Friday, December 29, 2006

More Snow

It's snowing once again in Denver. Britni is supposed to land tomorrow morning at 10:30. I hope her flight doesn't get cancelled. I would be really mad. There are so many varying weather reports that it's hard to tell what is going to happen. The airport is still open but some of the airlines have been cancelling flights to thin out their service at DIA. It's not snowing real hard but it is cold enough to have ice problems. I closed the office today because of the roads. All of the government agencies are asking that people stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary. There are chain requirements for commercial vehicles on all of the major highways. At best there is one slushy lane open on each one. Oh well. I guess this is what I bargained for moving to Denver. In some ways I kind of like it. It's just a little bit annoying twice in one week.

_E_

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Snow, Travel, Christmas and Stuff

Well, it has certainly been an eventful week. Last Tuesday Britni landed here in Denver. Wednesday I woke up an the snow was coming down so hard I couldn't see the building on the other side of the road. I went and picked Britni up for breakfast and while we were on our way back to my apartment Harold called to tell me to close the office for the day. It was snowing so hard that we actually closed!!! Britni and I decided to go to Mimi's Cafe for breakfast and then run some errands. We got to our second to last stop, Home Depot, and when we went to leave the car wouldn't start. It was snowing like mad and it was butt cold. I narrowed it down to the starter itself and decided to have the car towed to the mechanics. I then called a bunch of car rental places and finally found what was probably one of the last SUV's in the state. By this time Denver International Airport (DIA) was closed for the first time in history. The only road going to it was so dangerous to drive on they closed it. That's awesome.

Our company Christmas party was scheduled for Wednesday night as well. The food was already cooked and ready to go so we couldn't reschedule it. We usually have a bus come around and pick everybody up at their homes but they couldn't even get out of their garage with the bus. We decided to get as many people out there as we could so we who had four wheel drive picked up as many of those who didn't as we could and headed out to Harold and Judy's. It was a great drive. It was snowing so hard sometimes we couldn't see the car fifty feet in front of us. I love it!

It was a great party. There was a ton of good food. The snow was falling all night long. We talked a laughed a lot. Harold and Judy gave us our "company presents" for lack of a better term. I got a great Spyder ski parka with the company logo on it, a big bonus, and a huge, completely unexpected raise!!! Oh, and I got the employee of the year award.

After the party the snow was so deep that every vehicle that we brought out to Harold and Judy's got stuck on the road in front of their house. We dug each one out and were on our merry way by 2:15am.

On Thursday we woke up to more snow falling. DIA was announcing that it would be closed until noon on Friday. Britni called and got a refund on her flight and we made plans to drive back to Des Moines on Friday. The highway that we needed to take was opened back up on Thursday around 10:00pm.

We left at 10:00am on Friday and made it back to Des Moines at 10:15pm. It was a great drive. We took the 4Runner that we had rented because my car hadn't even been looked at due to the storm. They had to dig it out before they could even roll it in to the shop.

On Saturday I took Britni to work and ran errands all day. Sunday was Christmas Eve and I decided to fix her mom's downstairs toilet. We went to Home Depot and got the parts I needed and I rebuilt the insides of the tank. When I was done I went upstairs to wash my hands in the kitchen and when I went to turn on the water, the faucet felt like it was going to fall off in my hand. I decided to fix it. I started to take it apart and it began to fall to pieces in my hands. At that point I figured out what I was going to get her mom for Christmas. I got her a new faucet. I got a Pegasus all brass faucet with ceramic bushings and washers. This thing is great. I think we can safely say that the house will fall down before this thing dies. She loved it.

On Sunday night we went to Christmas Eve service and then over to Dan and Ashley's (Britni's sister and brother in law). We had desert and then headed home. When we got home Britni and I made the dough for the cinnamon rolls and then went to bed. Monday morning we opened gifts and ate all of the food that was family tradition. I left to come back to Denver around 3:45 and arrived at my apartment around 12:15. I went straight to bed and fell asleep.

I woke up on Tuesday morning and wasn't feeling so well but I went to work anyway being the die hard that I am. We moved the office furniture around all day so that it was done before the office staff came back to work today. My car was completed by the time I left work so Jesse was my ride after I dropped off the 4Runner at Enterprise.

Car repairs are expensive dang it. The starter cost $400.00 and the CV axles cost $500.00. Ouch!! The car is doing much better now though.

I got home around 7:00 and took a hot bath and went to bed. I haven't slept that hard in a really long time. I woke up this morning feeling great and I went to work to get a lot of stuff done. I did get a lot of stuff done actually but the list is growing faster than I can check things off.

All that said, it is supposed to snow a bunch more tomorrow and Friday. Britni is supposed to land here in Denver at 10:30 on Saturday morning. I hope they don't close the airport again.

I think that's all for now. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that you are planning a great New Year.

_E_

Sunday, December 17, 2006

Breakfast Rules!!

Stuart and I went to breakfast a Mimi's today. He and his family are on their way up to Breckenridge and they stayed in Denver last night. He and I went to breakfast to catch up. It was really good. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I love eggs and sausage and pancakes and orange juice and coffee and...... Anyway, it was nice to sit down and talk for a little while.

In other news, Britni will be here on Tuesday. She if flying in for the company Christmas party. It's going to be a fun one. It is at Harold and Judy's again this year. The bus will pick us up at my apartment and then go pick up a couple more people and then take us all out to their house. It's pretty far out there in Franktown. The best part is that Britni will be here.

I checked our wedding website today and it says we have 105 days left until the wedding. Yee-Haww! That means in 105 days I will be a married man. Britni's dress came in last week. She's really excited. Now we just have to find the perfect tuxes.

More Later

_E_

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

mmmmmm Steak

i decided to splurge a little bit tonight. I bought a steak and grilled it up. It's a boneless ribeye. I am not usually a fan of ribeyes but I saw this one and it had the most even marbling I have ever seen. I grilled it to a medium-rare. I seasoned it with "Vermont Country Seasoning". I am in heaven. Oh so good!!

_E_

Sunday, December 03, 2006

again, with the cold

Today's high was 32 degrees. I know there are other places in the US that are much colder, but that is not the point. It is really cold for the Denver area. We have a low of 12 degrees tonight. Eeeek. That's cold enough to freeze shrimp in the ocean. Speaking of shrimp, I think I have a love affair with shrimp cocktail. There is something really satisfying about it. It is definitely one of my favorite foods.

The wedding plans are coming along. I talked with Aunt Bonnie a couple of days ago. She is a wedding floral designer. She is doing the flowers for our wedding. I asked her how much it was going to be and she said that it is our wedding present. That freakin' rocks. I can't believe it.

I was watching movie trailers tonight and I heard a song that I really like. I have heard it on the radio a million times but they never say who the artist is or the name of the song. I spent hours on i-Tunes trying to find it to no avail.

The next few weeks I think are going to fly by. There is a whole lot going on with Christmas parties, trips, and Christmas going on.

I heard Jimmy Eat World's Christmas EP and I really like their version of Last Christmas. I am listening to it right now. I love Christmas music. It has a certain drive to it even if it some of the slower stuff.

I need to go get a Christmas tree. There are a bunch of stands around but I have no way of getting it back to the apartment. I think I am going to ask Jesse if he will go with me and put it in his truck in exchange for dinner tomorrow night.

That's all for now.

_E_