This is just funny. I don't know why.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Not Without The Deity, Baby!
That's the Colorado state motto (without the "Baby" of course). I spent the past week in Colorado Springs where I attended a conference about the brain and how boys and girls learn differently and the benefits of single-sex education. Anyway, the mountains were so beautiful and the weather just lovely (warm, but dry and breezy, and cool in the evenings.) I have a ton of photos to post, so let's just get to it.
Here is the view from the conference which was held at the University of Colorado -- Colorado Springs:
This is the campus deer. There were multiple sightings of this guy. He was not afraid of the hustle and bustle of the campus (In addition to our conference, there was a girls' volleyball camp and a boys hockey camp!)
We had at least three meals here! When Ashley (a teacher at my school) and I arrived on Sunday, we were hankering for some chips and salsa (and margaritas!) We drove around until we found Jose Muldoon's and they did NOT disappoint!
On Tuesday night, the conference sponsored an evening outing to the Flying W Ranch for dinner and a Western show. So for $20 a person, they packed us into about a million picnic tables. A folksy cowboy (way up front on stage) proceeded to spend a good 30 minutes describing what we were getting for dinner and how we were to get it.
We basically went through a chow line where they put stuff on our tin plate (just like the cowboys!): BBQ chicken, baked potato, what they claimed to be famous beans which they said the cowboys called "whistle-berries." That one's for you, Gus!), applesauce, biscuits, spice cake, and lemonade. The food was good, but this is low overhead stuff. We sensed a LOT of profit going on! The show after dinner was a western band. It was ok. We left after about 10 minutes.
On Thursday, after the conference was over, we took a short drive to the Garden of The Gods. It is stunning, spectacular and beautiful. It's just unreal. This photo is from the visitors center. Can you spot the "Kissing Camels?"
This ominous sign greeted us on the trail that goes through the park:
Friday morning was time to take the Cog Railway to the top of Pike's Peak. Pikes Peak is 14,110 feet above sea level. The Cog Railway only allows you to stay at the Peak for 40 minutes because of altitude sickness. On the railway, at one point our climb was so steep that the guide pointed out that if you fell down the central aisle from front to back, it would be the equivalent of a 3-story drop. Yowza!
Here is a Yellow - Bellied Marmot (whistle pig) that wandered up to the side of our train while we waited for a descending train to pass. He and a friend just wandered around the train, unafraid. We suspected that passengers must have dropped food out for them in the past for them not to be wary of us.
This is the Peak! You wouldn't want to overshoot this station stop! Yikes!
After our descent, we went to The Loop in Manitou Springs where we had a delicious meal. I had tacos -- these were yummy! Not like Taco Bell or Ortega! We also had what they claimed to be world famous margaritas with our lunch. Clearly it was too soon after our high altitude experience! After half a glass, I was definitely feeling a buzz (or Rocky Mountain High!) and switched to water!
Our last stop was the Manitou Springs Cliff Dwellings. It was kind of strange because it was right off the main highway and you could park right next to them. Not to mention that the redness of them made them look kind of fakey even though they ARE authentic. It was just strange.
I caught my 7 a.m. flight out of Denver the next morning, picked up my Owain, and returned to Baltimore! It was a good trip, but I was ready to get home.
Here is the view from the conference which was held at the University of Colorado -- Colorado Springs:
This is the campus deer. There were multiple sightings of this guy. He was not afraid of the hustle and bustle of the campus (In addition to our conference, there was a girls' volleyball camp and a boys hockey camp!)
We had at least three meals here! When Ashley (a teacher at my school) and I arrived on Sunday, we were hankering for some chips and salsa (and margaritas!) We drove around until we found Jose Muldoon's and they did NOT disappoint!
On Tuesday night, the conference sponsored an evening outing to the Flying W Ranch for dinner and a Western show. So for $20 a person, they packed us into about a million picnic tables. A folksy cowboy (way up front on stage) proceeded to spend a good 30 minutes describing what we were getting for dinner and how we were to get it.
We basically went through a chow line where they put stuff on our tin plate (just like the cowboys!): BBQ chicken, baked potato, what they claimed to be famous beans which they said the cowboys called "whistle-berries." That one's for you, Gus!), applesauce, biscuits, spice cake, and lemonade. The food was good, but this is low overhead stuff. We sensed a LOT of profit going on! The show after dinner was a western band. It was ok. We left after about 10 minutes.
On Thursday, after the conference was over, we took a short drive to the Garden of The Gods. It is stunning, spectacular and beautiful. It's just unreal. This photo is from the visitors center. Can you spot the "Kissing Camels?"
This ominous sign greeted us on the trail that goes through the park:
Friday morning was time to take the Cog Railway to the top of Pike's Peak. Pikes Peak is 14,110 feet above sea level. The Cog Railway only allows you to stay at the Peak for 40 minutes because of altitude sickness. On the railway, at one point our climb was so steep that the guide pointed out that if you fell down the central aisle from front to back, it would be the equivalent of a 3-story drop. Yowza!
Here is a Yellow - Bellied Marmot (whistle pig) that wandered up to the side of our train while we waited for a descending train to pass. He and a friend just wandered around the train, unafraid. We suspected that passengers must have dropped food out for them in the past for them not to be wary of us.
This is the Peak! You wouldn't want to overshoot this station stop! Yikes!
After our descent, we went to The Loop in Manitou Springs where we had a delicious meal. I had tacos -- these were yummy! Not like Taco Bell or Ortega! We also had what they claimed to be world famous margaritas with our lunch. Clearly it was too soon after our high altitude experience! After half a glass, I was definitely feeling a buzz (or Rocky Mountain High!) and switched to water!
Our last stop was the Manitou Springs Cliff Dwellings. It was kind of strange because it was right off the main highway and you could park right next to them. Not to mention that the redness of them made them look kind of fakey even though they ARE authentic. It was just strange.
I caught my 7 a.m. flight out of Denver the next morning, picked up my Owain, and returned to Baltimore! It was a good trip, but I was ready to get home.
Friday, July 11, 2008
My DREAM Date!
Cathy suggested the new section to the right --->> after I confessed to her that I'd recently had a dream that featured celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey as my boyfriend. I have to say, he was very solicitous and affectionate. We spent some time gossiping about the contestants on his show "Hell's Kitchen."
Here are some previous celebrity dream boyfriends. I don't know what it all means.
Mandy Patinkin. This was during his time on Chicago Hope. Weirdly, I had SEVERAL dreams about him. In one dream he and I went to a party on a yacht, and his wife was there in a wheel chair! (I know, its sad that I still remember. But that was kind of weird!)
Later on it was Jimmy Smits. Yowza! Now THAT makes sense.
Just to be clear, this has nothing to do with my TV boyfriend, Keith Olbermann, who I love in real life! (And have actually never dreamed about.) I will certainly try to keep you up to date on my celebrity "dream" boyfriends!
Here are some previous celebrity dream boyfriends. I don't know what it all means.
Mandy Patinkin. This was during his time on Chicago Hope. Weirdly, I had SEVERAL dreams about him. In one dream he and I went to a party on a yacht, and his wife was there in a wheel chair! (I know, its sad that I still remember. But that was kind of weird!)
Later on it was Jimmy Smits. Yowza! Now THAT makes sense.
Just to be clear, this has nothing to do with my TV boyfriend, Keith Olbermann, who I love in real life! (And have actually never dreamed about.) I will certainly try to keep you up to date on my celebrity "dream" boyfriends!
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Too Much Information! and A Great Birthday!
Ok, first the too much information part. Today I went to Walgreens to get a bunch of things for my upcoming trip. My purchase included makeup foundation, travel size shampoos and conditioner, immodium, aspirin, and purel hand sanitizer. So I take my items up to the register where the older male cashier starts ringing things up. As he's doing this he says,
* * *
So enough of that! Now let's talk about something a billionty times more pleasant, Diana and Gus's visit to Baltimore for my birthday!
Here are some photos of their arrival. A certain little Welsh corgi is SOOOOO happy!
They arrived late morning. We chatted for a little and I showed them around my apartment. Gus declared that it was really nice! Then we headed down to the Inner Harbor where we went to the National Aquarium. It was good. They have a special Australian Rainforest exhibit in addition to the regular fishy exhibits. I think our favorite things were the manta rays and the coral reef. I have to say that my favorite fish names (both from Australia, by the way!) were the Sooty Grunter and the Mouth Almighty. That's you!
So after the Aquarium (which Gus declared "an awesome experience!") we headed over to the ESPN Zone for lunch where we had a delicious meal. Here are my birthday guests:
We had a birthday dinner of nachos and had a very pleasant evening.
Tuesday morning we went to Miss Shirley's for breakfast.
Gus had the Gooey Cinnamon Roll, also known as the sugar-coma-inducing tower of cinnamon rolls!
Diana had the Breakfast Banana Split. Because of its healthy nature, she was initially reluctant to get it, but it was delicious!
And I had Blueberry Pancakes -- an old standby that you can't go wrong with! And I didn't! It was yummy!
After breakfast, Diana and Gus hit the road to head home. It was so much fun to see them and celebrate my birthday with two of my most favorite people! I hope they come back soon!
"Immodium is the best thing! Well maybe its not a good thing, but you know. I wish I'd invented it!!"At this point the thought bubble over my head is saying,
"STOP TALKING ABOUT IMMODIUM!!!"But he continued in a sort of way that I think HE wanted to stop but couldn't,
"Because I know I buy a lot of it! You know how sometimes you wake up in the morning and think, 'It's going to be an Immodium sort of day!'"At this point I started to actually recoil to which he responded,
"I guess its not a great thing to talk about."Needless to say, I paid as quickly as I could and got the heck out of there. I got out to the car and could not stop laughing about it!
* * *
So enough of that! Now let's talk about something a billionty times more pleasant, Diana and Gus's visit to Baltimore for my birthday!
Here are some photos of their arrival. A certain little Welsh corgi is SOOOOO happy!
They arrived late morning. We chatted for a little and I showed them around my apartment. Gus declared that it was really nice! Then we headed down to the Inner Harbor where we went to the National Aquarium. It was good. They have a special Australian Rainforest exhibit in addition to the regular fishy exhibits. I think our favorite things were the manta rays and the coral reef. I have to say that my favorite fish names (both from Australia, by the way!) were the Sooty Grunter and the Mouth Almighty. That's you!
So after the Aquarium (which Gus declared "an awesome experience!") we headed over to the ESPN Zone for lunch where we had a delicious meal. Here are my birthday guests:
We had a birthday dinner of nachos and had a very pleasant evening.
Tuesday morning we went to Miss Shirley's for breakfast.
Gus had the Gooey Cinnamon Roll, also known as the sugar-coma-inducing tower of cinnamon rolls!
Diana had the Breakfast Banana Split. Because of its healthy nature, she was initially reluctant to get it, but it was delicious!
And I had Blueberry Pancakes -- an old standby that you can't go wrong with! And I didn't! It was yummy!
After breakfast, Diana and Gus hit the road to head home. It was so much fun to see them and celebrate my birthday with two of my most favorite people! I hope they come back soon!
Friday, July 04, 2008
Best. Catnip. EVER!!!
Recently, I ordered the pets' flea meds online. When the stuff arrived they included a little plastic bag of catnip. The other day I tore open the bag and put the whole thing in an old sock and tied the other end. Earl LOVED it!! (ironically, the screen capture that Youtube put on the video is of Vivian. As you'll see, she didn't really get to partake of the catnip.)
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Happy Birthday to Me!
Ok, I guess the country goes first. Happy Independence Day!
So anyway, yesterday I got my first birthday greeting! There was a box and inside was:
This is Natty Boh (National Bohemian Beer) gear from my best cousin!! Natty Boh: From the Land of Enchanted Living (that's Baltimore! No, really! It IS!)
Oh, and here are my nutty cats freaking out over the birds eating the berries off the porch roof.
So anyway, yesterday I got my first birthday greeting! There was a box and inside was:
This is Natty Boh (National Bohemian Beer) gear from my best cousin!! Natty Boh: From the Land of Enchanted Living (that's Baltimore! No, really! It IS!)
Oh, and here are my nutty cats freaking out over the birds eating the berries off the porch roof.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Happy July!
Get ready, my fellow residents of Crazy Town!
In case you thought this might be staged or a fake, read here.
In case you thought this might be staged or a fake, read here.
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