Birthday Resolution

I've recently found it much more natural to make resolutions on my birthday instead of around New Year's. For one, it relates much more personally to my years on this earth, and the holiday season is so busy that starting something new when you're coming off the craziness seems like setting yourself up to fail.

This year my resolution is to start an Artist's Journal. I was presented with versions of this idea on two different occasions recently. One, in a small group, where a woman was talking about learning about the artist journal in art school, keeping one herself, and learning about someone she looks up to keeping one as well. The second was in a large group setting where an author was speaking of keeping notecards with her at all times and how some of her most favorite lines in her books had come from these notecards. All this in the span of about two weeks just prior to my birthday. It inspired me.

So I started the search for the perfect journal and found on etsy.com a few sellers who take vintage books and turn them into journals and thought - how clever! Then I found a journal made of an old art history book, and I thought how perfectly, beautifully ironic. I can't wait for it to arrive so I can start noting my observations!

Welcome 9news.com Comment Readers

I logged into my low-tech blog tracker this afternoon only to find a sudden surge in the number of hits this blog gets! I dug deeper to find that a 9news.com reader found my post about Disaster Restoration and posted a link. I echo watching5000 when I say that I too hope that 9 News continues to follow this story. Keep scrolling or click here for my original post about DRI.

To take this new twist even a bit further, some of my brand new hits are from none other than DRI's servers. (Hi former coworkers & bosses!) They're watching this story closely - not just up close and personal in the courtroom, but in the world of the Internet as well. Seems quite interesting to me.

Part of me is so tempted to post here the rumors that I've heard, the conclusions that I've drawn from those rumors, and all the things that I've been dying to say to the leadership at DRI. However, the past year has been full of dealing with unemployment, finding a job that pays significantly better with no abuse, and doing my best to forget that this place ever existed. For that (and other reasons), I'm not ready to jump back into the dark place I was in then. So count your lucky stars DRI jerks, I'm not going to badmouth you any more than I already have. You're not worth it.

Decadent

Yesterday I left work early for a meeting with my nutritionist. As I left work, I had this sense of awe, and the only thing I could figure out was that I was feeling luxurious. I left work early, and even though there were dying leaves on the ground it was so warm and pleasant. There's something about warm weather when the season is changing that really feels decadent to me.

I have to apologize for my lack of posting lately. The thing is that life is really good for me right now. I'm feeling better physically which has left my head in better space. I think all this positive space has proved my suspicion that I am using this blog as therapy.

Maybe I'll change the direction of this thing. We'll see.

Sweet Revenge

I read a story yesterday online that made my heart skip a beat. I then felt guilty about it because I really don't like to wish harm on people, but I do know that sometimes when you make poor choices it comes back to haunt you.

From October 2006 until August 2007 I was employed by a company called Disaster Restoration, Inc. I have not named them on this website until now for a number of reasons. 1, I don't want any employer of mine finding this blog if I can help it, and 2, I had nothing nice to say and was under a year long contract that threatened fines if I bad mouthed the company or any of its employees. I'm not sure that contract would have held up in court, but I was going with the better safe than sorry mantra on that one.

About 2 months into the job I showed up at work (along with all my coworkers) to find US Postal Inspectors serving a federal search warrant on the company with guns drawn. We were all herded into a back conference room, our contact information was taken, and we were ushered out of the building. I never got a straight answer from anyone what it was all about (typical I think of circumstances surrounding an ongoing investigation) but I knew the raid had something to do with an investigation into insurance and mail fraud. I knew that the company was under continuing investigation at least until I was let go last August and I have a sneaking suspicion that part of the reason I was let go was because the company couldn't keep up with its legal bills and pay its employees.

For the record, I hated that job with my entire being. I was not happy about being unemployed when I was fired, but I was certainly happy not to have to step foot in that building ever again. I was treated poorly, the job that I took was not the job that was presented to me in interviews, and someone raised their voice at me almost every day. Some of it is funny now - like when Michael Griggs was angry with me for something and he told me that it really "chaps his ass". Who says that!? Because I hated the job so much, and because I have zero respect for the leadership there I was almost giddy when I read the following articles:

General contractor, employees indicted on 60 counts

10 indicted in Denver in insurance fraud scheme

I felt a teensy bit guilty for being so excited that these men I had worked for were finally indicted because I'm not typically a believer in revenge. I'd like to think I'm a more graceful, live and let live kind of a girl. However, justice gave me a happy feeling in my belly today and I'm just going with it. The trial starts in two weeks. I'm very tempted to go and sit in the back of the courtroom and see what happens.

I'm back in Denver after a great trip to Michigan. I forgot my camera (wah wha) so I don't have any pictures to show you, but I can say that Doug's wedding was beautiful, I have some of the world's most adorable nieces, and from what I've heard this was one of the nicest weekends GR has seen all summer. All in all I had a great time.

On Sunday night I stole away from the family festivities (well technically I did that a couple times) to hang out with Burt and we ended up having dinner at Rose's with Tim, Stephanie and Catye. It was such a beautiful night - we were at the restaurant for a long time. First waiting for a patio table, and then sitting with a leisurely dinner and free desserts. I haven't laughed that hard in quite a long time. It's also rare that I feel that comfortable and that connected with a group of people. They are wonderful and I long for that here in Denver. Part of me wonders though if connection comes along once in a lifetime. And if not, how long does it take to cultivate it? To bring it to life? I'm not a very patient person - I like to have things now, when I want them. I just hope that I have the patience to let things grow.

On another front - I'm still pretty obsessed with the gluten-free diet. I did pretty good while I was in Michigan - better than I thought I would do. I could certainly notice though when I got a little in my system, so I'm doing my best to stick to it. I have three new recipes to try this week - I'm sure you'll hear about them.

Stop Bird Porn

I think I discovered today why I haven't seen any celebrities. It's because I don't have the patience for standing in a big crowd of people and pushing closer, closer just for a tiny glimpse of someone. Today at lunch when we were walking around there was a huge crowd of people outside the Hard Rock Cafe where it seemed there was some sort of VIP party going on. At one point there was a big cheer and the rumor was that it was for Oprah. Who knows, I couldn't see anything.

I got a teeny tiny bit closer to the big guy today though. I had to pick up a credential for tonight's event at Invesco for my boss and was meeting a woman at a hotel. (Sounds more like a drug exchange, I know.) When I got there it turned out she had been whisked away for a meeting with the candidate, so I walked back across the city to meet her at a different hotel when she was done meeting with him. So I shook a hand that had just been in his presence. Surprisingly not that thrilling.

I have now seen bunches of protesters. I still don't think they were any threat to our building, but i was walking on the 16th Street mall yesterday at Arapahoe when this big group of protesters came by and then the leaders with the bullhorns turned right toward where we were standing. I froze - thankfully my friend grabbed my arm and we ran out of the way. I have now seen my favorite protesters twice - these two guys protesting bird watching. They chant "Bird watching is bird porn, stop bird porn." Hilarious! The crazies are out - that's for certain!

In case you've been living under a rock, or without television, radio, newspaper or (god forbid) the internet, the democrats have descended upon Denver for their national convention. So far I've stayed almost completely out of the action. Aside from hanging out in downtown on my lunch breaks trying to spot celebrities, I've really not gotten that involved. The thing is that it's turning out that so many of the activities and events that are open to the public are happening during the day while I (and much of the rest of Denver) am at work. Turns out democracy really is still for politicians.

Sitting now at 4:00 on day 2 I have yet to spot anyone famous. A friend of mine saw George Stephanopolous and the most she had to say was "that guy is really short!" I've heard that there's a screen actor's guild event at one of the clubs downtown - and it would be interesting to try and crash it - or to sit at a neighboring club and try to get a glimpse. The thing is I have other plans tonight, and (gasp!) I'm just not sure it's worth it. Unless of course I had a hella good camera and could be a temporary paparazi. Eh.

I will say that while my routine hasn't been adversely affected by the whole thing it sure has been fun to have all sorts of people downtown. There is so much energy - people everywhere - and that is fun. I do not like seeing all the cops with their big guns (even if they are rubber bullets) and plastic handcuffs and tear gas. It's really strange to see them wandering around just waiting for a protest.

We'll see what happens the next two days. Hopefully some rioting free celebrity sightings :)