectionist in me still cringes at the imperfections in our painting. I don't think anyone else would ever notice unless looking closely, but it still bugs me.
2) Put up new cabinets in the bathrooms. This was pretty easy.
3) New blinds/shades in the kitchen. Again, not bad.
4) Bought like a zillion things. I love the house, but it has to have lightbulbs, smoke detectors, rugs...tons of stuff.
5) Put together a lot of things. Computer desk and shelves, quilt rack...again, I like getting new things, but if I don't have to use another allen wrench for a long time, it won't hurt my feelings. By the way, if anyone needs one of the allen wrenches that come with furniture, let me know. I have about 10 of them now.
Looking back on my list, it looks pretty small. We've done a lot though...nearly every day I come home and work on something. We're also getting pretty close to starting to put stuff up on the walls...I think once we reach that milestone, it'll feel even more like home.
I used to read Dave Barry's books about moving and home repairs and laugh and laugh...now I see that his commentary was not as funny as I originally thought. Still funny...just in a different way.
Well, that's about it. I have my final exam tomorrow morning...I'm scared to death, but that's nothing new. My hw partner and I have done very well on the homework, but it's open book, which often makes it even harder. Wish me luck!
Thanks for reading!
Steve
Where are you Horse L. S.?
Well, today is my Mom's birthday, so happy birthday Mom!
Tonight I just thought I'd write a few lines for the fun of it. I reported a while back that we're nearing homeownership, which is both exciting and scary. I can't say that I've ever questioned my overall job security more than the last month (being heavily in debt causes some major questions to appear in the mind, baseless or not), but I'm good, so no worries. We're closing on Friday and receive the keys on Saturday, which has us totally pumped.
Well, that's not really what I wanted to talk about tonight. I just wanted to reminisce a little. Tonight my dad and I talked on the phone about music, and I related that I've been buying a few great classic tracks on the web these days, and he related to me that I used to rock out to them when I was very little. So I decided to take a little trip down memory lane. Here's the playlist so far:
Hold On Tight - Electric Light Orchestra
Your Wildest Dreams - The Moody Blues
Don't Bring Me Down - Electric Light Orchestra
25 or 6 to 4 - Chicago
Beginnings - Chicago
Feeling Stronger Everyday - Chicago (my computer is stuck on that artist)
Lookin' Out My Back Door - Creedence Clearwater Revival
...
I have to confess that it brought me nearly to tears to listen to some of these songs. I have such good memories of listening to music with my Dad. Inevitably when I became a teenager and then an early adult, and having the strong, independent personality that I have, there were a few years that my relationship with my Dad wasn't perfect. However, in the last couple of years, with the occasional hiccup interspersed here and there, I've come to really like my Dad again, and he has become a great friend. And as I've thought about that, and have put some of these tunes on the speakers, I remember how much I loved spending time with him when I was really young...like when we first moved to Florida, and even earlier (I have a few faint memories of Rock Springs and Orem still too). We listened to music a lot then too.
Part of me wishes I could be that little kid again. I miss the simplicity of life. I miss the "pool" that my sister and I dug in the backyard (and had to be hosed off after swimming in it). I miss my dog Spike and my cat Ralph (named for my best friend at the time). I miss watching He-Man and flying kites and riding bikes and getting John Deere tractors for Christmas. (The title is a reference to a springy plastic riding horse that I had as a kid.)
The other part of me, and frankly most of me, is very happy to be exactly where I am now and who I am now. The Book of Mormon challenge issued by President Hinckley has been very therapeutic for me--I feel renewed spiritually, where I've sometimes felt weak over the past months. I'm also doing a pretty darn good job at work (at least I think so), and I think that my wife and I have reached a sweet period in our relationship, where I enjoy planning and living our life together. I'm excited for the horizons that lie ahead of us.
Well, enough rambling. I hope this means something to someone else out there. It means a lot to me.
Steve
Tonight I just thought I'd write a few lines for the fun of it. I reported a while back that we're nearing homeownership, which is both exciting and scary. I can't say that I've ever questioned my overall job security more than the last month (being heavily in debt causes some major questions to appear in the mind, baseless or not), but I'm good, so no worries. We're closing on Friday and receive the keys on Saturday, which has us totally pumped.
Well, that's not really what I wanted to talk about tonight. I just wanted to reminisce a little. Tonight my dad and I talked on the phone about music, and I related that I've been buying a few great classic tracks on the web these days, and he related to me that I used to rock out to them when I was very little. So I decided to take a little trip down memory lane. Here's the playlist so far:
Hold On Tight - Electric Light Orchestra
Your Wildest Dreams - The Moody Blues
Don't Bring Me Down - Electric Light Orchestra
25 or 6 to 4 - Chicago
Beginnings - Chicago
Feeling Stronger Everyday - Chicago (my computer is stuck on that artist)
Lookin' Out My Back Door - Creedence Clearwater Revival
...
I have to confess that it brought me nearly to tears to listen to some of these songs. I have such good memories of listening to music with my Dad. Inevitably when I became a teenager and then an early adult, and having the strong, independent personality that I have, there were a few years that my relationship with my Dad wasn't perfect. However, in the last couple of years, with the occasional hiccup interspersed here and there, I've come to really like my Dad again, and he has become a great friend. And as I've thought about that, and have put some of these tunes on the speakers, I remember how much I loved spending time with him when I was really young...like when we first moved to Florida, and even earlier (I have a few faint memories of Rock Springs and Orem still too). We listened to music a lot then too.
Part of me wishes I could be that little kid again. I miss the simplicity of life. I miss the "pool" that my sister and I dug in the backyard (and had to be hosed off after swimming in it). I miss my dog Spike and my cat Ralph (named for my best friend at the time). I miss watching He-Man and flying kites and riding bikes and getting John Deere tractors for Christmas. (The title is a reference to a springy plastic riding horse that I had as a kid.)
The other part of me, and frankly most of me, is very happy to be exactly where I am now and who I am now. The Book of Mormon challenge issued by President Hinckley has been very therapeutic for me--I feel renewed spiritually, where I've sometimes felt weak over the past months. I'm also doing a pretty darn good job at work (at least I think so), and I think that my wife and I have reached a sweet period in our relationship, where I enjoy planning and living our life together. I'm excited for the horizons that lie ahead of us.
Well, enough rambling. I hope this means something to someone else out there. It means a lot to me.
Steve
Can't take the pressure
Well, in recent weeks two of my sister's have taken it upon themselves to follow my lead and create blogs of their own. (One of them even named hers Life! Can you believe the plagiarism?!) I've put their links into the sidebar too, so please check them out. Anyway, they've written almost as much as we have in less than a month, so in an effort to stay ahead of the game, I thought I'd write today.
First things first...we put an offer down on a house! For privacy reasons I won't post up the address or anything, but suffice it to say that we're really excited about it. It has a two car garage, a nice open kitchen, and a beautiful master bedroom and bathroom. We have the inspection this week, so I suppose that it's not set in stone yet, but in looking at the house, we couldn't find anything significantly wrong with it. We're really excited. I think we'll probably try to move in over Thanksgiving weekend.
Other than that...not much to speak of. Incidentally this is the second house we've put an offer on, since the first one may have had water damage, and would have required a lot of work to get up to livable standards, where this house is pretty much ready (we'll still work on it some, but predominantly just by carpeting one room, changing some cabinet hardware, and buying some furniture to put in the place). Our life has pretty much revolved around house stuff these last 2 weeks, and I'm glad that we found a place we can call our bank's own.
Steve
First things first...we put an offer down on a house! For privacy reasons I won't post up the address or anything, but suffice it to say that we're really excited about it. It has a two car garage, a nice open kitchen, and a beautiful master bedroom and bathroom. We have the inspection this week, so I suppose that it's not set in stone yet, but in looking at the house, we couldn't find anything significantly wrong with it. We're really excited. I think we'll probably try to move in over Thanksgiving weekend.
Other than that...not much to speak of. Incidentally this is the second house we've put an offer on, since the first one may have had water damage, and would have required a lot of work to get up to livable standards, where this house is pretty much ready (we'll still work on it some, but predominantly just by carpeting one room, changing some cabinet hardware, and buying some furniture to put in the place). Our life has pretty much revolved around house stuff these last 2 weeks, and I'm glad that we found a place we can call our bank's own.
Steve
Fall Rolls In...
Well, it's been quite a while since we posted anything on here, and even longer since I personally posted, so I thought I'd come on and babble for a while. For some reason I began to think that I needed to put a new picture up every time I came on, and being unprepared to do so, had been holding off on writing.
These past few weeks have been hectic, or at least they've felt that way. I'm currently pursuing my Masters Degree, and it always seems like I have homework or reading or a lecture to watch or something. I hate being behind, but when you're working full time, it takes so much less than it did in college to burn yourself out. This month we also began preparations to find a home of our own. The only thing that scares me right now about that is Denver home prices. Denver's prices are pretty darn high...condos run low $100s (on up), townhouses often fill the upper $100s, and then homes start at high $100s and go WAY up (it's not hard at all to find homes that go for half a million dollars...or more). I'm pretty confident that we'll find something in our price range though, even if that means it can't be the last home we own. I'm not willing to eat dirt to live in a home that's beyond our means.
Well, on to lighter topics. We attended the Foo Fighters/Weezer/Kaiser Chiefs concert about a week ago. I primarily went for Weezer, having been a fan since high school, but was curious about the other bands. Kaiser Chiefs were all right...I'm not going to go buy their CD because of it though. Foo Fighters were...loud. Their lead singer single-handedly caused my ears to ring for 2 days. He screamed a lot. Other than that (and his swearing like a sailor), they were pretty OK. I already own their newest CD, but probably won't go buy further ones. Weezer was great. They played a lot of stuff from their first album, which is my favorite. It was a bit weird though, to sit with all of these teenagers who may have been getting ready for kindergarten when I was listening to that CD. Not that I feel old or anything.
On a more general note, and to address the title of this post, Fall is definitely here. We've had highs in the 50s and 60s this week, freeze warnings at night, and to top it off, a "Winter Storm Watch" for tonight as well. I'm personally not a big winter fan, but I like fall. Something about the cooler air and the colors of fall make it a nice time of year. For a Denver Life kind of post, apparently this is the time of year that people like to drive out and see the Aspens. I've been told that if you drive west (why they label it south, I do not know) on 285 you can see them changing colors.
Well, I've rambled on enough. Thanks for reading.
These past few weeks have been hectic, or at least they've felt that way. I'm currently pursuing my Masters Degree, and it always seems like I have homework or reading or a lecture to watch or something. I hate being behind, but when you're working full time, it takes so much less than it did in college to burn yourself out. This month we also began preparations to find a home of our own. The only thing that scares me right now about that is Denver home prices. Denver's prices are pretty darn high...condos run low $100s (on up), townhouses often fill the upper $100s, and then homes start at high $100s and go WAY up (it's not hard at all to find homes that go for half a million dollars...or more). I'm pretty confident that we'll find something in our price range though, even if that means it can't be the last home we own. I'm not willing to eat dirt to live in a home that's beyond our means.
Well, on to lighter topics. We attended the Foo Fighters/Weezer/Kaiser Chiefs concert about a week ago. I primarily went for Weezer, having been a fan since high school, but was curious about the other bands. Kaiser Chiefs were all right...I'm not going to go buy their CD because of it though. Foo Fighters were...loud. Their lead singer single-handedly caused my ears to ring for 2 days. He screamed a lot. Other than that (and his swearing like a sailor), they were pretty OK. I already own their newest CD, but probably won't go buy further ones. Weezer was great. They played a lot of stuff from their first album, which is my favorite. It was a bit weird though, to sit with all of these teenagers who may have been getting ready for kindergarten when I was listening to that CD. Not that I feel old or anything.
On a more general note, and to address the title of this post, Fall is definitely here. We've had highs in the 50s and 60s this week, freeze warnings at night, and to top it off, a "Winter Storm Watch" for tonight as well. I'm personally not a big winter fan, but I like fall. Something about the cooler air and the colors of fall make it a nice time of year. For a Denver Life kind of post, apparently this is the time of year that people like to drive out and see the Aspens. I've been told that if you drive west (why they label it south, I do not know) on 285 you can see them changing colors.
Well, I've rambled on enough. Thanks for reading.
Since You've Been Gone
Well after much procrastination and spending way to much money on gas, I have finally taken the time to give my review of what was a "pretty good" concert and a very blond Kelly Clarkson. The event might have been a bit more entertaining if I could have actually heard the performer more. There I was surrounded by hundreds of screaming teenie-bobbers. However, once in a while the deafening screams would cease, and I would begin to enjoy myself. I even participated, singing along to most of songs. The concert lasted about an hour and 1/2 and took place at the Colorado Convention Center. Here are some pics from the night.
Kelly Singing away!
My only complaint: the tickets were a bit pricey for the show we got. But hey, in the end that didn't really matter.
There was good company, good food and good music. Can't get better than that!
Hawaii!
Well, we're back! We just went on a vacation to Hawaii, and it was quite a trip! We've never been to Hawaii before, and I can't say that everything went flawlessly, but we had a really good time. We were there for 4 days and 3 nights, which ended up being just about perfect. Had we planned just a little better, we would have been able to get everything done that we wanted, but we came darn close, and if nothing else, it left us a few things to do on a return trip (someday). We did a ton, and I know that some will want the details, so I'll do my best to hit it day by day, and then hopefully Meredith will come on and post and fill in some of the gaps.
Day 1
This was the most "exciting" day, but not in a good way. We got up early to go to the airport, and it was a good thing we did, because we went to check in at the self-checkin (being the savvy travellers that we are) and there was no reservation for us. OK, a little nervous. We go to the desk, and they basically say that a ticket was never issued for us. Now we're panicked. I call up Travelocity (who I used to buy the tickets back in MARCH), and they say that indeed the tickets were never issued. Meanwhile, Meredith is checking up on how much it would cost us to get tickets on the spot. Try $4400! We're pretty upset, and I kinda chewed out the Travelocity guy. I know it wasn't his fault, but I needed him to see that it was Travelocity's fault. Granted, I should have called to confirm (it was the one reservation I didn't call about...go figure), but Travelocity had all of the tools...they just didn't come through. To make a long story short, after an hour on the phone Travelocity booked us on a direct flight to Honolulu and ate the difference between my original price and the price of the new tickets (they ate over $3300). By now, my nerves are shot, and I'm pretty antsy all the way up until we get checked into the hotel.
The flight was nice...for a 7 hour flight. We got there and took the Airport Waikiki Express (info here) to our hotel, which was a nice deal ($14 round trip for each of us). We stayed at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa (details here) on rewards points. It was a pretty decent hotel. The rooms were nice, but you are really paying for location on this one. Here's the view from our balcony on the 14th floor:
We got there pretty late in the afternoon, so we just kinda walked the beach. We managed to catch a pretty awesome sunset though:
The rest of the night we spent recuperating from the 4 hour time zone lag.
Day 2
On Day 2 we got up and laid out on the beach for a while. I'm a bit too high-strung to lay around for forever, but we had a nice time. We went out pretty early, so we didn't have to deal with the crowds. After that, we went and picked up our rental car...an 05 Mustang Convertible! I got a good deal from being a Marriott Rewards member, so check on that if/when you go.
We put the top down and headed out to the Polynesian Cultural Center in La'ie (www.polynesia.com). It was a spectacular drive. We took the most direct route, but saw some wonderful scenery. We arrived shortly after the PCC opened, and it was a good thing! If you buy a package ticket you can come back for a total of 3 days, and if you have time, you really should. There is TONS to do and see. The PCC is really a pretty neat place. I initially bristled at the price (we got the Ali'i Luau, which was $80 per person), but you really get your money's worth. Most of the presentations are interactive...we danced/played/made lots of different things, and there were tons of shows to see. We also visited the La'ie Temple Visitors Center, which was a wonderful experience. This is one of the few shots of us together that we got on our entire trip (something about handing our camera to a stranger on the beach...):
On the way back we managed to persuade the driver to drop us off at BYU-Hawaii so we could walk around a bit. It was cool being there, and we bought a few shirts and made our way back. By that time the canoe show was going on, where they dance in the middle of the river on canoe-born platforms. It was a cool show, and just a hint of what was to come later. The Luau was amazing! It was buffet-style, so naturally we ate until we were sick. That's also where we got our coveted flower leis. They were beautiful. The Luau also featured a pretty nice show, and we got to go up and dance on stage for celebrating our anniversary. They also had a group performing from Japan...pretty neat!
After that we went to the Horizons show, which was a great experience. I'm not going to post up any pics of that (I'll leave it to Meredith), but it was really neat.
Since the night was pretty much spent, we headed back to the hotel.
Day 3
We got up early on Day 3 in order to hit the USS Arizona Memorial before our car rental ran out (we ended up making it back with about 8 minutes to spare!). When you go, be prepared to spend nearly half the day there, between standing in line, waiting for your group to be called, and then to partake in the movie and finally going to the memorial itself.
I really enjoyed going to the memorial, but not in the same way that I enjoyed the other places. To be perfectly honest, as I'm writing this now, I'm holding back tears. It was a very emotional place for me, as were the Arlington National Cemetery, the WWII Memorial and the Enola Gay exhibit in D.C. I'm something of a WWII history buff. For some reason the stories of the men and women that were willing to lay down their lives for their families and the freedoms they enjoy really touch me. And these men...struck down with little or no warning...I just don't have words. I guess their loss saddens me, and at the same time I feel an immense pride for being one of their countrymen. Being on the Memorial itself, I fought back tears the entire time, especially at looking at the wall full of names of those who perished on this ship alone. I have to confess that it made me almost a little angry seeing people taking smiling photos on the Memorial...you don't do that kind of stuff in a cemetery. We don't have many photos from that place, again because I'm such a baby about it, but here's one of the memorial from the shore:
One of the disappointments from the trip was not being able to visit the USS Missouri (seen on the left of the Arizona Memorial in the above photo), which was the site of the Japanese surrender at the end of the war, but again, we'll do that on another trip.
The rest of the day we spent exploring the countless shops along Waikiki, including the International Market. That place reminded me a lot of the fairs in Brazil...most of the stuff comes from China. It isn't bad stuff, but not the highest quality ever. The good news is that you can haggle prices, so we got a couple of good deals. We also hit Hard Rock Cafe and picked up another set of souvenir glasses (we're up to 6 now) with our meal.
Day 4
We were going to try to hit Hanauma Bay on day 4 at the behest of our friends, but that's really something we should have done on day 1 or 2. It was just too stressful to do it on our last day...especially since we had to check out. Again, next time.
We kinda just goofed off on our last day. We went to the zoo, which was actually pretty cool (I'll let Meredith talk more about it), and walked Waikiki again. We found a cool restaurant called Cheeseburger in Paradise (named after the song we're guessing, but there were thankfully no mentions of Jimmy Buffet anywhere (NOTE: I know that since I grew up in Florida I should like him more, but the only dose I can take of him at this point is about 2 lines of a song at a time. They overplayed him a little bit on the radio down in FL, and I'm still getting over it. The same with Journey and the Eagles. Amazing bands, yes. But I can't handle them in large doses.)). The burger was among the best I've ever had, and we just had a good time.
Well, after that, we went back to the hotel, grabbed our stuff, and waited for the shuttle. The rest you can probably guess...pretty standard return trip stuff. One cool thing we did was upload our pictures to Costco's photo center on the web from our hotel room on Thursday morning. When we got back on Friday morning (overnight flight), we just ran into Costco and grabbed them. Easy as pie!
Like I said at the beginning, we really loved our trip. It was nice to spend some time with Meredith, and remember how much I really love her company. Hopefully we can get back to Hawaii someday, but if not we have some really great memories.
Aloha and Mahalo (thanks)!
Steve
Day 1
This was the most "exciting" day, but not in a good way. We got up early to go to the airport, and it was a good thing we did, because we went to check in at the self-checkin (being the savvy travellers that we are) and there was no reservation for us. OK, a little nervous. We go to the desk, and they basically say that a ticket was never issued for us. Now we're panicked. I call up Travelocity (who I used to buy the tickets back in MARCH), and they say that indeed the tickets were never issued. Meanwhile, Meredith is checking up on how much it would cost us to get tickets on the spot. Try $4400! We're pretty upset, and I kinda chewed out the Travelocity guy. I know it wasn't his fault, but I needed him to see that it was Travelocity's fault. Granted, I should have called to confirm (it was the one reservation I didn't call about...go figure), but Travelocity had all of the tools...they just didn't come through. To make a long story short, after an hour on the phone Travelocity booked us on a direct flight to Honolulu and ate the difference between my original price and the price of the new tickets (they ate over $3300). By now, my nerves are shot, and I'm pretty antsy all the way up until we get checked into the hotel.
The flight was nice...for a 7 hour flight. We got there and took the Airport Waikiki Express (info here) to our hotel, which was a nice deal ($14 round trip for each of us). We stayed at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa (details here) on rewards points. It was a pretty decent hotel. The rooms were nice, but you are really paying for location on this one. Here's the view from our balcony on the 14th floor:
We got there pretty late in the afternoon, so we just kinda walked the beach. We managed to catch a pretty awesome sunset though:
The rest of the night we spent recuperating from the 4 hour time zone lag.
Day 2
On Day 2 we got up and laid out on the beach for a while. I'm a bit too high-strung to lay around for forever, but we had a nice time. We went out pretty early, so we didn't have to deal with the crowds. After that, we went and picked up our rental car...an 05 Mustang Convertible! I got a good deal from being a Marriott Rewards member, so check on that if/when you go.
We put the top down and headed out to the Polynesian Cultural Center in La'ie (www.polynesia.com). It was a spectacular drive. We took the most direct route, but saw some wonderful scenery. We arrived shortly after the PCC opened, and it was a good thing! If you buy a package ticket you can come back for a total of 3 days, and if you have time, you really should. There is TONS to do and see. The PCC is really a pretty neat place. I initially bristled at the price (we got the Ali'i Luau, which was $80 per person), but you really get your money's worth. Most of the presentations are interactive...we danced/played/made lots of different things, and there were tons of shows to see. We also visited the La'ie Temple Visitors Center, which was a wonderful experience. This is one of the few shots of us together that we got on our entire trip (something about handing our camera to a stranger on the beach...):
On the way back we managed to persuade the driver to drop us off at BYU-Hawaii so we could walk around a bit. It was cool being there, and we bought a few shirts and made our way back. By that time the canoe show was going on, where they dance in the middle of the river on canoe-born platforms. It was a cool show, and just a hint of what was to come later. The Luau was amazing! It was buffet-style, so naturally we ate until we were sick. That's also where we got our coveted flower leis. They were beautiful. The Luau also featured a pretty nice show, and we got to go up and dance on stage for celebrating our anniversary. They also had a group performing from Japan...pretty neat!
After that we went to the Horizons show, which was a great experience. I'm not going to post up any pics of that (I'll leave it to Meredith), but it was really neat.
Since the night was pretty much spent, we headed back to the hotel.
Day 3
We got up early on Day 3 in order to hit the USS Arizona Memorial before our car rental ran out (we ended up making it back with about 8 minutes to spare!). When you go, be prepared to spend nearly half the day there, between standing in line, waiting for your group to be called, and then to partake in the movie and finally going to the memorial itself.
I really enjoyed going to the memorial, but not in the same way that I enjoyed the other places. To be perfectly honest, as I'm writing this now, I'm holding back tears. It was a very emotional place for me, as were the Arlington National Cemetery, the WWII Memorial and the Enola Gay exhibit in D.C. I'm something of a WWII history buff. For some reason the stories of the men and women that were willing to lay down their lives for their families and the freedoms they enjoy really touch me. And these men...struck down with little or no warning...I just don't have words. I guess their loss saddens me, and at the same time I feel an immense pride for being one of their countrymen. Being on the Memorial itself, I fought back tears the entire time, especially at looking at the wall full of names of those who perished on this ship alone. I have to confess that it made me almost a little angry seeing people taking smiling photos on the Memorial...you don't do that kind of stuff in a cemetery. We don't have many photos from that place, again because I'm such a baby about it, but here's one of the memorial from the shore:
One of the disappointments from the trip was not being able to visit the USS Missouri (seen on the left of the Arizona Memorial in the above photo), which was the site of the Japanese surrender at the end of the war, but again, we'll do that on another trip.
The rest of the day we spent exploring the countless shops along Waikiki, including the International Market. That place reminded me a lot of the fairs in Brazil...most of the stuff comes from China. It isn't bad stuff, but not the highest quality ever. The good news is that you can haggle prices, so we got a couple of good deals. We also hit Hard Rock Cafe and picked up another set of souvenir glasses (we're up to 6 now) with our meal.
Day 4
We were going to try to hit Hanauma Bay on day 4 at the behest of our friends, but that's really something we should have done on day 1 or 2. It was just too stressful to do it on our last day...especially since we had to check out. Again, next time.
We kinda just goofed off on our last day. We went to the zoo, which was actually pretty cool (I'll let Meredith talk more about it), and walked Waikiki again. We found a cool restaurant called Cheeseburger in Paradise (named after the song we're guessing, but there were thankfully no mentions of Jimmy Buffet anywhere (NOTE: I know that since I grew up in Florida I should like him more, but the only dose I can take of him at this point is about 2 lines of a song at a time. They overplayed him a little bit on the radio down in FL, and I'm still getting over it. The same with Journey and the Eagles. Amazing bands, yes. But I can't handle them in large doses.)). The burger was among the best I've ever had, and we just had a good time.
Well, after that, we went back to the hotel, grabbed our stuff, and waited for the shuttle. The rest you can probably guess...pretty standard return trip stuff. One cool thing we did was upload our pictures to Costco's photo center on the web from our hotel room on Thursday morning. When we got back on Friday morning (overnight flight), we just ran into Costco and grabbed them. Easy as pie!
Like I said at the beginning, we really loved our trip. It was nice to spend some time with Meredith, and remember how much I really love her company. Hopefully we can get back to Hawaii someday, but if not we have some really great memories.
Aloha and Mahalo (thanks)!
Steve
Congrats Brian and Alicia!
Well, it's been a long time since I last posted. We've been really busy around here. First, I registered for a graduate class this Fall, which I'm not really looking forward to, but know that if I don't do it now, I'll never finish.
However, the big event this past week was the wedding of Brian and Alicia (my sister). We flew out to WA on Thursday, went to the Wedding and Reception on Friday, and helped take the tables and chairs back to the rental place before hopping on a plane on Saturday. We had a really good time, and Meredith took some excellent photos. You can find them here. My chief contributions were decorating the car (which is in the pictures) and impersonating Napoleon Dynamite. Sweet!
Anyways, it was a great trip. I was so happy for Alicia to find someone so great like Brian that I actually got pretty weepy at the wedding. I wasn't expecting it...it just happened. So I'm one of those dorks that cries at weddings. Sue me. Oh, and I found a new tactic for dealing with Road Rage. A girl kinda cut me off, and I could see that she was mouthing me, so I just stuck my tongue out. It was great.
Well, wasn't that a fairly random post? Hope you enjoyed it. By the way, if you're curious about what it means to Latter-Day Saints to be married in the Temple, read this article. Hopefully it can shed some light on just why we build these buildings with the gold guys on top (that's Moroni, just so you know).
Thanks for reading!
Steve
However, the big event this past week was the wedding of Brian and Alicia (my sister). We flew out to WA on Thursday, went to the Wedding and Reception on Friday, and helped take the tables and chairs back to the rental place before hopping on a plane on Saturday. We had a really good time, and Meredith took some excellent photos. You can find them here. My chief contributions were decorating the car (which is in the pictures) and impersonating Napoleon Dynamite. Sweet!
Anyways, it was a great trip. I was so happy for Alicia to find someone so great like Brian that I actually got pretty weepy at the wedding. I wasn't expecting it...it just happened. So I'm one of those dorks that cries at weddings. Sue me. Oh, and I found a new tactic for dealing with Road Rage. A girl kinda cut me off, and I could see that she was mouthing me, so I just stuck my tongue out. It was great.
Well, wasn't that a fairly random post? Hope you enjoyed it. By the way, if you're curious about what it means to Latter-Day Saints to be married in the Temple, read this article. Hopefully it can shed some light on just why we build these buildings with the gold guys on top (that's Moroni, just so you know).
Thanks for reading!
Steve
Summer Concert
Warp coils and borg nanoprobes. Now that my episode of Star Trek Voyager is done I can finally focus on writing about my latest highlight of the week: my experience at Dom and Jane's Summer Concert. Thanks to living in a big city, I have come to appreciate the joys of having live entertainment easily accessible. As my fourth concert in Denver and sixth ever, (Barry Manilow was the first concert I ever saw, but that is another story)...I was pleasantly surprised. Thanks to Steve's passion for music I went to the concert recognizing most of the songs. In all there were three performing groups, but needless to say we were there for Collective Soul. I was surrounded by individuals bopping their heads and raising their hands to the beat. Feeling a bit out of place, as I normally do when everyone around me is so good at dancing and swaying in place, I finally let my hair down and enjoyed it. There is something liberating when you are in a group of 3,000 all singing the same song. Even though I didn't know all the words, I still had a great time and it was an opportunity to share in one of Steven's hobbies.
Me and Steve Rocking Out !!!
Our new website
Hi! Well, we have a slick little counter on the side of this website that not only tracks hits, but also tells us what website referred the user to ours. Having looked at the results, it seems that there is a gap in the website offerings for Denver Night Life. We're not exactly the biggest movers and shakers out there, but we do like to eat out once in a while, and we really love movies. Some of our friends from work hit the clubs occasionally, so I've asked one of them to help us out with that side of things. Like I said on that side, it's going to focus on the entertainment aspect rather than the drinking, but I think it'll still be useful. Well, you can find it at www.denvernightlife.net...dot-com was taken by someone who wanted a lot of money, so we ditched that one. Again, if you visit, let us know what you think. That website, much more than this one, is devoted to the visitors...it's nothing without you.
Well, thanks for visiting again.
Steve
Well, thanks for visiting again.
Steve
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