Moving to a new city has its ups and downs. One of the weird things about living in a new city is that sometimes you feel like an outsider. Take for example Fourth of July weekend. Now if I had spent it in Cleveland I would have known exactly what we were doing. I know who hosts the annual cook outs. I know where the fireworks go off and how to avoid traffic. I probably would have made a theme appropriate side dish and spent the night following my mom to a party and then just sipping on something outside with Joe and Mom as the night wore down. But this Fourth of July we were like the new kids in school who didn't know where to sit during lunch. Nonetheless we had an amazing Fourth of July weekend, but that is a moot point. There is something to knowing what is happening in your city and where you fit into that, that is part of the feeling of belonging when you are "home."
Anyway we have been frequenting two fine establishments since we both arrived: Vesper Lounge for Tuesday Quiz Night and Attivo for any and every occasion. Vesper Lounge is a a sort of kitschy, wood walled bar with Greek bar fare. The inside is darker, but they have some nice garage windows that are always open to the patio that has little fire pits and is definitely a pleasant place to languish. Attivo is an Italian place with clean lines, an open kitchen, seriously good food and it is usually quiet which suits us most nights of the week. What both of these places have in common is friendly bartenders. We have come to know each others names and we share more than pleasantries. They are quick to fill your glass and just really make every visit enjoyable and more fun.
Being a regular creates a sense of belonging. I think people need to feel like they belong to something, even if it is only for an hour at your local bar.
Shout out to all the bartenders who know my name and a huge hug to those who know my drink of choice (cough cough Ivan)!
ttfn.
Friday, July 12, 2013
Monday, July 8, 2013
And A Very Merry Birthday To Me
This weekend was my 26th birthday. It fell on a Friday, which Joe ended up getting off due to the Fourth of July. It was a wonderful long weekend starting Wednesday night all the way through Sunday. We went out for dinner and had patio bevs almost every night and really got into all the city had to offer. To sort of some up the greatness of the weekend I am going to hit each day below...
Wednesday: Joe worked today, but once he got home it was on and we were down for some celebrating. So we went out for some happy hour shenanigans at the Cheeky Monk, which has a pretty extensive beer list, but more importantly a bunch of Moules Frites flavor combos! Joe started with a beer flight and I had a homemade blueberry lemonade and vodka and we ordered the beer and mustard mussels and fries to share. Well all of our bevvies were tasty as hell, but the star of the night were the mussels. The mussels came in a lidded pot with a crusty half baguette and skinny fries and aioli. Well the mussels were not only tasty but they were huge and the sauce was creamy, garlicky and full of whole mustard seeds to sop up with bread and fries. We were pretty happy walking home from this place.
If the excitement of mussels wasn't enough for us we also waltzed over to the capital building/civic center to see some fireworks and hear the Colorado Orchestra. We got some baller seats smack dab in the middle of the steps of the capital building looking at the behind of the Soldier's Monument and thoroughly enjoyed Stars and Stripes Forever. Post fireworks we people watched from Stoney's patio, which was pretty awesome since everyone was walking home passed us and Stoney's draws a bit of a "party" crowd.
Thursday: Thursday was the Fourth of July, but since we sort of did our celebration on Wednesday we had a bit of an open day to putz around and plan as we please. Aside from the usual lazing around in the morning and the requisite working out we walked to King Soopers to get some grillin goodies and then headed over to Cherry Creek North for lunch. We chose to go to Machete because of their legit menu and schnazzy patio. After some seriously tasty taco's, salsas and Joe's tequila ridden bloody maria we watched people set up for the festival, bought some tanks :D and some long grill tongs and headed home. To end our evening in true J n' R style we hit up Prohibition's patio for some cocktails and more people watching (hipsters and homeless people ftw).
Friday: Friday was my BIRTHDAY! And began as it should with a perfect breakfast in bed crafted by my one and only pre-hubs and a good workout! We decided today should be the day for a bit of a road trip and we chose Fort Collins about an hour down I-25 to explore. We tried to do a brew tour at Odell's Brewing Company, but they were packed and we didn't want to wait for an hour and half for the next go round. This was a pretty awesome issue because we ended up finding the Welsh Rabbit Cheese Shop.
The Welsh Rabbit was an adorable mom and pop shop where you could do wine (or beer) and cheese pairings and it was pretty freaking awesome. Joe and I had a simply wonderful time discussing the shit out of our cheese choices and we chose the Scharfe Max (from Switzerland) to bring home for later. You should probably go find some, because it is that good! Our little cheese snack was only the beginning of our food fun on Friday, because we also grilled out and enjoyed a MASSIVE steak (Joe) and some squashes, corn and veggie burgers (Moi!). If you haven't tried Annie's Quarter Pounder grillin veggie patties, you really should. They hit the spot when you are veg and think you want a juicy burger. I did mine with two slices of oozy American cheese, Sriracha, horseradish mustard and pickles! Yum!
Saturday: Saturday was a free museum day at the Denver Art Museum. So we accomplished one of the first particularly touristy things on our to do list. The museum was lovely, but it was not the most easy to navigate. Still we enjoyed our stay, especially some of the huge totem poles on display as well as the temporary Mark Rothko exhibit. By the time we got through a good chunk of the museum we were hungry so we made our way to the 16th street mall for some grub.
The walk over was rather interesting as we encountered a rally for women's rights at the civic center complete with partially naked women hailing from the slut walk and we got some free hummus snacks from a Sabba hummus cart. We shared an app and salad at Marlowe's to the beat of a drummer and watched the goofy crowds walk by. For some evening fun we went back to Cherry Creek for the art festival and walked around until the Moses Jones Band was set up. They did a pretty amazing job entertaining a bunch of old white couples with some funky oldies and a few newer songs too. But seriously there was a lot of terrible dancing to watch and the band really was good. We both thought this is probably what our wedding band will be like and got kind of excited!
Sunday: Sunday was half lazy, half cultural again as we decided to hit the festival for some reggae music and to see more of the stands. This festival is definitely the largest art fest I have ever been to and it did not disappoint. The whole Cherry Creek North shopping district is blocked off for it and there were never-ending stalls of art and a whole street of food from Indian to turkey legs to chocolate covered cheesecake on a stick! And again the people watching was pretty awesome :D
So my birthday weekend and Joe's much needed long weekend was a total success and I think it was a great start to my 26th year.
ttfn.
Wednesday: Joe worked today, but once he got home it was on and we were down for some celebrating. So we went out for some happy hour shenanigans at the Cheeky Monk, which has a pretty extensive beer list, but more importantly a bunch of Moules Frites flavor combos! Joe started with a beer flight and I had a homemade blueberry lemonade and vodka and we ordered the beer and mustard mussels and fries to share. Well all of our bevvies were tasty as hell, but the star of the night were the mussels. The mussels came in a lidded pot with a crusty half baguette and skinny fries and aioli. Well the mussels were not only tasty but they were huge and the sauce was creamy, garlicky and full of whole mustard seeds to sop up with bread and fries. We were pretty happy walking home from this place.
If the excitement of mussels wasn't enough for us we also waltzed over to the capital building/civic center to see some fireworks and hear the Colorado Orchestra. We got some baller seats smack dab in the middle of the steps of the capital building looking at the behind of the Soldier's Monument and thoroughly enjoyed Stars and Stripes Forever. Post fireworks we people watched from Stoney's patio, which was pretty awesome since everyone was walking home passed us and Stoney's draws a bit of a "party" crowd.
Thursday: Thursday was the Fourth of July, but since we sort of did our celebration on Wednesday we had a bit of an open day to putz around and plan as we please. Aside from the usual lazing around in the morning and the requisite working out we walked to King Soopers to get some grillin goodies and then headed over to Cherry Creek North for lunch. We chose to go to Machete because of their legit menu and schnazzy patio. After some seriously tasty taco's, salsas and Joe's tequila ridden bloody maria we watched people set up for the festival, bought some tanks :D and some long grill tongs and headed home. To end our evening in true J n' R style we hit up Prohibition's patio for some cocktails and more people watching (hipsters and homeless people ftw).
Friday: Friday was my BIRTHDAY! And began as it should with a perfect breakfast in bed crafted by my one and only pre-hubs and a good workout! We decided today should be the day for a bit of a road trip and we chose Fort Collins about an hour down I-25 to explore. We tried to do a brew tour at Odell's Brewing Company, but they were packed and we didn't want to wait for an hour and half for the next go round. This was a pretty awesome issue because we ended up finding the Welsh Rabbit Cheese Shop.
The Welsh Rabbit was an adorable mom and pop shop where you could do wine (or beer) and cheese pairings and it was pretty freaking awesome. Joe and I had a simply wonderful time discussing the shit out of our cheese choices and we chose the Scharfe Max (from Switzerland) to bring home for later. You should probably go find some, because it is that good! Our little cheese snack was only the beginning of our food fun on Friday, because we also grilled out and enjoyed a MASSIVE steak (Joe) and some squashes, corn and veggie burgers (Moi!). If you haven't tried Annie's Quarter Pounder grillin veggie patties, you really should. They hit the spot when you are veg and think you want a juicy burger. I did mine with two slices of oozy American cheese, Sriracha, horseradish mustard and pickles! Yum!
Saturday: Saturday was a free museum day at the Denver Art Museum. So we accomplished one of the first particularly touristy things on our to do list. The museum was lovely, but it was not the most easy to navigate. Still we enjoyed our stay, especially some of the huge totem poles on display as well as the temporary Mark Rothko exhibit. By the time we got through a good chunk of the museum we were hungry so we made our way to the 16th street mall for some grub.
The walk over was rather interesting as we encountered a rally for women's rights at the civic center complete with partially naked women hailing from the slut walk and we got some free hummus snacks from a Sabba hummus cart. We shared an app and salad at Marlowe's to the beat of a drummer and watched the goofy crowds walk by. For some evening fun we went back to Cherry Creek for the art festival and walked around until the Moses Jones Band was set up. They did a pretty amazing job entertaining a bunch of old white couples with some funky oldies and a few newer songs too. But seriously there was a lot of terrible dancing to watch and the band really was good. We both thought this is probably what our wedding band will be like and got kind of excited!
Sunday: Sunday was half lazy, half cultural again as we decided to hit the festival for some reggae music and to see more of the stands. This festival is definitely the largest art fest I have ever been to and it did not disappoint. The whole Cherry Creek North shopping district is blocked off for it and there were never-ending stalls of art and a whole street of food from Indian to turkey legs to chocolate covered cheesecake on a stick! And again the people watching was pretty awesome :D
So my birthday weekend and Joe's much needed long weekend was a total success and I think it was a great start to my 26th year.
ttfn.
Friday, June 14, 2013
Rejection: A Lesson in Self Discovery
So we've all had our fair share of rejection these many years of living. Many of them are rite's of passage...cliquey friend groups, the young love that isn't shared, college rejection letters. You know the feeling, a hotness in your face, maybe a tightening of the throat, leaky eyeballs. Most of these rejections seem huge at the time, but looking back they were silly and probably for the better...who really needed to hang out with the mean girls anyways? Am I right?!
But as we grow, the rejection's we face evolve. They are either not new anymore like being rejected by a romantic interest (been there done that) or they are bigger rejections coming from something you have been calculating, cultivating. For example job rejection. You work to be your best professional, most charismatic, well worded version of yourself and you begin to dream of life post hire. How cushy the salary would be, all the great intellectual people you will meet, the fulfillment and productivity of it all. And before you know it the job you applied to has you hooked and you are ready to start and BOOM rejection in YO FACE!
But seriously I haven't had this sort of rejection in quite awhile. I mean things have been going pretty great lately. I've got a man for the ages, a family that has been supporting the hell outta me and this move just fell into place one thing after another. The only thing left is for me to find the job, well the career really. You know I didn't expect it to be easy. I have looked for jobs before it takes time, effort, sore eyes and resume re-writing. But what I didn't expect was for it to frazzle my mind, throw me for a loop and to frankly make me cry so much.
I think this go around I was expecting to land my dream job. My hopes were high, we moved across the country, so my job should be just as epic, akin to the rest of my life right now. But it feels like with each job I can get behind, it's like naw girl we don't want you. It makes me wonder about myself. I am not the most confident of people, but I know I am smart, have too much schooling and that I work hard and I thought I deserved these jobs, but maybe I'm not what I thought all along.
Don't take this post as a self-pity fest, that it is not. I still think I am smart I just wonder sometimes if the picture of myself is not what others really see and if there is something I can do to rectify that. I am going to keep trudging along at this job hunt business and be as hopeful as I can, because well I have to. But for now it has served as a weird source of self-reflection which I can both appreciate and be unnerved by.
ttfn.
But as we grow, the rejection's we face evolve. They are either not new anymore like being rejected by a romantic interest (been there done that) or they are bigger rejections coming from something you have been calculating, cultivating. For example job rejection. You work to be your best professional, most charismatic, well worded version of yourself and you begin to dream of life post hire. How cushy the salary would be, all the great intellectual people you will meet, the fulfillment and productivity of it all. And before you know it the job you applied to has you hooked and you are ready to start and BOOM rejection in YO FACE!
But seriously I haven't had this sort of rejection in quite awhile. I mean things have been going pretty great lately. I've got a man for the ages, a family that has been supporting the hell outta me and this move just fell into place one thing after another. The only thing left is for me to find the job, well the career really. You know I didn't expect it to be easy. I have looked for jobs before it takes time, effort, sore eyes and resume re-writing. But what I didn't expect was for it to frazzle my mind, throw me for a loop and to frankly make me cry so much.
I think this go around I was expecting to land my dream job. My hopes were high, we moved across the country, so my job should be just as epic, akin to the rest of my life right now. But it feels like with each job I can get behind, it's like naw girl we don't want you. It makes me wonder about myself. I am not the most confident of people, but I know I am smart, have too much schooling and that I work hard and I thought I deserved these jobs, but maybe I'm not what I thought all along.
Don't take this post as a self-pity fest, that it is not. I still think I am smart I just wonder sometimes if the picture of myself is not what others really see and if there is something I can do to rectify that. I am going to keep trudging along at this job hunt business and be as hopeful as I can, because well I have to. But for now it has served as a weird source of self-reflection which I can both appreciate and be unnerved by.
ttfn.
Friday, June 7, 2013
A Period of Absence From It
Google defines homesickness as, "A longing for ones home during a period of absence from it."
When I studied abroad in Italy, for about 6 months during college, I was extremely homesick. Imagine me as an impressionable youth abroad, walking down the street and an Italian person bumps into me (which they tend to do with blatant disregard), I was so homesick, I would just rage after this person. I was convinced that if I were in America, the oaf that just bumped into me would have apologized profusely and I would have been fine. But in Italy they were out to get me and all kinds of ridiculous small things would set me off, like the internet cafe being closed at the most inconvenient of times.
But anyways when I moved to Denver I expected to feel a sort of all consuming homesickness, an angry homesickness like when I was abroad. I though I would long for anything and everything to be found in Cleveland. In reality I am experiencing a much different sort of homesickness than I have before. It feels more adult, I suppose, a little more rational, but none the less mournful and nostalgic.
Seemingly random and sporadic things make me feel homesick. Like watching someone walk a dog makes me miss the goofy pooches I left at home. Or hearing that a friend of mine is flying home to Ohio for a wedding, makes me damn jealous that I am not going to Ohio with her. Or finding that our new grocery store doesn't stock the famed Xochitl chips I'm used to eating in the old hood. This one really gets my panties in a bunch!
The most tangible thing I miss is my mom. I miss my mom more than I feel I should sometimes. I miss being able to drive to her house and be there a minute or two later and just waltz in. She'll be standing in the kitchen at the sink and turn around and say, "Oh, I thought you were Michael, hello dahling." Or she''ll be on her computer upstairs with Remi all up in her business and I can just settle into the house and she doesn't realize I am there until she walks downstairs for a drink er something.
Most days I feel great. Sort of in awe of my new city and the sheer pent up energy of being able to do and be anything I want. But sometimes that same newness and adventure I am in awe of feels overwhelming, like a water heavied cloud lurking above me and all I can do is wait for it to drown me out.
I hope not to sound dramatic about this because I am simply being honest. Moving to Denver has been a beautiful experiment. It feels wrong to be homesick here, in the way that being inside on a sunny day makes you feel guilty. However if you really think about it, being homesick isn't the worst thing. It means you are loved. It means there are lots of people (and pets) who care for you so much that you can't help but notice their lack of presence when they aren't there.
I would like to leave you all with a celebratory shout-out. When I decided to move, I never really considered all of the things I would miss out on. This weekend my cousin, Brett, is graduating from high school and I opted out of the 25 hour drive to Virginia (Lord knows why...), but I would like to wish him luck. Graduating from high school is a wonderful accomplishment and it is the beginning of the great odyssey that is adult life. I think a quote will explain better my sentiments here so everyone give it up for Steve Jobs!
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."
I like that last bit, "Everything else is secondary." It is so truthful, but hard to abide by sometimes. Congratulations Brett! Enjoy this summer like it is the last one you will ever have. And come visit me in Denver!
ttfn and Happy Friday everyone!
When I studied abroad in Italy, for about 6 months during college, I was extremely homesick. Imagine me as an impressionable youth abroad, walking down the street and an Italian person bumps into me (which they tend to do with blatant disregard), I was so homesick, I would just rage after this person. I was convinced that if I were in America, the oaf that just bumped into me would have apologized profusely and I would have been fine. But in Italy they were out to get me and all kinds of ridiculous small things would set me off, like the internet cafe being closed at the most inconvenient of times.
But anyways when I moved to Denver I expected to feel a sort of all consuming homesickness, an angry homesickness like when I was abroad. I though I would long for anything and everything to be found in Cleveland. In reality I am experiencing a much different sort of homesickness than I have before. It feels more adult, I suppose, a little more rational, but none the less mournful and nostalgic.
Seemingly random and sporadic things make me feel homesick. Like watching someone walk a dog makes me miss the goofy pooches I left at home. Or hearing that a friend of mine is flying home to Ohio for a wedding, makes me damn jealous that I am not going to Ohio with her. Or finding that our new grocery store doesn't stock the famed Xochitl chips I'm used to eating in the old hood. This one really gets my panties in a bunch!
The most tangible thing I miss is my mom. I miss my mom more than I feel I should sometimes. I miss being able to drive to her house and be there a minute or two later and just waltz in. She'll be standing in the kitchen at the sink and turn around and say, "Oh, I thought you were Michael, hello dahling." Or she''ll be on her computer upstairs with Remi all up in her business and I can just settle into the house and she doesn't realize I am there until she walks downstairs for a drink er something.
Most days I feel great. Sort of in awe of my new city and the sheer pent up energy of being able to do and be anything I want. But sometimes that same newness and adventure I am in awe of feels overwhelming, like a water heavied cloud lurking above me and all I can do is wait for it to drown me out.
I hope not to sound dramatic about this because I am simply being honest. Moving to Denver has been a beautiful experiment. It feels wrong to be homesick here, in the way that being inside on a sunny day makes you feel guilty. However if you really think about it, being homesick isn't the worst thing. It means you are loved. It means there are lots of people (and pets) who care for you so much that you can't help but notice their lack of presence when they aren't there.
I would like to leave you all with a celebratory shout-out. When I decided to move, I never really considered all of the things I would miss out on. This weekend my cousin, Brett, is graduating from high school and I opted out of the 25 hour drive to Virginia (Lord knows why...), but I would like to wish him luck. Graduating from high school is a wonderful accomplishment and it is the beginning of the great odyssey that is adult life. I think a quote will explain better my sentiments here so everyone give it up for Steve Jobs!
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."
I like that last bit, "Everything else is secondary." It is so truthful, but hard to abide by sometimes. Congratulations Brett! Enjoy this summer like it is the last one you will ever have. And come visit me in Denver!
ttfn and Happy Friday everyone!
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Side of The Road Side Table and Other Denver Shenanigans
So today is my three week anniversary of arriving in Denver. Can you believe it has been that long? I still feel like I got here yesterday. I guess my apartment is beginning to feel like home, but some of that homey magic is missing. I am not sure where to find it though. When I do reach that intangible moment of apartment homeyness I will let ya'll know, but let's move on to Denver happenings.
Some of the more memorable things we have gotten into whilst we have been here...
1. The Memorial Day Bike Pub Crawl. This event is hosted by an increasingly good friend of ours, Brian (of the soon to be famous Brian and Meghan). It has been in existence a few years running and everyone gets dressed up for it in their red, white and blue best. I found some great flag print, peace sign sunglasses for Joe and an awesome Coloradical hat from Buffalo Exchange (a sweet consignment shop) and he fashioned his own jorts. As for myself I painted the back of a light blue denim vest with a faded flag and a huge, squawking Eagle head (I got a few compliments on it ;p). Between 60 and 80 people joined us for this Biking Pub Crawl and it was pretty epic. The best part was the musical bike trailer Brian created that had amps and boat batteries and really raised the roof! So to paint a picture of us imagine a very large bike gang, decked out in their American best, following a dude on a bike with a musical trailer wearing a cowboy hat taking over the streets and the paths in Washington Park. I mean seriously forget the part where we stopped at bars, the bike gang riding was where it was at.
2. Side of The Road Side Table. During a bike ride before we had to return the bikes we rented for the Memorial Day Bike Pub Crawl we were riding around Cheesman Park and passed an apartment with free stuff outside. One of those free items was a small chest/side table that was in legit condition and we needed (still need) side tables so we sniped it. It was kind of fun and I felt like the South Euclid pickers who used to take crap off my tree lawn. Yesterday I finished beautifying that side table and it is a now a very, very light aqua with some purposeful antiquing and it sits between a puffy couch ands its puffy chair counterpart.
3. City O' City. I have been to City O' City 5 times in the 3 weeks I have been to Denver. Two of those times were before my mom even left. That place is so dang yummy. Everything is vegetarian, but before you prejudge you would literally never know by just eating the food. The food is flavorful, filling and innovative. Seriously everyone that visits me in Denver is going to be forced to check out City O' City. My favorite dishes so far have been the savory waffles with a veggie ragu and cream sauce, the chillaquilles for breakfast drenched in the best black bean sauce ever and anything that you can get gravy or green chili sauce with because they rock!
4. Attivo Pizzeria and Wine Bar. Joe and I have also frequented this restaurant since it is also around the corner from us. They have a very personable if not slightly goofy bartender who makes funny interjections and generally makes the experience a pleasant one. They also always have the games Joe wants to watch on and their food is tasty, cheap and always satisfying.
5. Engagement Pictures. So our new wonderful couple friends Meghan and Brian not only invite us to all of their social events they actually seem to care about our lives and shit. Brian, who is apparently an amateur photog, offered to take some engagement pictures of us so we could get our save the dates put together and sent out. (Our previous engagement picture session in Cleveland got rained out. Imagine that...). I have yet to see the fruits of Brian's labors but we had fun bopping around Cheesman Park taking pictures and I think we got a couple good ones!
6. The Cherry Creek Farmer's Market with Alex. A very old (but also new) family friend of mine lives in Denver and we have had the chance to hang out a couple times now and she is as wonderful as the little girl I remember from back in the day. We stopped by the Cherry Creek Farmer's Market on the way to the Cherry Creek Mall and it was a very happy little market, filled with people (and their dogs) and I plan on going back there with Joe this coming weekend. I have also heard that Boulder has a pretty amazing farmer's market that I can't wait to hit up as well.
7. Vesper Lounge Quiz Night. Last night we went out for Mexican and on the walk home the rain pushed us into a bar. We have been to Vesper Lounge previously at a random time to get out of the heat while we were exploring. But last night was quiz night and we made friends with a couple of down home gents at the bar and while we didn't win we had another funny night chatting with some strangers one of which had a Chief Wahoo tattoo and he wasn't even from the CLE.
We have been pretty busy exploring the city and making friends and interviewing (me) as you can see. I can't really even begin to describe all that we have been up to. But I do have some things I am looking forward to.
1. Hiking. We still haven't had a chance to hike anywhere, though we did stop at the Garden of the Gods, which was beautiful. But Joe and I would really like to do a nice beginner hike soon and hopefully get into a sort of hiking routine, since it would be a waste not to.
2. Art. I haven't had a chance to get any art on the walls yet. But we have a lot and I would like to acquire some Etsy pieces soon. So hopefully in the next few weekends we will be able to hammer some nails into the wall and make this place a little more beautiful.
3. Restaurants. There are just so many amazing restaurants here. We haven't begun to scratch the surface. On Saturday we will be checking out the Vesta Dipping Grill. Which sounds like it has normal, schnazzy American food, steaks and what not, but their schtick is lot's of fun and funky dipping sauces to accompany your dishes.
I am going to apply to some more jobs now so I must get going. I will update soon though.
ttfn.
Some of the more memorable things we have gotten into whilst we have been here...
1. The Memorial Day Bike Pub Crawl. This event is hosted by an increasingly good friend of ours, Brian (of the soon to be famous Brian and Meghan). It has been in existence a few years running and everyone gets dressed up for it in their red, white and blue best. I found some great flag print, peace sign sunglasses for Joe and an awesome Coloradical hat from Buffalo Exchange (a sweet consignment shop) and he fashioned his own jorts. As for myself I painted the back of a light blue denim vest with a faded flag and a huge, squawking Eagle head (I got a few compliments on it ;p). Between 60 and 80 people joined us for this Biking Pub Crawl and it was pretty epic. The best part was the musical bike trailer Brian created that had amps and boat batteries and really raised the roof! So to paint a picture of us imagine a very large bike gang, decked out in their American best, following a dude on a bike with a musical trailer wearing a cowboy hat taking over the streets and the paths in Washington Park. I mean seriously forget the part where we stopped at bars, the bike gang riding was where it was at.
2. Side of The Road Side Table. During a bike ride before we had to return the bikes we rented for the Memorial Day Bike Pub Crawl we were riding around Cheesman Park and passed an apartment with free stuff outside. One of those free items was a small chest/side table that was in legit condition and we needed (still need) side tables so we sniped it. It was kind of fun and I felt like the South Euclid pickers who used to take crap off my tree lawn. Yesterday I finished beautifying that side table and it is a now a very, very light aqua with some purposeful antiquing and it sits between a puffy couch ands its puffy chair counterpart.
3. City O' City. I have been to City O' City 5 times in the 3 weeks I have been to Denver. Two of those times were before my mom even left. That place is so dang yummy. Everything is vegetarian, but before you prejudge you would literally never know by just eating the food. The food is flavorful, filling and innovative. Seriously everyone that visits me in Denver is going to be forced to check out City O' City. My favorite dishes so far have been the savory waffles with a veggie ragu and cream sauce, the chillaquilles for breakfast drenched in the best black bean sauce ever and anything that you can get gravy or green chili sauce with because they rock!
4. Attivo Pizzeria and Wine Bar. Joe and I have also frequented this restaurant since it is also around the corner from us. They have a very personable if not slightly goofy bartender who makes funny interjections and generally makes the experience a pleasant one. They also always have the games Joe wants to watch on and their food is tasty, cheap and always satisfying.
5. Engagement Pictures. So our new wonderful couple friends Meghan and Brian not only invite us to all of their social events they actually seem to care about our lives and shit. Brian, who is apparently an amateur photog, offered to take some engagement pictures of us so we could get our save the dates put together and sent out. (Our previous engagement picture session in Cleveland got rained out. Imagine that...). I have yet to see the fruits of Brian's labors but we had fun bopping around Cheesman Park taking pictures and I think we got a couple good ones!
6. The Cherry Creek Farmer's Market with Alex. A very old (but also new) family friend of mine lives in Denver and we have had the chance to hang out a couple times now and she is as wonderful as the little girl I remember from back in the day. We stopped by the Cherry Creek Farmer's Market on the way to the Cherry Creek Mall and it was a very happy little market, filled with people (and their dogs) and I plan on going back there with Joe this coming weekend. I have also heard that Boulder has a pretty amazing farmer's market that I can't wait to hit up as well.
7. Vesper Lounge Quiz Night. Last night we went out for Mexican and on the walk home the rain pushed us into a bar. We have been to Vesper Lounge previously at a random time to get out of the heat while we were exploring. But last night was quiz night and we made friends with a couple of down home gents at the bar and while we didn't win we had another funny night chatting with some strangers one of which had a Chief Wahoo tattoo and he wasn't even from the CLE.
We have been pretty busy exploring the city and making friends and interviewing (me) as you can see. I can't really even begin to describe all that we have been up to. But I do have some things I am looking forward to.
1. Hiking. We still haven't had a chance to hike anywhere, though we did stop at the Garden of the Gods, which was beautiful. But Joe and I would really like to do a nice beginner hike soon and hopefully get into a sort of hiking routine, since it would be a waste not to.
2. Art. I haven't had a chance to get any art on the walls yet. But we have a lot and I would like to acquire some Etsy pieces soon. So hopefully in the next few weekends we will be able to hammer some nails into the wall and make this place a little more beautiful.
3. Restaurants. There are just so many amazing restaurants here. We haven't begun to scratch the surface. On Saturday we will be checking out the Vesta Dipping Grill. Which sounds like it has normal, schnazzy American food, steaks and what not, but their schtick is lot's of fun and funky dipping sauces to accompany your dishes.
I am going to apply to some more jobs now so I must get going. I will update soon though.
ttfn.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
We're here because we're here because we're here because we're here....
Wednesday was a study in my patience. I had to wait all day for my momma to come home from work to begin our journey. I tried to treat it like any other day. Wake up, have breakfast (chunky apple pancakes), work out, shower, walk the dogs...but seriously I was pretty fidgety and anxious to get on our way. Around 3pm I grabbed the Itty Bitty Kitty Committee who were so far being awesome. I got them harnessed and in their cages without any hissing or pissiness.
Soon Mikey was home to drive us to the airport and the meowing commenced. Well actually Rafi commenced meowing scared, hollow MeOWWWwws. Olive sat quietly in her bag and dealt with the jerky car ride like a champ. Rafi's yelping was not a good sign of the trip ahead of us. I tried to calm him with a sing-songy baby-talk voice and petting him through the bag, but he was plain freaked out and could care less about my reassurring words, "It's okay, it's okay...".
By the time Michael dropped us off my nerves were frazzled, but the meowing finally seemed to slow down (not stop, slow down). Then came security. We got to use the priority lane and jump to the front of the line, thanks to some wonky ticket issues we had first class seats, but the fun stopped there.
I mentioned earlier that I harnessed my cats, well that is because you have to take them out of their bags and walk through the metal detector. I was dreading this moment. My cats don't really like strangers, so put them in an already stressful situation and throw a crowd in and I figured I was screwed. But Olive and mom debagged with relative ease. I on the other hand couldn't get Rafi out of his bag and had to pull him out by his harness while a TSA lady tugged the bag in the opposite direction. He clung to me like I was trying to chuck him into a roaring furnace.
After security I was pretty sweaty and shaky from the Rafi shenanigans, but we made it and it was all down hill from there. A nice stop at the airport Great Lakes Brewing Co. helped too. The airplane ride was smooth, filled with tasty snack boxes and some serious cat snuggling (As long as Rafi was being touched, he was quiet). We landed in Denver around 8:30pm and we reunited with Joe not too much later. The ride home was pleasant and picturesque, lit by the sprawling lights of my new home.
We ended our travel day with a quick jaunt to Attivo Pizzerio and Bar. Attivo is a really wonderful restaurant with a clean, open kitchen that smelled of yeasty goodness. We ordered hot subs and a calzone and were not dissapointed. The subs were huge and priced well. My eggplant parmesan sandwich was crusty, filled with some oozy provolone and a well-flavored tomato sauce. A full stomach was the perfect end to our long day and sent us home ready for bed.
ttfn.
Soon Mikey was home to drive us to the airport and the meowing commenced. Well actually Rafi commenced meowing scared, hollow MeOWWWwws. Olive sat quietly in her bag and dealt with the jerky car ride like a champ. Rafi's yelping was not a good sign of the trip ahead of us. I tried to calm him with a sing-songy baby-talk voice and petting him through the bag, but he was plain freaked out and could care less about my reassurring words, "It's okay, it's okay...".
By the time Michael dropped us off my nerves were frazzled, but the meowing finally seemed to slow down (not stop, slow down). Then came security. We got to use the priority lane and jump to the front of the line, thanks to some wonky ticket issues we had first class seats, but the fun stopped there.
I mentioned earlier that I harnessed my cats, well that is because you have to take them out of their bags and walk through the metal detector. I was dreading this moment. My cats don't really like strangers, so put them in an already stressful situation and throw a crowd in and I figured I was screwed. But Olive and mom debagged with relative ease. I on the other hand couldn't get Rafi out of his bag and had to pull him out by his harness while a TSA lady tugged the bag in the opposite direction. He clung to me like I was trying to chuck him into a roaring furnace.
After security I was pretty sweaty and shaky from the Rafi shenanigans, but we made it and it was all down hill from there. A nice stop at the airport Great Lakes Brewing Co. helped too. The airplane ride was smooth, filled with tasty snack boxes and some serious cat snuggling (As long as Rafi was being touched, he was quiet). We landed in Denver around 8:30pm and we reunited with Joe not too much later. The ride home was pleasant and picturesque, lit by the sprawling lights of my new home.
We ended our travel day with a quick jaunt to Attivo Pizzerio and Bar. Attivo is a really wonderful restaurant with a clean, open kitchen that smelled of yeasty goodness. We ordered hot subs and a calzone and were not dissapointed. The subs were huge and priced well. My eggplant parmesan sandwich was crusty, filled with some oozy provolone and a well-flavored tomato sauce. A full stomach was the perfect end to our long day and sent us home ready for bed.
ttfn.
Monday, May 13, 2013
On Saying Goodbye
When you live in a city for 25 years you get attached to the place. Cleveland holds the history of my life; there are places I frequent, people I have become accustomed to seeing on a regular basis, my elementary school is here, my high school is here, my college, grad school and I just know where everything is. For awhile now I have slowly been bidding farewell to the people, places and things in Cleveland that fill my memories. I don't like saying goodbye, but come to think of it everyone says that. I don't think anyone likes goodbyes. There is something so finite and unknown about a goodbye. Like I might never see this person again or I don't know when I will be able to eat this pizza again I better scarf down five slices.
When Joe was still in town we tried to fit a lot of our Cleveland favorites into his last bit of free time. We went to Pizzazz and hood bar and ate too much salmon salad, drank too much and said adios to some bartenders that know our usuals and barely charge a dime. We dropped by La Fiesta and the Westside Market, rediscovering oldies, but goodies and gorged on guacamole and famed gyros. We finally visited my mom's office so she could show Joe off to her colleagues, whom she's been talking to about him for years. We went west to Joe's old hood for some last drinks with friends that are like family to Joe and I. Those were hard. These are the people we can only hope to find in Denver.
Joe's been gone for some time now, already on his third week of work and the goodbyes continue. Living at my mom's has been like a perma mom date and we have visited Pizzazz together more times than we should confess to. We have said farewell to many long time family friends, people that have been watching me grow into myself. People that treat me like their own children. People I will see at my wedding, but who knows after that. People I don't even know how to thank for the part they have played in my life, my family's life.
Mostly, from all of this, it has occurred to me the amount of things in life I have taken for granted. This sort of taken for grantedness is not wanton, but a sort of sneaky, silent taken for grantedness. In fact I don't really think in these moments of living you can thank people for the things they do for you, because at the time you don't know what they've done. I guess I just want to say that all of this farewelling has made me want to be more appreciative, considerate and in the moment.
As I get closer to my departure date, I am realizing more and more the person I would like to be in my new hometown and I only hope I can hold myself accountable to these thoughts that I've been sharing.
ttfn.
When Joe was still in town we tried to fit a lot of our Cleveland favorites into his last bit of free time. We went to Pizzazz and hood bar and ate too much salmon salad, drank too much and said adios to some bartenders that know our usuals and barely charge a dime. We dropped by La Fiesta and the Westside Market, rediscovering oldies, but goodies and gorged on guacamole and famed gyros. We finally visited my mom's office so she could show Joe off to her colleagues, whom she's been talking to about him for years. We went west to Joe's old hood for some last drinks with friends that are like family to Joe and I. Those were hard. These are the people we can only hope to find in Denver.
Joe's been gone for some time now, already on his third week of work and the goodbyes continue. Living at my mom's has been like a perma mom date and we have visited Pizzazz together more times than we should confess to. We have said farewell to many long time family friends, people that have been watching me grow into myself. People that treat me like their own children. People I will see at my wedding, but who knows after that. People I don't even know how to thank for the part they have played in my life, my family's life.
Mostly, from all of this, it has occurred to me the amount of things in life I have taken for granted. This sort of taken for grantedness is not wanton, but a sort of sneaky, silent taken for grantedness. In fact I don't really think in these moments of living you can thank people for the things they do for you, because at the time you don't know what they've done. I guess I just want to say that all of this farewelling has made me want to be more appreciative, considerate and in the moment.
As I get closer to my departure date, I am realizing more and more the person I would like to be in my new hometown and I only hope I can hold myself accountable to these thoughts that I've been sharing.
ttfn.
This One Goes Out to the Homeowners
In less than three days I will be jetting off to Denver (Momma and the Itty Bitty Kitty Committee in tow) to be reunited with my man and to renew my love affair with the Mile High City. One thing I am leaving behind is a house. This house was really my first home away from home and it has been quite an interesting learning experience. Sorta like that time I got subpoenaed for not filing my first ever year of taxes (How was I supposed to know to pay taxes?!). There are a lot of things that go along with owning a house that people don't really come right out and say.
I wanted to share a few items that popped up whilst I owned my house. These items are in no particular order, only that they occurred to me this way.
1. City Citations: The city in which I live must be in need of money, because they like to cite you for things as often as possible. Whether it be for an unruly lawn, less than new siding, or an ugly roof...homeowner's beware! I have been cited for all of the above plus a few minor things I didn't really even understand. But the moral of the story is homes take work and upkeep and maintenance and work. The lawn needs be mowed on a regular basis. You can't let your siding go to shit (even though mine looked fine just old). You have to weed and water and weed and water and fertilize and water. And it is just plain annoying. I am ready to live in an apartment where all of these things are not going to be my problem!
2. Garbage Disposals: If you live in a house that was not built yesterday a garbage disposal is another name for a drain. Don't put things down them, it'll get clogged or the food will just sit in the bottom of your disposal and rot. This rotting food will begin to smell pretty rank (especially if it was old cat food or egg shells) and if you ever leave your windows open you will develop a bit of a fly problem.
3. Trash Day: There is a reason trash day comes every week, especially if it is the summer. You should always force yourself to take the garbage out. Food scraps do not do well in heat and will eventually spawn maggots and you'll have another cause for a fly problem. P.S. don't think flies will be stopped by closed windows either, flies don't like the heat as much as you don't and they will find a way to partake of your air conditioning bill.
4. Plumbing: If you live in a house that was tended by a bunch of faux, easy fix idiots than things will go wrong. You might have to run around the house naked trying to figure out how to stop water from the shower from gushing through your basement ceiling onto your TV and Joe's PlayStation. Or you might find one day that the cabinet under the sink is breeding mold because the cabinets and kitchen sink were installed wacky and water has been dripping into the cabinet every time you've used the sink (and I don't have a dishwasher).
5. HVAC Systems: Restaurants have these great HVAC systems that just like suck smoke and stuff up in them and make it really hard for the fire alarm to go off every time you fry a burger. Sadly most houses do not. The first time I cooked an entire meal for Joe was to entice him to put my book shelf together and to make him my momma's brussel sprouts. My momma's brussel sprouts take a considerable amount of stove time so they can get extra crispy and create a lot of tasty burnt bits. In my house those tasty burnt bits cause the fire alarm to go off every twelve seconds until you take the batteries out. This led to me removing all fire alarms from my home so I didn't have a heart attack every time I cooked. This leads me to number 6 after I tell you to always cook with the doors and windows open when you make something with tasty burnt bits.
6. Fire Alarms: Don't remove all the fire alarms from your home because if you live in my neighborhood where house fires seem to be normal you will want that ear bursting noise to wake you the hell up in case of a fire. And don't think I am exaggerating. This past summer there were four houses on my block that caught fire...one was my neighbor and one was three houses down and there has already been another few this spring.
7. Talking Like a Homeowner: You've heard it before...That momma scold the second you lower a frosty glass on the table and she yelps, "Use a coaster!" Well when you have a home you begin to realize why people do things like use coasters. When you use coasters your tables look like new thus your home looks a little more civilized, a little less fratty and you get a sense of pride from keeping up your house.
8. Clean the Kitty Litter Daily: I'm not going to sit here and tell you that I clean the litter daily, but I try to and I know I should, because guess what? Unclean litter translates to an unclean house. You know what I mean? I'm not going to explain this one, but seriously just clean the litter as often as possible so your home does not become an extension of the box. You know what else you should clean often? Your sheets! Or they become on allergen rag and that'll make your boyfriend snore.
I hope a few of these rang true with you or at least made you laugh. I am definitely looking forward to some of the perks of apartment living...gah can't wait to move in!
Peace out.
I wanted to share a few items that popped up whilst I owned my house. These items are in no particular order, only that they occurred to me this way.
1. City Citations: The city in which I live must be in need of money, because they like to cite you for things as often as possible. Whether it be for an unruly lawn, less than new siding, or an ugly roof...homeowner's beware! I have been cited for all of the above plus a few minor things I didn't really even understand. But the moral of the story is homes take work and upkeep and maintenance and work. The lawn needs be mowed on a regular basis. You can't let your siding go to shit (even though mine looked fine just old). You have to weed and water and weed and water and fertilize and water. And it is just plain annoying. I am ready to live in an apartment where all of these things are not going to be my problem!
2. Garbage Disposals: If you live in a house that was not built yesterday a garbage disposal is another name for a drain. Don't put things down them, it'll get clogged or the food will just sit in the bottom of your disposal and rot. This rotting food will begin to smell pretty rank (especially if it was old cat food or egg shells) and if you ever leave your windows open you will develop a bit of a fly problem.
3. Trash Day: There is a reason trash day comes every week, especially if it is the summer. You should always force yourself to take the garbage out. Food scraps do not do well in heat and will eventually spawn maggots and you'll have another cause for a fly problem. P.S. don't think flies will be stopped by closed windows either, flies don't like the heat as much as you don't and they will find a way to partake of your air conditioning bill.
4. Plumbing: If you live in a house that was tended by a bunch of faux, easy fix idiots than things will go wrong. You might have to run around the house naked trying to figure out how to stop water from the shower from gushing through your basement ceiling onto your TV and Joe's PlayStation. Or you might find one day that the cabinet under the sink is breeding mold because the cabinets and kitchen sink were installed wacky and water has been dripping into the cabinet every time you've used the sink (and I don't have a dishwasher).
5. HVAC Systems: Restaurants have these great HVAC systems that just like suck smoke and stuff up in them and make it really hard for the fire alarm to go off every time you fry a burger. Sadly most houses do not. The first time I cooked an entire meal for Joe was to entice him to put my book shelf together and to make him my momma's brussel sprouts. My momma's brussel sprouts take a considerable amount of stove time so they can get extra crispy and create a lot of tasty burnt bits. In my house those tasty burnt bits cause the fire alarm to go off every twelve seconds until you take the batteries out. This led to me removing all fire alarms from my home so I didn't have a heart attack every time I cooked. This leads me to number 6 after I tell you to always cook with the doors and windows open when you make something with tasty burnt bits.
6. Fire Alarms: Don't remove all the fire alarms from your home because if you live in my neighborhood where house fires seem to be normal you will want that ear bursting noise to wake you the hell up in case of a fire. And don't think I am exaggerating. This past summer there were four houses on my block that caught fire...one was my neighbor and one was three houses down and there has already been another few this spring.
7. Talking Like a Homeowner: You've heard it before...That momma scold the second you lower a frosty glass on the table and she yelps, "Use a coaster!" Well when you have a home you begin to realize why people do things like use coasters. When you use coasters your tables look like new thus your home looks a little more civilized, a little less fratty and you get a sense of pride from keeping up your house.
8. Clean the Kitty Litter Daily: I'm not going to sit here and tell you that I clean the litter daily, but I try to and I know I should, because guess what? Unclean litter translates to an unclean house. You know what I mean? I'm not going to explain this one, but seriously just clean the litter as often as possible so your home does not become an extension of the box. You know what else you should clean often? Your sheets! Or they become on allergen rag and that'll make your boyfriend snore.
I hope a few of these rang true with you or at least made you laugh. I am definitely looking forward to some of the perks of apartment living...gah can't wait to move in!
Peace out.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Random Acts of Kindness
A few wonderful things happened this weekend.
My brother graduated from Miami University in a red-capped ceremony surrounded by bleachers of hollerin' people. I felt proud to be witness to my brother's accomplishments and proud to share it with my happy, little family. A day later I can still feel how special that day was. My family was together, dad included, in a peaceful and harmonious way and it felt honest and pure and like how a family is supposed to feel.
Hugh also happened this weekend. Hugh, a retired Miami teacher and acquaintance of my brother's from Kofenya*, insisted upon taking photos to commemorate Nate's graduate moment and that he did. Hugh took a lot of pictures. Hugh did this just because. Just because he enjoys Nathan as a person. And because he feels the need to do good things for good people; that is what gets him up in the morning.
I really haven't come across people like Hugh too often. I don't think many people do this in the iPhone era. It made me feel weird, to be honest. To witness something so simple and sweet as doing an exceptionally great thing for someone without a thought towards how it will benefit you. It made me want to understand it, to dissect it, to discuss it. It made me feel not enough, like in a beautiful kinetic motion sort of way. Like there are tremendous things inside me coiled like springs, waiting to propel forward in the name of bettering lives because that is what people should do. Good things.
This morning we ran into Hugh at Kofenya picture envelopes in tow. Envelopes full of the most beautiful pictures I've ever seen of my family. And we all sat and drank coffee, chatting away while looking through picture after picture of my favorite smiling faces as Hugh made sure we knew how to find each print on the disks he included.
It was another wonderful thing and it was a great mother's day gift to boot. Past years we've spent Mother's Day presenting brunch and mimosas to my momma and having planned plans. But this Mother's Day will go down in the books. No plans were made, just the intent to drive back from Miami, but one gesture from a stranger made it notable, impactful and I appreciate that altruism.
This world is sated with malevolence, but it makes me feel a little more secure, a little more unburdened to know that there are people still exercising their humanity.
It is a beautiful life.
*A local Miami of Ohio coffee shop.
My brother graduated from Miami University in a red-capped ceremony surrounded by bleachers of hollerin' people. I felt proud to be witness to my brother's accomplishments and proud to share it with my happy, little family. A day later I can still feel how special that day was. My family was together, dad included, in a peaceful and harmonious way and it felt honest and pure and like how a family is supposed to feel.
Hugh also happened this weekend. Hugh, a retired Miami teacher and acquaintance of my brother's from Kofenya*, insisted upon taking photos to commemorate Nate's graduate moment and that he did. Hugh took a lot of pictures. Hugh did this just because. Just because he enjoys Nathan as a person. And because he feels the need to do good things for good people; that is what gets him up in the morning.
I really haven't come across people like Hugh too often. I don't think many people do this in the iPhone era. It made me feel weird, to be honest. To witness something so simple and sweet as doing an exceptionally great thing for someone without a thought towards how it will benefit you. It made me want to understand it, to dissect it, to discuss it. It made me feel not enough, like in a beautiful kinetic motion sort of way. Like there are tremendous things inside me coiled like springs, waiting to propel forward in the name of bettering lives because that is what people should do. Good things.
This morning we ran into Hugh at Kofenya picture envelopes in tow. Envelopes full of the most beautiful pictures I've ever seen of my family. And we all sat and drank coffee, chatting away while looking through picture after picture of my favorite smiling faces as Hugh made sure we knew how to find each print on the disks he included.
It was another wonderful thing and it was a great mother's day gift to boot. Past years we've spent Mother's Day presenting brunch and mimosas to my momma and having planned plans. But this Mother's Day will go down in the books. No plans were made, just the intent to drive back from Miami, but one gesture from a stranger made it notable, impactful and I appreciate that altruism.
This world is sated with malevolence, but it makes me feel a little more secure, a little more unburdened to know that there are people still exercising their humanity.
It is a beautiful life.
*A local Miami of Ohio coffee shop.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
The Great Job Search!
My first jobs ever were assistant to the Executive Director (friend of my moms) at the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, assistant at my Dad's (my dad) office and sales assistant at a gift store, Mulholland and Sachs, owned by a friend of my moms. All of these jobs I utilized the magic of connections. Oh the magic of connections. In my hometown of Cleveland my mom know's everyone and in terms of job searching up to this point the people that she knows have been nothing short of a Godsend. And okay I know in the end I have used my smarts to fill the gap between who my mom knows and the position they have to offer, but still connections are like magic, you know?
Looking for a job in Denver will be my second real, epic, adult job search. The first of which began after I graduated last May with my Master's. Wow I guess I have come full circle. My first real, epic, adult job search was pretty weird. I mean I was officially done with school and it is pretty unlikely I will go back for more at this point (Doctorate anyone?!). I'd never had to use careerbuilder.com or other such job sites before to locate a job. And finally I was at the point where my family wasn't really supporting me financially like when I was a babe. This first real, epic, adult job search felt urgent in the way that looking for a summer job at 16 does not. At the end of the day even though I got frustrated, cried, was bored to shit looking through the depths of the internet for a way to make money I found a job, in two months, through a connection. I was lucky. Other people I graduated with would continue to look for jobs 5, 6, 9, 12 months post graduation.
The Denver job search, the second real, epic, adult job search of my life has been slowly moving along. It is so far and will be much different than my Cleveland job search considering the magic of connections is diminished in Denver. Which I think makes it a little bit more interesting and once I do get a job it will be all the more satisfying to know that I have found that job in every sense of the word.
For this job search I have been using Craigslist a little more than the last time and I have come across some interesting positions. There was a job offer that a CEO of some company posted looking for someone to watch him while he works because due to his severe adult ADD he can't keep on task. He even said you can use your phone and computer whilst he works and he will buy you coffee since he likes to work in the various coffee shops of Denver, because it helps his ADD to be in busy settings. Another great option on Craigslist would be the surrogate mother route. To the tune of $15,000 to $60,000 you can have someone else's baby (and someone else's stretch marks too). There are also a lot of really great positions posted on craigslist but they aren't as much fun to talk about. Up to this point the only responses I have received from my job applications are no response or please contact us when you get to Denver. Like I said this job search is moving along slowly, but I am excited to really get head long into it once I get to Colorado.
The moral of this story is that job searching is a weird task, it is like a full time job where you have to put up with a lot of bullshit, it is not very glamorous and your boss is super ADD sometimes! But with a little tenacity and some creativity I'm sure I will find a job I can love and be happy with.
knock on wood...
Looking for a job in Denver will be my second real, epic, adult job search. The first of which began after I graduated last May with my Master's. Wow I guess I have come full circle. My first real, epic, adult job search was pretty weird. I mean I was officially done with school and it is pretty unlikely I will go back for more at this point (Doctorate anyone?!). I'd never had to use careerbuilder.com or other such job sites before to locate a job. And finally I was at the point where my family wasn't really supporting me financially like when I was a babe. This first real, epic, adult job search felt urgent in the way that looking for a summer job at 16 does not. At the end of the day even though I got frustrated, cried, was bored to shit looking through the depths of the internet for a way to make money I found a job, in two months, through a connection. I was lucky. Other people I graduated with would continue to look for jobs 5, 6, 9, 12 months post graduation.
The Denver job search, the second real, epic, adult job search of my life has been slowly moving along. It is so far and will be much different than my Cleveland job search considering the magic of connections is diminished in Denver. Which I think makes it a little bit more interesting and once I do get a job it will be all the more satisfying to know that I have found that job in every sense of the word.
For this job search I have been using Craigslist a little more than the last time and I have come across some interesting positions. There was a job offer that a CEO of some company posted looking for someone to watch him while he works because due to his severe adult ADD he can't keep on task. He even said you can use your phone and computer whilst he works and he will buy you coffee since he likes to work in the various coffee shops of Denver, because it helps his ADD to be in busy settings. Another great option on Craigslist would be the surrogate mother route. To the tune of $15,000 to $60,000 you can have someone else's baby (and someone else's stretch marks too). There are also a lot of really great positions posted on craigslist but they aren't as much fun to talk about. Up to this point the only responses I have received from my job applications are no response or please contact us when you get to Denver. Like I said this job search is moving along slowly, but I am excited to really get head long into it once I get to Colorado.
The moral of this story is that job searching is a weird task, it is like a full time job where you have to put up with a lot of bullshit, it is not very glamorous and your boss is super ADD sometimes! But with a little tenacity and some creativity I'm sure I will find a job I can love and be happy with.
knock on wood...
Monday, April 29, 2013
Joe-Less in Cleveland
Last night I watched television for the last time in my house amongst stacks of cardboard boxes. Joe has been in Denver since Friday after what sounded like a wonderful trek across the United States with my younger brother, Nathan. (Shout-out: Thanks Natey! You rock!)
Being in Cleveland feels weird now. Sort of like I don't belong anymore? All my stuff is getting put in a moving van as we speak. I've said goodbye to so many people already. We've been celebrating our last bout in Cleveland with too much food and booze for a long time at this point. So really what am I still doing here?
Well Nate is graduating for one thing and there is no way in hell I would miss my little bro graduating from college! I mean wow, what an accomplishment! But beyond that this time is sort of special to me. It will be the last time I will be alone (well Joe-less) with my mom and my little brother, Michael, like it was back in the day, just our little family unit (again shout-out to Natey, we miss you!) I would like to enjoy my family right up to the last second we are together, because why the hell not. I love these people. They have been through everything with me and I'm gonna miss them like crazy. So I am going to look at this continued limbo as a gift where I can go on Pizzazz dates with my Momma and do silly errands with my bro, like picking up corsages and buying fountain drinks at McDonalds before his (yes his) mani (for prom, lol).
I am finishing this blog post sitting at my mom's table after I have essentially moved back in with my mom for the very last time. I am feeling a little existential and maybe a little melancholy right now. So much is changing (I am moving to another state) and so much will still change even once I get there (I will start a new job eventually...I will get married...woah!) I just feel like I am existing right now on the cusp of life. It is one of those moments you hit and you know you will be vastly different on the other side. Like when you grow out of your first love, graduate from college, experience your first real job...get engaged. It just seems so epic you don't even know what you are feeling. Well anyway it is just too indescribable so I think I will spare you the gory details and leave you with a Ghandi quotation that I like.
“If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.” Ghandi
Being in Cleveland feels weird now. Sort of like I don't belong anymore? All my stuff is getting put in a moving van as we speak. I've said goodbye to so many people already. We've been celebrating our last bout in Cleveland with too much food and booze for a long time at this point. So really what am I still doing here?
Well Nate is graduating for one thing and there is no way in hell I would miss my little bro graduating from college! I mean wow, what an accomplishment! But beyond that this time is sort of special to me. It will be the last time I will be alone (well Joe-less) with my mom and my little brother, Michael, like it was back in the day, just our little family unit (again shout-out to Natey, we miss you!) I would like to enjoy my family right up to the last second we are together, because why the hell not. I love these people. They have been through everything with me and I'm gonna miss them like crazy. So I am going to look at this continued limbo as a gift where I can go on Pizzazz dates with my Momma and do silly errands with my bro, like picking up corsages and buying fountain drinks at McDonalds before his (yes his) mani (for prom, lol).
I am finishing this blog post sitting at my mom's table after I have essentially moved back in with my mom for the very last time. I am feeling a little existential and maybe a little melancholy right now. So much is changing (I am moving to another state) and so much will still change even once I get there (I will start a new job eventually...I will get married...woah!) I just feel like I am existing right now on the cusp of life. It is one of those moments you hit and you know you will be vastly different on the other side. Like when you grow out of your first love, graduate from college, experience your first real job...get engaged. It just seems so epic you don't even know what you are feeling. Well anyway it is just too indescribable so I think I will spare you the gory details and leave you with a Ghandi quotation that I like.
“If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.” Ghandi
Friday, April 5, 2013
Workin' It Out!
Did you know that Denver is ranked one of the top ten most fit cities in the United States? I think that is an amazing achievement. Go Denver!
This is yet another wonderful reason I am excited to hit the mile high city. For a few years now I have tried to be a regular, nay religious gym go-er and I try to eat in a varied, healthful way. I do indulge in my fair share of sugary items and booze, but that is neither here nor there.
For me being physically fit is not really about the health benefits, though I think those are great, it is more about the mental benefits, the endorphins and the seratonin boost it gives you. I have had a couple personal struggles in my life that I think working it out in the gym has given me the ability to overcome (or maybe keep in check.)
One of my requirements for our apartment search was that they had an in-building gym. I know that probably upped our chances of having to pay an arm and a leg for our apartment, but I was hopeful. I kept my fingers crossed and voila we have a nice little gym with some weight machines and a few treadmills and maybe a stationary bike if I recall correctly. Working out in a gym does become a tiring routine, though, for even the most devoted of gym rats. What better time than the present to try and do a little more than role out of bed and go to the gym. So to do my part to keep my cities ratings up I really want to try some new outdoorsy, fitness activities that do not involve drinking on the patio. ;P I really mean like hiking or mountain biking. And I definitely am going to walk more being that our apartment is going to be extremely close to all sorts of fun activities (and hopefully my new job)! Plus getting out and about is probably a great way to meet some people and make friends. Heck I might finally even try Zumba!
I will keep you updated on my new fitness adventures as they unfold and if I don't someone should probably nag me to get out of the house and do something. :D
Well ttfn...
Post Script: I wrote this on a stationary bike. Gawd I love cell phones!
This is yet another wonderful reason I am excited to hit the mile high city. For a few years now I have tried to be a regular, nay religious gym go-er and I try to eat in a varied, healthful way. I do indulge in my fair share of sugary items and booze, but that is neither here nor there.
For me being physically fit is not really about the health benefits, though I think those are great, it is more about the mental benefits, the endorphins and the seratonin boost it gives you. I have had a couple personal struggles in my life that I think working it out in the gym has given me the ability to overcome (or maybe keep in check.)
One of my requirements for our apartment search was that they had an in-building gym. I know that probably upped our chances of having to pay an arm and a leg for our apartment, but I was hopeful. I kept my fingers crossed and voila we have a nice little gym with some weight machines and a few treadmills and maybe a stationary bike if I recall correctly. Working out in a gym does become a tiring routine, though, for even the most devoted of gym rats. What better time than the present to try and do a little more than role out of bed and go to the gym. So to do my part to keep my cities ratings up I really want to try some new outdoorsy, fitness activities that do not involve drinking on the patio. ;P I really mean like hiking or mountain biking. And I definitely am going to walk more being that our apartment is going to be extremely close to all sorts of fun activities (and hopefully my new job)! Plus getting out and about is probably a great way to meet some people and make friends. Heck I might finally even try Zumba!
I will keep you updated on my new fitness adventures as they unfold and if I don't someone should probably nag me to get out of the house and do something. :D
Well ttfn...
Post Script: I wrote this on a stationary bike. Gawd I love cell phones!
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Strides - Big Ones!
The last time I contributed to this blog the month was January, my work morale had hit an all-time low, and I was focused on taking the GRE with the intention of being accepted into a graduate school in Denver. Things have changed, dramatically, but for the better nonetheless.
Upon researching graduate school and the inherent financial situation that is presented I realized that I need to be a resident of Colorado for at least one year before I can get in-state tuition (and save roughtly 60% on the cost of grad school for the first year). So my decision to delay grad school for one year was a no-brainer. We like change, but we like our changes to be calculated. Thus, my focus and efforts had shifted from acing the GRE to finding stable employment in Denver.
Rachael detailed our early March visit to Denver, but one thing she did not mention were the job interviews I had lined up for the Monday following our apartment search. I was scheduled for two interviews: one with PMC Group, a company based in Copenhagen, Denmark, for a hydraulics engineer role. The second interview was for a project manager position at Cooper Industries. PMC's facility in Golden, Colorado is their only American location and is very small compared to what I'm used to. No more than 20 employees total, a shop with 20,000 square feet of empty floor space, and an office with desks, private offices and meeting rooms but not nearly enough people to fill them all up. A nice change, I thought. Cooper Industries, located in Aurora, Colorado, reminded me much more of my Parker-Hannifin. A 60,000 square foot plant, an enormous cubicle-farm and people running around all over the place like chickens sans heads (avec too much coffee). A nice, clean and bright facility; these were my first impressions of the place, but soon the similarities to my current plant and office became discerning.
The PMC interview came first that morning. I did my best J-Timble impression and put on my suit and tie, trying to look as professional as possible while still maintaining a somewhat questionable mustache (I couldn't bring myself to shave it off). Upon entering their building I was greeted by a sign-in sheet and an empty receptionist's desk. Editors Note to Rachael: they might be hiring. I signed in and rang the visitor-alert bell that was rigged to the vacant reception desk. Shortly thereafter I was greeted by a vibrant Danish fellow named Mikkel. Mikkel quickly offered water, coffee, and a place for Rachael to sit instead of waiting in the car. I walked with Mikkel though a small hallway that opened up into the aforementioned office. Newly built, fresh furnishings, lots of natural light and open space. I like it. Mikkel seats me in a window-walled conference room as he walks away to fetch a co-worker. He returns with a surly but jolly man named Tim. Tim is an American operations manager. My interview commences.
After a bout of typical interview questions, "How do you respond to adversity? How do you handle multi-tasking? What's your favorite/least-favorite part of your current job?" Mikkel and Tim get onto the technical stuff. The stuff I had been preparing for. They ask about my experience conducting projects. I give them specific examples of my leadership roles. They ask my about my hydraulic component knowledge. I tell them the details about the valves I've been working on over the past 4 years. They ask me about my proficiency in Inventor. I hand them each a copy of work instructions that I've modeled and assembled myself using Inventor. They ask me if I like to travel. I say "yes." They show me a hydraulic schematic of a system they're preparing to build. I point out what I recognize and what I don't recognize. For a second I thought this part would get me in trouble; I am a bit rusty and inexperienced at interpreting hydraulic schematics. But alas, they assure me they are just looking for someone who knows "when valves will open and close." Sounds good to me. And all the while they allow me to interject, to ask questions when they pop up in my head. They give me time to write notes and ask for more details. I like these guys. Two hours of this type of back and forth Q & A fly by. It's time to get moving so I can make my next interview. I shake hands with the gents, smile frequently, maintain eye contact and go on my merry way. I feel good.
After a drive past downtown Denver to the other side of town and some initial confusion over the exact location of Cooper Industries, Rachael and I arrive ahead of schedule in Aurora, Colorado. After a short wait in the car, I head in. I am greeted by a receptionist and the typical sign-in sheet. But this time, I am asked to fill out several pages of paperwork. At this point I am more than thankful I went in fifteen minutes early. Otherwise this paperwork would have thrown the interview schedule way off. Literally seconds after I finish filling out the last bits of required information, I am approached by a young man named Jeremy and a middle aged woman named Lisa. We exchange handshakes and formalities, and the pair lead me upstairs to a conference room. This time, however, I'm in a conference room that I consider more of a cell. It seems that every plant or office has a couple of these. "Conference rooms" they call them, but anything with a lockable door and no windows is considered a "cell" in my book. Call me crazy, but I operate at a slightly more relaxed level when I can at least see outside.
The interview begins with me telling Jeremy and Lisa about my experience at Parker, what I've been doing here for the last 5 years, and my likes and dislikes concerning my work. They ask me how my experience here will help me succeed at Cooper in the project manager role. The questions get more intense. "Tell us specifically about a time when you've had too much to do in a day and your supervisor cannot prioritize your work for you. Tell us specifically about a conflict you've had with a coworker while working on a project together. Tell us how you handle customer relations when their product is faulty." I describe to them the most detailed events that I can recall. For some reason, this interview is not flowing like the last one. They begin to tell me more about the specifics of the job. It sounds like a customer service role. I've got friends in customer service at Parker. They are not happy people. And if they appear happy, it's because they're drunk. I'm not getting a good vibe from my temporary cell-mates, and Lisa begins to wield a skeptical scowl when I tell them that I prefer structure - or to create structure when none exists - within the workplace. The interview ends in a very typical manner: by them asking me if I have any more questions for them about the position or the company. Only this time, I do not have any questions. Not because they allowed me to ask questions during the entire interview, but because I know I do not want this job. I want to work for PMC and the stilfuld Danish guys.
With my brain cramped, personality exhausted of bright smiles, and my neck gasping for some air I loosen my tie and head back out to the car. I'm ready for a drink. The whole way to the airport and the entire flight home I can only talk to Rachael about how the interviews went, about how badly I want the job at PMC and to travel to Denmark with them and be their go-to hydraulics guy. As we get home I finally unwind. I begin to realize that these things take time and that it might be days or weeks before I find out whether or not either of these companies want me to work for them. I try my best to put it out of my mind, but it feels impossible. I am edgy, tense, and anxious. But then one evening, after about a week, the phone rings. It's a Denver number I don't recognize...
With my brain cramped, personality exhausted of bright smiles, and my neck gasping for some air I loosen my tie and head back out to the car. I'm ready for a drink. The whole way to the airport and the entire flight home I can only talk to Rachael about how the interviews went, about how badly I want the job at PMC and to travel to Denmark with them and be their go-to hydraulics guy. As we get home I finally unwind. I begin to realize that these things take time and that it might be days or weeks before I find out whether or not either of these companies want me to work for them. I try my best to put it out of my mind, but it feels impossible. I am edgy, tense, and anxious. But then one evening, after about a week, the phone rings. It's a Denver number I don't recognize...
The Secret Gift of Moving (if you do it right!)
I live in a house. I have rooms for storage. Soon I will live in an apartment. I will have rooms for living in. I like clothing and I might be an acute hoarder. Can you guess my problem?
I have way too much stuff!
No, but seriously I have a lot of stuff. Jeans, makeup, books, old school work, craft crap, scarves, sweatshirts, weird shadow box figurines...like I have been collecting my stuff since I was a baby. Don't get me wrong I have given away my fair share of clothing throughout the years and I throw away mascara when it's too dry, but moving from a house to an apartment is different. I have to get rid of clothing that I would have never gotten rid of if I kept on living in a house, but we just won't have the space to house my collection. Aside from the fact that it is kind of hard to give away clothing I want but down have room for, it feels good as hell to slough off my junk and realize I didn't need any of it to begin with.
I have probably donated half my wardrobe, something like 15 bags worth, and it is a little like uncovering the you, you really want to be. Like instead of having 5 black tees, I only kept the one black tee I always wear that makes me look good. Or instead of keeping 10 colorful/floral/print dresses, I picked the three that scream Rachael. You have to be honest with yourself about what you know you will wear over and over and what you bought because it was on sale, trendy, will fit next month etc. And keep in mind there will be opportunities down the road to buy clothing should you need to...umm hello Larimer Square, 16th Street Mall, Denver Boutique shopping yes please!
Moving is an opportunity to recreate your life.
We are building a new life in Denver and along with that comes the chance for a bit of reinvention. I have always wanted to have a well put together living space, decorated purposefully with beautiful items that showcase all that you hold dear and your panache for interior design. ;) With my house I never really bothered. I don't know if it was the fact that I was overwhelmed by the amount of space I would need to decorate or the fact that all my furniture was hand me down and it just wouldn't look cool no matter how I tried to swing it. So Denver is my chance to show Joe and the world how I can put together a room and make it look cool, mostly with stuff we already own. But first I have to donate/throw out all the weird tchotskis that don't fit in with the aesthetic I am going for. Clutter is never pretty!
Moral of this story is you can do more with a whole lot less. It is going to feel amazing to be in our new digs without all of our old crap bogging us down.
Post Script: Best fun finds to date...the great pair of Paige skinny jeans I found in a laundry basket of old jeans and my acceptance letter to Hathaway Brown from like 1997 (gave me a good reminiscent laugh.)
I have way too much stuff!
No, but seriously I have a lot of stuff. Jeans, makeup, books, old school work, craft crap, scarves, sweatshirts, weird shadow box figurines...like I have been collecting my stuff since I was a baby. Don't get me wrong I have given away my fair share of clothing throughout the years and I throw away mascara when it's too dry, but moving from a house to an apartment is different. I have to get rid of clothing that I would have never gotten rid of if I kept on living in a house, but we just won't have the space to house my collection. Aside from the fact that it is kind of hard to give away clothing I want but down have room for, it feels good as hell to slough off my junk and realize I didn't need any of it to begin with.
I have probably donated half my wardrobe, something like 15 bags worth, and it is a little like uncovering the you, you really want to be. Like instead of having 5 black tees, I only kept the one black tee I always wear that makes me look good. Or instead of keeping 10 colorful/floral/print dresses, I picked the three that scream Rachael. You have to be honest with yourself about what you know you will wear over and over and what you bought because it was on sale, trendy, will fit next month etc. And keep in mind there will be opportunities down the road to buy clothing should you need to...umm hello Larimer Square, 16th Street Mall, Denver Boutique shopping yes please!
Moving is an opportunity to recreate your life.
We are building a new life in Denver and along with that comes the chance for a bit of reinvention. I have always wanted to have a well put together living space, decorated purposefully with beautiful items that showcase all that you hold dear and your panache for interior design. ;) With my house I never really bothered. I don't know if it was the fact that I was overwhelmed by the amount of space I would need to decorate or the fact that all my furniture was hand me down and it just wouldn't look cool no matter how I tried to swing it. So Denver is my chance to show Joe and the world how I can put together a room and make it look cool, mostly with stuff we already own. But first I have to donate/throw out all the weird tchotskis that don't fit in with the aesthetic I am going for. Clutter is never pretty!
Moral of this story is you can do more with a whole lot less. It is going to feel amazing to be in our new digs without all of our old crap bogging us down.
Post Script: Best fun finds to date...the great pair of Paige skinny jeans I found in a laundry basket of old jeans and my acceptance letter to Hathaway Brown from like 1997 (gave me a good reminiscent laugh.)
Baking in the Mile High City?
I remembered I wanted to write this post while making a batch of chocolate chip, m and m cookies for Joe's last day of work and eating the last of our Meyer Lemon Tart for breakfast (make this: http://food52.com/recipes/10200-lazy-mary-s-improved-lemon-tart).
Do you remember back in the day when you would buy a box of cake mix and their would be these weird, nay foreign directions on the back about how to bake that cake in high altitudes? Well I am now that poor fool who will be baking in high altitude because Denver is 5,280 ft above sea level (one mile!).
I come from a foodie family. For those of you who don't know the level of foodie-ness that graces my family let me give you a few examples. At Christmas it is normal to make peanut butter balls, iced sugar cookies, iced ginger bread cookies, ginger loaf, rum balls, chocolate covered pretzels, chocolate covered nuts and pecan tassies. We have a coffee maker and an espresso machine and a Moka and a Chemex. Every Sunday we have Sunday Dinner at Susie's which generally starts with happy hour around 4:30 (as if we haven't indulged enough over the weekend) and ends with things like barbacoa beef, home pickled onions, cilantro rice, home made tortillas and a vegetarian option like sauteed mushrooms or tofu. Do you get the picture yet? I could really do this all day.
On top of being part of this family madness I like to bake, as in "I went to culinary school, worked in a restaurant and made my friend's wedding cake" like to bake, so I am a little nervous to test out my culinary skill at 5,280 feet in the air. Being in the kitchen s part of my blood and pretty directly tied to my pride. Let's just say I am nervous that I will put my baking skillz to work in Denver and I will fail miserably and then the world will crumble like an over worked shortbread.
Doing research on the subject has not really quelled my fears either. Epicurious had a useful piece about baking/cooking at high altitudes and it comes down to three main points.
One: The higher the elevation, the lower the boiling point.
Two: The higher the elevation, the faster moisture evaporates.
Three: The higher the elevation, the faster chemical leavening expands.
To check out more specific information you can go here: http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/howtocook/primers/altitudebaking_science . My research makes it sound like baking cookies, tarts and pies will be easier than breads and cakes, but basically baked goods will rise too fast and collapse, will go stale more quickly, will be overdone on the outside and underdone on the inside and crumb structure will not be ideal and all of this will result in not so tasty food. To tackle these issues I think I will start with recipes my mom and I have used time and again in Cleveland so that I know how they should turn out and then maybe it will be easier to figure out what I need to adjust to bake them in the higher altitudes. Lucky for you I am sure all of this kitchen experimentation will make good fodder for our little blog here.
Until then, peace out.
Do you remember back in the day when you would buy a box of cake mix and their would be these weird, nay foreign directions on the back about how to bake that cake in high altitudes? Well I am now that poor fool who will be baking in high altitude because Denver is 5,280 ft above sea level (one mile!).
I come from a foodie family. For those of you who don't know the level of foodie-ness that graces my family let me give you a few examples. At Christmas it is normal to make peanut butter balls, iced sugar cookies, iced ginger bread cookies, ginger loaf, rum balls, chocolate covered pretzels, chocolate covered nuts and pecan tassies. We have a coffee maker and an espresso machine and a Moka and a Chemex. Every Sunday we have Sunday Dinner at Susie's which generally starts with happy hour around 4:30 (as if we haven't indulged enough over the weekend) and ends with things like barbacoa beef, home pickled onions, cilantro rice, home made tortillas and a vegetarian option like sauteed mushrooms or tofu. Do you get the picture yet? I could really do this all day.
On top of being part of this family madness I like to bake, as in "I went to culinary school, worked in a restaurant and made my friend's wedding cake" like to bake, so I am a little nervous to test out my culinary skill at 5,280 feet in the air. Being in the kitchen s part of my blood and pretty directly tied to my pride. Let's just say I am nervous that I will put my baking skillz to work in Denver and I will fail miserably and then the world will crumble like an over worked shortbread.
Doing research on the subject has not really quelled my fears either. Epicurious had a useful piece about baking/cooking at high altitudes and it comes down to three main points.
One: The higher the elevation, the lower the boiling point.
Two: The higher the elevation, the faster moisture evaporates.
Three: The higher the elevation, the faster chemical leavening expands.
To check out more specific information you can go here: http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/howtocook/primers/altitudebaking_science . My research makes it sound like baking cookies, tarts and pies will be easier than breads and cakes, but basically baked goods will rise too fast and collapse, will go stale more quickly, will be overdone on the outside and underdone on the inside and crumb structure will not be ideal and all of this will result in not so tasty food. To tackle these issues I think I will start with recipes my mom and I have used time and again in Cleveland so that I know how they should turn out and then maybe it will be easier to figure out what I need to adjust to bake them in the higher altitudes. Lucky for you I am sure all of this kitchen experimentation will make good fodder for our little blog here.
Until then, peace out.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Our Trip to Denver
Well today Joe is on his way to Denver on a Super Top Secret Mission and it made me think man I should write a blog post. I have quite a lot of information to share with you all so sit back and enjoy the story.
Well we flew to Denver last weekend and it was a whirlwind of a trip to say the least! It began like all good trips do with a pricey, airport bloody and then was promptly delayed by some cloudy/snowy weather. So we sat and we complained (mostly me) about how we're going to miss our connection, but before the words, "Are we there yet?" could fly outta my mouth we had landed in Denver and we were off to a lovely family friend's house to stay through the weekend!
Katie (our family friend) is the most hostliest of hostesses and she greeted us with oven-warmed pizza (at 12am no-less) and offers for water and beer. She even equipped our room with fresh flowers and a basket of goodies! To say the least Katie's beautiful home was better than any hotel and I still can't thank her enough for letting us stay with her.
The next day I woke to a quiet house, made myself a k-cup and looked out the window to a mountain view. I could get used to this.
We had a busy Saturday, thanks to Joe, filled with apartment appointments! We walked neighborhoods and liked each place we visited, pointing out what would be our new bar, our our new grocery store, our new gas station and really it was just so fun. I liked Denver it was everything I was thinking it was going to be and I could really picture this working, like for real. All we needed was the right place and some jobs to fall into place. The last appointment of the day was upon us and at this point we sorta felt like we had been there done that and weren't expecting anything too exciting, but then we opened the doors of the Belmont Buckingham.
From the outside the Belmont Buckingham is normal looking, a bunch of tanned apartment buildings clustered together on a block, but when you get inside it is very well maintained and there is lots of bright artwork and it just wasn't what you expect when you walk into an apartment building. We met with a wonderful property manager and she toured the building with us showing us the movie theater (cool huh?!), the fitness room, the laundry room (takes credit cards ;p) etc. and of course the actual apartment.
The apartment is perfect. It is spacious and has moldings and nice colored walls and a dishwasher...really all the things we want and at a price we can really, sincerely afford and get this it is available in May, not now so that some other couple can snatch it up, but in May when we would probably be moving!
So we go home (Katie's home, which Martha Stewart probably decorated, yes it was that lovely) and we have our heart set on this apartment but we try not to think about how badly we want it and we get ready to enjoy some food and drinks in downtown Littleton and we put it out of our minds.
Fast forward to the week after we arrive home and we are scrambling to get together paperwork and documents and checks...gawd I can't find the checks...so we can fed-ex this stuff overnight so we can get our beloved apartment. The apartment, which at this point I have completely furnished in my head thanks to Pinterest and maybe a few things we actually own, our dream apartment, the one we definitely can't move to Denver without.
So it gets to be Friday and we have crossed our I's and dotted our T's and we have a Cake tasting to go to since we are of course planning a wedding and our life! Joe, my Momma and I hit up Flour Girl Bakery, which resides in Luna Bakery and Cafe for our cake tasting. Now I am not-eaten-lunch excited for this cake tasting! And Flour Girl did not disappoint us. We had four flavors of cake and like ten little cups of frosting flavors and it was delightful. We got to business with our forks making our favorite flavor mash-ups and I think we got some good things going for our little shindig.
Moving on though, we are of course still hungry, but mostly thirsty, so we head next door to Mad Greek for dinner. And no sooner do our drinks arrive do I obsessively (obnoxiously?) check my phone..."Welcome to the Belmont Buckingham!!!"
And there you go we have an apartment in Denver!
I of course left some small deets out of this story but I will let Joe tell you about that stuff, so for now peace out.
Well we flew to Denver last weekend and it was a whirlwind of a trip to say the least! It began like all good trips do with a pricey, airport bloody and then was promptly delayed by some cloudy/snowy weather. So we sat and we complained (mostly me) about how we're going to miss our connection, but before the words, "Are we there yet?" could fly outta my mouth we had landed in Denver and we were off to a lovely family friend's house to stay through the weekend!
Katie (our family friend) is the most hostliest of hostesses and she greeted us with oven-warmed pizza (at 12am no-less) and offers for water and beer. She even equipped our room with fresh flowers and a basket of goodies! To say the least Katie's beautiful home was better than any hotel and I still can't thank her enough for letting us stay with her.
The next day I woke to a quiet house, made myself a k-cup and looked out the window to a mountain view. I could get used to this.
We had a busy Saturday, thanks to Joe, filled with apartment appointments! We walked neighborhoods and liked each place we visited, pointing out what would be our new bar, our our new grocery store, our new gas station and really it was just so fun. I liked Denver it was everything I was thinking it was going to be and I could really picture this working, like for real. All we needed was the right place and some jobs to fall into place. The last appointment of the day was upon us and at this point we sorta felt like we had been there done that and weren't expecting anything too exciting, but then we opened the doors of the Belmont Buckingham.
From the outside the Belmont Buckingham is normal looking, a bunch of tanned apartment buildings clustered together on a block, but when you get inside it is very well maintained and there is lots of bright artwork and it just wasn't what you expect when you walk into an apartment building. We met with a wonderful property manager and she toured the building with us showing us the movie theater (cool huh?!), the fitness room, the laundry room (takes credit cards ;p) etc. and of course the actual apartment.
The apartment is perfect. It is spacious and has moldings and nice colored walls and a dishwasher...really all the things we want and at a price we can really, sincerely afford and get this it is available in May, not now so that some other couple can snatch it up, but in May when we would probably be moving!
So we go home (Katie's home, which Martha Stewart probably decorated, yes it was that lovely) and we have our heart set on this apartment but we try not to think about how badly we want it and we get ready to enjoy some food and drinks in downtown Littleton and we put it out of our minds.
Fast forward to the week after we arrive home and we are scrambling to get together paperwork and documents and checks...gawd I can't find the checks...so we can fed-ex this stuff overnight so we can get our beloved apartment. The apartment, which at this point I have completely furnished in my head thanks to Pinterest and maybe a few things we actually own, our dream apartment, the one we definitely can't move to Denver without.
So it gets to be Friday and we have crossed our I's and dotted our T's and we have a Cake tasting to go to since we are of course planning a wedding and our life! Joe, my Momma and I hit up Flour Girl Bakery, which resides in Luna Bakery and Cafe for our cake tasting. Now I am not-eaten-lunch excited for this cake tasting! And Flour Girl did not disappoint us. We had four flavors of cake and like ten little cups of frosting flavors and it was delightful. We got to business with our forks making our favorite flavor mash-ups and I think we got some good things going for our little shindig.
Moving on though, we are of course still hungry, but mostly thirsty, so we head next door to Mad Greek for dinner. And no sooner do our drinks arrive do I obsessively (obnoxiously?) check my phone..."Welcome to the Belmont Buckingham!!!"
And there you go we have an apartment in Denver!
I of course left some small deets out of this story but I will let Joe tell you about that stuff, so for now peace out.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Walkability
One of my favorite things about many European cities and European culture really is the emphasis on walking. As I can remember from my time abroad especially when I lived on Borgo Pio in Vatican City is that you walk often. We walked to school, we walked to go shopping, we walked to the grocery store, we walked to monuments and museums, we walked...well you get the picture. I love this style of living, it keeps you healthy and it is just a wonderful and tactile way to experience your neighborhood. Well this is something I am really looking forward to when we move to Denver.
I have come across this really nifty site called Walk Score (http://www.walkscore.com/CO/Denver) and it basically breaks cities down in terms of how easy they are to walk around. Denver is rated the 16th most walkable city (and weirdly enough Cleveland is the 17th) and to put this into perspective New York is number one. Capitol Hill, one of the areas of Denver we are looking at has a Walk Score of 90 and this really gets my juices going! I have wonderful visions of bopping around my neighbor shopping and eating and chatting away staying fit and trim and NOT wasting money on gas. Now doesn't that sound delightful?!
Please Check Brains at the Door
Being stuck at work with the impending move looming in the near future has left me in limbo. This cubicle farm of an office is now my purgatory. In addition, being stuck here all day is incredibly frustrating: all I want to do is get a move on (literally). My focus is split down the middle between work and moving to Denver. I want to start cleaning and packing the house and get rid of old clothes and sell off unused furniture, but I can't just yet because there is still some precautionary money to be made and saved. Thus, I marinate patiently in my thoughts of a city a mile high in the air, mountains of fluffy snow even higher, and an unfamiliar, albeit friendly, cityscape waiting to be explored and enjoyed. On the bright side, however, I have had lots of time to make to-do lists and think about what I want out of the next few months.
The first step toward the model life I've deemed more suitable for purveying my happiness is taking the GRE for graduate school acceptance. Initially, I had no idea what the GRE is or on what material it will test me. Turns out, it's pretty casual stuff. The GRE is comprised of data interpretation, verbal aptitude, algebraic math, and variations on each of the aforementioned. I've been focusing on the math portion so far. This may beg the question "why would someone who uses math almost every day need to prepare for a rudimentary exam?" But holy crap; I am amazed at how much I've forgotten.
All of the sudden I feel as if I'm on an episode of "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?"
(Probably not.)
Granted, everything is coming back pretty quickly, I just would not have been prepared at all if I had been hit with something like a quadratic equation and asked to factor it out. So I'm trying to get through all the math topics so I can get on with the verbal stuff. Maybe I'll take up reading the dictionary while I half-assedly complete my work projects...
Even though I am here and I do not really want to be, I will not sink so low as to cause my peers and superiors to question my performance. But I know where my mind is and it is, unfortunately, not at work. Yet through forcing myself to drive here every day while a carrot named Denver hangs from a stick in front of my beloved Subie, I have realized that focus is an incredibly hard thing to master and maintain. Yet I've also learned that you have to be focused on something that you care about, something you love, something you actually want in order to truly access your potential as a happy human being. So no more doing things for a decent paycheck for me. No more taking the first job that comes along because it's a safe bet. No more forcing myself to act like I'm happy in front of my boss. While I won't be making any sudden changes that aren't financially and socially responsible, I will, however, be funneling all of my focus into things I truly love. And that is why we're moving.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Who's Thirsty?
It is my belief that one of the scariest things in life is simply the unknown. Never truly knowing what the future holds can be intimidating, nerve-racking, and ofttimes downright terrifying. By knowing exactly what to expect, the majority of fear may be removed from any situation. Whether it be knowing what the weather will be like tomorrow or what work you've got waiting on your desk, just knowing things like that make the future considerably less scary. Yet, everyone has a tipping point at which they are compelled to hurl themselves straight into the vast unknown; a point at which people have decided they've had enough of their day-to-day life and it's time for a change. It is at this point in life, at this fulcrum of a moment, when hope is introduced into the unknown and it becomes not-so-threatening.
This is precisely where I am. I have come to the realization that you cannot (and should not) continue to do something that does not make you happy. Stir that realization in with the unknown and a dash of hope and you've got yourself one intoxicating concoction. And that's exactly what I've been sipping on these days.
"Imagine that, Joe making a drink reference in his first blog post."
Coincidentally, I must say that I believe it is that in life which makes us want to drink that may also be what pushes us into the unknown. In a bitter-sweet fashion I am happy for these things. After all, it's good to know not only what you want to do with your life, but also what you do not want to do. The latter is something that I've had less than a hard time figuring out thanks to five years in the industry I've chosen thus far and the people in it.
This introductory post may ring of themes found in Rachael's previous posts - she has her own motivations and her own story to tell, so I will let her tell it - but this is mine and this is my perspective. I offer it to anyone who cares to read it. This is a slight glimpse into my life, what I have been and will be doing, and what my motivation is. Like two columns holding up the same bridge, Rachael and I are bearing this load together. We may not know all the details of where that bridge leads, but I can assure you it is a sturdy bridge and I could not be more excited that we've made the decision to build it together.
So to my friends, my family, my wife-to-be, both liked and disliked co-workers, to Cleveland and our future home in Denver, I raise my glass. Here's to you and here's to everything in life that makes us all strive for greater happiness.
Cheers,
Joe
This is precisely where I am. I have come to the realization that you cannot (and should not) continue to do something that does not make you happy. Stir that realization in with the unknown and a dash of hope and you've got yourself one intoxicating concoction. And that's exactly what I've been sipping on these days.
"Imagine that, Joe making a drink reference in his first blog post."
Coincidentally, I must say that I believe it is that in life which makes us want to drink that may also be what pushes us into the unknown. In a bitter-sweet fashion I am happy for these things. After all, it's good to know not only what you want to do with your life, but also what you do not want to do. The latter is something that I've had less than a hard time figuring out thanks to five years in the industry I've chosen thus far and the people in it.
This introductory post may ring of themes found in Rachael's previous posts - she has her own motivations and her own story to tell, so I will let her tell it - but this is mine and this is my perspective. I offer it to anyone who cares to read it. This is a slight glimpse into my life, what I have been and will be doing, and what my motivation is. Like two columns holding up the same bridge, Rachael and I are bearing this load together. We may not know all the details of where that bridge leads, but I can assure you it is a sturdy bridge and I could not be more excited that we've made the decision to build it together.
So to my friends, my family, my wife-to-be, both liked and disliked co-workers, to Cleveland and our future home in Denver, I raise my glass. Here's to you and here's to everything in life that makes us all strive for greater happiness.
Cheers,
Joe
Carpe Diem!
Today is my first week of non-work, work and I'd say it falls on a pretty momentous and significant day. Today is not only the second inauguration of President Obama but it is Martin Luther King Jr. Day as well. How much more symbolic could this day get as far as living the dream, making changes and seizing the day goes? On that note I would like to give you a few quotes to sit on as you go about your daily activities.
"If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward." MLK Jr.
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” Obama
Think about these two men we get to celebrate today. They represent the progress we have made as a nation and that is beautiful but they also represent the future and that there is no time like the present to DO things. I may not currently be working on the momentous things that they were/are like equality or ramping back U.S. spending, but I am working towards their ultimate goal which is happiness and (inner)peace.
So to turn the symbolic meanings of this day inward it is yet another reminder that I should just LIVE life and not worry so much. There is no one else on this earth who can propel me on my most productive, my most inspirational, my most meaningful life path then me. From today onward I would like to propel my own self closer to happiness and peace one small project at a time starting with the clothes that are waiting to be donated in my closet!
Before I really get down to the nitty gritty of de-cluttering I would like to leave you with one last gem of wisdom bestowed on us by Mr. Obama, "Why can't I just eat my waffle?" Now ponder that!
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Up Up and Away: An Introduction
Dear Blogosphere,
I come to you with one week left of my two-weeks notice to start the process of what I consider one of the craziest things I have ever done. I am so scared and its not just first week of school jitters it is an all encompassing, existential fear, but it is a beautiful, good fear too. I know that doesn't make sense but hear me out now. On the one hand I am lucky enough to be able to quit a job that I really do not like so I can pack up the homestead and move across the United States with my hubs-to-be and make a cozy little life for ourselves complete with new jobs, new careers, new friends and big adventures. Maybe this doesn't sound all that crazy to you, but I was the girl who came back from freshman year in Chicago so I could be closer to my mom, like live at home for the next 3 years plus pastry school, plus a little grad school. And we still head over for breakfasts and dinners during the week. As my mom puts it now I live an umbilical cord away. So can I cut the cord and move to Denver and like it? I don't know. But I want to try and I want to like it and I am going to document this journey along with the hubs-to-be. This will be a place to share the ups (and some downs), the job searches and hopefully interviews, the dinners and drinks, and just the whole process of finding our peace in Denver.
Carpe Diem,
Rache
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