Happy Birthday Shannon!

Editor Note: This was supposed to be published two days ago on 3/30/11
Alas, I suck and it didn't happen.
Enjoy...

Today is my friend Shannon’s 30th birthday!!!

Not just ANY “dirty 30” mind you… SHANNON’S 30th B-day.

In order to respect Shannon’s privacy and because she does not define herself with her illness I will spare the details there, but give all the good news.

Four weeks ago Shannon was readmitted to University Hospital in Denver, this time was only 5 weeks after the last time she checked out. These frequent visits were very unnerving. As a friend you want to keep an upbeat and positive attitude, but we were all concerned. This was not good news. About a week before her re-admittance she decided to put herself on the Lung transplant list. She had been eligible for this list for quite some time but I suspect she stalled going on the list because she wasn’t going to let the disease “win”.

Through texts messages we agreed I would come to see her on Sunday and cheer her up, bring in some food (probably Thai) and we would do whatever we do when we hang out in a hospital room and pretend we are anywhere else and the nurses are really just there for entertainment.

The next day, Wednesday March 2, I got the text from Shannon. “Sunday won’t work for us to hang out, I am getting lungs tonight!”

Yes, less than a week on the list and only hours after the doctors said her chances for lungs any time soon was bleak. She was second on the list and lower priority.
So here we are 4 weeks later. On her 30th Birthday! A birthday doctors said she may not see, and on top of it all, no needed oxygen. She can breathe.

Nothing makes me happier than seeing my friends in ‘good’ places. I think breathing is the best gifts Shannon could have gotten for her B-DAY! Although the running shoes I am buying for her are going to be a close second best. Get up and at ‘em girl! You’ve got some training to do!

Happy Birthday Shanny Shan Shan!

Smart Friends

Tonight, My friend's husband, Christopher. Will be on Jeopardy. Good luck!!!

Easter Shenanigans

Easter may have been a couple of weeks ago, but the celebration memories will last forever.

What better way to celebrate a story of a deity turning into a zombie than dye Easter Eggs with friends?

I’ll tell you how. Drink Car Bombs*, and ButterBall** shots while dying eggs!!!

*For the younguns that may read this, a Car Bomb is a half pint of Guinness with a shot of Bailey’s dropped in. Some add a tad of Irish whiskey to the shot, I do not. That would be ‘yucky’. Do not try this at home unless you are a trained professional, like I am.

**A ButterBall is another delicious concoction of Baileys and Butterscotch schnapps.
Side note1: 8 am yoga the next day was not as delicious as the shots the night before, I would like to publically apologize to the people next to me that has to smell my stinky, sweaty hungover self. Sorry ‘bout that.

Less Than Zero

In the past week I lost two people, one a family member I always loved and admired and one an old flame that I had written off years ago when his lifestyle and mine didn’t seem to mesh together any longer.

Grief is a funny thing, I can be abnormally stoic to a point, and then like a steamroller out of control it hits me.

Hard.

Through these times I am reminded of lessons learned, people’s impressions left on our lives and other relationships formed because of these people.

Also my emotional compass has been spinning like a top.

Rest in Peace Aunt Judy. You were always a bright light to me and taught me invaluable lessons like never care what people think of you and never apologize for speaking your mind. And the most amusing lesson you taught me, while in the Caribbean underwear is prohibited. Noted. You lived life to its fullest and I can only hope to live mine like you did yours.

Rest in Peace Greg Flack. You were my first boyfriend, I was the first to break your heart. I hope your soul has found the peace you desperately searched for all these years. I can only hope your children also find peace and comfort knowing their father is no longer fighting the demons he fought for so many years. I can’t help to be angry with you also. I am sure you expected that.

Thank you to my old and recent friends for their love, support and understanding through this really fucked up time. One lesson I have recently learned is throughout my life I have chosen amazing people to surround myself with. You all mean so much to me.

Thank you.

Valentines Day

This is ‘Nugget’: He HATES Valentines Day!

This is Jayne: She doesn’t think highly of it

This is Lyssa: She doesn’t know what to think.


We all agreed Erica is our favorite Omlette Parlour waitress. Her mimosa’s are pure love!

Birthday Party Recap (late)

Yeah I know my birthday was over a month ago, but what can I say?

As I affectionately tell my ‘Nugget’: “ Bitch, I’ve been BUSY!"

Snow in the mountains, sun on the Front Range and so much fun to be had.

This year it was discovered that my friend Lauren and I share the same birthday.

Thank goodness she was on the ball for planning her party, I tagged along with it since we have a lot of mutual friends and she planned it at an awesome location. The Cliff House in Manitou Springs.

Since Mardi Gras was the same week of our birthday. That was the theme. 'Mardi Gras Ball' No admittance without a mask. No exceptions, except Brownie, but he sucks.

There were local characters. Purple Lloyd made his appearance.


There were friends










Disguises



Family (my mommasita and step father)


More friends



Dancing


Balloons
Don't think I wasn't suckin down helium all night, what is a few more dead brain cells?

New uses for spanx were unveiled

Noone flew away



And I became a year older! (Although no more mature.)

Sundance Film Festival 2010

Sundance Film Festival 2010 was an experience I will never forget. Even though 4 weeks have past, I still am struggling with how to document it.


I can do it chronologically. List the movies I saw, the celebrities I saw, the friends I met. So many choices.

Unfortunately I was unable to take many pictures since cameras were not allowed during work, when we had an audience and actors/directors/producers in the theater.

Let me start from the beginning. Many people have asked how I came to go to Sundance Film Festival. My long time friend Leslie, lives in Park City with her husband John and daughter Brooke.

She is a returning volunteer for the festival every year. This year, on Wednesday the week before the festival, She announced on facebook that she was unable to work her shifts due to a scheduling conflict. I immediately looked at plane tickets to Utah and booked my trip. Not only was I going to the festival, but I was going to get the opportunity to spend time with Leslie and meet her daughter Brooke for the first time.

Brooke is 100% little princess and we had a ball playing dress up and casting “magic spells” in her room to keep the nightmares away.

Friday evening was my first whirlwind night of work. Considering I had to wake up at 2:30 am to catch my flight. I knew working until 10pm would be a challenge.

Dressed in my volunteer uniform which was a Kenneth Cole Ski Parka, I was off to my first shift at work.

I Like to call this look "Storm Trooper Chic"

To make it more exciting we had two big premiers that evening at the theater I was working at. Including Adrian Grenier’s (star of Entourage) film, staring Paris Hilton.



Yes, Miss Hilton was in the audience. Her skin is orange and she smells like cigarettes. She also likes to smoke in public restrooms. Apparently she doesn’t want any Paparazzi to film her dirty little habits.
By the end of my first night the celebrity spotting was low, I blame it on my exhaustion.

Celebrities sighted:
Adrian Grenier
Paris Hilton

Movies watched:
Teenage Paparazzo
Douchebag

Saturday, after an amazing nights rest, Leslie and I snuck away for a pedicure while her husband John entertained Brooke before I went to work.

The movies I saw Saturday night:
Night Catches Us
Sympathy for Deliciouse
The Perfect Host

Celebrity sightings Saturday Night:
Jake Scott
Seth Rogan
Constatine Morales (from American Idol—I had no idea who he was until someone told me after I had a conversation with him about where he could find the concession stand)
Parker Posey (Love her!)
Orlando Bloom – (oh goodness what an extremely handsome man! I got the pleasure of escorting him to the restroom. Glamorous, I know)
Juliette Lewis –(Very nice!!! She also complimented my shoes. Another fan of the red patten leather danskos, lady has good taste.)
Ron Livingston (aka: Peter from Office Space –I also got to show him to the restroom in the back of the theater. I was getting good at this. Hot, attractive, famous men talking to me and I got to show them where the water closet was. This is not how it happens in my dreams.)
Mark Ruffilo

Sunday was much lighter in the celebrity sightings, but I did see the most powerful movie of the entire festival.
8 A Mormon Proposition. If/when this movie comes to a theater near you. I strongly recommend seeing it. Wow!
At times during the filming you could hear the audiences emotional reactions. It was very moving.
The mayor of San Francisco was in the audience along with some men from the Mormon Church who you could tell were NOT happy about this film.

Movies viewed Sunday:
12th and Delaware
8 A Mormon Proposition
Lovers of Hate
Three Backyards
Monday morning I got up bright and early and rushed downtown to try to catch a viewing of The Runaways. A festival favorite. Unfortunately I missed this movie but it gave me more time with Leslie and Brooke.
I have to include this photo of Brooke since I have the exact same skirt and top. I never thought of mixing the pink cotton top with the black tulle skirt, but since she can pull it off I am sure I can too, no?


At the airport later that day, I was chatting with a young lady, her mother and who I assumed was her aunt. Turns out she was one of the supporting actresses in The Runaways. Now I can’t wait ot see it in the theaters to see her again. She was a delightful girl.

It’s official, I am hooked on Sundance. I will certainly be there again next year!

English Beat and Fishbone

I know how in the past I have written about my favorite band in the whole wide world: "English Beat". They are in Colorado this weekend with Fishbone.


Ths weekend I get the pleasure of seeing them not once, but twice. Tomorrow in Denver, Sunday in Aspen. To make the deal sweeter, thanks to my old school friend Meaghan, who has connections, we are on the guest list and full back stage access. I will be the girl with the perma grin all weekend long.

I promise to post a full report once I come out of my euphoric state.

Also, if I meet Dave Wakeling, I just may explode. Just throwing that out as a forewarning to the world.

Girlfriend Quotes:

“The Man I am not dating is absolutely perfect” — Jeri Davis

I Agreed to What?!

Last night after a full day of snowboarding/skiing with my friends James and Craig. After a drive home with them each napping on and off and me consuming more caffeine than I really should have.

I decided to drop into the Red Rocks Lounge to enjoy a cocktail with some friends. All day my friend JT had been razing me about my decision to run the half marathon in October of next year. He called me a “pansy ass” for taking a ski lift up a mountain and told me the only way to redeem myself was to run the full marathon.

Whatever.

Well, fast forward to last night. While sitting at the bar he informed me that if I run the full marathon and finish, my buddy Kirk, will dress up in a full tux, follow me around for an entire day and evening and bring me beers, cocktails and pretty much act as my man servant. To sweeten the deal, from now until October of 2010, Kirk has to do sit-ups every day and continue running himself so he looks as fantastic as possible in the tuxedo.

So really this is for the health and fitness of my friend than myself. Right?

“Alright, I’ll do it…BUT I added I want this all to start the day I fly home from San Fran and a limo picking me up at the airport…”

I wonder if Kirk knows any of this?

We shall see….

Oh yes, there is a small side note. This marathon is all on a lottery, if I do not get in the wager is null and void.

Happy Birthday Bawj!

Today would have been my childhood best friend’s birthday.

She would have been 38.

Her death 21 years ago wrecked me. That was my first experience with true grief, heartbreak, and sorrow.

The lessons I learned since then have made me the resilient person I am today.

People often comment on the level of my ability to heal and be healed. I truly believe the experiences I went through with Libby taught me how.

Rarely does a day go by that I don’t think of her.

Love the people in your life, hold them close and live, laugh and embrace every day.

Also, Never pass up the opportunity to share a laugh and create an inside joke with your friends.

Doctor's Orders

Are for me to try to relax. My legs have recovered from last weekends half marathon and now it is time for some R&R.

Oh, you didn't know I ran a half marathon last weekend? Oh I did, in Pueblo, in 30 degree weater.

I have neglected this blog since my 'funployment' started. I promise to be better about that.

This weekend I will be heading into the high country, hanging out with an old girlfriend, drinking wine, hitting some hot springs and making some turns in some fresh snow.

YIP YIP YIPEEE!!!

I have been waiting nine months for this weekend to arrive.

The weekend where I kiss away my Fall Funk and head into my Winter Euphoric mood. Hello Ski season.

The Week in Movies

I have always loved movies. This is a passion my mother and I share.
For her birthday this week we went to see Amelia. A fantastic movie about one of my favorite historical heroins.
The ending was no surprise, but interesting enough, just a couple of weeks ago I read an article that they may have recently discovered her final resting spot. Read it here.

Thursday evening, my friend Tina and I stayed up way past our bedtimes, agreeing to cancel our next day 5 am gym appointments and went to see one of the first showings of New Moon. The second in the Twilight saga. I admit, I have a school girl crush on Edward and the Twilight books were a small addiction to me. If you have not read them, don't start unless you have a couple weeks to devote to doing nothing but reading, because that is all you will do.

Finally, Friday afternoon, Liz and I went to see the french movie Coco Avant Chanel; or in English, Coco Before Chanel. Being a lifelong Chanel fan, I loved this movie. It had great insight into the world and mind of Gabrielle, aka Coco and her life as a young girl and designer. It left me with the question, I wonder what she would think of her designs today? She liked simple, classic lines and styles with not a lot of 'fluff'.

Hello....

Tap tap tap

Is this thing on?

No, I have not fallen off the planet, I have just been a busy bee living the dream.

I promise to update soon with lots of redundant stories of movies, beer festivals, napping on friends lawns (Oh I may leave that story out), Halloween, Homecoming and family happenings.

For now I gotta run and get ready for a glamorouse brunch at The Broadmoor with my dear friend Kirk.

Women Build Day

This past weekend I was able to participate and volunteer on a Habitat for Humanity
house in connection with “Women Build Day” with a few of my mates; Jessica, Stacee,and Jules.



My alter ego for the day was “Construction Barbie”. Complete with barbie belt, pink shoes, pink glasses and pink water bottle.

It was a successful day and we got the house completely wrapped in blueboard insulation. Jules and I did the back wall of the house. We didn’t realize when we picked this wall it would be the toughest with the angled eves. Being the daughter of an architect that loves strange angles, I welcomed the challenge. I had to dig deep into my high school geometry lessons, but the end product came out good and all were impressed.


At the end of it all, we had to sign our work.


As a public servant Jules took the opportunity for a little campaigning.

Only in Colorado Springs…

A friend of mine, has been donating his time working for a new group that offers free rides home to people too drunk to drive home.

He also writes hilarious blogs about his adventures…

In his report from last week he had this paragraph:

(He was downtown at a bar, on the busiest nightclub block on Tejon street)

“Funny thing was happening outside. A group of four high school kids were protesting! Rum Bay is right next door, so there were A LOT of intoxicated people around. One had a big sign that said, "Gays, fornicators, drunkards, you will not inherit the kingdom of the lord." The other three were reading the bible.”

When we were in high school we were sneaking into bars, not protesting them. Heck I had a designated seat at a local Fort Collins bar, as long as I got there before 9 when they started REALLY checking id’s. What is wrong with these kids?!?!

What Happens Doesn’t Always Stay…

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Lenocker
And I can’t forget two of my favorite little rockstars; Avery and Scarlet
The Wedding was absolutely beautiful and magical.
The weekend in Las Vegas was truly an endurance event that consisted of many adventures and non shall be written about on line.
Here is the old gang, minus Steve (who got stuck being sent to West Virginia for work) and Bridget (Bridget was taking this photo)
The wedding cake topper
After a crash the girls came to alert the adults something happened to the cake.
(They really had nothing to do with it, the cake topper just jumped to it’s death)
The headless wedding cake topper. Erin declared even decapitated, it will be displayed proudly in their chine hutch.