Hi Friends,
I just wanted to write you a quick blog note to tell you that my laptop is out of commission for a little while. I got a trojan/virus, and in my attempts to troubleshoot it I did something dumb - I locked my computer in safe mode. Now I can't login, and can't get back to normal mode... lol. I've been emailing the folks at the help desk, but I don't know if they will be able to pull through for me. We'll see...hopefully I don't have to get too creative.
Anyway, it's great to be back in Denver. It's much warmer, and it looks like I have a date lined up for sometime this week. it was totally unexpected, but that's what happens when you put yourself out there I guess. :) Well, maybe sometimes... :P
Now I have to get on the phone and make that money! ;)
Ciao for now friends! Stay tuned for the (highly anticipated) return of my blog.
-Dizzy in Denver
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Counting the days
*sigh*
I don't know what it is, whether it's homesickness, heartsickness, sleep-deprivation, dehydration, or the altitude...but, I miss home. No, I'm not even sure it's home I miss. I think what I really miss is that part of my life that I called my own. Here in Denver I'm forced to live a certain way. Sure, I've made some great changes - like running every day, and eating healthy homemade meals more often; but, I miss the other "stuff." I miss you - the people at work, my roommate, my family, my long-time friends and colleagues. That's the stuff that really adds a certain quality to your life that you could not add on your own; and, I feel like that's been removed from my life, and that certain quality has gone with it.
The change has just made me think about my life in a completely different way. I dunno, I guess I always knew that it was the people in your life that make it special; which is why I have always tried to surround myself with special people. I've met a lot of these people, and have enjoyed their friendship, but there is only room for so many friends that you can truly say "they surround me in life." You have to choose who these people are, and this is the type of choice that is really important in life; because they're the ones who add that unquantifiable quality that can exponentially affect your life. I like to think I've made the best of those choices, for the most part without any regrets; but.... There's always a "but." More like: there's always a "butthead." I feel like one right now, that's for sure. I screwed up, and I do have regret about one particular choice. I pushed someone out of my life when I really didn't have to. All I can say about it is: "it felt like a good idea at the time." Truthfully, it felt like the only idea, or the necessary idea, or the idea that would still let me look myself in the mirror - right in my own eyes - and see integrity instead of disappointment.
Now, looking back with the benefit of hindsight, I was being true to myself (which is something everyone has to do); but, my judgment was very clouded. I wish I knew how to take a step back, slow down, and just be. I also wish I knew how to let go of the past. Have you ever relived certain moments in your life and asked yourself: "what could I have done differently?" I do that more than I probably should; and, I think it's because I don't know how to reconcile the poor choices I've made. For all intents and purposes, this person isn't really in my life anymore; and it's one of the hardest realities I have ever had to reconcile in life. I don't even have a clue as to why this is so difficult for me; and that's unsettling to me. I try not to think about it - like someone walking on a tight-rope; but every now and then I "look down" and reality sinks in once again. There's no hope that I can justify without fooling myself. It's like a bad dream that has no ending. I'm sure with time this will all fade away; but I can't be sure. It feels too much like one of those "lessons you'll never forget." The truth is that I want to forget it. Well, not the lesson itself, because that's supposed to make me a better person; but I want to forget the circumstances that preceded the lesson. I don't think that is possible in this case; I think the two go hand in hand. That sucks. How do you forget about someone you don't want to forget about? Or, a better way of putting it is: how do you forget about someone who is unforgettable? I guess for those that are susceptible, there is always hypnosis (lol). Self-medication is just a temporary measure, and it has it's place. For the long term, it seems that the only way to do that is to replace what you've lost with something else. Unfortunately, you can't really replace a person that you've lost - they're irreplaceable.
Sorry for focusing on one person so much friends; because the truth is I'm feeling this way about all of you to some degree. It's just that I've been wrestling with this particular situation, and had to get it off my chest. You can only mull things over for so long, going back and forth between contemplation and dismissal (trying to shrug it off), until you come to a point where you have to deal with it. I still don't know how to deal with it, but I do feel better right here, right now. I hope one day that feeling sticks.
For now, I'm just counting the days until I'm back home. Sunday, 2:18 pm, Edmonton International Airport. I hope to see a lot of you while I'm back, because I only have a week, and I'm going to make the most of it. You never really know what you've got till it's gone. I sure appreciate you all a lot more (and I already appreciated you a lot) now that I've been away for a month and am looking at 3 more months being removed from you all. I can't wait to get back!
Ciao for now friends, see you soon...
-Dizzy in Denver
I don't know what it is, whether it's homesickness, heartsickness, sleep-deprivation, dehydration, or the altitude...but, I miss home. No, I'm not even sure it's home I miss. I think what I really miss is that part of my life that I called my own. Here in Denver I'm forced to live a certain way. Sure, I've made some great changes - like running every day, and eating healthy homemade meals more often; but, I miss the other "stuff." I miss you - the people at work, my roommate, my family, my long-time friends and colleagues. That's the stuff that really adds a certain quality to your life that you could not add on your own; and, I feel like that's been removed from my life, and that certain quality has gone with it.
The change has just made me think about my life in a completely different way. I dunno, I guess I always knew that it was the people in your life that make it special; which is why I have always tried to surround myself with special people. I've met a lot of these people, and have enjoyed their friendship, but there is only room for so many friends that you can truly say "they surround me in life." You have to choose who these people are, and this is the type of choice that is really important in life; because they're the ones who add that unquantifiable quality that can exponentially affect your life. I like to think I've made the best of those choices, for the most part without any regrets; but.... There's always a "but." More like: there's always a "butthead." I feel like one right now, that's for sure. I screwed up, and I do have regret about one particular choice. I pushed someone out of my life when I really didn't have to. All I can say about it is: "it felt like a good idea at the time." Truthfully, it felt like the only idea, or the necessary idea, or the idea that would still let me look myself in the mirror - right in my own eyes - and see integrity instead of disappointment.
Now, looking back with the benefit of hindsight, I was being true to myself (which is something everyone has to do); but, my judgment was very clouded. I wish I knew how to take a step back, slow down, and just be. I also wish I knew how to let go of the past. Have you ever relived certain moments in your life and asked yourself: "what could I have done differently?" I do that more than I probably should; and, I think it's because I don't know how to reconcile the poor choices I've made. For all intents and purposes, this person isn't really in my life anymore; and it's one of the hardest realities I have ever had to reconcile in life. I don't even have a clue as to why this is so difficult for me; and that's unsettling to me. I try not to think about it - like someone walking on a tight-rope; but every now and then I "look down" and reality sinks in once again. There's no hope that I can justify without fooling myself. It's like a bad dream that has no ending. I'm sure with time this will all fade away; but I can't be sure. It feels too much like one of those "lessons you'll never forget." The truth is that I want to forget it. Well, not the lesson itself, because that's supposed to make me a better person; but I want to forget the circumstances that preceded the lesson. I don't think that is possible in this case; I think the two go hand in hand. That sucks. How do you forget about someone you don't want to forget about? Or, a better way of putting it is: how do you forget about someone who is unforgettable? I guess for those that are susceptible, there is always hypnosis (lol). Self-medication is just a temporary measure, and it has it's place. For the long term, it seems that the only way to do that is to replace what you've lost with something else. Unfortunately, you can't really replace a person that you've lost - they're irreplaceable.
Sorry for focusing on one person so much friends; because the truth is I'm feeling this way about all of you to some degree. It's just that I've been wrestling with this particular situation, and had to get it off my chest. You can only mull things over for so long, going back and forth between contemplation and dismissal (trying to shrug it off), until you come to a point where you have to deal with it. I still don't know how to deal with it, but I do feel better right here, right now. I hope one day that feeling sticks.For now, I'm just counting the days until I'm back home. Sunday, 2:18 pm, Edmonton International Airport. I hope to see a lot of you while I'm back, because I only have a week, and I'm going to make the most of it. You never really know what you've got till it's gone. I sure appreciate you all a lot more (and I already appreciated you a lot) now that I've been away for a month and am looking at 3 more months being removed from you all. I can't wait to get back!
Ciao for now friends, see you soon...
-Dizzy in Denver
Monday, October 13, 2008
Religulous in the VIP / Miller Time (Part 2)
So, part 2....
After the movie, Palmer and I went to the Fox & Hound for a drink. We happened to grab a table next to some co-workers. When I noticed who was next to us we joined the group and ordered some beers. Zip, Randy, and Roger were the original three. It was interesting seeing how they unwind and even more interesting asking them questions about Homestead. Randy almost left early, but there was plenty of arm-twisting from the whole group, and he stayed because Zip told him "Miller" was on is way. Miller was a former employee of Homestead, who recently moved to San Francisco. His first name is Eric, and the last was of course - Miller. I knew this guy was gonna be cool, because he has the obvious natural nickname "Miller-time." We talked about politics, and work, and travel, and other good stuff like that. We made tentative plans to go to Lower Downtown (LoDo) that evening, and those plans ended up being the only plan that came through. Yeah! Miller-Time! :)
Before heading downtown I wanted to iron a shirt and shave the Saturday stubble away. The shave went well...but the ironing...ummm, the jury is still out on that one. The crazy iron in my apartment gets amazingly hot, and I noticed when it was on the "cotton" setting (whatever happened to warm-hot-hotter-hottest?) it puffed what looked like smoke almost as soon as I touched my shirt with it. Here's the thing: it didn't burn my shirt (that I could tell). I had to get out the wrinkles, so I begrudgingly pressed the hot iron to my Calvin Klein shirt and hoped for the best. We'll see how it looks after I've taken it to the cleaners to get the job done professionally. Annnnyway, I managed to get out the door and to the train station by a little after nine. 45 minutes later and I was in LoDo. I headed straight to my new favorite pub: The Pour House. I had a couple drinks there, met some ladies who were throwing a surprise birthday party for their friend. Had a delicious SoCo and lime shot. I met a couple other nice ladies, but they were cool for all of 10 minutes, because they just got too smashed to carry on a conversation (I did not ask for their numbers). Just around that time, Miller showed up with his brother whom he had just picked up from the airport. He was a breath of fresh air after talking with some rather unsociable folks. We hung out there for a while, and I came to the aid of two lovely young ladies; a Georgia peach, and a Texan sweetheart. The poor Texan (Tracey), had a little too much too quickly, and was leaning over her chair on the patio... riding the vomit comet; and her friend the Peach (Meghan) was showing some strong moral support. I grabbed Tracey a tall glass of water and some napkins so she could blow her nose. She was adorably apologetic, and I was adorably understanding. After I got her a second round of water, I got to know them both a little better, and we loosely planned to hang out again sometime. At about this time the bar was clearing out and we had to clear the top level of the pub. I escorted the girls downstairs, holding both railings like a human baby-gate so Tracey wouldn't accidentally stumble down the stairs. We said our good-nights and parted ways; I with Miller, and the ladies into their cab.
It was a cold drive home, because Miller's rear passenger window gets stuck when you roll it down. I wish I knew that before I rolled it down. :P Thank God for Miller - another conversationalist who knows how to have fun. It was a great evening, despite not getting tickets to Beerfest.
And that was part 2, folks. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. :)
Ciao for now,
-Dizzy in Denver
After the movie, Palmer and I went to the Fox & Hound for a drink. We happened to grab a table next to some co-workers. When I noticed who was next to us we joined the group and ordered some beers. Zip, Randy, and Roger were the original three. It was interesting seeing how they unwind and even more interesting asking them questions about Homestead. Randy almost left early, but there was plenty of arm-twisting from the whole group, and he stayed because Zip told him "Miller" was on is way. Miller was a former employee of Homestead, who recently moved to San Francisco. His first name is Eric, and the last was of course - Miller. I knew this guy was gonna be cool, because he has the obvious natural nickname "Miller-time." We talked about politics, and work, and travel, and other good stuff like that. We made tentative plans to go to Lower Downtown (LoDo) that evening, and those plans ended up being the only plan that came through. Yeah! Miller-Time! :)
Before heading downtown I wanted to iron a shirt and shave the Saturday stubble away. The shave went well...but the ironing...ummm, the jury is still out on that one. The crazy iron in my apartment gets amazingly hot, and I noticed when it was on the "cotton" setting (whatever happened to warm-hot-hotter-hottest?) it puffed what looked like smoke almost as soon as I touched my shirt with it. Here's the thing: it didn't burn my shirt (that I could tell). I had to get out the wrinkles, so I begrudgingly pressed the hot iron to my Calvin Klein shirt and hoped for the best. We'll see how it looks after I've taken it to the cleaners to get the job done professionally. Annnnyway, I managed to get out the door and to the train station by a little after nine. 45 minutes later and I was in LoDo. I headed straight to my new favorite pub: The Pour House. I had a couple drinks there, met some ladies who were throwing a surprise birthday party for their friend. Had a delicious SoCo and lime shot. I met a couple other nice ladies, but they were cool for all of 10 minutes, because they just got too smashed to carry on a conversation (I did not ask for their numbers). Just around that time, Miller showed up with his brother whom he had just picked up from the airport. He was a breath of fresh air after talking with some rather unsociable folks. We hung out there for a while, and I came to the aid of two lovely young ladies; a Georgia peach, and a Texan sweetheart. The poor Texan (Tracey), had a little too much too quickly, and was leaning over her chair on the patio... riding the vomit comet; and her friend the Peach (Meghan) was showing some strong moral support. I grabbed Tracey a tall glass of water and some napkins so she could blow her nose. She was adorably apologetic, and I was adorably understanding. After I got her a second round of water, I got to know them both a little better, and we loosely planned to hang out again sometime. At about this time the bar was clearing out and we had to clear the top level of the pub. I escorted the girls downstairs, holding both railings like a human baby-gate so Tracey wouldn't accidentally stumble down the stairs. We said our good-nights and parted ways; I with Miller, and the ladies into their cab.
It was a cold drive home, because Miller's rear passenger window gets stuck when you roll it down. I wish I knew that before I rolled it down. :P Thank God for Miller - another conversationalist who knows how to have fun. It was a great evening, despite not getting tickets to Beerfest.
And that was part 2, folks. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. :)
Ciao for now,
-Dizzy in Denver
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Religulous in the VIP / Miller Time (Part 1)
Hi Friends,
It's been a busy couple of days. Yesterday was looking like a bit of a question mark, but it turned out to be really great. The day started with some more glorious sleeping in. :) After I made some scrambled eggs and toast, I didn't do much except watch CNN election news (very scary). The news made me quite stir-crazy in a hurry. So I called up Palmer and we decided to go see a movie. We both previously said we would like to check out the new Bill Maher movie - Religulous, so that's just what we did. Looking back now, it was quite fortunate that the movie was playing in a certain theater, and not in the one right by the apartments we live in. I say that because the theater we had to go to - The Landmark at Greenwood Village - is one of two theaters in the country that has a VIP program. This was something I vaguely remembered hearing about, but never experienced. The Landmark VIP experience was truly amazing! First of all, as soon as I walked into the lobby I noticed it looked more like a classy lounge than a theater. They had a full service bar with a wall stocked better than most Edmonton bars. They sold me on the VIP experience because of the reserved seats that were like supple leather semi-recliners, with little end-tables on the side for drinks and food. Really though, I don't know why everyone doesn't pay the extra $3 for prime seats and your very own server who brings you all the drinks and food you want; but, the service does end at the beginning of the movie - so make sure you double-up by the end of the credits ;) I had an apple martini and a comfort and coke, as well as a fresh made Italian sandwich from their concession/restaurant. It felt so wrong, and yet it felt soooo right! It got used to the idea of acceptably drinking in the theater after I shoulder-checked a handful of times.
So.... Religulous:
It's been a busy couple of days. Yesterday was looking like a bit of a question mark, but it turned out to be really great. The day started with some more glorious sleeping in. :) After I made some scrambled eggs and toast, I didn't do much except watch CNN election news (very scary). The news made me quite stir-crazy in a hurry. So I called up Palmer and we decided to go see a movie. We both previously said we would like to check out the new Bill Maher movie - Religulous, so that's just what we did. Looking back now, it was quite fortunate that the movie was playing in a certain theater, and not in the one right by the apartments we live in. I say that because the theater we had to go to - The Landmark at Greenwood Village - is one of two theaters in the country that has a VIP program. This was something I vaguely remembered hearing about, but never experienced. The Landmark VIP experience was truly amazing! First of all, as soon as I walked into the lobby I noticed it looked more like a classy lounge than a theater. They had a full service bar with a wall stocked better than most Edmonton bars. They sold me on the VIP experience because of the reserved seats that were like supple leather semi-recliners, with little end-tables on the side for drinks and food. Really though, I don't know why everyone doesn't pay the extra $3 for prime seats and your very own server who brings you all the drinks and food you want; but, the service does end at the beginning of the movie - so make sure you double-up by the end of the credits ;) I had an apple martini and a comfort and coke, as well as a fresh made Italian sandwich from their concession/restaurant. It felt so wrong, and yet it felt soooo right! It got used to the idea of acceptably drinking in the theater after I shoulder-checked a handful of times.
So.... Religulous:
I would encourage all of you to go see it...... but:
Bill Maher doesn't do good job and doesn't do the topic any justice at all. Clever editing and pointed questions directed at unqualified people (although some were qualified) makes Religulous a mockery of religion. Satire is fine, but he's not going for satire - he's trying to make a case for agnosticism (i.e. - doubt). It's easy to create doubt when you only present parts of the big picture; especially, when you take the most complicated bits and display them entirely out of context. Michael Moore would be proud. :
The movie did have it's funny moments; like when Maher interviews a man who claims to be a descendant of Jesus (the second-coming) and also claims to be the Antichrist. Pretty scary stuff when you see a glimpse into his apparently popular cult (about 100,000 people) that has all it's members get "666" tattooed on their bodies. *sigh* I keep telling myself it's all in the name of entertainment, but I know that's not the real agenda. Take it with a grain of salt friends; and, if you happen to find yourself sitting on the religious fence, don't let the antics of Maher make your mind up for you. There is no substitute for personal investigation.
*yawn*
I'm getting pretty sleepy here, and I have to get up at 5:30 tomorrow morning....so I think I'm gonna call this blog Part 1, and finish Part 2 for you all tomorrow. I hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving and ate some great turkey dinners; and of course, enjoyed the company of your families. :)
Ciao for now,
-Dizzy in Denver
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Wow! I'm slackin'!
Well friends, it looks like I'm behind on my blogging yet again. :
Wednesday was pretty standard - nothing much out of the ordinary. Oh, except the for free lunch this week we had Rubio's. This place had some pretty good food; but, it felt like I had lead in my stomach for the rest of the day. I couldn't go for my run until about 9 that night, because I knew my stomach wouldn't make it past mile 2. lol!
Monday was rather uneventful if I recall. Pretty much worked, ran, and the rest is a blur. (must have been boring).
Tuesday was quite a bit better. Work was it's usual greatness, but the real fun was after work. Palmer and I went to the Fox & Hound for the poker night they run there. It's a really great idea: they have three 10-player tables, and house dealers that do all the work; but the best part was that it was FREE! Can you believe it? Free poker and $2 pints of draft all night long. As good as that was, it wasn't the highlight of the night. The best part of the evening was meeting two lovely sisters from Minnesota. The older of the two, Krystal, had moved to Denver for various reasons, and her sister, Nikki, was in town on a short visit. Two very cool people, and we had a lot of fun chatting about lots of different topics; but mainly, we talked about Canada and Minnesota life as they lived only an hour or so away from the border. I had a some interesting convos with Krystal too, as she is an event coordinator and had met lots of really cool celebs and musicians. She said she might be able to get Palmer and I tickets to the Beerfest, which I thought was really nice of her. We'll see how that goes, but really, I'd much rather take her out sometime instead. I got some introductory contact info, but the facebook friend request is still pending. I hope she doesn't turn out to be like the girls I met last week at the Pour House. I'll keep you posted on that... Oh! - here is a pic:
Wednesday was pretty standard - nothing much out of the ordinary. Oh, except the for free lunch this week we had Rubio's. This place had some pretty good food; but, it felt like I had lead in my stomach for the rest of the day. I couldn't go for my run until about 9 that night, because I knew my stomach wouldn't make it past mile 2. lol!Thursday was a true mini-Friday, because it was the last day of my work week. I was 2nd in sales, and setup some great leads for the weeks to come. Also, all the bigwigs were in the Denver office for some leadership conference thing the company was running. Of course they got to order P.F. Chang's for lunch (I tried to avoid the lunch room just because the smell was so good that I might have done something crazy for a taste). One of the higher-ups, Bob, introduced the Canadian boys to the CEO/CFO, David, and we also got to meet the President of the company, Justin. He was a cool guy, and hopefully he thought I was equally cool as well. You never know when you'll need to fall back on a first impression, or call upon good rapport in the future. I was a bit jealous of the leadership folks, because they were going to Boulder for the day to do some fun team-building stuff. Oh well, I'll get to Boulder one of these days.
Even though I didn't have to work today, I ended up staying at the apartment Thursday night. My run was a little more challenging than usual... I think I was dehydrated or something.
This morning was quite glorious. I got to sleep in! I finally got to catch up on my sleep after a full week of getting up at 5:30 AM. Yuck! It wouldn't have been so bad if I were able get into bed before midnight. I'm too much of a night owl to do that though. Now that I'm caught up on sleep, I got to catch up on my housework. The laundry machine is running right now, and the dishes/kitchen is all shiny once again. Now all I need is a pair of shorts so I can go for my run. After I get my run on, I think the plan is to head downtown with Palmer and go exploring. It should be a fun time, and I hope we run into some cool new people. Denver is so much more fun with the locals. :)
Well friends, I think that's all for now. Sorry for being such a slacker with the blog. I'm sure there's at least one loyal follower who was wondering what the deal was. I'll try and be more consistent and make it a daily thing again. Yeah...try... ;)
Ciao for now,
-Dizzy in Denver
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Boston Wins, Blue Towels, Best Performer...
It seems like it's getting harder and harder to blog these days. I'm behind a day or two... Here goes:
Friday night was another one to remember. Palmer and I went to the Pour House, the Pro-Boston bar I mentioned in a previous blog. The BoSox were playing the Angels, and it was the top of the 6th when we got there. The score was 5-3, and the place was absolutely packed. The upper patio was so full that it took about 5 minutes to squeeze and shimmy your way into position to catch the bartender's eye. At least I had rapport with Captain Curt from the previous week. After I got settled, the Angels got a couple runs and tied the game. There was a lot of mixed emotion in the atmosphere - a mix of hope and hate (a potentially dangerous combination). I had to retreat to the very upper part of the patio where there weren't any TVs, just so I could collect my thoughts and get a game plan going.
It was the top of the 9th or bottom of the 8th (I really don't recall) when I worked my way back to the crowded bar with onlooking Boston fans. I met a lovely girl named Aimee along the way. She told me about some cool places to go in Boulder, and I think she said to go to Shakopee if I wanted to go for a hike. After she left I worked my way to get something to drink. I had great timing, because before I ordered my drink a Boston player (Jason Bay I think) hit a nice two run homer. I told the lovely ladies at the bar in front of me that such a play deserved a shot where I come from. They kinda laughed when I asked if I could buy them one. I wasn't paying attention to the bartenders, who had stacks of glasses that looked like the leaning tower of Pisa, and had bottles of whiskey tipped upside down to fill the stacks. I now know that at the Pour House, when a Boston player hits a home run, everyone in the room gets a shot on the house. (you gotta love it when the owners are from Bean town) Palmer made it to the bar a little after that, and unfortunately missed out on the freebie. Just in case I didn't already post a pic, here's one of Captain Curt, the managing bartender at the Pour House:
I can't remember exactly how, but I struck up a conversation with two ladies who happened to be there for the first time. We hit it off really well, and I could swear there was some great chemistry. It was nice to meet some girls that you can talk to and who weren't all...hmmm, what's the word I was looking for....goobers? lol. We shared some drinks together and then I thought we were going dancing, but....they disappeared! I was completely baffled. I still wonder if they had planned it all along, to just ditch us like that, or maybe they had to rush and catch one of the last trains out of the city. Palmer and I stuck around for a little while to make sure one wasn't holding the others hair in the bathroom, but we eventually had to run so we could catch our train and no suffer the stiff cab fair home. Can someone tell me what the heck that was all about? I'm not fooling myself when I say there was chemistry. Argh! How frustrating. They were gone before I could even get a number or a solid facebook lead. :P Oh well, maybe we'll bump into each other again some day.
Saturday was a much ore relaxed day. I made a super awesome breakfast: bacon, eggs, multi-grain toast, and Tropicana orange juice (mmm, I think might go get some right now). After eating like a king I threw in a load of laundry and laid down for a nap.... 4hours later, I awoke and put my load of laundry in the dryer, but what? The load was completely soaked! What had happened? I now think I had overloaded the washer, to save time and energy of course. I think I ended up drying those clothes for about 5 hours before they were dry - on Sunday afternoon! How dumb. Not only that, but somehow all the whites I threw in that load came out blue! I'm sure the culprit was my pair of Levi SiverTab jeans. The very first wash of those suckers and some of the dye washed completely out; leaving a white spot and some other fades. I thought by now that all the dye would have come out if it wasn't dyed properly, but apparently not. Somehow after like 50 washes, those jeans managed to destroy 1 undershirt, 1 nice wool T, 5 pairs of socks, 1 semi-destroyed a hoodie, 2 bath towels, 2 hand towels, and totally shattered my faith in Tide Ultra Care and the washing machine in my apartment. *sigh* I guess was kind of looking for an excuse to buy some new clothes; I just wish the excuse came at a time when I had more expendable funds! haha. Oh well, all the running I've been doing has been forcing me to rethink my closet too, so I guess I shouldn't be that upset.
Sunday morning came early... about 5:30 early. I got switched to the 7:00am-3:30pm shift, Sunday through Thursday. I was dreading it a little, because I'm not the greatest morning person; at least, not for the first 30 minutes or so. It's a good thing I had to make my lunch, otherwise I would have snoozed right until pickup time.
Work was great today. It's super slow on Sunday, and I had a chance to get a head start on my report for the peeps back home at Intuit. I love this job, because it's mostly stuff I've taught myself back when I liked to design websites. Also, the philosophy at Homestead is that we are "Small Business Consultants" not "tech support or sales agents." That philosophy plays in with my natural desire see people succeed in business and make smart decisions. My customers love me :) I'm on the Brown Grizzly team, so my name on the phones is Michael Brown (after the color). I think I'll have half a dozen people asking for Michael Brown tomorrow; and, many of them are sure-thing sales. I'm slowly getting more comfortable with offering the customer our services without coming across as pitchy. I hate being pitchy or forceful when selling something; hmmm, except maybe when it comes to pitching myself. *rolling my eyes*. Anyway, I was the top performer on the day for sales; and, also in charm - in my opinion. :) May I humbly say that I kicked ass!? Here is the proof for you skeptics out there:
Booyeah! What a great day. On top of that, I got home after work and went for a great run. After that I turned on the Steelers-Tampa game (which was stellar by the way - Big Ben is a force, and I knew it from day 1), made some Cajun chicken nachos (with three types of Tostitos - corn, multi-grain, and pita), and cracked open an ice cold (the label was blue too) bottle of Coors original (brewed in good old Golden, Colorado) and delayed the inevitable writing of my blog - as I do almost every night. lol.
And.... I'm spent. :) I hope you all enjoyed this one, it was on the house. Ciao for now friends,
-Dizzy in Denver
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Cha-Ching *snaps*
*Time-out*
Not 45 minutes after I wrote my last blog, my mom calls me up with concern about the post. Let me set the record straight: I'm not depressed, and I'm not suicidal, and I'm not in a dark funk or something like that. I'm just someone who actually feels and acknowledges feelings instead of being like the multitudes of people in the world today who deny what they feel and perpetuate a life lived in numbness. You don't need to worry about, it's those other people you should be concerned for.
My theory about those "numb ones" is that they have been suppressing all the emotion and feeling in their lives for so long that they have no choice but to continue doing so. You could call it a learned behaviour - a defense mechanism - that is a byproduct of living in a world (or more specifically - a society) that has fostered the growth of neglect, abuse, jealousy, pride, and selfishness. Someone once told me: "Hurt people, hurt people." That means that the people who get emotionally wounded are those who will likely wound others emotionally. A person can only take so much stress before they adapt to it in some way; and, a person can choose to accept the circumstances and process it by feeling emotion, or they can choose to "shut-off" their emotion in an effort to stave off the shock of being dealt such crappy cards in life. It's in the early stages of development that people will decide how they want to deal with the crap in life. Some lash out, some get quiet, some decide to grin and bear it, and others make the decision to "not feel." This reality is all too apparent to me, as I am no more than 10 miles from Columbine High School, in Littleton, Colorado. That tragedy was an example of forced adaptation, with some very complicated influences thrown into the mix. That's not healthy. Emotions and feelings are good things, if you process them and try to understand them (although the understanding part is not easy at times).
So, again, don't worry about me. I value life way too much to live with a frown on my face. It's those that live a life without stopping to feel life along the way, those are the ones you should be concerned for. I sure am concerned for them; because one day, for each one of them, they will wake up and they won't be able to hold back how they feel inside. And that's the thing with denying feelings - you never get rid of them, you just bank them for later. I sure don't want to be that person that wakes up at 40, and realizes that they never truly felt anything. Now that, that would depress me. I'd much rather feel the good and the bad with all that I am for all of my life, than feel good (really, false feeling) for 40 years and then realize it was all a lie.
So, when I express some true feelings/emotions, don't think it' the end of the world for me; because it's not - I'm just being true to myself. Okay?
Good :) I hope we're all on the same page now. Oh! Try not to take my blogs out of context (so if you see a song linked in my blog, maybe you should listen to it before you judge the words); it would really save me from have to take timeouts and write some much more than needed. ;)
*Time-in*
So, where was I....Oh yeah: Thursday.
Today was another spectacular day at Homestead. I made the best lunch today...mmmm. Shaved turkey on multi-grain, with mustard and miracle whip light (light tastes better - trust me). Triscuit rosemary and olive oil crackers (the best - trust me) with mild cracker-cut cheese (cracker-cut is the way to go!). Nine baby carrot sticks. One Del-Monte mandarin orange cup. Of course I also had a bottle of Aquafina with raspberry green tea crystal lite. Doesn't that all sound soooo good? If I didn't have a 6-inch sub leftover from dinner, I'd be making the same thing tomorrow! By the way, if you order a Chicken Fajita sub at Subway in the USA, you're only getting a grilled chicken sub with nothing special on it. That's just a heads up.
I had some cool customers on the phone today, and I ended up having some really long calls too. But, I made my first sale today! :D I sold a global listing package and a simplestore. *sales cherry has been popped* *snaps* One of my customers was building a site for a new croc-like shoe that he will be releasing in the spring. They blow crocs out of the water by far. He's likely getting a license with the NBA to market his shoes with team colors and logos. I was so stoked for this guy. He had three shoe designs flop before, and this one was his "last chance" in a way. I didn't sell him anything today, but I'm calling him back on Monday. I already have a bit of a following with some of the customers I've spoken with so far...and I don't know if that is going to be a problem. They all know me as Michael Brown, because the team I'm on is called the Brown Grizzlies and instead of giving out my real last name we give out our team color. I like the anonymity, and I love how I can pretend to give out my real name. The customers love it too. ;)
After work I went to the Park Meadows Mall (Colorado's only retail resort). They have good stores there, but the food court was total money. They have a Johnny Rocket's in the food court for crying out loud! And, they have a giant fireplace too (which I assume they use during the winter). Mike and Matt, they also have a Panda Express (lol). I picked up a Men's Health Book of Muscle at Borders (the most confusing bookstore), and then headed to Super Target for some hangers (I know - boring). At that point the yawns started to make their way out. So when I got home I wrote that quick (and misunderstood) blog, and then went to the clubhouse for a run. There was a gorgeous woman who was punishing herself (not too badly) on the stair-climber. I was running before she got there, and still running when she left. I think she was trying to keep up with me, because she would stop and get off, and then seemingly force herself back on the machine again. I wish I knew what it looks like when someone is checking you out at the gym, because I could swear she kept looking over at me with a certain look; but I didn't know what the heck was going on. I think I'm going to go for a run at the same time tomorrow...maybe she'll show up again, and maybe I can get a better read of the situation. Either way, cutie or no cutie - it was a great run! 45 minutes, 4 miles, 600 calories; and, the Cubs were losing to the Dodgers on TV. haha! Sorry Cubby fans. :)
Now I'm spent! The days are so much more full here in Denver; but, at the same time, it seems like time is crawling. It hasn't even been two weeks yet! What am I going to do with all this time?
Only time will tell.... :P
Well, for tonight I'm Audi 5000; sweet dreams friends,
-Dizzy in Denver
PS - To the anonymous poster who made the comment: "I think you have a lot more followers than you realize!!!"
That's nice of you to say, but this blog has zero (that's right, "0") subscribers, and I can count the number of comments on one hand. :P But that's okay! Whether it's 1 or 100, this blog is a success if it keeps a friend in the loop while I'm away. So, there's a bit of a lack of proof to back up what you say; but, if you truly think that, then I'll take it in faith too. :) Ciao for now, and thanks for making this blog a success!
Not 45 minutes after I wrote my last blog, my mom calls me up with concern about the post. Let me set the record straight: I'm not depressed, and I'm not suicidal, and I'm not in a dark funk or something like that. I'm just someone who actually feels and acknowledges feelings instead of being like the multitudes of people in the world today who deny what they feel and perpetuate a life lived in numbness. You don't need to worry about, it's those other people you should be concerned for.
My theory about those "numb ones" is that they have been suppressing all the emotion and feeling in their lives for so long that they have no choice but to continue doing so. You could call it a learned behaviour - a defense mechanism - that is a byproduct of living in a world (or more specifically - a society) that has fostered the growth of neglect, abuse, jealousy, pride, and selfishness. Someone once told me: "Hurt people, hurt people." That means that the people who get emotionally wounded are those who will likely wound others emotionally. A person can only take so much stress before they adapt to it in some way; and, a person can choose to accept the circumstances and process it by feeling emotion, or they can choose to "shut-off" their emotion in an effort to stave off the shock of being dealt such crappy cards in life. It's in the early stages of development that people will decide how they want to deal with the crap in life. Some lash out, some get quiet, some decide to grin and bear it, and others make the decision to "not feel." This reality is all too apparent to me, as I am no more than 10 miles from Columbine High School, in Littleton, Colorado. That tragedy was an example of forced adaptation, with some very complicated influences thrown into the mix. That's not healthy. Emotions and feelings are good things, if you process them and try to understand them (although the understanding part is not easy at times).
So, again, don't worry about me. I value life way too much to live with a frown on my face. It's those that live a life without stopping to feel life along the way, those are the ones you should be concerned for. I sure am concerned for them; because one day, for each one of them, they will wake up and they won't be able to hold back how they feel inside. And that's the thing with denying feelings - you never get rid of them, you just bank them for later. I sure don't want to be that person that wakes up at 40, and realizes that they never truly felt anything. Now that, that would depress me. I'd much rather feel the good and the bad with all that I am for all of my life, than feel good (really, false feeling) for 40 years and then realize it was all a lie.
So, when I express some true feelings/emotions, don't think it' the end of the world for me; because it's not - I'm just being true to myself. Okay?
Good :) I hope we're all on the same page now. Oh! Try not to take my blogs out of context (so if you see a song linked in my blog, maybe you should listen to it before you judge the words); it would really save me from have to take timeouts and write some much more than needed. ;)
*Time-in*
So, where was I....Oh yeah: Thursday.
Today was another spectacular day at Homestead. I made the best lunch today...mmmm. Shaved turkey on multi-grain, with mustard and miracle whip light (light tastes better - trust me). Triscuit rosemary and olive oil crackers (the best - trust me) with mild cracker-cut cheese (cracker-cut is the way to go!). Nine baby carrot sticks. One Del-Monte mandarin orange cup. Of course I also had a bottle of Aquafina with raspberry green tea crystal lite. Doesn't that all sound soooo good? If I didn't have a 6-inch sub leftover from dinner, I'd be making the same thing tomorrow! By the way, if you order a Chicken Fajita sub at Subway in the USA, you're only getting a grilled chicken sub with nothing special on it. That's just a heads up.
I had some cool customers on the phone today, and I ended up having some really long calls too. But, I made my first sale today! :D I sold a global listing package and a simplestore. *sales cherry has been popped* *snaps* One of my customers was building a site for a new croc-like shoe that he will be releasing in the spring. They blow crocs out of the water by far. He's likely getting a license with the NBA to market his shoes with team colors and logos. I was so stoked for this guy. He had three shoe designs flop before, and this one was his "last chance" in a way. I didn't sell him anything today, but I'm calling him back on Monday. I already have a bit of a following with some of the customers I've spoken with so far...and I don't know if that is going to be a problem. They all know me as Michael Brown, because the team I'm on is called the Brown Grizzlies and instead of giving out my real last name we give out our team color. I like the anonymity, and I love how I can pretend to give out my real name. The customers love it too. ;)
After work I went to the Park Meadows Mall (Colorado's only retail resort). They have good stores there, but the food court was total money. They have a Johnny Rocket's in the food court for crying out loud! And, they have a giant fireplace too (which I assume they use during the winter). Mike and Matt, they also have a Panda Express (lol). I picked up a Men's Health Book of Muscle at Borders (the most confusing bookstore), and then headed to Super Target for some hangers (I know - boring). At that point the yawns started to make their way out. So when I got home I wrote that quick (and misunderstood) blog, and then went to the clubhouse for a run. There was a gorgeous woman who was punishing herself (not too badly) on the stair-climber. I was running before she got there, and still running when she left. I think she was trying to keep up with me, because she would stop and get off, and then seemingly force herself back on the machine again. I wish I knew what it looks like when someone is checking you out at the gym, because I could swear she kept looking over at me with a certain look; but I didn't know what the heck was going on. I think I'm going to go for a run at the same time tomorrow...maybe she'll show up again, and maybe I can get a better read of the situation. Either way, cutie or no cutie - it was a great run! 45 minutes, 4 miles, 600 calories; and, the Cubs were losing to the Dodgers on TV. haha! Sorry Cubby fans. :)
Now I'm spent! The days are so much more full here in Denver; but, at the same time, it seems like time is crawling. It hasn't even been two weeks yet! What am I going to do with all this time?
Only time will tell.... :P
Well, for tonight I'm Audi 5000; sweet dreams friends,
-Dizzy in Denver
PS - To the anonymous poster who made the comment: "I think you have a lot more followers than you realize!!!"
That's nice of you to say, but this blog has zero (that's right, "0") subscribers, and I can count the number of comments on one hand. :P But that's okay! Whether it's 1 or 100, this blog is a success if it keeps a friend in the loop while I'm away. So, there's a bit of a lack of proof to back up what you say; but, if you truly think that, then I'll take it in faith too. :) Ciao for now, and thanks for making this blog a success!
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