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Sunny and 75 Degrees! It must be October!

Posted on October 19, 2009 by

Yes, while my parents got a load of wood in today, it decided to be a balmy 75 degrees today. Yesterday it was in the 80’s. Oh well. So much for snow in September. Of course, it will probably snow 3 ft tonight. (you think I jest?) Autumn is such a weird season here in Colorado. Either warm and pleasant, or bitter cold. Sometimes both on the same day!

Morgan is off to Mesa Verde for a field trip on Wednesday and Thursday. She is excited. She has been enjoying not having volleyball practice. With my car down, I’ve rather enjoyed the brief break in driving. Daniel has been doing it, because he has a car. Wheee!!!! It means I get to stay home and do things like school work, blogging and story writing.

We still have Spike here. Dan swears that Brandy tried to kill him last night. The dogs got so tangled up that Spike was choking. Today we moved the cables so that no one is close enough to tangle the other.

I might have a job soon. A friend of ours who owns an antique shop wants to open a tea room. Yeah, English tea, tea breads, etc. She didn’t have a clue how to do it, or who to run it until Dan mentioned that I’d be perfect for the job. So, I went down, talked with her for an hour and then looked where we could put the shop. She is going to hunt down some of the details and I will do some other work. Whee!!!

Yesterday was the Staff appreciation dinner put on by the FOL. We had KFC. 🙂 It was a pleasant 2 hours. Then it was home for work on my college class. Professional Communications. A’s so far, and I’d like to keep it that way.

At least today I get a chance to write!!!

Update on life, part 2

Posted on October 10, 2009 by

I ran out of hours in the day… I didin’t get to the fun of Thursday. We got Morgan off to school and I started to get ready for the day. Spike, Daniel’s dog, went tearing into the house and scared the kitten, 5. 5 ran and Spike gave chase. He caught the kitten and started to shake it, when the kitten planted all twent claws into the dog. Meanwhile, Dan and I are trying to get the dog to let go. Spike is a pit bull… I thought that we were going to loose the kitten. However, Dan pulled Spike’s gums back and popped him in the jaw. It worked, and We got the kitten free and out of the way. Spike went out on the back porch, and we took 5 to the vet. Just a puncture in the jaw from what the vet could tell. So, we came home. Cleaned up the blood and looked at Dan’s hand. He broke two small bones when he hit Spike. Ouch!!!!

Then Dan went to work on a computer for a client. Meanwhile, I discover that there is a bat on the inside of the porch. Normally, this wouldn’t have bothered me. However, with everything else, I was a bit nervy about moving the bat. When Dan got home, he moved it outside. I have a picture, but it isn’t very close…

The other thing that freaked me out is that I adjusted the piece of plexiglass between the bat and the outside world earlier that morning, and I don’t remember seeing the bat!!!!

Then it was time to head off to Gardner and then to Westcliffe, because Morgan had a volleyball game at Custer school. It was snowing of course. We drove up and watched the game. The girls won!!! After that, we went to Pizza Madness for pizza. Very good! Ate more than I should, but oh it was nice. Then we drove home in snow and fog.

Next day was suppose to be nice and quiet so that Dan and I could get school work done. Hahaahahaahaa….. First Daniel showed up to talk to us about Spike. (7:30am!!) We know he was just being a dog and 5 a kitten. Now we will just take care to lock up the cats before we let the dogs in. sigh…. Finally got Daniel out the door and thought we’d snooze a bit when the phone rang. It was Dad. He had computer problems. So, we got up and tried to get stuff done… Oh yeah….. I think the phone rang 20 times in at least a two hour span. Sigh. Daniel came back with new cables for the dogs and then they all escaped. Dan and Daniel went after them and I stayed put in case they came home. That escapade over, Dan tried again to get his school work done. He finished it just in time to go out to Lathrop park to help my Dad and the park rangers with the computer equipment. Meanwhile, I did laundry, housework and tried to start my school work.

Morgan spent the night and Dan and I got our school work done around 10:30pm….. Off to bed because Saturday was Volleyball tourney time!!!

Up at 6:30am and started to get ready. Dan was a slug….

And Brandy wasn’t helping………

I finally got everyone up and fed… and out the door. There was ice all over the car. Brrr….. Dan got it started, but then it died. No idea what is wrong. So, I came in and called Faith Espinosa who’s daughter Madiana (sp?) is on the team as well. She gave us a ride up and we got there just as the tournament started. Wheeee!!!!

Gardner B team played Gardner A team first. Then there were games between Primero, La Veta and Gardner. Gardner B team ranked 4th. La Veta 3rd, Primero 2nd and Gardner A team Won First Place!!!!! It was a really good set of games with lots of breath holding. Morgan did really well and we are so proud of her. We got home around 1:30pm and started a fire in the fireplace. It is still bitterly cold. I’ve got chicken in the oven and I figure we will curl up with a movie later tonight. Brrrr!!!!

And Now to play Catch Up!!!

Posted on October 9, 2009 by

When last I wrote, it was warm… sunny…. and Summer. Well, Summer went out with a SLUSH!!! It was cool, and began to rain. Next thing I knew, it was SNOWING!!!!!

We ended up with three inches of snow in town. Not exactly what we had planned for the last bit of Summer. Nor, for the Celtic Festival that was due to start the next day!!!

Of course, I had to tease Barbara Yule, the festival co-ordinator that she really didn’t have to import the weather as well as the musicians…… 🙂 She did laugh. Dan and I worked the festival again. Lights and sound at the Fox Theater. We had a good time. The music was fantastic. The main band this year was GiveWay, a 4 sister band from Edinburgh. Great! Lovely! I liked Roger Landes and of course Aine Minogue. 🙂 There was a Burn’s supper too as it was the 250th anniversary of his birth.

Linda Hickman, David Coe & Roger Landis on Friday night

Autumn heading our way

Posted on September 17, 2009 by

We had the first snow on the peaks about a week ago. Brrrr!!!!

It had been rainy and cold in town, but when the clouds moved off, there was the snow. It made me a bit nervous as we were due to go up into the Upper Huerfano to pick rosehips and such the next day. Luckily for us, it was just cool. We got lots of rosehips and chokecherries. I’m making jelly out of the chokecherries.

Morgan had a birthday on the 10th. She had a volleyball game the day before and I sent cupcakes up for her birthday.

Yesterday was Dan’s birthday. He’s 46 now. LOL…. I tease him and call him Old Man. 🙂

Morgan had a volleyball game yesterday too, and after the game we all went to Taco Bell where the whole team sang Happy Birthday to him. Oh the glow on his face!!!! It was a riot.

Today we went to do some work at the Catholic Church, ran errands around town, went to Morgan’s conferences and found out that she is doing well. Figured out some strategies for her expanding education. 🙂 If she can pull it off, and turn in her work with good grades, they may skip her to the 8th grade mid year. She was very happy about that.

After that, we came home had dinner and called my Dad to wish him happy birthday.

Chaos Central

Posted on September 4, 2009 by

Oh gods…. Since I last wrote, school has started, and we’ve had company, and TEENS!!! At the same time no less. Aieeeee!!!!! So very busy. The weekend of the 29th, we had four teens…. three girls and one boy spending the night for Friday and Saturday night. Giggles, gory movies, lots of junk food and oh…. more giggles.

We all went to the Sand Dunes at one point. One girl didn’t go with us, but spent the night, so we had three adults and three kids. Wheeeee!!!!! It was a lot of fun, and very sandy. There were also two trips to Pueblo. One with Daniel in tow, and we all went to our favourite Chinese buffet. Daniel was drooling over one of the waitresses and we got him to hug her goodbye. All of the adults thought that that was a riot. We did some grocery shopping too. Oh that was fun. 🙂 Daniel is so funny.

By the time Sunday came, we were ALL ready for the teens to go home. Our company left Tuesday morning and life got sort of back to normal. School runs, picking plums at Mum’s and Dan going out on hikes with Dad.

Today they just took a drive and a little hike. Mom and I went out to lunch and I finally got the jam bottled. Gods that was a lot of plums. I just hope it sets up well. If not, oh well…..

I am half way through my class at the moment. English 112. Not as bad as English 111, but oh my… Teaching to the lowest common denominator. Argh….

Rainy hikes, college grades and flying dogs

Posted on August 19, 2009 by

It has been a busy month! I finally had enough of a break in classes to go hiking with my Dad and Dan. Wheee!!! We headed up to Apishipa Pass. Of course, it was rainy! In fact, it got worse. Dan and Dad hiked down one trail and I took a shorter hike up to Vista Point. The idea being that you can see for miles. Well, not in the rain. So, I headed back down a trail that was turning into a stream. I found a spot under the trees that was dry and curled up. I read my book and ate my lunch. Bliss!

It was a well deserved break. I really enjoyed my day up in the mountains. We followed it up by being absolute slugs for the next 36 hours. There are times it feels really good to just lounge about, talk and snooze.

Especially as I worked my butt off on classes. English class was difficult in that I wanted to strangle the teacher. I have not been so frustrated in a long time. However, I got an A out of the class.

Then there was Business Math. Lots of tears, frustration, gnashing of teeth and LOTS of help from Dan and Cindy the Math Tutor. Without them I’d have failed miserably. I appreciate their translations of Mathese into English. Best of all, I got an A!!!! Not bad for a 32 year hiatus from Math. To put the icing on the cake, that gave me a 4.0 GPA! I’m on the Dean’s list and the Chancellor’s list. 😛

I took some time this week to finish a pair of socks I’ve been working on for a few months. If I had just knitted solidly, I’d have had them done in about a week. Oh well… they are LOUD!!!

Another milestone today was letting the kittens out of seclusion. We figured that they were finally big enough to survive the dogs. Not that Blanca or Brandy are mean, they are just huge in comparison. They are nearly two months old, and we have actually found homes for three of them. This leaves Squeak and Squeaker.

It was a real three ring circus as the dogs tried to sniff the kittens, etc. Brandy tried to herd them. Blanca bathed them. Fun part is that the kittens wore out the dogs.

Blanca was laying on the couch with her back to the living room. She stretched to wash her tail and the next thing we knew, there was this THUD! that shook the living room as Blanca fell off the couch. She had that sheepish grin on her face like she had meant to do that. Such a Tollpatsch! (klutz)!

A mellow day

Posted on August 2, 2009 by

It really was. Slept in late, ate breakfast at 2:30pm, and the day rolled on from there. I made these killer scones for Lammas. Oh yum!! Don’t know if I can repeat them, but… I will try. Craisens and Hazelnut Biscotti creamer were in the mix. :> We finished up the last of them for breakfast today.

I did some school work, edited some work and then just played on the computer. Dinner was pork chops, green beans and rice. Then it was off to Lathrop Park for the evening program. Dad was giving his new geology program. Very good! This is the third one he has done. I think I like it the best.

After we got home, I made tea and we’ve played on the computers a bit more. I’ve got another Gabriel Du Pre novel to finish up too! So, I guess it is off to bed…. Wheeee….

Rainforests, classes and computers

Posted on August 1, 2009 by

It has been busy in other ways around here. The Monsoon season kicked in early and is still going strong. I think we have had more rain storms than we did snow storms last winter. Nice, but frustrating when you try to dry laundry.

I’ve been working hard this last month on my math and english comp classes. Math has been a booger trying to remember things I learned 32 years ago. However, in spite of my fears, I am actually getting some of this! Dan put this poster up on my wall behind the computer that reads What yould you attempt if you knew you would succeed? I look at it every day. I admit that there are days when I want to curl up and cry, and others when I just get so frustrated that I walk away from the computer. Last test was a 90% though!!!

Then there is my english class… I am suppose to be in it to learn APA formating, even though it is an english class. However, I am peeved about being in a 101 class and still not learning APA style! Grrrr….. I write for a living!!! sigh….. As it is, I am teaching 3 other students how to write because they don’t get what the teacher is trying to do.

Last Thursday, we got a call that the library had finally gotten their computers from Tech for All. 25 of them. Dan and I went down and started helping Rose Keating, from Tech for All, to set them up, etc. 12 hours later, we still weren’t done. The contract tech worker and Rose went round and round. He choked the network and delayed us on end. Grrrr….. Not happy. However, we are going back today to finish up some stuff. Then, we will be able to have compute classes at the library! Wheeee!!!!

Dan went hiking with Dad yesterday. They had a good time. Half way up one of the Spanish Peaks. They came down because of the rainstorm headed in. On top of the peaks is not a good place to be in a thunderstorm. Mom and I went to lunch at George’s. Yummm.. It has become our date when the guys go hiking.

Yakkity Yak…. Yakkity Yack…

Posted on August 1, 2009 by

A friend of ours called us a week ago Sunday night… “Hi! I’ve run away from home… for a bit of vacation.” We asked her where she was, thinking she had gone on a cruise with her daughter. “New Mexico” was her reply. Silence….. then it struck us…. She was on her way to visit US!!!

She arrived around 2am. We talked til 4am and then finally all fell asleep before another one of us could start talking again. I think we talked for six straight days. We did go up into the mountains one day and played around in the Upper Huerfano. Lovely! Played in the river… had a picnic and in general… Talked!

It was so nice to finally talk face to face instead of on the phone or by email. We’ve been doing just that for the last two years.

She finally headed home on Saturday afternoon. 🙁 However, if all works well, she will be back before school starts. Wheeee!!!!

Cowboys…

Posted on July 12, 2009 by

There are days I forget I live in the “wild” West. Then there are days that all I can do is laugh about it. Like Wednesday.

I went to a job interview, and sat there listening to various people chat while I waited. Lots of odd conversations. The interview went well, but I won’t hear about the job until next week. After that, I walked over to the Huerfano Journal and picked up my paycheck. I had a good conversation with Gretchen and then headed to the bank and grocery store.

On the way out of the bank, I got passed by this little old cowboy. Very nicely dressed in his “going to town” clothes. Nice shirt, STARCHED jeans, clean straw hat and a natty mustache. He tipped his hat and said howdy as he went by. I headed to Safeway.

In the grocery store, I’m trying to get to the tortillas, but the st0cker is in the way. Tall skinny cowboy, complete with hat, stuffing corn and flour tortillas on a big shelf unit. The only tortillas shelved are those about a foot off the floor and he was in front of them. I’m standing there trying to reach in when he sees me and asks if he can help me. I mention that I need tortillas. He smiles and says “Can I reach them for you?” I shook my head and pointed out that they were nearly at his ankles, and I really just needed for him to move for a moment. He smiled, moved and I got my tortillas. He kept right on talking to me, and I said my goodbyes and went off to get the rest of the groceries.

I got my groceries and headed outside to wait for Dan. I don’t see him and move into the shade. Next thing I know, here comes the little old cowboy with is one small bag of groceries. He tips his hat at me again and says, “Howdy ma’am, I saw you headed over here from the bank. Did you misplace your car?”

“No, I’m waiting for my ride.”

“Oh, Did he furgit you?”

“No, he’s just a bit late.”

“Oh, well, you know, I can give you a ride home. Wouldn’t be a problem.”

No, thank you. Very kind, but he’ll be here in a minute.”

“Well, I’d gladly take ya home. If you change your mind, I’ll be right over there.” he says and slowly heads off across the parking lot to his truck where he stands for about 3 minutes watching me.

I called Dan and told him to hurry up! He asked why, and I said, COWBOYS!. About three minutes later, Dan pulls up and asks what was with the cowboys, and I explained. He laughed all the way home. Said I needed to stop flirting so much!

Since then, I’ve been working hard on school work. I am frustrated by algebra, but I think I am beginning to understand it. Aieeee!!!