Half Day

Today I am thankful for the benefits of working for my company. Our office closes at 1:00 today and barring any major emergency (seriously, no one is going to die if this brochure isn't finalized) I get to leave early and I don't have to be back until Monday morning! Between a real holiday and the floating holiday I used as a vacation day this past Monday I have a 2 1/2 day week. Pretty awesome.


I've had a lot on my mind this week. One major thing is this question of whether I'm selling myself short by working at my current position. I'm sure someone could make the case to me that I am, and they would have reasons and logic and passion. I however, don't think that I am.

First, I'm in a supporting role. As much as I don't love having the title "Senior Administrative Assistant" I know that while I'm creative, I'm not a visionary. I'm good at taking what someone else has started and making it better. I'm not as strong when it comes to starting things from scratch. I have plenty of leadership qualities, I just realize, based on past job experience, that I'm still developing those skills and they're not ready to be unleashed full time. I'm hoping to get there, and, I'm 28 for crying out loud.

Second, I do have the opportunity to be creative. Within boundaries, certainly, and creative nonetheless. The more I cultivate this creative side, the more I realize that I feel most alive when I'm being creative, or am around creative people.

Third, I am paid well enough to live comfortably without having to burn the midnight oil. I crave balance almost as much as I crave creativity. This job is giving me the opportunity to fall into a rhythm of life that looks balanced. I haven't been using that opportunity to its fullest, and, like thing 1 and thing 2, this job offers me the opportunity for growth.

Fourth, I'm building relationships. I crave this too, and the job has led me to people I never would have met otherwise. I hope to find friendship and relationship all over, and yet, the job is offering something that's pretty rare at the moment - friendship.

I think the realization I've come to is that I'm not there. I'm never going to be "there," whatever that means. This job leaves me so much opportunity for personal growth and I truly believe (as I did when I took this position) that it's the right place for right now. When it's not the right place, I'll move again. I do hope however that moving jobs is not in my near future.

Yes! Michigan

I can still sing the song from the Michigan tourism commercials that aired during my childhood - Yes! Michigan, the feeling forever. That random exclamation mark is not mine - it was added by the marketing peeps.

Yes! I was in Michigan this past weekend. My friend Misty and her husband Jeff were celebrating their wedding with a reception at Johnson Park. I enjoyed the reception and the weekend. In fact on Saturday night as I was crawling into bed I realized I had done so many of my favorite things in one day, and Monday as I flew back I realized I had done so many of my favorite things that weekend. So - in lieu of a boring itinerary, here are a few of my favorite things about Michigan. (in no particular order)

The Fulton Street Farmer's Market: No, and I mean No, farmers market in Denver can ever compare to a farmers market in Michigan. This market was full of farmers, not sauces, skirts, dog treats and prepared food. I loved that you could barely move, and that there were so many choices that it felt like a challenge and a sport to find the very best produce at the very best price. Plus, there were whoopie pies right Joy? The farmers markets here should be called community markets, sure there may be one or two farmers there, but they're certainly not the focus.

The People: I got to see so many people this weekend - my family, friends, random people I ran into on accident, and Burt. Joy, Burt and I got to spend a lot of time together this weekend and it was wonderful. I wish that someone would invent an easier way to travel quickly like teleporting or something so that I could see these lovely people more often, but still live out here in Denver.

The Beach: I felt the sand between my toes. Nothing can compare to that feeling! On Sunday Burt, Joy and I went out to Grand Haven. They were having a little arts festival (I was unimpressed) and then we sat out on the channel for a while and eventually walked out to the end of the pier. It was a bit chilly (way to go random Michigan weather) but it sure was nice to walk barefoot down the pier and feel that sand.

Oberon: I love Oberon. I got to drink plenty of it, at the wedding and then out afterwards. Burt also opened my eyes to the 5 liter mini-keg of Oberon which was so much easier to get back to Denver than trying to pack up a bunch of bottles. More beer, less glass. What more can a girl ask for? I'm looking forward to sitting in the backyard, grilling out and enjoying the Oberon. I already have my orange wedges!

All in all it was a great weekend, and I can hardly believe that Burt will be here to visit in about a month and then I'll be back to Michigan at the end of August. What a busy summer!

We Love to Party

I have so much to update on that I'm not even sure where to begin. This weekend I was in Michigan for a wedding, but the night before I left I had the honor of hosting a Nintendo DS Girlfriend's Guide to Gaming party. When I first heard about the possibility of hosting this party I thought it was too good to be true, but I think it's the exception that proves the rule of "If it looks to good to be true, it probably is." My friends and I had a great time playing Nintendo and hanging out - here are a few pictures for your entertainment.

Here's Caiti and I playing Guitar Hero. It's so much fun on the DS, I still want to get the hang of actually pushing the buttons - I think my hands are too small or something, but Caiti was rocking it. So much so that the game told her to take a time out.


Jen, Beth and I also playing Guitar Hero - this is before they pulled out the headphones - the game is so much better when you can hear the song.

Sheralee and Vivian are playing Mario Kart in this photo - I like the perspective of the shot. (I'm not the photographer though!)

I was doing my brain age training and got 5 out of 5 on the race game where you have to keep track of what place the runner is in. Apparently this is unheard of (how cool am I!) and shortly after this picture was taken the Nintendo showed a rocket taking off - I think it meant that my brain is as awesome as a rocket scientist's brain.

The Nintendo DS has some sort of wireless or bluetooth technology (I may be a brand enthusiast, but I don't know all the technical details.) Here Caiti, Lindsey and I are racing eachother, but Meghan is playing something else.

This is kind of a busy shot, but I'm trying to show the grafitti mural on the wall behind us. It was super cool - I absolutely want to have another party in this space - it's in a weird industrial part of town, but the space was cool.


All in all I had a great time, and now my friends are snapping up Nintendo DS games like crazy and spending more hours than they'd like to admit playing with the little thing. The night was hella fun, and I'm feeling pretty lucky for the opportunity to have such a fun night with my friends. More on the trip to Michigan later.

Personal Observations

I've had the rare calm to step outside myself and observe. I have made the following three observations in the last 12 hours or so. I don't know what it means, just that it is.

1 - I like to think that I'm flexible, and generally I think that I am. However, I think I have the freedom to be flexible because I'm generally around people who think similarly to me. So the things they may choose are more likely to be in the realm of things I like. When I'm with people who's interests aren't as close to mine, then it's much harder to be flexible. I'm sure this is true for a lot of people, I was just struck by it this week.

2 - I tend to be a pretty cuddly person, but only when I've invited someone into my bubble. If I haven't invited someone it bothers me A LOT when they step in very close. Especially if they're chewing gum or smell like stale cigarette smoke (and yes - there are two specific people I'm referencing).

3 - Sometimes it takes sitting with someone from Michigan to remind me the reasons that I didn't feel like I fit there, and I do feel like (on certain levels) I fit here. Things like being in a diverse city (even though I feel like Denver's pretty white) that has tons of opportunities for creativity if I would just open my eyes to them.

I'm sure there's a lot more to observe, here's to having the space to see it in myself.

Hoop it Forward

It's a real club. I'm not joking, and their hula hoop was the first one I've ever been able to keep up (twss). What am I talking about? Glad you asked.

I had a lovely weekend - I got a killer haircut from Tauna at Moxie. The last person who was doing my hair abruptly left the salon I was going to with no forwarding information, and so about 2 1/2 or 3 months ago I was left without a stylist. I went to another guy at that same salon, but it wasn't the same, and just as I was in real need of a cut he went on vacation leaving me to try someone new yet again. And let me tell you I am so glad I did. I wanted to go short for summer, which I am hesitant to do after a couple of really short cuts, and after explaining that, and what I wanted I walked out of there happier than I've walked out of the salon in a really, really, really long time. Plus, I can walk there from home, so at this point I'm 97% sure that when I need to another appointment I'm so calling.

After that I putzed for a while. Had the longest most detailed house tour that I've ever endured, and Sunday afternoon went with Sheralee to Jazz in the Park. I must say that I can not believe I haven't been going to these events since I moved to Denver. They are THE perfect way to spend a summer Sunday afternoon/evening and I can not wait to spend more Sundays in the park. (Am I getting to the point of this story...?) As we were walking home we walked past a group of people who were hula hooping (is that a word?). We commented to each other that we've never been able to hula and one of the guys overheard us and let us try his hoop. After we rocked it (I mean tried it) he said - hey you can have this if you want it. Strange. So we asked a few more questions and it turns out he's in a group called Hoop it Forward - they go to parks, create hula hoops and give them away. I may just join this group because it is quirky and sounds like a random way to meet people. And now that Sheralee has a hula hoop, I'm so practicing every day.

Feeling OLD

So I've had a number of moments where I felt OLD this week!

1 - Did you know that you can't get an operator by dialing 0 anymore? I knew you couldn't from a cell phone, but now you can't even from a landline. For your reference 411 gets you an operator on the cell phone and 555-1212 gets you an operator from a land line.

2 - Last night I was out until 11:00 and I didn't know what to do with myself. I was fine - not tired at all, but I would like to have gotten more sleep.

3 - We have a new intern on my team and I really believe he needs to pull up his pants. There is no underwear showing, but his belt is halfway around his butt and his shirt is just about untucked. I'm not sure who should tell him this but he needs to know that no one will take him seriously until he pulls up his pants. My friend at work and I have nicknamed him Sir Pantsalot.

Thankfully I've had the distraction of learning to play video games as a diversion to help me feel a bit younger. Well - except for the part where Brain Age told me my brain age was 50! Just cause I'm not that great at Rock, Paper, Scissors. I am getting pretty good at the crosswords though - and I'm certain that if I had Tetris I might be skipping work. The cute little Nintendo is fun :)

Heeeey Readers

I no longer have a computer at home. Wah wha. The truth is that I've had a computer at home much longer than I really should have and so now I'm on the craigslist hunt for a used macbook or powerbook in decent condition. Based on the posting I'm seeing it shouldn't be too long before I find something that's just right. Maybe I can find someone who wants to barter a brand new one for a car...