¡Feliz Navidad!

We're having a very quiet Christmas.

Earlier yesterday, our new appliances were delivered. So we spent most of Christmas Eve arranging everything. We got a new refrigerator, stove, dishwasher and microwave (yet to be installed.) We went to the Mandley's in the evening and saw lots of Wade's extended family and their little ones. It's always nice to be around little kids during Christmas time. Wade started to feel a cold coming on, so we returned home fairly early. He woke up with a sore throat etc so we decided we won't be driving to Wade's dad's for dinner like we had planned. Guess who had to go grocery shopping on Christmas day? I stocked up on oj, soup, and am going to attempt a pork tenderloin with roasted veggies. I figure he won't be able to taste very much and might not notice if I screw up horribly.

We have sunshine and brown grass here in Denver, but the snow is really falling in other parts of the world where our hearts are.... The Swansons in Portland were snowed in several days this week. Flagstaff is reporting 2-3 feet of snow and more expected. Camp Verde and Tucson are also expecting a light dusting.

Maybe Taos (our adopted niece-dog for the week) and I will go for a walk later today.

I'll remember this Christmas for a long time as it is very uneventful and simple.

Peace,

am

Only the Good Die Young

You might have heard I run with a dangerous crowd
We aint too pretty we aint too proud
We might be laughing a bit too loud
Aw but that never hurt no one

-Billy Joel

Happy Birthday.... Miss you!

Anniversary Extravaganza!

This weekend was a lot of fun celebrating our first anniversary! On Friday, we met up with teacher friends and Mary and John for drinks and appetizers. Saturday, we went to dinner at the Chart House in Genesee. Sunday we went to see the new James Bond movie and then Wade made chicken parmigiana for dinner. Deeeeeelish!

We have a short week at school (Monday and Tuesday) and then we're off for Thanksgiving break. Looking forward to a little quiet before the insanity of finals begins!

Election Results

I can't really explain how I am feeling today. I'm elated, satisfied to finally be on the winning team, reflective that I was a part of such an historic moment in our country during this presidential election. And yet....

TOTALLY DISAPPOINTED that the bond/mil levy for our public schools and library did not pass! What? We live in one of the top 10 richest counties in the nation, where the average home price is over $300,000, and people were so concerned about higher taxes that they voted no? The land for the new library in Parker was donated, so most of the money would have gone to materials and buildings. Wade hates going to the library because the parking lot is the size of a postage stamp and all those Douglas County mommies drive HUGE SUVs that barely fit.

It makes me sick to my stomach to think of the school budget cuts that will come and the "raises" that will not. You see, in education, we don't get 'end of the year bonuses' or trips or dinners or cruises or much of anything when we meet our goals of having students succeed. It's what is expected. I got an e-mail from a mom last week that ended by thanking me for taking the extra time with her son so he passes Spanish. She said she "really appreciated it." Seriously? Because almost 60,000 people voted against the measures. Maybe I am taking this too personally, and it is about a systems change etc. But, I feel deep down in my gut, very let down by the parents we "serve." It is fair to say I feel very low on the job satisfaction scale today. Making it harder to do my job with budget constraints isn't much of a motivator for me to do better.

Did you make history today?

I am looking forward to going home, eating delicious green chile, and watching the results come in!

Trip to Portland

We went to Portland to visit our cousins last weekend, and had an awesome time. Friday we walked around Ikea and then went to Edgefield for some adult time. Saturday, we hit the soaking pool then rode a train to a pumpkin patch. The kids had adorable costumes. Brooke was a dragon and Hadley was a Penguin! Sunday we watched football and then came home. The weather was amazing!

Thanks for a great time, Blake and Morgan. You spoiled us rotten! Hope to return the favor in Colorado sometime.

Here's a link to all the pictures!












Mommy with the CUTEST pumpkin EVER!
(pre-costume)


















Wade with the Penguinita in costume.













A big girl ready to do some pumpkin picking! She got off the train and headed for the biggest ones she could find.








All weekend, Brooke would approach Hadley and say "Hello, cutie!" Ahhhh, sisterly love!



















Wade and a tired dragon.












The Swansons. What an awesome family!

Letter from Hunter S. Thompson's wife to McCain

This is even better than the previous post.  (And, if you click on October, you'll find ton of fun Sarah Palin cartoons!)  It worth the time to peruse!

When you will wish you had voted....

Politics is the Art of Controlling Your Environment

That is one of the key things I learned in these years, and I learned it the hard way. Anybody who thinks that 'it doesn't matter who's president' has never been Drafted and sent off to fight and die in a vicious, stupid War on the other side of the World-- or been beaten and gassed by Police for trespassing on public property-- or been hounded by the IRS for purely political reasons-- or locked up in the Cook County Jail with a broken nose and no phone access and twelve perverts wanting to stomp your ass in the shower. That is when it matters who is President or Governor or Police Chief. That is when you will wish you had voted.

-By Hunter S. Thompson (Rest In Peace)

NAU beats UNC!

It wasn't glamorous for either team, but the Jacks squeeked by and beat the Bears 25-22. Read the details of the last exciting moments of the game here.

It was a beautiful fall day in Greeley! I think Bryan (who is from Greeley and forced to accompany me) enjoyed most of the day too.

We ended the drive back home sipping on treats from Sonic, which is a nice way to end any day.

Fire and Rain

Dad,
I always thought I would see you again. I know I will.... someday. I miss you each and every day.

I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I'd see you again

Won't you look down upon me, Jesus
You've got to help me make a stand
You've just got to see me through another day
My body's aching and my time is at hand
And I won't make it any other way

Wishes can come true

On my July 16th post, I made a wish for Ikea to be built. It was granted! Today it was announced that one is going to open near Park Meadows. Hooray!

Click here to read all about it!

Lighting mania

It started this summer as I learned that Wade was good with lights when he changed out some exterior fixtures as his parents' house. Then I decided I wanted a different light over the dining room table, because I hated it from the first day I saw it. So Wade installed a new one this summer. (It was on sale at Lowe's which was even better!)


Then, that made me keep eyeing the old one in the kitchen so we put in the new one last weekend. This week, I was looking for something for that kitchen light and came across a great deal for a light in the entry way. (It was originally $149 marked down to $28.90!) We think it came out rather nice. Wade says he is going to make Erika wear her evening gown when she comes to visit, now that we have a grand entry way with a chandelier and all....

LABOR of love

We spent this long weekend installing a beautiful new light fixture in our kitchen. Do you see any old flickering fluorescent light? No, no, no! And, doesn't it add a dramatic effect? Really, I just wanted to get rid of the old box with 48 inch "stick" bulbs, but the style is an added bonus.

** Full disclosure**

If you, like I, have always wondered about how these curved pieces come out of the box, I'll let you in on a little secret. THEY'RE STRAIGHT! It's curve it yourself....

We also went to the Rockies' game with Wade's parents this afternoon. They beat the Giants! Yeah!

Obama's DNC acceptance speech

This week, I have been glued to the TV during the convention watching the headliner speeches each night. But, attending Obama's acceptance speech at Invesco was something I will never forget....

That morning I woke up with an adrenaline rush as if it were Christmas! I left work a bit before 11am. We had heard from many different sources that getting to the stadium would be very difficult. We drove to light rail, and I was happy that we found parking. Of course, it was still relatively early (about noon). There were DC Sheriffs at the station and we were certainly not the only ones headed to Invesco. Of course, our station is the furthest out from downtown so we were the first to get on and able to sit. By the last two or three stops, the trains were full and no one else would fit. It took about 45 minutes or so.

We got off at the Invesco stop and then walked BACK to Auraria to find "the end of the line." It snaked back and forth in a dorm parking lot. At one point, a man asked, "Why are all of you walking that way." I told him we were looking for the back of the line. That was the tone of the day...very respectful, no one wanting to 'cut' in front of others. The line was daunting, but we ate our Subway sandwich and chips and shopped for t-shirts and buttons as the real entrepreneurs came to us. Again, after about an hour, the line really started to pick up as we got closer to the stadium. Volunteers were handing out water, but we had heard we couldn't take outside food or drink into Invesco, so we didn't accept. Then we had our credentials scanned and walked into the security tent. It was very similar to the airport, but we left our shoes on. We didn't even have bags for our change and pocket contents. Wade forgot his watch so he was wanded, but it was all relatively quick. I would say we were in our section before about 2:15 or so, with a very good choice of seats.

The speakers and entertainment started around 3pm. Except for the sun, the time went by quickly. Of course we were all there to see Obama, but Governor Ritter, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Wonder, Al Gore, Nancy Pelosi, and Joe Biden were great too.

Before we knew it, the sun was down and the stage was set for one of the most remarkable speeches I'd ever heard. No matter your political affiliation, it was an awe-inspiring event. Sinics call him a 'celebrity.' But, I have NEVER felt as connected to government as I did sitting very high up in the stadium that day!

Leaving the stadium grounds was the worst part of the day. All of the barricades to control the flow of people into Invesco made it difficult to leave. We walked over a mile to a different Light Rail stop on Auraria campus and actually got on one of the first trains that came. We were home safe and sound by midnight.

Friday was a very long day at work with a scratchy voice and lots of questions about McCain's choice of Gov. Palin.




"Uh, where's the end of the line?"









The freaks came out....







Important people got to ride in golf carts past the peons. How I wished Wade had brought the Starrs cart from Az last weekend.







"Hey, I can see the stadium entrance and it's not even dark yet! Success!"






AM and the Denver skyline with the Pepsi Center in the background. Most of the Convention took place here.







View from our seats around 2:15, when we arrived.










Sheryl Crow rocked the house.





Al Gore reminded us of the peril of the environment. Notice the sharp shooters next to the Bronco statue.... They made an anti-gun person like me VERY nervous.







The entire stadium waved flags! Notice how much it had filled!









Joe Biden, a Catholic who is pro-choice!









Really, is the sun down yet? And, why aren't they serving beer?









I have never seen so much confetti, fireworks, and cheering in my life! (BTW, fireworks aren't as fun when you're already sitting way up high. I was clinging so hard to Wade's shorts, he was afraid he might lose them.)

This and that

I survived the first week back to school with students! Yeah! On Thursday evening it started raining, and it didn't really stop until this morning. This kind of weather is very unusual for the West, but we need the moisture so badly no one really seemed to mind. (I was a bit annoyed when doing bus duty on Friday and having to stand in a puddle, however!) What a great respite from the heat. The ground seems to have really soaked it in.

Also on Thursday, I received confirmation that Wade and I were chosen to attend Obama's acceptance speech at Invesco Stadium. There were several procedures just to pick up the credentials (they aren't tickets!), but we went in the pouring rain so there really wasn't even a line. The day of the speech I-25 (the main artery of Colorado) will be closed through Denver and they are encouraging attendees to come very early. Even though it will be tough getting around, I am thrilled to be able to participate. What an historical event!

We ended the day at a pre-season Bronco's game. Mary and John were celebrating their anniversary so they generously gave us their tickets. We were lucky to be sitting beneath an overhang, so the weather wasn't too terrible. They beat the Cowboys! Hooray!

Good-bye

Cronie, the beagle, and Zetty, the golden, returned to their homes on Friday. We miss them.

In other news, this is THE very last day of summer as teachers officially report back tomorrow. I have already been at school Monday and Tuesday. Tonight, Wade and I are going to see James Taylor at Red Rocks, and I am very excited. He really only sings for me, but I let others enter the ampitheater....

Good-bye, sweet summer vacation. It's been crazy, but good. I hope I haven't become too addicted to sleep and fudge bars because of you. I will miss you every moment of every day until next May (I hope I last that long!)

Me toca a mí (I'm it)

Well - I got my first ever tag from blogdom! Morgan, aka SUPER mommy, tagged me. I am supposed to tag 7 others, but that is just not going to happen. Sorry, but I only follow a few....

Here are the rules:

-List these rules on your blog.
-Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog.
-Tag 7 (or two) people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.

1. I fear that I am addicted to (in no particular order) the TV, chocolate, and sleeping.

2. Every year about this time, I start having nightmares from the stress of starting school again. Last night was particularly gruesome, as I was in a shootout with dogs trying to protect my sister who had ran off with a bad crowd. I had to shoot someone fatally. It was easier than you'd think. (I should mention it was particularly HOT in the room!)

3. I have eaten a Skinny Cow fudge bar every day since I have been home from Costa Rica. For 100 calories, you can't beat it (even for breakfast.)

4. Wade and I are currently dog/house-sitting for Stephanie, and we have managed to keep 3 dogs alive for several days now. These weeks will have a significant impact on whether we decide to get a dog, much less a kid. I'm leaning toward NO!

5. I love trashy TV- (remember I am an addict! It's not good to make fun of people with problems.) Real Housewives, Girls Next Door, Say Yes to the Dress, Hopkins, Tori and Dean.... I love being a voyeur, and I am pretty sure I have actually become dummer since I graduated with my master's because of it. (sic)

6. I have crushes on Alan Alda (during his M*A*S*H* days) and James Taylor (right now, not his drug-filled 70s period). We have tickets to see him at Red Rocks in a few weeks.

7. Not only am I voting for Obama, I hope to be in Invesco Stadium at Mile High as he gives his acceptance speech.

1.20.09...the end of an error

What's you got AmyD and the NG family?

Not a day goes by

when I don't think of you, Ray. Thanks for keeping an eye on us from heaven. Miss you!

Extra, extra read all about it!

Coming to Parker, Colorado in September 2008!

Wade and I are so excited! This is gonna be very bad for my diet, but verrrry good for my taste buds. I thought my next Spicy Crispy Chicken sandwich would be in Portland in October! Gone are the days of "importing" Jack in the Crack from Flagstaff in coolers. I'll never have to exit I-17 at Deer Valley just to get my fix.

Now, if we could just get an In-N-Out for Wade and an Ikea for me....

The newest member of our family....

subaru.com

Her name is Babe-the Blue Ox after the Paul Bunyan stories, and we love her. Wade needed a better snow car with air conditioning for his long trek to work. (He starts tomorrow.) When we saw her, it was love at first sight. I can't wait for it to get cold so I can try the heated seats!

In Bemidji, MN, where I spent a summer speaking Spanish with the mosquitoes.

A year ago today....

Happy 4th of July! Today, we are headed to Wash Park in Denver for a kegger and then to Stephanie's house. It should be a day of good food and spending time with good people. I am looking forward to it.

The 4th happens to be one of my favorite holidays, and what a great time we had last year (in spite of the heat!)

Here are some happy memories:






We are very grateful to everyone who traveled from afar to attend (our Grandparents!!!!) and especially those who worked very hard for us to celebrate in Kendrick Park... the Swansons, the Steve Allens, the Pat Allens, Erika, Aunt Bev, AmyD, Aaron and the Water Man who saved the day.

Everyone have fun and be safe today! Enjoy the fireworks (something I missed last year!)

Rockies Baseball

We got back in town just in time to catch the Rockies' game. It was a beautiful night, the stadium was very full, we were sipping beer, and the game was off to a great start....

But, then there was the 6th inning. During the top of the 9th, I felt as if I was watching Padres' batting practice, not an actual GAME.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
San Diego	1	0	2	0	0	5	0	0	7		15	22	0
Colorado	3	0	3	1	1	0	0	0	0		8	9	0

Congrats, Blake! Your team beat the pants off us! At least our money went to help raise funds for high school baseball in our district!

Sheepwagon.... or BUST!

Wade and I headed to Wyoming for the "annual" Allen Family reunion. Aunt Pi and Brock were our fabulous hosts and Chen Jing and Alan Hogan were the only others who attended. We enjoyed the fresh mountain air, the good company, the starry nights, and the delicious cooking. Wade had a great time on the four-wheeler and getting "monster"rocks for Aunt Pi. I learned a lot about sage, Chinese culture, and making scrambled eggs on a BBQ grill. Overall, an outstanding trip! On the way back to Denver, we ate at Silvermine Subs. Yummy!

Here's the official report from Aunt Pi:

This is a report on the reunion that most of you missed. Those
few in attendance did think of all of you. Six of us showed up. Of
course Brock and I were already there and the real surprise was my son Alan and
his wife, Chen jing, coming in from Michigan. He hadn't gotten the word
that the reunion was cancelled for I thought they were going to try to go to
Alaska this summer or fall. I was real happy to see them. As I said
we didn't know they were coming. He thought it would be a good opportunity
for all the family to meet Chen jing. Anne-marie and Wade drove
up from Denver. Then over the weekend 9 locals did show up at various
times. Yes, Jim, the weather was sometimes a little cool but felt good
except for a cold wind most of Saturday. One morning the temp dropped
to 38 degrees, but the other mornings were like 42. The days were
beautiful.

Anne-marie learned how to cook scrambled eggs on a big griddle over a wood fire, she learned how to make sage smudge sticks, and she carried a baby monster quartz rock down a hill that was a very large quartz rift. The whole hillside was all beautiful quartz. See her photos. Wade was a wonderful cook and wood gatherer and he carried a huge monster quartz rock down for me. He also learned to love riding our new 4 wheeler. Chen jing and Alan gathered a lot of silver tip sage to take back to Michigan to make smudge sticks and Chen jing taught us all a lot about Chinese culture and way of living.

Since the custom has been set at reunions that the site for the next
reunion is usually decided at a reunion, we took it upon ourselves to make some
decisions for the group. It is very obvious that gas prices will not be
going down much in the future, so we decided that perhaps it is best to
have a reunion every two or three years and then people can save for it.
We also decided the next reunion should be in the midwest so we will
need someone to plan it. (any suggestions?) There are a lot of
state parks in the midwest. The geezers should not be the planners.
It is time for the younger crowd to take over that job. Anne-marie said at
one time someone had suggested that renting cabins and a houseboat at Lake
Powell might be a good idea. Brock liked that idea.

We had wonderful food since we pooled our contributions together. We had green chili stew, steaks, barbecued ribs, brots, and super delicious breakfasts. Anne-marie brought delicious muffins and cookies. We didn't go hungry. Chen jing got to try s'mores for the first time and Brock cooked fried pies over the campfire. Monday morning we all went our merry separate ways.
End of report,
Pi, designated chairman of
the 2008 Allen family reunion

Click here for a slideshow of all of our photos from this trip.

The famous sheepwagon

Sage burning ceremony (you had to be there).... Yes, I can verify it smelled wonderful.

Elk Park.... It reminded me of Kendrick Park in the days when it actually rained in Arizona.

Back country taxi service

The master chef works with young apprentice Wade

Philosophical

Today is Dad's birthday. He would have been 67. I light our memory candle from the Chapel wedding and thought of him today. It turned out to be a lucky day for us as Wade got a call back for a second interview. Wade sipped some scotch as a thankful tribute.

These two quotes seem to say everything I feel.

it is not "if" we will lose the things we love, it is "when". with some, the loss comes in a major catastrophic event. for most, love is surrendered one piece at a time...first childhood, a promising romance, the passing of a loved one, and finally a child who leaves home. but as we lose, can we not gain a deep knowing that in the presence of grace, love for the sake of love is eternal.

_________________

'how you climb up the mountain is just as important as how you get down. and, so it is with life, which for many of us becomes one gigantic test followed by one gigantic lesson. in the end it all comes down to one word. Grace! it's how you accept winning and losing, good luck and bad luck, the darkness and the light'. Philosophy.

Thanks, Erika & Stephanie, for helping me see the good side to all of this!

Wade's new haircut

I finally convinced Wade to shave his beard for his interviews. He had a good time with various stages in between.... chops and a gotee from the 70s (before he was even born!)


Here's the final result. (You can see why his friends called him Babyface yesterday.)

Costa Rica part 4: Heredia y escuela

On Sunday morning, after Wade left, Stephanie, Erika and I met our driver from the school. He drove us to Heredia, a suburb of San Jose, and delivered us to our homestays. Erika and I were placed with a family of 2 parents, 3 girls, 4 dogs, and a parrot. Needless to say, there was always something going on at home. That afternoon we went to their grandparents house for lunch and then to the mall to buy shoes for the youngest daughter (at Payless!)

On Monday morning, we had orientation and took our placement tests. I was placed in a class with Stephanie, Mari (from Norway), and Scott, a teenager from Denver too. Erika was in a class with a 19 year old college student, who thought she was old. Class went from 8am to noon every day, with a 20 minute break. We practiced and learned a lot of Spanish.



That afternoon, we went to the Mercado with a group from school and took a walking tour of the area. On Wednesday night, we even went to go see Sex and the City-- the movie, with subtitles in Spanish. Each afternoon, we walked to lunch with Stephanie and tried out new restaurants while we did HOMEWORK! Then we would head to the internet cafe to keep in touch with friends and family.


Saturday, we spent our last day with Stephanie shopping and soaking up the last moments of our trip. We were sad to say goodbye, but it is very nice to be home!



Downtown








Take care of this park like your home









Refined people have beautiful parks









View near school




An edited version of some of our photos is available here.

The complete version of ALL of our photos is here.

Costa Rica part 3: La Playa

Many people go to Costa Rica to check out the volcanoes. Unfortunately, we only "passed" Arenal on the way from Monteverde to the Guanacaste coast. But, that simply means we'll have to go back soon.




When we arrived to Playa Brasilitos Wednesday afternoon, it was much warmer than Monteverde. We stayed within walking distance to Playa Conchal (shell beach.) The "sand" consisted of crushed shells. The water was clear. That night there was a large thunder and lightning storm.




The first night, we all stayed at Hotel Brasilitos. Wade and I had a room on the second level with a large deck for watching the ocean. Erika and Stephanie didn't like their room as much, so they moved to Hotel Nany, figuring we could enjoy the pool there too. We spent Thursday afternoon on the beach, enjoying the sun. As we returned later in the afternoon, the tide had risen very high and we were forced to wade through some parts until we could get to the road. The locals Wade talked to said it was very unusual, and there was a storm in the Pacific causing it. Wade got very brave and headed for the bar each night by himself. He tried Ceviche and enjoyed hanging out. I kept falling asleep because of the sun set so early, and then it was pitch black!



Friday was cloudy and it rained in the morning, so Wade and I decided to head to Erika and Stephanie's pool. Wade, Erika and I swam all afternoon. (The swim-up bar kept us rather content too.) It reminded me of summers in Gilbert, AZ when we lived in the pool, and as Erika put it, drank gallons of chlorine water.




Wade, Stephanie, and I had dinner together that evening. Unfortunately, Wade's cool lobster wasn't very tasty :(

Saturday morning Wade and I went for a lovely "walk along the beach" that turned into a death march because we had no water and little sunscreen. Stephanie and Erika went shopping, and then we piled onto the public bus for a 6 hour trip back to San Jose.

We were soooooooooooooo happy to see Douglas at Hotel Vesuvio again. It had seemed like ages since we had left on Sunday.

Wade got up at 3:30 Sunday morning to catch his flight home. We were sad to let him go....