Cooking in the kitchen!!!

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‘Cause it is HOT!!!

Wednesday was the potluck. That was great. Had fun, talked with people I hadn’t seen in a while and listened to good music.I got home around Midnight.

Thursday. I went to work at La Plaza Inn, and Dan went to the Fox Theater. Old Blind Dogs were playing and he was doing the lights. Meanwhile, I cooked and helped at the kitchen. We had food ready for after theater crowd that came over for the jam session. Apparently while the theater was crowded, there were maybe 50 people at the jam session. Sort of sad, as we’d cooked lots of nice food. I got home at 2:15am. Yawn.

Friday, I wasn’t suppose to work. However, Karen called wanting my help. She hadn’t been able to get into the kitchen all day and felt behind. So, I went in at 5:30 and finished at around 9:45pm. Yawn. Luckily for me, Dan walked down and walked home with me.

Today, I slept in a bit, but was still to work by 11am. Lots of stuff to do for the banquet, and we got it done with about 30 minutes to spare. Morgan came down and served at it because it was being sponsored by Huerfano County Youth Services. The evening went great. The food was good and everyone was happy.

We started to walk home around 9pm, and then discovered that the guys were headed to Carl Jr’s for dinner. So, we met them there and then walked home. Oh gods was I tired. I think I will head to bed soon. Yawwwwwwwwn….

Oh, and Ian’s Grandma will let us borrow the van for Sunday. She got panicked about us using it on Friday. A bit of Sturm und Drang operatic soap opera, but… we will borrow it at least this one time. Otherwise, I hope to have a car of some sort working soon. I am truly tired of having to bum rides.

5am was too damn early

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And I told my body that when I woke up at the crack of dawn. Yawn… 45 minutes later, Misty was up and thumping around the kitchen getting coffee and trying to wake up enough to head out. She had to head home this morning. pout! Ah well, at least we had a really good six day visit. I don’t envy her going back to hot Arlington Texas though. phew!!! And, miracles of miracles, she only left on thing! It was in the freezer, so I’m not too surprised. 🙂

However, since I was up so early, I made a second batch of biscuits in preparation for the La Plaza job. They came out really good this time and I will stick to it. Yum… I’ve got to do dishes again and then make a carob cake for the potluck tonight at David Enke’s. The Old Blind Dogs are playing at the Fox tomorrow night. Dan gets to work the lights and I will be cooking at the La Plaza for the after dinner party. Wheeee…

Life is just about to get really busy! Work starts tomorrow and college classes at Ashford start on Friday.

A hot Monday in June…

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It isn’t a record breaker, but just steadily hot. It’s also the Summer Solstice. 🙂 From now until Yule, the days will get shorter. sigh… I worked in the garden killing weeds today and did laundry. The top layer of stuff was trying to dry before we even got home from the laundromat. Yes, I am back to that. Our washer we had lost it’s transmission. argh. At least I am saving money by not using the dryers.

This is also our third week of company this month. Ian’s dad, brother and grandma in the first week, then Stefan and Anabell, and now Misty. 🙂 It has been almost eight-nine months since we saw her last. She’ll be here for a bit of this week, and then we will be company-less just in time for school to start and work to start. Wheeeee!!!

We have the Old Blind Dogs from Scotland here on Thursday. Dan will be working the lights, and I will be working at the La Plaza cooking. I am so looking forward to a paycheck!!!! I get to be baker and chef along with three others.

Oh, and we got to see the Medano Fire up above the Sand Dunes on Friday. Here’s hoping for rain!!!

Almost caught up!

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It has been busy around here. After the conference, we spent as much time with Stefan and Anabell as we could. Then on Monday, we took them to the airport. 🙁 Sad Day… 🙁

Tuesday, the washer broke. So, I have been trying to do catch up with the laundry by hand, as I had a load in the washer when it died. Oh, and I told John that I want a divorce. That of course went over like a lead balloon. However, the job I’m applying for needs some honesty. As in I don’t make diddley squat for money and I live separately from John. Told him I was going to tell the interviewer that, and he got upset. During the course of the conversation, I explained that in all honesty, I wanted a divorce. It was like he never expected that.

Um… Hello! I haven’t lived with him for over a year. Plus, some stuff that I’m not mentioning on a blog, but… In all honesty, I had my heart broken 23 years ago, and it never healed. He asked for a divorce then. We tried to work things out, and to be honest, we didn’t do too bad. I made a promise that I would work on the marriage as long as there were minor children. Well, Daniel turned 18 two years ago, and I have to admit that I still felt about the same. I wanted a divorce. Due to a number of things, I moved out of the house at 203 Walsen over a year ago. I am happier, less stressed, more relaxed and have had fewer asthma attacks than I have had in years. I still love him, but I’m not IN love with him. There is a difference.

He says he wants to talk and try to make things better so that we don’t divorce. Sorry, after 20+ years, I don’t think things will change. We’ve both changed, and I just do not see reconciliation being an option. Plus, when are we suppose to find time to talk? He works an average of 50 hours a week, and I have college, a job and other responsibilities. An hour here or there over a week is just not going to cut it or change my mind. Nor will I interrupt his work and send him back to work in a possibly upset state of mind.

And, despite what he might think, I don’t want a divorce just so that I can marry Dan. Nope! Wrong answer. I love Dan, but I won’t marry him. I never want to be married ever again. Nor do I think Dan ever wants to be married again either.

Sigh.

I hope to have pictures of Stefan and Anabell up by Saturday. Dan has to download them and put them on the jump drive for me. My computer is having some issues. argh… video driver issues.

Oh, and our friend is coming up from Texas!!!! Wheeee!!!!!

Of Vail and conferences and rain

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Dan and I headed off to Vail for a workforce conference on Wednesday. We headed off at the crack of dawn and actually got there 45 minutes early. Whewwww! First up on the agenda was an opening speech by Governor Ritter. It was short, sweet and to the point. He signed three bills into law that had to do with business.

After that, we got the registration mixup fixed and got all of my conference stuff. 🙂 We got settled in our room which was great. The bed was huge, and there was a fireplace in the room. LOL… granted it was about 85 there. Oh, and the bathroom. A bath and a shower. :):):)

We went to a workshop, and then at dinner we had a speaker who was really good. Sarah Michel. After dinner, we were so tired that we soaked in the tub and then went to bed.

Thursday started WAY TOO EARLY. Up at 6am, breakfast by 7am and in the conference room with 150 other people by 8am. This was the WIB (Workforce Investment Board) workshop. It was for all the workforce regions: their chairmen, members, etc. I got to go because Dan felt I should go and Taryn agreed. The WIB is involved in getting a new Colorado Workforce Council up and running. Lots of politics. Lots of egos, tempers, ideas and worries to work through. Since I was a rather late addition, I got put on the ‘left over’ table. Not a bad thing, and pretty soon, those of us on that table joined in with other tables that were missing people. I jokingly called our table the ‘Group W’ table. For a bunch of misfits, we really worked well together.

We worked for 8 hour on Thursday. It was tough, exciting and exhausting. After we finished, Dan and I went out to dinner at a place called Garfields. It was good food and after dinner we walked around downtown Vail. Then we headed for the hotub! Wheee!!!! a whirlpool no less. We were back in the room by 9 and asleep by 10pm.

Up early again, and in the conference by 7:30am. More hard work, but very worth it by the time we finished. When it was done, we went down and had lunch. The group Chicken Lips was speaking/performing during lunch. They were a motivational comedy group. Hilarious! Had a great time and laughed, oh did we laugh! After lunch, we packed up and headed home. It was just starting to rain as we left Vail. Idaho Springs was a downpour! Rain stood on the highway and some of the puddles were so deep that we had to slow way down to get through them. It cleared up a time or two near Denver, but we had more rain all the way home. We got home around 6pm. Once we unpacked and said our hellos, we headed for bed. It was meant to be a nap, but… We woke up at 10am this morning.

Spent most of the day with Stefan and Anabell. 🙂 They had dinner with my parents, but we are now watching movies and Morgan is painting Anabell’s toenails and fingernails. 🙂 Best part of the day besides spending time with S&A,… I Got A Job!!!! I will be cooking for La Plaza!!! Oh, and Ian got a job too as a waiter. happygotajobdance!!!!!

Tomorrow I’m making runza for dinner. Yum!!!

Community

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Today,was one of those days when you’re glad to be a part of something. Eric D’Ambrosia’s funeral was today. It was held up in Gardner at Gardner School. It was the only place big enough to hold all the people. Dan and I figured that there were over 300 people there. Students, teachers, friends, neighbors and family.

However, for one small span of time, we were all family. Eric was a friend, a brother, a son to everyone in that room. Sitting there listening to the Rosary you could feel the bonds grow stronger. As the Memorial mass went on, and Fr. Frias spoke, everyone blended together. When his aunt Cathy spoke the eulogy, with his sister Susan by her side, we all cried as family. While his death was a terrible blow, it brought so many people together as community.

At the graveside and later at the community center where food was provided for everyone, people shared stories, hugs, tears and memories. People who hadn’t seen each other in ages hugged and chatted like it had only been a day.

It was a sad day. It was also a beautiful day. My only sorrow is that it took the death of a beautiful young man to bring us all together.

A rough week

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Last week was horrid. Rough. Buzy. However you want to slice it.

Sunday. Hectic. Kayla arrived back to spend the week with us. She was moving and needed a place to stay in order to finish up school. So, we had her stay with us.

Monday we had the meeting in Trinidad with the workforce people. I think that in spite of the hectic start to that day including being late, it was the best day of the week. I got home early enough to go do the school board meeting in La Veta.

Tuesday. Hell day. My friend Mickey’s son Eric died. He was in a roll over car crash, and ejected, because he didn’t wear his seat belt. The accident happened in the early hours of the morning, and the paramedics figured he died some time after the crash. He was 17.

Of course, this colored the rest of the week. The RE-1 school board meeting that night was full of tears and very quiet people. I think it was the shortest, quietest meeting I’ve been to there in years.

Wednesday. Gardening with the vets out at the veteran’s nursing home. I pruned 10 rosebushes in need of serious help and then dug and planted a 4×8 raised bed by myself. I got home, got changed and we all headed out to Gardner for the 8th grade graduation. It was a good yet slightly bittersweet event. Eric had gone to Gardner school, and his family lives just down the block from school.

After graduation, I had the memorial service for Eric to attend. It was at the high school. Very moving. Tearful. Painful. And just right. People told stories, sang songs, there was a slide show that lasted about ten minutes, and of course, lots of tears. His family was there. The principal gave his mom the award he would have gotten for improvement in English. I got to see Mickey and Sal, and my heart broke. At the end of the memorial, we all released balloons. sigh…

I walked from the high school to the library and went to a Town Hall meeting. That was interesting. We got home around 9:30pm.

Thursday. We cleaned the front yard and hauled TRASH!!! Also did a lot of prep work to clean up the rest of the house. I tiled the kitchen cabinet tops too. Used the same tile I did on the bedroom dresser, and they look cool.

Friday. This was run around doing errands day. Paid bills, bought groceries, applied for a job as a cook at a local hotel and did some more garden work in the front yard. Friday evening, I made bread for the cat coalition bake sale. Dan got a call from the family in New Zealand. Mikki had a bouncing baby boy around 9pm our time. 9 pounds, 2 oz and 21.25 inches long! I think Dan said they were naming him Richard. This is Dan’s second grandbaby. Finally hit the pillows around 1am.

Saturday. Took bread to the bake sale, dropped a loaf by the hotel and got a tour of the kitchen and then came home to clean house. Oh boy… Moved LOTS of stuff. The front porch is now tidy. We moved all the building supplies out to the garage. We also moved stuff out of the front and back yard to clean up. I have lots of supplies for the green house project, and will start on that in the next few weeks. I did load after load of laundry too. Where DID all those dirty clothes come from??? We did a huge amount of work, and got finished just in time for Ian’s family to show up. (the reason for the mass house cleaning in the first place.)

The visit went well, and Dan and I had a bit of quiet time as Ian went to see IronMan 2 with his family. Plus, something I ate disagreed with me. Ugh….

Today… I am moving slowly. Still feel punky. However, the house is clean, laundry is done and I don’t think there is anything on the schedule for the next 24 hours….. Wheeeee…. Oh, and my Mom is back from Littleton!!! 🙂