May 2012...MAKEOVER!

I've never won anything in my life, but I just won a makeover and shopping spree courtesy of the Emergency Services Public Information Officers of Colorado (ESPIOC).  The "big reveal" is next Friday, but I'm giving you a sneak peak.  The "before" picture is in the previous post, so I won't upload it again.

During:

AAANNNNNDDDDD.....After:

I've always wanted to have a makeover, but I've never been brave enough to do it.  It's not a huge change, but I think I like it.  I just hope it's not too much to keep up with; I think they put 4 different colors in my hair.  I also got a bunch of clothes, although I'm having 2nd thoughts about some of them so I'm making Paul take me back down to Denver tomorrow to do some returns/exchanges.  BTW...Macy's was having a HUGE sale!

Happy birthday to me, just a little early!

February 2012 Caribbean Cruise

I am SO bad about posting regularly.  My everyday life just isn't that exciting.  We went on a cruise with Paul's parents the end of February, so here's some pics from the trip:

St. Thomas harbor

Cinnamon Bay, St. John - quite possibly the most beautiful place on earth!

Paul enjoying a beer in St. Thomas before we got back on the boat. 

That's our ship behind us, the MSC Poesia.

The wall at El Morro fort, San Juan, Puerto Rico

La Rogativa sculpture, old town San Juan

Paul's dad Stanley with Alexander, one of our waitstaff. 

They were all amazing - great service!

Lighthouse at the entry to the harbor in the Bahamas,

with Atlantis in the background.

Me, all dressed up for formal night.  What a great trip!

For Judi

Judi said she can't see Crabby's face.  Is this better?  All the rest of the photos must be on Paul's phone.

Sorry, but I can't figure out the comments.  It worked in 2010, because lots of people left comments back then.  I thought I fixed it in September and Mom even sent a "Test" comment, but it seems to just go back.

St. Petersburg, Oct. 2011

Judi will think I am copying her, and I sortof am...this is a little crab candleholder that a friend gave me for my deck in Florida.  So of course we had to take all sorts of pictures with him to show her how much fun he was having.  In this picture, Crabby is enjoying a mojito at the Yacht Club.  He's really back in his element; Colorado was just too cold for him.

We flew out of Denver in a snow/sleet storm, and it rained off and on the first day we were in Florida, but after that the weather was spectacular!  We went to HomeGoods and RoomsToGo on the rainy day, and then had dinner with our friends Leslie & Russell that night.  The rest of the time we did a "whole lotta nothin," which included hanging out at the pool and just relaxing on our deck.  Read a couple of good books, and had some great seafood.  If I could retire and move there tomorrow I would.

Baltimore National Aquarium

Just got back from a trip to Maryland.  I traveled to the DC area on the 10th anniversary of 9/11.  Not good planning on my part, but it all went OK if you don't count all the delays.  I made my bus, which was all that really mattered.

First of all, I spent a week in Emmitsburg, MD at the Emergency Management Institute for an Advanced Public Information Officer class.  Excellent class, top-of-the-line instructors, made great contacts and some new friends...and the best thing was it was FREE, sponsored by FEMA.

Then on Friday, Paul flew out to meet me and we spent a few days exploring Baltimore.  The National Aquarium, courtesy of a friend's mom who works there (thanks, Paula!); the Baltimore Basilica; Mount Vernon; Falls Point; the Inner Harbor and of course, a ride on the water taxi to Fort McHenry.  Paul was even patient enough to let me shop at Filene's Basement, and H&M!  We saw a great band at Power Plant Live as well.  Don't remember who they were, but they drew a big crowd and played a wide range of music.  Baltimore is apparently the land of the 32-oz beer; Paul was in heaven.

Test - posting from my phone

I think I learned something new today so I have to try it. This is a picture of a moose I took from a friend's deck earlier this winter...testing to see if I can post from my BB...
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Test posting via SMS text

Drake Rooks

Please check out this website: http://www.drakerooksfund.com/Home_Page.html

Drake went to Pinedale High School. I missed the fundraiser on Saturday, but they've made it really easy to donate via PayPal. Please help Drake "Get Back on His Feet."

Quick Daisy Update

Here's a few new photos of Daisy. She's growing like a weed! This one is in the back yard; she loves to hide under the deck.

Playing in the mud. She looks miserable, but she actually was having a ball!

Paul and Daisy at the Frisco Marina. She was the star attraction. It's amazing how many total strangers will come up and talk to you when you have a puppy!

Meet Daisy D!

Well, Paul won out, and we are getting a puppy. We were originally supposed to get one of the males, but when we went over to visit them a couple of weeks ago, the littlest female was such a character that we were really drawn to her. No one else wanted her because she was the runt, but she seems healthy and she definitely holds her own with the rest of her littermates. We were never 100% sure that they showed us the same male puppy every time we went over anyway; they are all the same size, don't really have any distinguishing markings, and the owner didn't put collars on them or do anything else to indicate which was which. Plus none of them had the personality Daisy does.


We had a name picked out for a boy, but not for a female. So when we were driving home after visiting the puppies, I was trying to think of what a good name would be and decided she looked like a Daisy. I didn't say anything to Paul because I didn't want to affect his decision between a male or a female. Then out of the blue he said, "So you really like little Daisy, don't you?" I got cold chills, because it was just too much of a coincidence!


So meet Daisy D_______ (last name witheld to protect her privacy). I like to think she picked us.

June Posting #2

Not sure why Blogger is so fussy about photos. I always have some sort of a problem. Anyway, here's the rest of June's photos.

These are pictures from our county-wide Emergency Management exercise. The scenario was a school bus vs. vehicle carrying unknown hazmat liquid. I was only supposed to do the public information piece for the exercise itself, but at the last minute (literally) I found out I had to be the PIO for the "incident" as well. I'm sure I learned more just being thrown into it than shadowing another experienced PIO, so I'm actually glad it happened that way.





OK, and here's the pictures I know everyone was buzzing about (that's you, MOM...and Leslie...). This is the potential new addition to our family. They were born May 25th, so he was 2 weeks old in these photos and their eyes had just opened.


I haven't committed to anything yet because I'm still not ready, but Paul really wants another dog. I've cried more in the last few weeks, just thinking about "replacing" Bogie...but I'm trying. They won't be 8 weeks until July 20, so I have a little more time.

June - Finally Summer!

I tried to post some pictures when were were down in Florida in the middle of May, but Blogger wouldn't let me. So I'll post May now and June next.

Paul's parents came over from Ft. Lauderdale for my birthday. This is Paul's dad with a "bucket o' beers." He thought it was so cool.




















And here is me, with the next night's appetizers. Note the fancy cardboard box for a coffee table with the sprig of plastic flowers in the center. I'm not the "hostess with the most-est" for nothing!















We bought some kayaks online and had them shipped to my friend Leslie's house before we went back down to FL. Had a little mixup because they didn't ship a paddle that was supposed to be included with mine, but Amazon was amazing and immediately credited me the cost of a paddle we had to buy. HIGHLY recommend Amazon.

Here they are: mine is the little one. It dumped me out almost every time I tried to get in off the dock, and I ended up getting stitches when I cut my leg on a barnacle on the piling. Had a cute medic at the ED, though. So all is forgiven, and the kayak and I are still friends. But next time we go down I'm buying a ladder so I can climb down to the water instead of trying to balance from 3 feet up.















Here is Paul headed out fishing. His kayak is bigger, with places for his fishing rod. Right after this he caught some sort of a trout, and while he was trying to get it reeled in (the kayak doesn't have brakes so the fish tows you around a little), a bunch of dolphins (the mammal) started circling and trying to get the fish. Paul said it was a little freaky - not knowing if he'd hook a dolphin and get towed out to sea! At least that's his story...I never actually SAW the rumored dolphins.



But I did see a manatee in our canal. Paul came running up the stairs yelling, "Manatee! Manatee!" Didn't get pictures, but it was right in our boat slip when he was getting out of the kayak. That I DID see.

Wow, it's been a while since I posted, hasn't it? I just uploaded some photos to my Facebook page. Here's the link:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=196325&l=e75d58364d&id=100000394911360

We didn't get snow all winter, and for the entire month of May it has done NOTHING but snow! So for the last 4 weekends straight we've gotten out of Summit County. The pictures I posted on Facebook are of our camping trip to Rifle Falls.


Here's what it looks like at my house.

We are headed to Florida again on Saturday. Gotta do something to get away from this weather. Just hope the airport is open.

Does anyone else have spring. I mean REALLY spring?

Happy Sunday -- it is finally snowing! I know the East Coast and lots of other places in the U.S. have had way more than their share of snow, but here in Colorado, we haven't had a whole lot. The ski areas are open, but the conditions leave a lot to be desired. Hopefully from here on out it won't stop until April. With all the beetle-killed trees, we are going to have an interesting summer if we don't get a LOT more snow.

We went to Florida for Valentine's Day/Presidents Day/Mardi Gras. It was still pretty chilly (for Florida - 60s), but the sun was out, and so were we. Here's me having lunch at the Pier.

And here's my Valentine's Day present. Isn't it awesome? Paul does good work. I think it's Tanzenite and Australian Opal...I don't really care; it's just pretty.
This next one isn't a very good picture because I took it with my Blackberry, but I think you can see the ears....

This is Samson, who has never shown ANY interest in the TV at all. But two nights ago we were watching the Ice Dancing during the Olympics, and he was fascinated. He watched and watched, and kept jumping up to "touch" the skaters. Once Ice Dancing was done, so was he.
Nothing more to post. Have a great rest of your weekend everyone!
T.

More Florida Pics

Paul and Bob with their "Cubanos"

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Les and Bob finding sea urchins on the beach

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Kite Boarders

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Student Drum Core at the Saturday Farmer's Market

(They had great moves; I didn't capture their flair!)

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Birthday in Florida

We spent Paul's birthday in Florida with my sister Leslie and her husband Bobby. It was Bobby's birthday the following Friday, so we had lots of celebrating to do.

First Beer of the Trip

(or maybe it was the 2nd, whose is that on the floor?)

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Leslie Testing Out Her Camera

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Sponge Docks in Tarpon Springs

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Sisters at Lunch

(I look like a poodle; darn humidity!)

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Beach Day at Pass-a-Grille Beach

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More pictures to come...I've reached Blogger's size limit!

What I Got for Christmas

I know that some people will laugh, but I am so excited about what I got for Christmas!

The old toilet in this bathroom was a hideous baby blue with a nasty wooden seat that I could never keep clean. When we moved in, I said it was going to be one of the first things to go. Ten years later, it's finally history.

:-)

We also put in this beautiful kitchen sink and faucet to replace the old ones that the previous owner had just rigged up and always leaked. Wish I had a picture of both the toilet and the sink so you could see the "before and after."

The sink is extra-deep, with the right basin larger than the other, and the faucet is really high with a pull-down sprayer. I LOVE IT!!! It fits really big pots and pans, and is so shiny and clean.

I'm not sure what my next project will be. Maybe refinishing the kitchen cabinets and replacing the blue formica countertops. (The last holdout of the 80's pink and blue flowers that our house was decorated with when we bought it...I have spent years eradicating THAT.) But if I do work on the kitchen, I will want to put in new appliances, so I'll have to think about that for a while. Maybe just a new dishwasher so we don't have to wash our dishes by hand BEFORE putting them in the dishwasher???

Happy New Year everyone!
T.

Long Overdue Update

Yeah, yeah, yeah...I know I need to get better about posting. One of the social media pieces I just read stressed the importance of consistent and timely blog postings. The problem is, most of the time, nothing really happens around here. To us, anyway.

I do have a couple of things I can write about now. We spent Thanksgiving in Florida, and it was heavenly. We got Paul a TV so he could watch football on T-Day, and I cooked a ham and scalloped potatoes for Paul's brother Neal and his wife Eva and their son Michael who came down from New York. The next night we went down to Straub Park to watch the lighting of the Christmas tree. Very cold for St. Petersburg -- but then I always seem to bring the cold weather with me!

Here's a picture of the sunset off our deck:

Had a great time and can't wait to go back.

This last weekend, I spent Sunday up at Fremont Pass (by Leadville, CO) for an Avalanche Training Seminar put on by the Summit Rescue Group. Talk about going from one extreme to another! It was -15 degrees wind chill. Here's a great shot of the volunteers around Rescue One. Kindof gives you an idea about what kind of a day it was...

But I had a great time and learned a lot. And I LOVE my new Sorel Glacier boots! They are rated to 100 below zero, and worth every penny! The only thing that got cold was my hands, so I need to do some research on new gloves. I need something where I can get my finger(s) out to take pictures, but not expose my whole hand.

Ideas, anyone????

T.

Learning as I go...

Today I created my first "widget," which is linked to my Twitter account. It should show up in the left-hand column -- do you see it? I also set up a twittermail account. Now any time I post something on Twitter, it should show up on my "widget." I envision using this for work, adding a widget to our website and blog, which can be valuable for breaking news. Using twittermail, I can post "tweets" from my Blackberry, which should be really valuable when I'm not in the office or at a computer with internet access.

Of course, I've got to get a LOT faster than I was today. I can't spend all day doing this if there's an emergency!

I'm modeling this after the Los Angeles Fire Department, which does an awesome job of using technology. I'm still figuring out how facebook fits into all of this, but the blog and twitter are no-brainers!

Enjoy the snow!
T.

Family Members

The main blog picture is a picture of my husband Paul, myself, and our dog Bogie at Lake Dillon near our house. We had to have Bogie put to sleep last summer. Hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life. We don't have kids, so he was my little boy. No more dogs for us; my heart just can't take it.

So here's a picture of our other two family members: Rowdy and Samson. Rowdy was so upset after the dog died that we had to get him a brother. Took him a little while to warm up, but now they're the best of friends.