Jill came down from Ft. Collins to spend the weekend with us - she hadn't been down to spend a night in the new house so I was excited to have her come!
We did all the usual girly stuff - sat in the hot tub under the stars, laid out in the sun while reading our books, had massages at the house, scrapbooked ( a LOT!), drank pina coladas with fresh strawberries, watched a couple of movies, dipped strawberries in chocolate (yum, yum), had cinnamon rolls and coffee on the deck (well I had coffee - she had milk as she's not a coffee drinker) and last but not least, we shopped!
A friend had called me last week and said the little craft store was going out of business and had scrapbooking supplies at 50% off - I didn't even know the store was in town! So Jill suggested checking it out and if there was some neat things there, we could go in on Saturday to shop! I went down on my lunch hour on Friday and sure enough, she had a couple of aisles of scrapbooking things that would be fun to browse through. I told her my daughter was coming down that evening and asked if she would be open on Saturday - she whispered to me that yes, it was their LAST day and all things would be 75% off - WOW!!! So needless to say, Jill and I came into town and looked through her store! She had a lot of really nice stickers and paper and when my total was rang up at $100.00 but I wrote the check out for $25.00, well, that was AWESOME! Jill's was the same. Nothing like a great bargain to start out your day!
It was a GREAT weekend - it's always fun to have your "adult" children come home so you can pamper them!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Farmers Markets
I love Friday mornings in the summer - not only do I have my "special" coffee but it is also the Farmers Market! The market here in Woodland Park started a couple of weeks ago but due to my cast, I didn't attempt to walk down. It's only 3 blocks from my office but when you walk as slow as I do, that's quite a journey!
But since the cast is off and I'm walking fairly well now, I attempted the walk! My friend Joleen is on the board for the market so of course is there every Friday with the proceeds from HER garden and we always have a fun time walking around.
And although I love all the produce that the market offers, along with the booths of plants, popcorn, tamales, honey, books and just about anything else you can imagine, the best part of the market is talking with all the people that you see and know! I left home 1/2 hour early this morning, just knowing it would take that long to buy my produce and visit with people! It's a beautiful morning out and Glenn will be happy with the tomatos, radishes and apricots that I bought this morning!
There was a fire close by last weekend which thankfully was put out - but now there is another one in Teller County. It's a ways from our house of course but it's still scarey as we are so dry. They have evacuated about 100 people and I haven't heard an update yet this morning but let's hope the firefighters get it extinguished quickly. It probably seems strange that although the midwest is dealing with flooding, here in the west we are dealing with drought and fires - such is nature..................
But since the cast is off and I'm walking fairly well now, I attempted the walk! My friend Joleen is on the board for the market so of course is there every Friday with the proceeds from HER garden and we always have a fun time walking around.
And although I love all the produce that the market offers, along with the booths of plants, popcorn, tamales, honey, books and just about anything else you can imagine, the best part of the market is talking with all the people that you see and know! I left home 1/2 hour early this morning, just knowing it would take that long to buy my produce and visit with people! It's a beautiful morning out and Glenn will be happy with the tomatos, radishes and apricots that I bought this morning!
There was a fire close by last weekend which thankfully was put out - but now there is another one in Teller County. It's a ways from our house of course but it's still scarey as we are so dry. They have evacuated about 100 people and I haven't heard an update yet this morning but let's hope the firefighters get it extinguished quickly. It probably seems strange that although the midwest is dealing with flooding, here in the west we are dealing with drought and fires - such is nature..................
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
And The Cast Is No More!
Today was my doctor appt. - strike up the band and shout HOORAY!! My aircast is now a thing of the past! The doctor said my leg and ankle are healing nicely and it's time to move on to the next step - physical therapy! I only have to go once (tomorrow) and learn the exercises and if I don't have any problems doing them on my own, I will be good to go!
Exercises don't bother me at all, especially if I know the final outcome of them so I will faithfully do the exercises so this leg will completely mend the way it's supposed to.
It was weird walking today without the aircast on - I have to walk slowly (which is a real trial for me!) in order to walk correctly. If I try to walk faster, I find myself limping a little bit and that's NOT what I want! But I got along just fine walking around the office. After work I went to Walmart and once again, it took me a long time to get around the store - but I did just fine. Now that I'm home, my leg is telling me it's time to hit the couch for the evening so I'm celebrating (all by myself as Glenn is working late) with a Bertolli shrimp linguine meal which I'll eat while I watch Ratatouille! Life is GOOD!
Exercises don't bother me at all, especially if I know the final outcome of them so I will faithfully do the exercises so this leg will completely mend the way it's supposed to.
It was weird walking today without the aircast on - I have to walk slowly (which is a real trial for me!) in order to walk correctly. If I try to walk faster, I find myself limping a little bit and that's NOT what I want! But I got along just fine walking around the office. After work I went to Walmart and once again, it took me a long time to get around the store - but I did just fine. Now that I'm home, my leg is telling me it's time to hit the couch for the evening so I'm celebrating (all by myself as Glenn is working late) with a Bertolli shrimp linguine meal which I'll eat while I watch Ratatouille! Life is GOOD!
Monday, June 23, 2008
Rayna's Day
Sunday afternoon was Rayna's dance recital - it's hard to believe little Rayna is now 6 years old and dancing in her 3rd recital! She did 2 numbers up on the stage and of course was the best dancer in her group! Way to go Rayna - you were the cutest one up there!
And after the recital, something happened that hasn't happened for over a year - our immediate family was ALL TOGETHER! The Raymond's, the Keppy's, the Savage's and the Smith's! Robby and Jill were dropping off relation at the Denver airport so came over to Jaime's house afterwards and we realized it had been a year since we ALL had been together. Usually we are all together at Christmas but the Keppy's were in Iowa this last year. The guys grilled hamburgers and we all had a great afternoon. How special was that?
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Weekly Woes
It was not a great week around the Raymond household. I have been sick all week - still am in fact but definitely better than the first of the week! And Glenn broke one of his finished granite countertop pieces and had to start all over - he wasn't happy about that! So needless to say, we're BOTH glad the week is over and the weekend is in full swing!
I won't go into the details of my sickness (it's not pleasant to read about anyway) but I will say that one of my symptoms is dizziness and that has yet to subside! Each morning when I got up this week, I would almost be afraid to open my eyes - scared that I would still be dizzy! But of course I eventually had to get up anyway, no matter that I was STILL dizzy!
The 2 days I didn't go to work, I basically spent in bed - our waterbed! And I realized how much I TRULY love that bed!! You don't see a lot of waterbeds for sale these days as it's definitely a thing of the past for most people - but I wouldn't give up my waterbed for anything!
I've had a waterbed for probably the past 30 years - the first couple of mattresses were the wavy kind, where when the other person rolled over, you could easily be thrown out of bed! (well, maybe not quite that bad!) But the new mattresses have the "baffles" in them and there is no motion at all - and that I enjoy! There is nothing better at night than to crawl into a warm waterbed!
Today I tackled the rest of the windows and cleaned out the interior of my car - something that has needed to get done for a while! I really miss the full service car wash in Woodland Park as I detest dragging out the vaccum and cleaning the interior, along with washing the windows - just not a job I enjoy doing! But the end result is always so nice and since we are heading to Denver soon, the thought of a nice clean interior was my goal! It was a challenge to do the windows and the car with the dizziness I'm experiencing but it's done now! Hooray!
On our way to Denver we must stop in Colorado Springs and get new cell phones - we are 6 months past due and I kept thinking that one of our phones would soon stop charging - and mine did yesterday! The thought of walking into that Verizon store and picking out a phone for each of us and then getting all the accessories and the phone numbers transferred over is not a pleasant thought to me! Just trying to get someone to help you takes a LONG time! And since I am electronically challenged, everything they say about a new phone just goes way over my head! The last phones we got were very nice - they would take pictures and videos and had all these special features! But did I EVER use them - absolutely not! I had Jaime take a picture to have on the front of the phone for me and the same picture is still there! I have no idea how to take a picture to this day!
I want a simple phone this time - just one I can dial and talk on - no added features! If anybody ever sent me a text message, I wouldn't know how to retrieve it anyway! Just give me a cheap, free phone and a charger for it and let me be on my way!!
I had to call Jaime on a cooking question last night - ha ha - anybody that knows Jaime, knows she doesn't cook any more that she has to! All cooking questions are automatically directed to Jessi! So Jessi will get a kick out of that!
All 3 of my girls know how to cook - all learned in 4-H and brought home many, many blue and purple ribbons. And now that all 3 are married, they can CHOOSE to cook or NOT!
I categorize my 3 girls cooking like this: If we're going to Jill's house, she will have the entire menu planned for the weekend, and the minute we walk in the door, dinner is whisked on the table with the next days meal usually prepared, waiting in the frig. If we're going to Jessi's house, Jessi will have the contents to make a meal on hand, and will usually say, how should we cook it for dinner? And last but not least, if we go to Jaime's house, we'll walk in the door and she'll say - gosh, what should we do for dinner? (don't laugh too hard Jaime!)
Seriously, they all make wonderful meals and Jessi is great at making desserts! Jill's speciality is trying new recipes and she makes some awesome dips! Jaime does well too, as long as she READS the recipe and uses the right ingredients! (she has discovered that using soda instead of baking powder, just doesn't work!)
We're off to get our new phones - luckily we're headed to Jessi's after that so she can teach us how to use them!
I won't go into the details of my sickness (it's not pleasant to read about anyway) but I will say that one of my symptoms is dizziness and that has yet to subside! Each morning when I got up this week, I would almost be afraid to open my eyes - scared that I would still be dizzy! But of course I eventually had to get up anyway, no matter that I was STILL dizzy!
The 2 days I didn't go to work, I basically spent in bed - our waterbed! And I realized how much I TRULY love that bed!! You don't see a lot of waterbeds for sale these days as it's definitely a thing of the past for most people - but I wouldn't give up my waterbed for anything!
I've had a waterbed for probably the past 30 years - the first couple of mattresses were the wavy kind, where when the other person rolled over, you could easily be thrown out of bed! (well, maybe not quite that bad!) But the new mattresses have the "baffles" in them and there is no motion at all - and that I enjoy! There is nothing better at night than to crawl into a warm waterbed!
Today I tackled the rest of the windows and cleaned out the interior of my car - something that has needed to get done for a while! I really miss the full service car wash in Woodland Park as I detest dragging out the vaccum and cleaning the interior, along with washing the windows - just not a job I enjoy doing! But the end result is always so nice and since we are heading to Denver soon, the thought of a nice clean interior was my goal! It was a challenge to do the windows and the car with the dizziness I'm experiencing but it's done now! Hooray!
On our way to Denver we must stop in Colorado Springs and get new cell phones - we are 6 months past due and I kept thinking that one of our phones would soon stop charging - and mine did yesterday! The thought of walking into that Verizon store and picking out a phone for each of us and then getting all the accessories and the phone numbers transferred over is not a pleasant thought to me! Just trying to get someone to help you takes a LONG time! And since I am electronically challenged, everything they say about a new phone just goes way over my head! The last phones we got were very nice - they would take pictures and videos and had all these special features! But did I EVER use them - absolutely not! I had Jaime take a picture to have on the front of the phone for me and the same picture is still there! I have no idea how to take a picture to this day!
I want a simple phone this time - just one I can dial and talk on - no added features! If anybody ever sent me a text message, I wouldn't know how to retrieve it anyway! Just give me a cheap, free phone and a charger for it and let me be on my way!!
I had to call Jaime on a cooking question last night - ha ha - anybody that knows Jaime, knows she doesn't cook any more that she has to! All cooking questions are automatically directed to Jessi! So Jessi will get a kick out of that!
All 3 of my girls know how to cook - all learned in 4-H and brought home many, many blue and purple ribbons. And now that all 3 are married, they can CHOOSE to cook or NOT!
I categorize my 3 girls cooking like this: If we're going to Jill's house, she will have the entire menu planned for the weekend, and the minute we walk in the door, dinner is whisked on the table with the next days meal usually prepared, waiting in the frig. If we're going to Jessi's house, Jessi will have the contents to make a meal on hand, and will usually say, how should we cook it for dinner? And last but not least, if we go to Jaime's house, we'll walk in the door and she'll say - gosh, what should we do for dinner? (don't laugh too hard Jaime!)
Seriously, they all make wonderful meals and Jessi is great at making desserts! Jill's speciality is trying new recipes and she makes some awesome dips! Jaime does well too, as long as she READS the recipe and uses the right ingredients! (she has discovered that using soda instead of baking powder, just doesn't work!)
We're off to get our new phones - luckily we're headed to Jessi's after that so she can teach us how to use them!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Rocky Mountain High
WOW!!! Let me say that again - WOW! Today I crossed off one of the items on my "Things To Do Before I Die" list! I ACTUALLY GOT TO RIDE IN A HOT AIR BALLOON!!! Not for 10 minutes or 20 minutes but probably for a full hour! It was amazing, it was wonderful, it was all and more I thought it would be!
This is a shot looking down at the balloons - yes, we were HIGH!My good friend Carrie had invited us (Gary, Jessi, Evan, Glenn and I) over for the balloonfest out on the Hartzel Flats which is just below Wilkerson Pass - it's a huge flat bottom, completely surrounded by mountains! So we were up early and over to watch the balloons go up, in hopes of getting to ride in one!
One couple, Dave and Jessica, did not have anyone with them to help them "crew" and asked if we would be willing to help and go for a ride - ABSOLUTELY! SO while Glenn and Gary helped them, Jessi, Evan and I headed over to Carrie's friends and helped them get their balloon in the air!
One couple, Dave and Jessica, did not have anyone with them to help them "crew" and asked if we would be willing to help and go for a ride - ABSOLUTELY! SO while Glenn and Gary helped them, Jessi, Evan and I headed over to Carrie's friends and helped them get their balloon in the air!
Before we knew it, Glenn and Gary were up in the balloon! And when they came down, Jessi and I went up next! What a treat - the ride was so cool - it was quiet up high, except for the times when Dave would turn on the flames - we floated and floated along with the other 20 or so balloons. We went up HIGH! Very high! And it was an experience I wouldn't trade for anything! What an awesome time we had just looking out over the basket at the scenary! You just couldn't wipe the smiles off our faces!
This is a shot taken from inside the basket, looking up!After our ride, we were treated to a great breakfast - then a fun ceremony for us 4 and 5 others who had never been up in a balloon before - and lots of tailgate fun with even more food and champayne! These balloonists really know how to have a good time!
This was definitely a Fathers Day that none of us will forget for a long, long time! We appreciated Dave and Jessica giving us a glimpse of what they do on their weekends for fun, the spectactular ride in the balloon, and Carrie who invited us in the first place! THANK YOU ALL!!
Friday, June 13, 2008
Music, Walmart and Dust - Oh My!
I really enjoy music! I listen to AOL Satellite radio at work - switching between country, oldies and lite rock, depending on my mood! And if I hear a song I want to put on a CD, I have a special tablet that I write down the name of the song and the artist - once I get around 15 or 20 songs, it's time to download them on a CD.
I never used to be able to download music - up until the last couple of years, I would give my list to Jessi and she would download the tunes from Itunes and present me with a wonderful CD for my birthday or Mother's Day with all these great songs! But I decided a few months ago, that I would tackle the computer and try to download myself. AND I DID! I downloaded Itunes and with Jessi on the phone, she walked me through how to FIND songs and order them! It really wasn't hard at all and then I decided to put a lot of my other CD's right on the computer so I have music while I scrapbook! I'm excited that I have figured out just a little bit of this computer technology that I'm really not very good at!
Just this week, I received a very special CD from a long-distance friend, Helen. Helen just recently married in San Antonio and although I was unable to attend the wedding, I do have plans to fly down and see her sometime this year! The CD was a collection of a few of the songs played at the wedding and it's a romantic, easylistening CD - thanks Helen!
Helen and I go back a LONG ways! We became friends through the Lutheran Church in Missouri Valley, Iowa. And the reason we became friends was our passion for music - Helen and I both played the guitar - she was MUCH, MUCH better than I was but we loved playing together. Soon we were doing Easter services, the Chicago Folk Service, and my all-time favorite, Christmas Eve services. We would sing and play together and just have the greatest time, enjoying each other and our music.
Helen is soft-spoken, compassionate and just a joy to be around. Although we haven't seen each other in many years, we communicate at Christmas time and I always look forward to hearing from her. I know she has continued to play her guitar and has even taken lessons, while my guitar has been in its case for years now! I'm looking forward to seeing her and meeting her new husband, Joey.
I walked Walmart yesterday on my lunch hour - usually I do the driving cart as the store is large - but I decided to tackle walking. It took me all of lunch hour to get my shopping done but it was fun and I did OK, just much slower than I'm used to. I walk VERY fast when I shop - if Glenn is with me, he is still walking in the door and I'm usually 1/2 way across the store - I'm just a fast shopper! But I found some cute things including some solar lights for outside our home, a caddy full of red -handled silverware and some wild sheets to put on the massage table when I have my massages! It's always fun to find a bargain!
And after work yesterday when I went grocery shopping, I bought 4 of the canvas bags to pack your groceries in and to bring back each time! Jaime had suggested I do this a while back but I was waiting for the bags to go on sale and at $1.00 a bag, it was time to do it! I was amazed HOW many groceries fit into those bags and how NICE they were to carry to the car vs. those plastic bags! I felt very "go green" as I unpacked those bags last night and put them back in my car for the next shopping trip!
They chip and sealed the highway that I drive to work on. Talk about dust! And I learned something I didn't know about chip and seal - I always thought they put the gravel type stuff down FIRST and put the tar on top - wrong - they put the tar down first and THEN the gravel! So I've been driving on the gravel the past couple of days (hoping it will SOON get pressed into the tar) and driving as far on the shoulder as I can, due to the idiots driving as fast as they can and spraying rocks everywhere, including MY windshield! SO far I have dodged the flying rocks!
And just for an update - I have found a WONDERFUL place to get my coffee on Friday mornings - it's in Divide, right on my way to work and they make great coffee, just the way I like it. What more could I want on a Friday morning -special coffee and wonderful smelling lilacs on my desk!
I never used to be able to download music - up until the last couple of years, I would give my list to Jessi and she would download the tunes from Itunes and present me with a wonderful CD for my birthday or Mother's Day with all these great songs! But I decided a few months ago, that I would tackle the computer and try to download myself. AND I DID! I downloaded Itunes and with Jessi on the phone, she walked me through how to FIND songs and order them! It really wasn't hard at all and then I decided to put a lot of my other CD's right on the computer so I have music while I scrapbook! I'm excited that I have figured out just a little bit of this computer technology that I'm really not very good at!
Just this week, I received a very special CD from a long-distance friend, Helen. Helen just recently married in San Antonio and although I was unable to attend the wedding, I do have plans to fly down and see her sometime this year! The CD was a collection of a few of the songs played at the wedding and it's a romantic, easylistening CD - thanks Helen!
Helen and I go back a LONG ways! We became friends through the Lutheran Church in Missouri Valley, Iowa. And the reason we became friends was our passion for music - Helen and I both played the guitar - she was MUCH, MUCH better than I was but we loved playing together. Soon we were doing Easter services, the Chicago Folk Service, and my all-time favorite, Christmas Eve services. We would sing and play together and just have the greatest time, enjoying each other and our music.
Helen is soft-spoken, compassionate and just a joy to be around. Although we haven't seen each other in many years, we communicate at Christmas time and I always look forward to hearing from her. I know she has continued to play her guitar and has even taken lessons, while my guitar has been in its case for years now! I'm looking forward to seeing her and meeting her new husband, Joey.
I walked Walmart yesterday on my lunch hour - usually I do the driving cart as the store is large - but I decided to tackle walking. It took me all of lunch hour to get my shopping done but it was fun and I did OK, just much slower than I'm used to. I walk VERY fast when I shop - if Glenn is with me, he is still walking in the door and I'm usually 1/2 way across the store - I'm just a fast shopper! But I found some cute things including some solar lights for outside our home, a caddy full of red -handled silverware and some wild sheets to put on the massage table when I have my massages! It's always fun to find a bargain!
And after work yesterday when I went grocery shopping, I bought 4 of the canvas bags to pack your groceries in and to bring back each time! Jaime had suggested I do this a while back but I was waiting for the bags to go on sale and at $1.00 a bag, it was time to do it! I was amazed HOW many groceries fit into those bags and how NICE they were to carry to the car vs. those plastic bags! I felt very "go green" as I unpacked those bags last night and put them back in my car for the next shopping trip!
They chip and sealed the highway that I drive to work on. Talk about dust! And I learned something I didn't know about chip and seal - I always thought they put the gravel type stuff down FIRST and put the tar on top - wrong - they put the tar down first and THEN the gravel! So I've been driving on the gravel the past couple of days (hoping it will SOON get pressed into the tar) and driving as far on the shoulder as I can, due to the idiots driving as fast as they can and spraying rocks everywhere, including MY windshield! SO far I have dodged the flying rocks!
And just for an update - I have found a WONDERFUL place to get my coffee on Friday mornings - it's in Divide, right on my way to work and they make great coffee, just the way I like it. What more could I want on a Friday morning -special coffee and wonderful smelling lilacs on my desk!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Squeaky Clean
I'm one of those anal people that MUST have clean windows - and trust me, my windows are NOT clean right now!
My windows get cleaned not once a year, but twice a year! I always wash them in the spring and again in the fall! It's not a job I really enjoy, yet the satisfaction of looking through crystal clear windows is definitely worth it!
Our old house had 42 windows to wash - it was an entire day's work to wash all the windows inside and out - and they were the older type wood framed windows that did NOT pop out with ease like the new ones do! I spent many, many hours washing those windows - and I was proud when I finished them all!
The new house doesn't have near as many windows - they are the "new" type ones that are so much easier to wash and they also pop out for easy cleaning! But there is NO WAY I can wash the huge, tall windows in the front of the house! We actually borrowed a VERY tall ladder from the neighbor and attempted to do them last summer - I can only climb up so far as I'm scared of heights but Glenn crawled to the top and washed them - unfortunately they must have been SUPER dirty as the results were not impressive! I have decided this year to hire them done - that may be easier said than done - I have left 2 messages for people out of the yellow pages and they haven't even bothered to call me back with an estimate. I guess I won't be recommending them to anyone!
Isn't it amazing how the inside of the windows get this shadowy film on them? I guess it's from the furnace or fireplace or wood stove, but I sure don't like it and it's grating on my nerves when the sun hits the windows in the morning. So that means one thing - it's time to wash them! I will start the process today after work - I sure can't climb any ladders outside to wash them but I certainly can start on the inside ones. And maybe, just maybe, someone will call me back with the good news that they are willing to wash the high ones for me!
My windows get cleaned not once a year, but twice a year! I always wash them in the spring and again in the fall! It's not a job I really enjoy, yet the satisfaction of looking through crystal clear windows is definitely worth it!
Our old house had 42 windows to wash - it was an entire day's work to wash all the windows inside and out - and they were the older type wood framed windows that did NOT pop out with ease like the new ones do! I spent many, many hours washing those windows - and I was proud when I finished them all!
The new house doesn't have near as many windows - they are the "new" type ones that are so much easier to wash and they also pop out for easy cleaning! But there is NO WAY I can wash the huge, tall windows in the front of the house! We actually borrowed a VERY tall ladder from the neighbor and attempted to do them last summer - I can only climb up so far as I'm scared of heights but Glenn crawled to the top and washed them - unfortunately they must have been SUPER dirty as the results were not impressive! I have decided this year to hire them done - that may be easier said than done - I have left 2 messages for people out of the yellow pages and they haven't even bothered to call me back with an estimate. I guess I won't be recommending them to anyone!
Isn't it amazing how the inside of the windows get this shadowy film on them? I guess it's from the furnace or fireplace or wood stove, but I sure don't like it and it's grating on my nerves when the sun hits the windows in the morning. So that means one thing - it's time to wash them! I will start the process today after work - I sure can't climb any ladders outside to wash them but I certainly can start on the inside ones. And maybe, just maybe, someone will call me back with the good news that they are willing to wash the high ones for me!
Monday, June 9, 2008
High In The Sky
I've always loved hot air balloons - and on my list of things to do before I die, is to ride in one! No, I didn't get a chance to ride in one this last weekend but I did get to see them up close before they took off!
My friend Carrie picked me up Sat. morning at 5:00am (yes, I got up at 4:30 and it WAS dark) and we headed to Buena Vista. That is one of my favorite drives - I love climbing the hill on Wilkerson Pass and when you reach the top - WOW - what a view of the mountains! We must have seen over 100 antelope grazing in the fields too. It was just one of those perfect mornings! 
We were surprised how light it was driving over and we thought we were going to be late as the balloons take off at sunrise. But we got there in plenty of time and soon the balloons took off - my camera was going click, click, click! I hobbled around the field, checking the different balloons out and watching the people work to get them in the air. The backdrop for the airbound balloons was the mountains and I was hoping to capture a balloon or two right in front of them, before the wind picked up - I wasn't disappointed!It was a great trip over and back - thanks Carrie - we'll definitely do it again!
Rayna (our granddaughter) was in a fishing tournament in Denver on Saturday - it was for kids and their dads and Rayna won 2nd place with a 2# fish! And she was only 1 oz. from 1st place - talk about excited! Her prize was a Playstation 2 - which I (of course) know absolutely nothing about but apparently it was a hit with her! Congratulations Rayna - you did great!
It was a weekend with grandkids Rayna and Kylan and also our granddaughter from Iowa, Nedelle. I was disappointed the weather was NOT good on Sunday as I had bought a swimming pool and we had it ready for the kids to play in - but 50 degree weather doesn't warrant swimming - BRRRRRR!! Although Ebby (Brad and Jaime's dog) thought it was a great place to jump in! The house is so quiet after everyone leaves - it always makes me sad - and that's when I start planning for the next time I'll see the grandkids! Maybe the weather will be better then.........
Thursday, June 5, 2008
And My Ice Scraper/Brush Is Where?????
Put away the capris and short-sleeved top for the day - we're back to winter in the mountains!
We woke up to thunder and lightning this morning - no sun streaming in through the windows. And when you WAKE UP to this type of morning, you know it's going to be one doozy (is that a word?) of a storm! Most of our storms come in mid to late afternoon - it storms, rains, hails and then the sun comes out - that's a typical day in the summer.
As I came downstairs for breakfast, the hail started - and it got heavier and heavier - not huge hail, just the small stuff! And before we knew it, the ground was completely white and it turned to snow! By the time I was ready to leave for work, we had at least 3" on the ground, Glenn had the truck stuck in the wet, slippery stuff, and it was still coming down like crazy! I got pretty wet just getting to the car that Glenn had to back down for me, as there was no way to turn around with the truck in the way!
I got on the main gravel road and it was DEEP and SLICK!! As I turned the corner, there was a truck backing down the hill as it couldn't even make it up! So when I stopped to get the paper ( I was already pretty wet so it didn't matter much now), I dug out the ice scraper/brush that luckily I had not taken out of the car, and tried to push the heavy, wet stuff off the hood - I had visions of it flying back on the windshield as I was driving but I needn't have worried - it was too heavy to go anywhere!!
The county guys must have been caught off guard with the storm as they didn't have the snowplows out yet and the highway was treacherous and slick! But once I got into Woodland Park, it had turned strictly to rain and there was no snow to be seen. I think Florissant and Divide got hit the hardest!!
And just for the record, it was 31 degrees when I left the house this morning!
We woke up to thunder and lightning this morning - no sun streaming in through the windows. And when you WAKE UP to this type of morning, you know it's going to be one doozy (is that a word?) of a storm! Most of our storms come in mid to late afternoon - it storms, rains, hails and then the sun comes out - that's a typical day in the summer.
As I came downstairs for breakfast, the hail started - and it got heavier and heavier - not huge hail, just the small stuff! And before we knew it, the ground was completely white and it turned to snow! By the time I was ready to leave for work, we had at least 3" on the ground, Glenn had the truck stuck in the wet, slippery stuff, and it was still coming down like crazy! I got pretty wet just getting to the car that Glenn had to back down for me, as there was no way to turn around with the truck in the way!
I got on the main gravel road and it was DEEP and SLICK!! As I turned the corner, there was a truck backing down the hill as it couldn't even make it up! So when I stopped to get the paper ( I was already pretty wet so it didn't matter much now), I dug out the ice scraper/brush that luckily I had not taken out of the car, and tried to push the heavy, wet stuff off the hood - I had visions of it flying back on the windshield as I was driving but I needn't have worried - it was too heavy to go anywhere!!
The county guys must have been caught off guard with the storm as they didn't have the snowplows out yet and the highway was treacherous and slick! But once I got into Woodland Park, it had turned strictly to rain and there was no snow to be seen. I think Florissant and Divide got hit the hardest!!
And just for the record, it was 31 degrees when I left the house this morning!
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Insurance Pet Peeves
Sometimes it's tough being in the insurance industry - since I am a CSR (customer service representative) I handle all the phone calls. And there are days when it seems all our clients do is call me up and complain about the rates!
I don't like price increases either - after all, I have to carry insurance on my house and car too! I don't get a break just because I work in the industry! And it's very frustrating to me as I feel like I talk to these people till I'm blue in the face and yet the final outcome is not any different than when they called me - I don't have the power to change the rates!
There are a couple of things that really irritate me about people - I can't tell you how many people call in and wonder why their policy cancelled? Well, if you don't pay your bill, your policy lapses - but I never got a bill they say - right, that's as bad as the check is in the mail! Besides, if you didn't get your electric bill, would you just NOT PAY and expect your service to continue?
My other major pet peeve is people that live beyond their means, yet it's MY fault because their insurance is too high!! I don't have much sympathy for someone who calls in and complains about their rate when they're driving a brand new car - get real people - if you buy a new car, expect your rate to increase! If you don't want higher insurance rates, DON'T BUY A BRAND NEW CAR!!! Glenn and I DO NOT buy new cars - we buy used cars - and yes, the insurance rates are LESS! Wake up people - this is simple math!
A few weeks ago one of our clients called in complaining about her $150 rate increase for a year on her homeowners policy. Yes, that's a lot I agree. But again, I don't set the insurance rates. She actually started crying on the phone, saying she just couldn't afford to pay it because they were on such a strict budget. Of course I felt very sorry for them - I know what it's like to not have enough money to pay your bills and I sympathized with her. But we have a new homeowners policy that we are transferring a lot of our people to if they are elgible, and the rates here in our county make the premium even LESS than what they were paying before the rate increase! They qualified - I was thrilled - she thanked me over and over! Next step of course is to offer to write their autos as there is a substantial discount for having your autos and home with the same company. She said yes, I could quote them but she doubted I could compete with their current company (and she was right, I couldn't match her current premium). But I was absolutely dumbstruck when I took down the info on her autos - they had 2 BRAND NEW 2008 VEHICLES and a $46,000 MOTOR HOME! Gee, for some reason, I didn't feel so sorry for her anymore - and I wonder today how she is coping with the gas and grocery increase - is she CRYING to them?
Wow - that was a lot to get off my chest this morning! In all fairness, I love my job and most of the people I deal with are wonderful! After working here in the agency for 18 years, I KNOW most of my clients by name and can greet them when they walk in the door! I work hard to provide them with each and every discount I can possibly give them, and they KNOW that I do that for them - that's why they stay with our company - we may not be the cheapest in town but I can guarante that we have the BEST policy service!
I don't like price increases either - after all, I have to carry insurance on my house and car too! I don't get a break just because I work in the industry! And it's very frustrating to me as I feel like I talk to these people till I'm blue in the face and yet the final outcome is not any different than when they called me - I don't have the power to change the rates!
There are a couple of things that really irritate me about people - I can't tell you how many people call in and wonder why their policy cancelled? Well, if you don't pay your bill, your policy lapses - but I never got a bill they say - right, that's as bad as the check is in the mail! Besides, if you didn't get your electric bill, would you just NOT PAY and expect your service to continue?
My other major pet peeve is people that live beyond their means, yet it's MY fault because their insurance is too high!! I don't have much sympathy for someone who calls in and complains about their rate when they're driving a brand new car - get real people - if you buy a new car, expect your rate to increase! If you don't want higher insurance rates, DON'T BUY A BRAND NEW CAR!!! Glenn and I DO NOT buy new cars - we buy used cars - and yes, the insurance rates are LESS! Wake up people - this is simple math!
A few weeks ago one of our clients called in complaining about her $150 rate increase for a year on her homeowners policy. Yes, that's a lot I agree. But again, I don't set the insurance rates. She actually started crying on the phone, saying she just couldn't afford to pay it because they were on such a strict budget. Of course I felt very sorry for them - I know what it's like to not have enough money to pay your bills and I sympathized with her. But we have a new homeowners policy that we are transferring a lot of our people to if they are elgible, and the rates here in our county make the premium even LESS than what they were paying before the rate increase! They qualified - I was thrilled - she thanked me over and over! Next step of course is to offer to write their autos as there is a substantial discount for having your autos and home with the same company. She said yes, I could quote them but she doubted I could compete with their current company (and she was right, I couldn't match her current premium). But I was absolutely dumbstruck when I took down the info on her autos - they had 2 BRAND NEW 2008 VEHICLES and a $46,000 MOTOR HOME! Gee, for some reason, I didn't feel so sorry for her anymore - and I wonder today how she is coping with the gas and grocery increase - is she CRYING to them?
Wow - that was a lot to get off my chest this morning! In all fairness, I love my job and most of the people I deal with are wonderful! After working here in the agency for 18 years, I KNOW most of my clients by name and can greet them when they walk in the door! I work hard to provide them with each and every discount I can possibly give them, and they KNOW that I do that for them - that's why they stay with our company - we may not be the cheapest in town but I can guarante that we have the BEST policy service!
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Wolves and Simple Pleasures
I miss the wolves - I miss their haunting, eerie sounding howls that would occur about once every hour when they were around. And I didn't realize how much I missed the wolves until I was awakened last night by the coyotes howling - as soon as I heard them, I laid there waiting for the wolves to start in and then I remembered, they're no longer there................
When we moved over to our property last July, I was surprised by the sounds that the wolves made and how when one would start in, the others joined right in. The wolves were just a few hundred yards up the hill - in fact, if you looked out our loft bedroom window, you could see them walking around. They were beautiful - gray, black and white - the black and white ones were my favorite. There were 13 of them behind 2 double fences and the woman that owned them had about a 2 acre piece of property that they roamed on. But trouble with the homeowners association forced her to move about a month ago.
Last summer when Glenn and I walked in the mornings, we would sometimes take the route that took us past the wolves - they would silently watch us as we walked by - never being aggressive - just pacing back and forth in front of their fence. A few of them were quite large and it was quite intimidating at first, to even just walk by!
So for months we enjoyed the howls of the wolves - it was pretty neat to be sitting in the hot tub with a full moon and have the wolves start their mournful cries! I grew to love that sound and looked forward to the first howl, knowing the others would join in shortly. When the coyotes would start their howling, it was a battle to see who would be the loudest! I sure miss them.
The lilacs here at the office are ALMOST ready to bloom - I can't wait - lilacs are my favorite flower and I love bringing in just a small bunch to put on my desk and have that powerful smell overtake the office! I just wish their blooming time was longer!
Summer must have arrived because we ate dinner on the deck last night! That has to be a sure sign! I went to Walgreen's on my lunch hour yesterday - they have some great specials if you cut out the coupons and use them - the hardest part, I have learned, is FINDING the products in the store! Luckily I found everything I needed without having to walk up and down the aisles too many times. I also picked up the cutest plates, bowls, and glasses in a palm tree pattern that we can use outside on the deck! $1.00 per piece - you can't beat that! So we used our new plates and glasses last night and I have to admit, they looked darn cute on our patio table! Life is all about simple pleasures!
When we moved over to our property last July, I was surprised by the sounds that the wolves made and how when one would start in, the others joined right in. The wolves were just a few hundred yards up the hill - in fact, if you looked out our loft bedroom window, you could see them walking around. They were beautiful - gray, black and white - the black and white ones were my favorite. There were 13 of them behind 2 double fences and the woman that owned them had about a 2 acre piece of property that they roamed on. But trouble with the homeowners association forced her to move about a month ago.
Last summer when Glenn and I walked in the mornings, we would sometimes take the route that took us past the wolves - they would silently watch us as we walked by - never being aggressive - just pacing back and forth in front of their fence. A few of them were quite large and it was quite intimidating at first, to even just walk by!
So for months we enjoyed the howls of the wolves - it was pretty neat to be sitting in the hot tub with a full moon and have the wolves start their mournful cries! I grew to love that sound and looked forward to the first howl, knowing the others would join in shortly. When the coyotes would start their howling, it was a battle to see who would be the loudest! I sure miss them.
The lilacs here at the office are ALMOST ready to bloom - I can't wait - lilacs are my favorite flower and I love bringing in just a small bunch to put on my desk and have that powerful smell overtake the office! I just wish their blooming time was longer!
Summer must have arrived because we ate dinner on the deck last night! That has to be a sure sign! I went to Walgreen's on my lunch hour yesterday - they have some great specials if you cut out the coupons and use them - the hardest part, I have learned, is FINDING the products in the store! Luckily I found everything I needed without having to walk up and down the aisles too many times. I also picked up the cutest plates, bowls, and glasses in a palm tree pattern that we can use outside on the deck! $1.00 per piece - you can't beat that! So we used our new plates and glasses last night and I have to admit, they looked darn cute on our patio table! Life is all about simple pleasures!
Monday, June 2, 2008
Old Friendships
I was what you might call "depressed" on Sunday - it was a beautiful day outside and that was the whole problem - I DIDN'T want to be "not doing anything". I wanted to be out helping Glenn or hiking or camping! I wanted to be OUTSIDE on my feet, doing ANYTHING!
I was crabby - I wasn't talkative -I felt sorry for myself. Just one of those days.............. I am tired of doing my "hobbies" - my reading, swedish weaving and my scrapbooking. I'm ready for something different! I'm ready to get on with life again - being busy with the everyday routine where there is NOT a lot of free time and then you look forward to doing your hobbies in that little bit of spare time you find!
But I DID scrapbook on Sunday afternoon and time always goes fast when I do that! I am way behind on scrapbooking and just finished up last Thanksgiving so I'm almost done for 2007! By late afternoon though I was ready to talk to someone and I knew just who to call - one of my long distance friends, Cindy!
Cindy is one of those people who always perks you up, no matter what! She has this wonderful southern drawl from growing up in Tx., and even though she lived in Colorado for several years, she never lost it! I first met Cindy and husband Rene when they lived in Holiday Hills, (just up the road from our old house on Edlowe) and they had a "block" party! We were new to the area too so didn't know many people at that time - and a couple weeks later, Glenn was rushed to the hospital with heart problems. I needed someone to watch the girls after school so I went to Cindy's house as I didn't even have her phone number yet and asked her if the girls could come to her house for a while. That was the start of this great friendship that has lasted almost 20 years!
Cindy and her family soon moved to Longmont and it was funny, because that's when we became closer than ever - after their move! Since they didn't have close family around and we didn't either, we decided that we would celebrate Thanksgiving and Easter together each year! And that's exactly what we did!! Thanksgiving was spent at their house and Easter was spent at ours!
We have prepared many, many meals together for these 2 occasions, shopped LOTS of hours for our annual shopping day (the day after Thanksgiving), and have organized many Easter egg hunts! Even if we didn't see each other much the rest of the year, we always knew these 2 occasions would be spent together! They were "our family" and we were "their family" for many years!
It's funny that the 4 of us get along so well as Glenn and Rene are complete opposites - Rene is a highly educated guy who works in the "white-collar" world and Glenn is not a college graduate but the type who works very well with his hands and can fix and build anything! Opposites DO attract I guess - and the 4 of us have even vacationed together 3 different times! Our first adventure was a Lake Powell houseboat trip for the 4 of us and 8 kids! Wow - I can't imagine that we even kept our sanity with all those kids around - but we did and it was a great adventure! Then the 4 of us met at Disneyworld where their daughter Erica was doing an internship and we spent 4 jam-packed Disney days with Erica as our private escort! I would love to do that again. And our last trip together was a week long trip to Yelapa, Mexico - a little village accessible only by boat and a place where electricity was just installed in the last 5 years! We rented a house for a week and believe me, there were a LOT of memories from that trip!! Glenn and I didn't even have to brush up on our little bit of Spanish that we know as Rene is Puerto Rican so of course speaks the language fluently! It was a wonderful week!!
Cindy and I cried together when they moved out of Colorado - first to Alabama and now in North Carolina. But the friendship is just as strong now as it was years ago - whenever we talk on the phone, we just pick up where we left off - a TRUE sign of friendship! Yes, we BOTH miss our Easter and Thanksgiving holidays spent together but we have many wonderful memories to call upon when we get lonely!
So thanks Cindy, for making me smile yesterday! I needed that! And start saving those pennies for our next trip together!
I was crabby - I wasn't talkative -I felt sorry for myself. Just one of those days.............. I am tired of doing my "hobbies" - my reading, swedish weaving and my scrapbooking. I'm ready for something different! I'm ready to get on with life again - being busy with the everyday routine where there is NOT a lot of free time and then you look forward to doing your hobbies in that little bit of spare time you find!
But I DID scrapbook on Sunday afternoon and time always goes fast when I do that! I am way behind on scrapbooking and just finished up last Thanksgiving so I'm almost done for 2007! By late afternoon though I was ready to talk to someone and I knew just who to call - one of my long distance friends, Cindy!
Cindy is one of those people who always perks you up, no matter what! She has this wonderful southern drawl from growing up in Tx., and even though she lived in Colorado for several years, she never lost it! I first met Cindy and husband Rene when they lived in Holiday Hills, (just up the road from our old house on Edlowe) and they had a "block" party! We were new to the area too so didn't know many people at that time - and a couple weeks later, Glenn was rushed to the hospital with heart problems. I needed someone to watch the girls after school so I went to Cindy's house as I didn't even have her phone number yet and asked her if the girls could come to her house for a while. That was the start of this great friendship that has lasted almost 20 years!
Cindy and her family soon moved to Longmont and it was funny, because that's when we became closer than ever - after their move! Since they didn't have close family around and we didn't either, we decided that we would celebrate Thanksgiving and Easter together each year! And that's exactly what we did!! Thanksgiving was spent at their house and Easter was spent at ours!
We have prepared many, many meals together for these 2 occasions, shopped LOTS of hours for our annual shopping day (the day after Thanksgiving), and have organized many Easter egg hunts! Even if we didn't see each other much the rest of the year, we always knew these 2 occasions would be spent together! They were "our family" and we were "their family" for many years!
It's funny that the 4 of us get along so well as Glenn and Rene are complete opposites - Rene is a highly educated guy who works in the "white-collar" world and Glenn is not a college graduate but the type who works very well with his hands and can fix and build anything! Opposites DO attract I guess - and the 4 of us have even vacationed together 3 different times! Our first adventure was a Lake Powell houseboat trip for the 4 of us and 8 kids! Wow - I can't imagine that we even kept our sanity with all those kids around - but we did and it was a great adventure! Then the 4 of us met at Disneyworld where their daughter Erica was doing an internship and we spent 4 jam-packed Disney days with Erica as our private escort! I would love to do that again. And our last trip together was a week long trip to Yelapa, Mexico - a little village accessible only by boat and a place where electricity was just installed in the last 5 years! We rented a house for a week and believe me, there were a LOT of memories from that trip!! Glenn and I didn't even have to brush up on our little bit of Spanish that we know as Rene is Puerto Rican so of course speaks the language fluently! It was a wonderful week!!
Cindy and I cried together when they moved out of Colorado - first to Alabama and now in North Carolina. But the friendship is just as strong now as it was years ago - whenever we talk on the phone, we just pick up where we left off - a TRUE sign of friendship! Yes, we BOTH miss our Easter and Thanksgiving holidays spent together but we have many wonderful memories to call upon when we get lonely!
So thanks Cindy, for making me smile yesterday! I needed that! And start saving those pennies for our next trip together!
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