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Monday, February 25, 2008

Restaurant Week 5280

We began our celebration of Restaurant Week 2008 at the Home and Garden Show.




Tickets are cheap and worth it.


All sorts of new design ideas and products displayed to make your life easier or more productive. We saw vessel sinks, glass, stone, marble as well as 400 ct. Egyptian cotton sheets for $20 a set. (Almost as good as Patricia’s yard sale find.) I bought the massage/vibrater pillow. Just wait for Charlotte. It’s as good as Bucky but it moves.

The one product that stood out – black carbon radiant heat blankets. It’s an alternative to the copper coil product. Still electric but, safety first, only heats to 83 degrees. This might be useful for the bathroom remodel. More research is needed as sales people are not known to share a fair and balanced report on the products available in the marketplace.

After our two hour ride we walked to the 16th Street Mall, hopped a shuttle to Larimer Street to share a dinner at Osteria Marco.




Gil and Mark had the slow-roasted suckling pig (way to close in the food chain for my tastes). It was served with garlic spinach and roasted potatoes. Great presentation. Mark said the spinach was cooked perfectly, creamy, flavorful, not biting. The pig was tender, moist VERY good. They both ate their whole dinner.


I had a glass of chianti with an arugula salad and a wild mushroom pizza. The wine was good not great, the salad was delicious but I’m used to a more peppery arugula flavor with the micro greens. The pizza was outstanding. The mushroom were flavorful, meaty and plentiful. The cheese was melted on a thin crispy crust. Yum.
Dessert was delicious, too. Chocolate and vanilla gelato with nuts and whipped crème. I stuck to my 3 bites, but wow, it was goooood.
We discussed the Oscar winning No Country For Old Men. Reviewers are saying it is a literate meditation on America's bloodlust for the easy fix. Good and evil are tackled with a rigorous fix on the complexity involved. Gil thought it was a bloody, vengeful tale that lack a depth of plot and character. Well, his instructor at Denver University is using the film for discussion on Wednesday as they learn to develop their skills as film critics. We’ll hear his review of the review later on in the week. The Academy, however, has spoken. The Coen Brothers do it again. Here’s to life in the corner of the sandbox.

Routine Maintenance

Well Friday I got my hair cut. Mary has been doing my hair for 20 years. She is such a part of the story of my life from routine cuts/color to helping everyone be beautiful for the weddings! She is a motivating person. To her life is an adventure; she is not content to just live the life she knows. Exploring Colorado, career opportunities, alternative parenting strategies, Mary is amazing.


New to my life is Amy. She’s my stylist at Ulta. She’s beautiful, young, smart and very feminine. She likes working in skin care. She’s making mine look soooo much better. Her gentle touch is relaxing and healing. We laugh together and then while she’s making money I spend mine. :-)

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Saturday Mornings


Many Saturday mornings, I meet with my friend Kacey. I remember the day she was born so in some ways it is bewildering that she is young woman now. She is beautiful, strikingly so. But her real beauty is on the inside. Sensitive, thoughtful, quality, caring are the first words that come to my mind when I think of her. We laugh together about things like, duh, relating to the men in our lives or a break-through in our growing. We pray for each other and then rejoice in what God is doing in our lives. It is a GREAT way to start a Saturday!
Plus it always involves a latte.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

February 18




Today was John’s birthday. He’s 27.




So we went to lunch at Japango. I mean the post office and the banks are closed today to celebrate so lunch seemed appropriate if not understated. http://www.japonsushi.com/japangohome_bestsushi_indenver.html


Then we came back to the office for dessert. Cindy made him a peanut butter crème pie. It was yummy. John actually shared! All in all it’s been a good birthday celebration week—it began last Monday with the cheese fries, nachos and margaritas. Now back to the quest to lose the finally 10 lbs., which by the way is now 12 lbs. It was a good week

Sunday, February 17, 2008

The Week In Review






So this week I got a new lamp for my desk. I’m preparing for Kim’s departure (she will eventually get married and not be my officemate). Making my surroundings new and still pretty will be the antidote to my sadness at losing a good working partner.
David sent her flowers for Valentine's Day so I guess she's still in love.




Monday was Liz's birthday. So Kacey and I went to the movies with her and then out to dinner. We saw 27 Dresses -- very cute. We ate at Chili's -- nachos with a margerita and then since we were still hungry (huh?) we had cheese fries. Good times.

My CONOMO group continues to meet regularly. Last week we had a GREAT dinner at Pat’s house. She, by the way gave me a hilarious card referring to the harm aging has on the eyes of the innocent young ones. VERY funny. That’s Pat posing with Liz and Janet.

A Friday at PJs included Coco since he worked on Valentine's day. Cody loves us and we LOVE him.

Twelve days until my North Carolina adventure. My free time is consumed with planning my packing. As Mark said on Friday, “Are you packed yet? It’s 2 weeks until you leave.” While packing waits until the day before all the planning will be done this week.

Atlanta figures into the trip as well. So this week I’m researching the history of the region (with special attention to the Civil War era, also referred to as The War Between the States). There will aquarium visits to be sure (Noah is THE reason I’m going to be there) but I’m also interested in higher level concerns as dining locations and shopping (different sku’s you know).

We started our Dinner Club with 5 couples from Flatirons. James and Kelly, Tom and Tina, James and Yvette, Dan and Cheri, John and Pat. We are planning on meeting once a month, a new house each month. Dan and Cheri hosting this month and James and Kelly are set for March. We had sausage tortelli and potato soup for dinner with chocolate fondue for dessert. Backies dipped in chocolate. Yum. Blackies are brownies made with very dark chocolate. I'm not allowed to have these ever again as I CANNOT control myself. :-)
Life is good always challenging.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Sunday afternoon while most of America was engrossed in the Super Bowl festivities, I joined my husband and uncle for the eighth annual co-operative symposium at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Donald R. Seawell Grand Ballroom hosted by Kent Thompson, Artistic Director of the Denver Center Theatre Company. Discussed was Plainsong a play about abandonment, grief and stoicism; a play that demonstrates how kindness, hope and dignity can restore and redeem damaged lives. Staged in “snapshots” a picture emerges of community and landscape, a community of both beauty and ugliness.

Panelist included Kent Haruf, author of Plainsong, Eric Schmiedl, playwright, and Peter Brown, photographer, moderated by Kent Thompson. There was a satisfying presentation of the collaborative process involved in adapting a book for the stage. They chose a macro representation which held many logistical difficulties some resolved by below the stage elevators and a large cast (over 30). With 50 scenes (yes, 50) and 3 acts the 2 ½ hour performance included a ranch scene determining whether cows were with calf or not, a revealing love scene, a rocking Denver party, and a painful high school classroom recitation. Learning how and why these gentlemen chose what they chose was appealing. There were times when they got it right (the Guthrie boys grieving over their mother’s departure from the family) and the times when they didn’t quite get it (the casting of Victoria).

Denver Center Theatre Company did a fine job.

The evening turned cold, a wet cold, unfamiliar to the Denver area. Since nothing was open until 5 we stopped into Starbucks for a warm cup. Conversation surrounded reminiscent recollections of family of origin. Then we walked up to Larimer Square and had a small bite to eat, bruschetta, cheese. No dessert. Not very many people out in Denver, only one other bar open to handle the “crowds.” Ah, small town living. Oh wait this is the big city.

Friday, February 1, 2008

Another Friday








So Cody came for a visit today. His mom had a doctor’s appointment. All is good on the new baby front. Here PJ is at 17 weeks.










Coco stayed to say hi and then off to the farm—it’s delivery day.


We went for a walk around the cul-de-sac (ask your mother what that is). It’s a little cold but sunny and fun to be outside concentrating on clouds, rocks, dogs barking, etc.












Then inside we played with the smiley face ball. It’s hard to decide who’s happier. I mean when you can eat a carrot and play with a ball how good can life get.