If You're Happy and You Know It Clap Your Hands

What is the sound of one hand clapping?

It has been an interesting road since my last post. Life has been good. Fun for sure. Ups and downs. Heartaches and heart flutters and then heart aches some more. Can you guess which phase I'm in today?

I do feel strong and find that I might actually be the happiest that I've ever really been... yet still standing in the dark.

I'm off balance... this growing/changing stuff can be a real bummer sometimes.

Sunday At The Coffee Shop

My head is full...

I have too much in it.
Too much to do
Too much to write
Too much to draw
Too many pics to edit
Too much fun to be had
Too many memories to remember before I forget...

I'm sitting at a coffee shop making dreamy eyes at the barista (Andrew) and listening to The Weepies. I'm trying to remember all the things that I needed/wanted to do, but somehow all I can do is listen to the music, look out the window and smile between sips of coffee. It seems like a fine alternative to a To-Do list...

Getting Behind!

Having no internet at my house makes for difficult blogging... and now I'm getting behind in everything I want to blog about!! :)

Since my last blog:

• Got my tooth pulled


• Went on a whiskey tasting


• Went to the Avalanche game and sat in the 10th row and then went...


• To a show at the Bluebird


• Had Valentines Day and didn't die of heartbreak


• I feel the pains of missing my mom


• My littlest sister is turning 18 soon and that makes me happy and sad

Tomorrow is Mandolin Day - come on snow - work with me here... Headed to Boulder to maybe grab a new mando with the hippie... and lunch... and then maybe Fort Collins for dinner!

I need to draw... I need to paint... I need more time... I need to get rid of this cough...

Thats all for now... sending a little love to you sunshine!!

Disconnected

I have disconnected the cable and internet at my house... my heart is broken a little.

Dear Cable and internet,



You have been my companion for many many years but I know you are not a neccesity in my life. With the money I save, I'll be able to travel, save and enjoy life a little bit more. Maybe one day you will me a part of my life again but I will get my love from somewhere else for awhile... (sigh)...

Goodbye Matt Lauer on the Today show in the morning,

goodbye Cake Boss on TLC
goodbye the detectives of Law & Order
goodbye Adam and Jamie of Mythbusters
goodbye History Channel and
goodbye to infomercials for Snuggie, cat claw scratchers and flickering images as I fall asleep at night...

(No, I probably wont miss waking up to Girls Gone Wild commercials at 6 am after the nights that I fall asleep with Comedy Central on).



Time to live life instead of just watch it...

Live Music, Cheap Whiskey, Cajun Food & Basketball!

This was the first super fun weekend of 2010!

(not bad considering its only the 2nd weekend of the year!!)

... please join me in remembering the fun times... :)

Friday: Chris Thile

I love love love live music! Normally one of my favorite thing to do is go to shows alone. I like to blend into the crowd, come and go as I desire, dance where I want and talk to whomever I want. But this was a different kinda show... :) This was Chris Thile and The Punch Brothers!


I took my muscian friend, Andrew (Mando Player) with me. He's the mandolinist and barista of a previous blog. Chris Thile is his favorite mando player and I couldnt think of any better company for this show than the mando player *I* know! Nothing better than going to a show with someone who knows the history and awesomeness of the artist... someone to be nuts with after a great performance!


Chris Thile is one of the most amazing mandolinists ever! He played with a band called Nickle Creek until they parted ways a few years ago. He then started a band called the Punch Brothers and they played at the Fox in Boulder last Friday. I suppose they call their genre progressive bluegrass... (??)

In all my excitement (and brilliantness) I went to the WRONG VENUE - we were at the BOULDER THEATER!

(This is Pearl Street not The Hill! How long have you lived in Colorado??) So I took a pic to remember my bad! - oops!

Sometimes I think I know everything... but yeah, I dont (haha really??).



So we had to haul buns up the street to The FOX... but phew (!) We made it...


Here we are at the correct venue...

Cool as a cucumber... haha :)
pssshyeah right.


Opening band: The Dovekins from Denver


They were pretty good - tons of fun and great energy... (I love this picture) This is what we saw as soon as we walked into The Fox.

Then Chris Thile and The Punch Brothers!!!

Oh yeah - thats the good stuff!

This was him was thanking the crowd after their THIRD encore!

Wow - what an amazing show! He rocked it out like none other and played that sweet little mando like it's just so easy to do!

The rest of the band was very mellow and conservative with their on-stage presence. Thile on the other hand? He bounced on stage and banged his head like a rockstar in rhythm to his badass bluegrass! I love the buzz of energy from an excited crowd especially when I'm right in the middle of it! I can't help but boogie when I hear music and I'll tell ya - this was good times! Wow just wow.

Saturday Whiskey

Yes, I'm a beer and whiskey drinker - I fancy the Irish kind the best!
And just my luck ~

This little liquor store by my friend's house had the big 750 ML bottles of Jameson mismarked for $12.00!! That size bottle normally goes for $30-35!

Needless to say... I had to partake in some of that mismarked action! It is a bad economy after all... :)

So from the start until the end of the day... my buddy and I watched movies, played video games and drank whiskey... and played with his kitten cats!

This is Ojo and Sushi... They're my buddies!

Sometimes Ojo is called Ojito - I call her Ojito Bandito because she likes to take and play with my things. See her above with my camera string? She grabbed it, got distracted and them pounced!! :)

Sounds like a ggggrrreat Saturday to me!

Sunday Cajun Brunch

I was invited to my friend's parent's home for brunch and football (Vikings v. Cowboys). His mom loves to cook and is from Louisiana so of course I accepted! I'm a sucker for a good cajun meal and I knew this one would be great!

Drivin...

This is one of my favorite spots on I-25...

YES I take pics when I drive!!

I watched my buddy and his mom in the kitchen pouring, mixing and sauteeing delicious goodness over a great conversation, mimosas and the winning Vikings in the background.

She served Shrimp and Grits

(Big fat prawns sitting atop a bed of gouda cheese, butter and cream blended grits, peppers, onions, garlic and some other secret ingredients.)

and Pain de Perdue

(Its like French toast - only better! These are little pieces of bread baked in a bed of carmelized brown sugar, cream and ... I have no clue... but lots of love! YUM.

It was a great brunch as the Vikings won (Pants on the Ground Brett!!) and I got to hang out with a great bunch! Those Thompsons - ya gotta love 'em! Thanks!

Sunday Night NUGGETS BASKETBALL!

I loves me some basketball! The Mando Player took me, his cousin, her boyfriend and his brother to the Nuggets v. Jazz game at the Pepsi center! They were visiting from Houston so it was a great way to wrap up their last night in Denver.


We opted to find free parking in Denver but it took us a few blocks away from the Pepsi center. This is Union Station as I walked by...

... pretty huh?


... and the PEPSI CENTER is PACKED! :)

Kenyon Mar-TIN! Two points - thank you!

Nuggets D is much better this year!!

... aaaaaand Denver WINS!!!

The Mando Player and The Art Girl

That brings the super fun weekend to a close... :)
AWESOME!!

Thanks for reading about it!

Breakfast Burritos Make the World Go 'Round

I love breakfast burritos!

My receptionist got me hooked on Jus' Burritos in Broomfield. It's a little hole-in-the-wall on 120th owned by a gal who, after being laid off from IBM decided to start her "dream". There's always a line, they're always delicious and they're open on Sunday! Perfect meal for a hang over!

This is me in the office (not hungover).

Every month billing frustrates me so I decided to circumvent the stress and make a burrito run for the girls and me.

Yes, spicy chorizo breakfast burrito makes the world go 'round!!

Day 1, 2010 - Blog 1... check!

Its New Year's Day of 2010! This is what my part of Colorado looks like today!

I finally started the blog that has been churning itself around in my mind for-EV-ER (insert childish emphasis from movie The Sandlot here - click the link - you'll get it :) ).

This is my personal blog. Not family blog, not art blog, just my blog :)
Just my thoughts and my adventures...

I find that I'm in a very reflective time of my life. Maybe it's just this time of year... I'm constantly thinking about where I am, where I was and where I'm going. I'm thinking about things and people that have come in and out of my life. I find myself grasping to cling tightly to the memories that I've made and like threads of an old blanket - memories that I truly love. This is probably why I take so many pictures.

New year goal #1: Blog at least once a month New year goal #2: Do something with the pictures I take

Brilliant... two birds one stone.


This is me right now at Caribou coffee. Its my new favorite coffee shop. I started coming here more often because I'm slightly partial to one of the baristas.... he's my mandolinist friend...


I like the feel this place. They use REAL CHOCOLATE in their mochas. YUM!


I anticipate that this will be the birth place many of my blogs...



This is what I had for dinner last night! YUM!!

May the sushi, laughter and love be plentiful in 2010! :)


Blog one - check! done! finis.
(humble jump for joy and personal high five)