Fruitcake Toss

What does one do with all that fruitcake after Christmas?

As a child I had a theory that there were only a few fruitcakes in the world and they were re-gifted year after year after year.

This theory was crushed when I saw my father actually EAT a fruitcake. I thought, "Well now there is one less. They will soon be extinct."

In Manitou Springs, for the past 15 years, we Southern Coloradoans know EXACTLY what to do with fruitcake.

TOSS IT!



See this man's form? He is winding up. Fruitcake tossing takes serious skill.


"My Daddy is tossing A Fruitcake"


The announcer. Who entertained us with tales of his fruitcake museum, tips of what to do with fruitcake and other life lessons. Such as, do not leave the dogs alone with the Fruitcake Museum, for they may eat it.

Did you know fruitcake was the first post-it note?
Can be used as an emergency sand-bag?
Used in place of bricks?
These are just a few tid-bits we were taught while we were spectating.

This is the man that won the Men's "Hand-Toss" division.

Holy far throw, Batman!!!
Someone check out that man's arm!

okay, it may be hard to see, but there is a circle with an arrow wayyyyy back in the picture. See it? (I need to work on my editing skills)

It got a little strange when my friend Jess asked for a photo with a fruitcake.

Then she touched his nuts.

Awkward

Next was the Heavy Equipment round.

There were Canon's, Catapults, Sling Shots, Bows, and




a gun.

The one that impressed me.

A gun, that literally shot the fruitcake THROUGH a door.
I am not kidding.

Now I am not a big fan of firearms, but that was fascinating. You could literally kill someone with that thing.

Death by Fruitcake.

Ponder that

The Bow had an amazing launch.

It was made out of skis



The ingenuity was amazing. Human power was necessary set up to fill the air compressors in order to shoot the canon and the gun. For the canon, a man rode this stationary bicycle. For the gun, three people with bike pumps pumped air into a compressor.



Now, you know exactly what to do with fruitcake.

2010 Rescue Run

Jan. 1
5k
Palmer Park
36:28

Horrible time but considering I prepped by drinking champagne and vodka until well after midnight and I rolled out of bed minutes before the run. I'll take it!

Notice the guy next to me. I think he drank a lot of champagne also.

Also prop's to 'Raisin' (I don't know her real name--damn Hashers) for providing mimosa's at the finish line. I love you.

Wanderlust

An old dear friend has come to visit.
His name is Wonderlust
In my search for my next adventure, next chapter, new beginning
He is guiding me to look at other places of residence
Not a lot is holding me in the town in which I live
In fact, lately I have felt like Alice in the shrinking room.
The City is shrinking around me
I see too many people I know,
Know more than I should
The anonymity I used to adore has disappeared.
This may be the growth I crave and need to embrace it.

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?!?!

INK

Last night I got the opportunity to see INK. An independent film by Jamin Winans.

I would have to say that this is by far the most amazing movie I have seen all year, and possibly of all time.

Since the producers were unable to get large distribution they have their own film tour of this movie around the country.

After the showing last night the writer, director, producer, and multiple actors were in the audience for Q&A.

They will be showing the movie again on Oct. 9th at UCCS campus here in Colorado Springs. I highly encourage all locals in the Springs to check this movie out.

For those of you not in Colorado Springs, may I suggest you go on the website and sign up for email updates for if the movie comes to your area. You will not regret seeing this film.

It is nothing short of amazing!!!

Also, it is to be noted, not only was the entire movie filmed in Colorado, the director, writer and every person on the staff of the film (including all actors) were Colorado natives. That is pretty freaking awesome!!!

Oh RHETT!!!

On Tuesday night the Old 97's played in Colorado Springs, even better, at Colorado College, a short hop from my house.

As always they put on an awesome show.

Afterwards, as we were heading to our bikes, we ran into Rhett Miller (If I had a rockstar crush, wait, I should say I DO have a rockstar crush. It is on Rhett Miller)

Dreamy!

Justice NOT Served

Today the woman who killed Jayson and EJ was sentenced to 3 years in prison, which we all know means in a little over a year she will be free again.

You can read my blog from this horrible incident here.

Our judicial system stinks!

JERK!

Tonight I made a very rare trip to the mall. Normally I avoid the mall like it was filled with Storm-troopers*. Don’t get me wrong, I like to shop, wait—I LOVE to shop, just not in malls. They tend to close in on me and I feel boxed in.
Tonight though I had no choice.

I heard Bath and Body works was having their annual HUGE sale , and in the name of gift giving and early Christmas shopping, I had to get a jump on it for next year. Really, who am I kidding though, by this time next year I am sure I would have used up at least 50% of the “gifts” I intended to give to other people, and the other 50% will have been lost in my closet until I dig them out in mid 2010.

Anyway, I digress

I took a deep breath, walked into the mall, procured my loot of fragrant soaps, lotions, sprays and scrubs, and considered it a successful shopping trip. As I headed out of the entrance near the food court, the scene couldn’t have been more stereotypical of a mall. There were three kids sitting on a short wall right outside the entrance. Typically kids like this get labeled as being up to ‘no-good’ and ‘hoodlums’. They were slouched down, feet hanging over and resting on skateboards with just enough scratches on them to appear cool, talking in muffled tones, smoking suspicious cigarettes and giving the best attitude they could muster. Ahead of me was your typical Colorado Springs, middle aged (read ‘older than me’ although I don’t know if that is true) conservative couple, the husband walking at least three paces in front of the wife, he was dressed in Dockers and a golf shirt and she was wearing your typical conservative ‘Church Chic’ attire. They were walking towards the entrance as I was walking away.

At that moment a typical “Tanya Moment” happened. For no apparent reason other than I am a complete klutz, I roll my left ankle and fall down. Not a graceful fall either. We are talking drop.everything.splat.&.sprawl.on.the.ground.in.an.instant type fall. Seriously, this happens more times than I should ever admit.

I had three shopping bags in my hands, two in my left, one in my right. Luckily not too much fell out, but there was one tub of Eucalyptus Mint body scrub that rolled out and was rolling across the parking lot. The husband, of the couple walking towards me had to step over the scrub rolling in front of him. He did not stop to pick it up or even ask if I am ok. (At this time I am trying to pick myself up off the parking lot as quickly as possible) Instead he scowls at me while I am down on the ground like I am some sort of scum that likes to lay down in parking lots.

The three kids however, immediately yelled over to me “Are you okay?”

“Yeah” I replied as I stood up, brushed myself off and checked to make sure I didn’t tear a hole in my new jeans I was wearing, scuff up my shoes, or skin my elbow. With a half laugh I follow up with “guess I just need to learn to walk”.

At the same time I was standing up and starting to walk away with whatever pride I had left, the wife of the mean-non-helpful-scowling-man walks by me and says to me “looks like someone stocked up”.
I replied “yes I did…your husband’s an asshole.”

Seriously…

Okay, maybe that wasn’t the best thing I could have said, but really? Who does that? Sees a person fall, and not only ignores them but steps over their stuff and scowls as they walk by.

At least I got a good personal laugh once I got to my car and I am happy I didn’t hold back what I was thinking. As for the three kids sitting on the wall, I drove past them as I left the parking lot and gave them a wave.



* Random Tanya factoid: Unexplainable fear of Storm troopers, yes, like from the movie Starwars. It is weird. Believe you me; it makes Halloween interesting

Keeping it Ghetto:

Before I write anymore, I need to put a disclaimer here. I live in a great neighborhood, I really do. I feel safe, and relatively there is low crime. But for whatever reason, if there is going to be a murder or stabbing, it seems to happen around my house.

In November 2005 the police shot a wanted criminal literally right in front of my house.

On February 1, 2007: My friendly, neighborhood crack whore that was the punch-line of so many of my stories, stabbed her son over cigarettes. Side note: This was the night of E's and I's first date, making for an interesting evening no doubt.

This morning while I was getting ready for work, I heard that last night there was a stabbing in the central area of Colorado Springs, sure enough, It was at the Co-housing complex across the street from my house. This was not a random stabbing, it was a family dispute that got out of control. Sad.

Things that make you go hmmm:
Three for Three
Three murders in three years, all within 300 feet of my front door.

Read the news story here

So Sad

I have thought of many different ways to write this post, but I figured others said it better than me.

Bottom line, two more cyclists were killed this week in Colorado Springs, by a person abusing drugs none-the-less. I am angry, sad, and full of mixed emotions. I was an acquaintance of EJ and knew of Jayson.

Last night was a very emotional memorial bike ride from Wooglins Deli to the crime scene on 26th street. It was amazing to see how many people came out in the rain to ride for these guys, how the police gave help by blocking traffic and offering support.

Over 100 people showed up for the ride and even more were waiting with at the crime scene. The cycling community in the Springs is a very tight one, and to lose two lives in such a senseless manner is emotionally shattering.

My heart aches.

Details can be read here, and some other friends have written blogs here and here.

There are so many things I can write about, the survivalists, the senseless-ness, the almosts...I think I’ll leave this post here.