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.
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