Sosua, Dominican Republic

Had an opportunity to head to the DR as some friends own some property there and they invited Ambereen and I to visit for Christmas. Took the red-eye and made it there by mid afternoon. Had a very brief visit with Mike before he headed to Atlanta then we had the place to ourselves for a few days. Hit the beach and relaxed. driving down there is something I wouldn't recommend for my father though. Between the cars and motoconchos (small motorcycles) not obeying any "rules of the road" it was pretty nerve wracking. Nothing like Pakistan from what I'm told, but not fun nonetheless. Brugal rum, the amber museum, hookers in Sosua and roadside stands were interesting. The hookers from what I saw - no personal experience there. Great weather other than three solid days of rain and some nice beaches. Got home to snow and cold so miss it already.

Summer is over

It's getting cold here and it could snow tonite and this weekend. That's OK with me! Here are a few pics from my patio. I've seen some spectacular sunsets already. You can see Pike's Peak to the South - we hiked that over Labor Day weekend. Stayed at Barr Camp on the way up and had some great food. They served pasta for dinner and some amazing pancakes in the morning. YUM! 14 miles up with an elevation gain of 7,500 feet. Took the cog rail down. Also hiked Mt Missouri a while ago. Tried to hike Mt Evans, which you can see as well, but weather rolled in and we had to abandon the hike.
Time for a housewarming party!!!!!!!

FINALLY!!

GOt internet and DISH installed. I resisted for a while but realized I couldn't live without my connection to the outside world. The installation was an ordeal, one which is best told over a tall, cold adult beverage. I'd be happy to share - let me know. I have a feeling I'm writing this for me now as it's been so long since I've updated the site. The new pad is looking good - I'm ready to host a party or two. Maybe start next weekend? Also ready for ski season to start. Could be just a few weeks before I step in to the Rossi's and rip it down the rock strewn slopes. I hope we get a lot of snow this season. I'll post pics of the new pad soon. By the way, casa de zig is now open for those of you who would like to visit Denver, etc.

Update

All is well in Denver. Moved to a new place on the other side of the park with a tremendous view of downtown and the entire Front Range. Made it back to Ohio a few weeks ago to move the rest of my things out here and to attend my 25 year reunion. Good times. I'll post pics and more stuff once I get hooked up with WiFi at home. What a drag - but I'm not wasting too much time watching TV with no cable!

All is well

So far the job is going well - I'm in the 4th week and have been keeping busy. Time to reach out to facilities and see if we can provide anesthesia coverage. Office is getting a much-needed makover with new paint, furniture and carpet. The rest of the week will consist of getting things in order.
Looking forward to Mom & Dad visiting in 2 weeks. We rented the condo in Silverthorne for a week then they will stay with me for a week. I have a long list of things to do - we'll see how many get checked off. Would love to take them to see the wildflowers in the high country but most of that involves hiking a few miles and it's not flat here. And the altitude doesn't help!
Looking for an apartment as Cathy is moving back to Ohio to attend OSU for her PhD. She leaves in less than 2 months so time is precious. I could stay here worst case - which isn't really bad but I'd love to have a view of the front range.

Clapton / Winwood: Live In The Mile High City

Found this review on one of Clapton's web sites - Thoroughly enjoyed the show!

Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood and their stellar band of musicians performed in America's "Mile High City" - Denver, Colorado on 21 June. Jim K, checking in by blackberry from the Pepsi Center noted, "Show started at 8:15 prompt with Clapton and Winwood taking the stage side by side. Tough Luck Blues is quite the gem with brilliant solos between Clapton and Stainton. Laboriel and Weeks are definitely the back bone driving the beat and tempo. Winwood is still simply amazing. His ability to drive beautiful music from the Hammond B3 and Strat is noting short of amazing. Winwood 'what a real treat to be here and play for you high up in the air'...10 plus minute Vodoo Chile. EC was simply superb. Off at 10:30 simply awesome."

It was also noted that Chris Stainton took a number of good solos in "Well Alright," "Tough Luck Blues," "Layla" and "Cocaine." Once again, Steve took the main guitar solo in "Layla".

There were no changes to the set list at this performance.

Next show happens in Dallas, Texas at the American Airlines Center on 23 June. For a complete list of remaining dates, click here.

Clapton / Winwood Set List - 21 June 2009
Pepsi Center, Denver CO

01. Had To Cry Today
02. Low Down
03. After Midnight
04. Presence of The Lord
05. Sleeping in the Ground
06. Glad
07. Well Alright
08. Tough Luck Blues
09. Pearly Queen
10. No Face, No Name, No Number
11. Forever Man
12. Georgia On My Mind - Steve Winwood solo
13. Driftin' - acoustic
14. How Long Blues
15. Layla - acoustic version
16. Can't Find My Way Home
17. Split Decision
18. Voodoo Chile

Encore:
19. Cocaine
20. Dear Mr. Fantasy

Band Lineup:
Eric Clapton - guitar, vocals
Steve Winwood - vocals, Hammond B3, piano, guitar
Chris Stainton - keyboards
Willie Weeks - bass
Abe Laboriel, Jr. - drums
Michelle John - backing vocals
Sharon White - backing vocals

David Byrne & Devotchka at Red Rocks

Got to see the show last Saturday and it was pretty good. I'm a big fan of the Talking Heads and they pulled out a half dozen keepers. Crowd was pretty good and met some way cool people.

Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell

Left the Grand Canyon and headed to Page, AZ. Ambereen booked a tour at Antelope Slot Canyon Tours- I'm sure you've seen pics. I'll post a few of them later. Camped on the beach at Lake Powell and rented a boat for a day of sightseeing. Thought it would be cool to camp RIGHT NEXT TO THE WATER. Bright idea. I had no idea the water level could increas 6" in a matter of hours. Somebody moved our tent the day we were on the boat. That would have been a buzz kill to come back to everything under water. Then a storm hit. That tent stayed put but I didn't secure the fly and poles properly as you can tell. The boat was a great call. We must have driven that thing 100 miles (it cost me over $100 in fuel for the day) but we toured several canyons and a good portion of the lake. Swimming near the dam was way cool. The water felt great and the Stranahan's was flowin!

Grand Canyon - North Kaibab Trail

Entered the park around 10:30 am - traffic was bad due to the holiday weekend but we made it in. Had a little trouble finding a parking spot but the backcountry office is a great location as I parked under a huge pine which shaded the truck well. The trail is 14 miles each way so we made sure we were good to go. Started the hike down and we were amazed at the flora and fauna along the way. Many trees and shrubs. Much more diversity than we expected, even with all the rain. Our goal was to hike to Cottonwood Campground about 7 miles down. I mean down. We hiked down for the entire 7 miles! Set up camp, had dinner and crashed. The stars were incredible! Got up in the morning and headed to Bright Angel Campground near the Colorado River. Stopped at Ribbon Falls along the way. It was one of the most spectacular waterfalls I've ever seen. Not because it was big (it wasn't) but the spot where the water landed was spectacular. Back on the trail to Bright Angel. Made it by mid afternoon and set up camp then jumped in the river to cool off. Water was cold as hell but I didn't care - it was 105 in the sun! Spent a few hours hiking down by the river then crossed both the silver and black bridges over the Colorado. Went to listen the the Ranger talk about death in the canyon - mostly stories about stupid peiople making stupid decisions. I say it's the Darwin award for most of those idiots.. Got up in the am and headed back to Cottonwood. Stopped by Ribbon Falls for lunch and a nap along the way. Spent a few hours there and read my book for a bit. Cottonwood is a boring place to camp as there isn't much to do. One thing we noticed while talking to people is that several were attempting a day hike from rim to rim. That's 28 miles down then up at one time. Some were running it. Idiots. The final hike was pretty steep the entire way but we did great. Took some amazing pics and saw some cool things. A bird buzzed by my head at one point and it made the coolest sound. Must have been doing 60 or so. Really moving! Had reservations at the North Rim campground so we headed there to set up camp. We had dinner at the lodge then back to the tent to crash. What a trip.

North Kaibab National Forest

Made it to the N Kaibab and bought a map. Drove to the North Rim for our first ever view of the Grand Canyon. Damn, is it grand! Pictures can't come close to it's enormity! Stopped by the backcounty permit office to speak with a Ranger about a permit to hike down to the Colorado. He said he had on left and we could leave in the morning! What luck. These things sell out ASAP. It was a sign of things to come - everything was going our way!! Drove back to N Kaibab and then off road for 17 miles where we set up camp on North Timp Point. We literally pitched the tent within a few feet from the edge on top of the North Rim. Spectacular vista!!! Packed our gear for the 4 day adventure, had dinner and some wine then hit the sack.

Navajo National Monument

Left Gunnison on the 22nd and headed to the Grand Canyon. Weather was cold and wet. Saw Navajo National Monument on the map and more importantly saw the free camping! Set up the tent just in time for more rain. Had to put my base layer on as it got cold. Had a quick breakfast then hit the road for the Grand Canyon.

Gunnison, CO

Left on May 21st for Gunnison. Huge system for the entire drive. A sure sign of things to come!

Golden Gate Canyon State Park

Ray & I just got back from a 3 day trip to Golden Gate. We backpacked in the Eastern part of the park. Had some great hikes and scored 2 (it's early!) great camp sites. Windy Peak was nice and the park was very peaceful. Amazing that it's so close to civilization. On the 2nd day we were caught in a rain shower midway through the hike. We got close to the camp site and saw an old cabin next to a lake with a front porch and 3 chairs. Looked like a great place to ride out the rain. While we were sitting on the porch munching on some trail mix Ray said "look at the deer....wait a minute - that's a moose!" A moose had come out of the woods for a drink and a swim. Didn't know we were there so we got to watch her have fun for about 15 minutes before heading back into the woods. Saw lots of deer and humming birds too. It was a great warm up for my next adventure - a 9 day trip to the Grand Canyon - North Rim / Kaibab National Forest and the Slot Canyons.

North Table Mountain in Golden

Ray & I met in Golden for an afternoon hike and started with lunch at the Buffalo Rose, a little honkey tonk right on Washington. Cheeseburger, fries and a PBR for $5. Drove to the trail head and headed up. For those of you unfamiliar, Table Top is a mesa which can be seen for miles. The trail is moderate to advanced difficulty, with about 300 feet elevation gain from the north and about 400 feet gain from the south. There is moderate exposure to rock fall; many sections of the trail are rough and not suitable for strollers or bicycles, although neither are prohibited. There is abundant wildlife, including deer, coyote, fox, golden eagle, magpie, canyon wren, rattlesnake, and mountain lion. Thought I would plagiarize a little there ;) The only wildlife we saw were thousands of grasshoppers. And many rock climbers. I'd like to try that sometime.....

Naturalization ceremony

My friend became a citizen yesterday and since her husband was out of town I attended the ceremony as a show of support. It was a very moving experience and I'm glad I went. There were 72 countries represented and 243 people sworn in. The ceremony began with the National Anthem then two speakers discussed what it meant to be a citizen. A couple videos thrown in and we were on to the oath. Have you actually heard or read the oath? I think every citizen should....

Oath of Allegiance for Naturalized Citizens

The oath of allegiance is:

"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God."

That's quite a committment.

Ended with the Pledge of Allegiance then a congratulations. Well done Paola!

Great day

2 for 1 Subway = $5
2 40 ouncers = $5
Disc golf on a Tuesday afternoon with my buddy = Priceless!

I won't even go into the fun I had last Thursday at the Rockies game, etc...to my grave ;)

Nuggets & Rockies

Game 2 against the Mavs was another beat-down. Great game and the crowd was so loud I needed ear plugs. A friend scored some tix the the Rockies last night - best seats I've ever had! 18 rows up right behind home plate. Headed to the game this afternoon - sunny and 78!
Oh yeah - I accepted a new position and will be gainfully employed in the very near future....

Stranahan's II

Got the call from Stranahan's that they needed help cleaning up an old warehouse they just bought so they can expand. Ray & I volunteered for lunch and a bottle. WTF were we thinking? It was a mess. We worked pretty hard for several hours until Ray decided it was time for a beer break. Then we noticed the work that needed to be done was pretty much complete when we saw most of the crew outside cleaning up the alley. Now mind you, this warehouse had been vacant for nearly 4 years. Someone broke in a while ago and stripped most of the copper so there was limited electricity This is on South Kalamath in a very industrial section. So you can imagine the trash. We decided to wander around the building instead. This place was probably 100,000 swuare feet total. Found an old restaurant with pool tables!
After we got our booty we decided to play 9 at City park. I had to take some precautions with the swine (oh, sorry - H1N1) flu.

a Golden day

Super day yesterday! Bought a new pair of hiking boots at Bent Gate Mountaineering in Golden and just HAD to go for a hike. Needed some food first so I went to Sherpa House, a new place in Golden specializing in Nepalese food. Yak Daalh Bhat, naan and lentil soup - yum! Hit the trail and hike for a couple of hours = 6 miles? Nice break-in and no problems! Unlike my last pair of boots. The trail winds through Golden along a stream that has been manipulated to provide some great kayaking. There were dozens of people in the water and many more walking, running, playing volleyball, etc. On a Wednesday afternoon! I'm not the only one ;)

About a mile and 1/2 in I crossed a bridge and saw two guys panning for gold. Well, one was diving and the other was panning. Talked to the one on the shore and he said it was a fun hobby, a way to escape the wife and kids for a day. They pan one day a week all around the state. He showed me some gold flakes. He said they just keep the gold since it needs to be processed before they can sell it and there's a minimum requirement of 10 ounces. Not sure if he was BS'ing me on the keeping it part as they had thousands of dollars in gear on site.

Another mile or so in I came across several people rock climbing up a sweet face. Still not sure if I want to try that. Looks like a lot of work for a little gain but I'm sure it's the challenge that's appealing.

At the end of the trail there was a huge sluice in disrepair. There were planks nailed down which on could walk on but they were in need of repair so I only walked 100 yards.

Finished the hike and went to Fossil Trace to hit some balls. Ambereen was taking her first lesson and I wanted to see how it was going ;)

Nuggets playoff game after that. They beat the Hornets handily and I was sent backstage to help keep people out of the locker room area. Got to hi 5 Nene, Billups, Birdman, Karl and a few others. They were pretty stoked but focused on the next round for sure. I'm hoing for a Nuggets Cavs final, but the Nuggets have to get by the Lakers and that won't be easy......

Mark VIII for sale - my new business plan

So my Brother-in-Law sends me this link to a car for sale. Read the whole ad - I did and came up with a great idea. My friend Brooke suggested I turn it into a Cash Cab kinda story but I think I could turn it into the Mile High Club Taxi....tourists would love it!!!!

Great weekend with a sketchy start

Well, the storm was for real. We tried to get an early start on Friday but I got caught up at Croc's waiting for the burritos for the beach party. By the time we hit the road it was nearly 3:30 and the weather was getting bad. It was snow, rain and sleet in Denver but all snow to the West. Lakewood got hammered. We were turned off of 70 at the Morrison exit by a State Trooper but I decided to risk it. Stupid move. We got caught in traffic less than two miles later and sat for 30 minutes while cars tried to put chains on. Semis were all over the place. Unless you had chains or a 4x4 you had no business being on the road (we were in a 4x4). I finally had the opportunity to drive up an on ramp and get turned around and we made it back in no time. Good for us - hundreds were stranded all night - many slept in their cars and most made it to shelters. It was pretty bad. We took a walk in a park nearby and the pic you see of me sitting in the snow? I'm on a park bench.

Got up Sat am and waited until nearly 11 am for 70 to re-open then we drove to A-Basin and parked at the beach. There were quite a few people there but mostly locals and the lucky ones who made it up before the storm got bad. Made some turns and then met a BBQ caterer at spot #3 who invited us to help eat the food he prepared for the 30 people who didn't make it. And I had all this beer and wine too.

Spent the night at the condo (with the indoor hot tub) and relaxed. Got up Sunday morning to ski A-Basin and by the time we got there the parking lots were full. All of them. For mile up and down the road. So we decided to head back when Ambereen had a brilliant idea. We drove up Loveland Pass and she dropped me off at the top so I could hike and ski down to the road below where she picked me up. I was so stoked she had to try it so we parked at the top and hiked a ways. Great view and so much fresh powder! I hit a cornice and we made fresh tracks all the way down. Some of the best runs of the season! Hitched a ride with some high school kids from Littleton to the top and did it again. And again. And again. WHat a great time!

Yeah baby!

Just in time for the OSU RMAC Beach Party at A-Basin tomorrow - SNOW... HEAVY AT TIMES... CAN BE EXPECTED IN THE FRONT RANGE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS FROM TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. SNOWFALL RATES UP TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR CAN BE EXPECTED DURING PERIODS OF HEAVIER SNOWFALL. THIS EXTENDED TIME FRAME OF HEAVY SNOW WILL ALLOW STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS TO REACH 18 TO 36 INCHES IN MOST LOCATIONS... WITH A FEW SPOTS IN THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS EXPECTED TO SEE AS MUCH AS 4 FEET OF SNOWFALL.

Whew

Well, I've been busy lately. Working Avs, Mammoth, Nuggets and concerts non stop. WTF am I thinking? This all started as a way to see shows at Red Rocks and I've dropped into the machine that sucks the life force out of people on the low rung of the socioeconomic ladder. I feel sorry for many of these folks. One guy the other night went on about how he just got his disability approved and he was about to get a check for the previous year's benefits. He went on and on about how he was going to buy a condo, a Harley and a pickup. As he was standing right next to me I pretty much had to listen. On and on he went. All his grand plans. He couldn't stand it any longer when I didn't pry as to how much he was getting so he felt compelled to share with me the amount of his windfall. $12,000. No, I'm not missing a digit. It was like he hit the lottery.
Anyway, the Nuggets are in the playoffs and I'll be working on teh 300 level which means I am an Usher and tell people where their seats are. I pretty much watch 80% of the game and I have a great view.
The last two nights I worked at the Fillmore (it's 1 mile away so I can walk there) for a show featuring Fall Out Boy. There were 5 bands playing each night (no, 50 Cent wasn't scheduled) and it was a teenage girl's dream show. Good grief. Shoot me. I ended up guarding the tour busses after the show which also involved keeping the autograph seekers on the other side of the rope. Shoot me with a 12 guage. Got home at nearly 2 am.
The RMAC is hosting a Beach Party at A-Basin this Saturday and I'll be there. Should be fun although the weather will be sketchy. Might get some fresh snow so skiing may be good. I'll let you know how it goes.....
Getting all kinds of hits on My Space from former classmates as my 25 year reunion is this summer. I'm thinking of going.

Nuggets

Watched the Nuggets beat the Thunder last night. Was sent backstage after the game to help guard the locker room entrance and got to see the players and coaches up close and personal. Not that personal, but close enough to trip them! Chauncy isn't that tall (but a super nice guy to say hello to a rent a cop) but Nene is. Wow - big dude. And Mello's bling was crazy. Must have been $250K on his wrist and pinkie. Karl looked like he was going to stroke out. More hockey, lacrosse and hoops on tap through the weekend. AND it looks like I'll work the playoff games for the Nuggets. Now if this gig paid $50/hr I'd be happy. But alas, it doesn't..........

Ski Bum

Well, the season is wrapping up. Too soon as usual. We have a RMAC Beach Party at A-Basin on the 18th which will make it 28 times I've hit the slopes this season. And that's with a horrible March (warm weather). I sure was spoiled last year. Ray broke his ski last week at Breck - split the edge in two and popped his P-Tex. I know - it sounds like a medical condition!

Looking forward to backpacking this summer as well as heading to Utah at some point before it gets too hot. One thing I've learned is that Ohio has nothing on the crazy weather scene. 80 one day and a blizzard the next. Head up to the high country and see some really crazy weather. Ray & I came down the hill last Friday and encountered some of the worst weather I've seen. Roads were horrible and two jack knifed trucks created a multi car pileup outside of Silverthorne. That closed the Eisenhower and another pileup towards Georgetown added to the misery of Front Rangers trying to hit the slopes. Many turned around. Glad we were going the other way.

I've been to many Avalanche games and a few Nuggets & Mammoth (LAX) as well as some concerts at the Fillmore right up the street on Colfax. The Mammoth put on a great show - highly recommended. Rockies opened up with a loss to the D-Backs - big surprise there - and I can get $10 tix to the games. I don't care how bad they are - that's a good time.

Last time at Vail for the season?

Ray & I made it to Keystone Friday and had some of the best conditions of the season. Decided to hike up to Erickson Bowl. It was 1.5 miles uphill. I figured out I'm not likely to be a candidate for backcountry skiing. We had the best lines with untracked POW in months. Ray is jumping off a cornice at Erickson Bowl in Keystone (I followed) and I am jumping off a cornice at Sun Down Bowl in Vail. The other shot is a line we took down Erickson. Note the lack of tracks ;) only critters before us.

Hit Vail Sat & Sun as well. Sat was a blue sky day. Had some great runs! Happy Hour at Mezzaluna then hit the hot tub.

Blizzard Conditions Expected; Travel Discouraged Noon-9PM

Bring it on!
8-15 Inches In Denver, Up To 2 Feet In Foothills

UPDATED: 11:00 am MDT March 26, 2009
[NEWSVINE: Blizzard Conditions Expected; Travel Discouraged Noon-9PM] [DELICIOUS: Blizzard Conditions Expected; Travel Discouraged Noon-9PM] [DIGG: Blizzard Conditions Expected; Travel Discouraged Noon-9PM] [FACEBOOK: Blizzard Conditions Expected; Travel Discouraged Noon-9PM] [REDDIT: Blizzard Conditions Expected; Travel Discouraged Noon-9PM] [RSS] [PRINT: Blizzard Conditions Expected; Travel Discouraged Noon-9PM] [EMAIL: Blizzard Conditions Expected; Travel Discouraged Noon-9PM]
DENVER -- Call it the snow-pocalypse, the March Blizzard 2009 or the Spring Storm. Whatever you call it, it's going to be a storm to remember.

The snow has already started to come down but the worst of it is expected to hit between noon and 9 p.m., when flakes will fall at a rate of an inch per hour.

Although the metro area is expecting a foot of snow -- it's not the amount of snow that's worrisome. It's the wind.

The snow and gusty winds will create whiteout conditions that will make driving anywhere extremely treacherous or even impossible. Travel on the roads are HIGHLY DISCOURAGED between noon and 9 p.m. today. Expect hazardous driving conditions all over the state but particularly on the Eastern Plains and along Interstate 25.

A BLIZZARD WARNING is in effect for the Denver Metro and along the Front Range. The warning begins Thursday at 6 a.m. and extends to Friday at 6 a.m.

Very windy conditions will create blowing and drifting snows all over the state, with strong wind gusts for as high as 50 mph expected. In most areas, there will be sustained winds of 20 mph to 30 mph. Whiteout conditions will be common is most areas as the snow starts to fall.

Heavier amounts of snow are expected on the south and west sides of Denver, including in Ken Caryl, Highlands Ranch, Parker and Golden -- where up to 20 inches will be possible.

Storm totals in the foothills will range from 1-2 feet by Friday morning. The Palmer Divide is also looking at about 1-2 feet of snow through Friday morning. Up in the high country, snow started falling heavily on Thursday and continue through Friday with snow totals expected to range from 1-2 feet, mainly areas east of the Continental Divide.

Current Snow Totals

As of 10:30 a.m.

*
* 7 inches -- Boulder
* 6 inches -- Broomfield, Lyons, Nederland
* 6 inches -- Evergreen, Lafayette
* 5.5 inches -- Longmont
* 5 inches -- Westminster
* 4 inches -- Fort Collins
3 inches -- 7NEWS Studios

We have missed most of the storms this season, but this storm will not miss the Denver area. The low pressure center of the storm will cross central and southeastern Colorado today and tonight, and put Denver and the northeastern plains in the prime location for heavy snow.

Snow began falling in the mountains Wednesday night and spread across the foothills and Front Range urban corridor early this morning. The heavier snows started falling in Denver around the morning rush hour and will now continue through the day.

So far this winter, Denver has only recorded 18.8 inches of snowfall. The record for the least snowy winter is 20.8 inches set back in 1888-89.

This storm has a favorable track to bring heavy snowfall to the Front Range. The storm track for this system will move it through southern Colorado - a better position to bring snow to the metro area. We should have a good northeasterly wind -- an upslope -- that will increase the moisture along the Front Range.

The snow in the high country is welcome news as the recent warm weather has thinned the snowpack. The storm should push the average snowpack back above normal across the mountains.

All quiet on the Western Front

It's been so warm and dry that I haven't even thought of skiing for nearly a month. With the weather forecast calling for snow we might hit Vail this weekend. Other than that I've been working sporadically on odd jobs trying to make a few bucks. No good leads and nothing much on the recruiting front as of today. Anybody need a room painted, their dog walked, car detailed????

Space Station module named Colbert

WASHINGTON (AP) — NASA’s online contest to name a new room at the International Space Station went awry. Comedian Stephen Colbert won.
The name “Colbert” beat out NASA’s four suggested options in the space agency’s effort to have the public help name the addition. The new room will be launched later this year.
NASA allowed write-ins, and Colbert urged viewers of his Comedy Central show, The Colbert Report, to write in his name. And they complied, with 230,539 votes. That clobbered Serenity, one of the NASA choices, by more than 40,000 votes. Nearly 1.2 million votes were cast by the time the contest ended Friday.
NASA reserves the right to choose an appropriate name. Agency spokesman John Yembrick said NASA will decide in April but will give top vote-getters “the most consideration.”
In addition to Serenity, NASA’s suggested choices were Legacy, Earthrise and Venture.

Frisco

Just got back from three days in the high country and need to run to the airport soon to drop Hamish off while he heads to San Fran for the weekend. I'm headed back to Vail til Sunday and will visit with Ray, Lisa, Nate, Terry, Bruce and Nathan. Had a great day at Vail yesterday and jumped off a sweet cliff in Blue Sky Basin. I stuck the landing too. On my shoulder...
Talk to you next week!
Oh yeah - I signed up on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1263222317&ref=profile#/profile.php?id=1263222317
Hope to connect with a few friends!
Talk to you next week....

Hamish in Denver

My good friend Hamish is visiting from Hungary for a week so I'm putting on my tour guide hat. Started off with a walk around the park then a visit to REI downtown then took him to LODO's for a rooftop beer. We stopped by the apartment to figure out what to do for dinner when his phone rang. His two friends from Budapest had missed their flight from Salt Lake City to Kona with no more flights until the next morning. So we told them to hop on a flight to Denver. Picked them up an hour and a half later then I scored a reservation at Table 6 for the Denver Restaurant Week's $52.80 special. Had a blast although the 4:30 am trip back to DIA sucked.
Next stop - Red Rocks for the afternoon. It was a nice warm day and we hiked the lower loop by the Trading Post them walked around the ampitheater and even ventured beneath the stage. Had a Blue Moon at the Visitor's Center on the patio out back. High was 67!
Back at the crib Ray stopped over then Lisa & Nate dropped in from Albuquerque on their way to Frisco for a week of skiing. Ambereen and I made a great dinner and it turned out to be a party. Good times for sure.
Hitting the links today as it'll be 70. Headed to the high country tomorrow to ski for a few days and I think we scored the Vail condo this weekend.
Hey, if I'm not working I may as well have fun, right?

Powder day at A-Basin

Had to take a powder day off from work (conducting a search for a Manager of Business Development and Financial Planning for a Denver area hospital - if you know anyone like this let me know!) due to 8" at A-Basin. Ray called the night before and we made a game day decision on Wednesday morning. No traffic, no lift lines and plenty of fresh! Hit double blacks all day. Montezuma Bowl was great!

SKI SKI SKI!!

We headed up to Breckenridge to stay for the three day weekend. Made it to Breck three days in a row. My legs are sore..... Had some visitors and some good times. Weather was nice and the snow was much better than last weekend. Still not nearly as nice as it was last season. I told you I was spoiled after the dumping we got last year!!

I've been summoned for possible jury duty tomorrow. I'll know after 5. I'm OK with performing my civic duty but am still surprised I've been summoned already. I mean, I registered (in Colorado) to vote last year and have already been selected?

My friends Lisa & Nate are going to be in Frisco next week on their annual ski trip. Remember, I went to Utah with them last year. How convenient they will be in my back yard this year. Ray & I will visit them for a few days. Another friend of mine, Hamish, is visiting from Hungary starting this Saturday and will be here for a week so he'll ski as well. Should be a great week.

End of Hiney Gate??????

I read this in today's Dispatch -
Holiday Inn to become 480-bed OSU dormitory

By Mike Pramik
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Ohio State University’s community development arm has reached a tentative deal to buy Holiday Inn on the Lane and close the campusarea hotel on March 31.
Harper Hotels Inc. would receive $19 million from Campus Partners for the 243-room hotel, which the university wants to use as student housing. Campus Partners is scheduled to complete due diligence on the transaction by Feb. 27. If it decides then to proceed with the purchase, the deal would close at the end of March, said Doug Aschenbach, interim president of the development group.
The Holiday Inn is a Lane Avenue landmark that for decades provided lodging for families of OSU students, Buckeyes fans and people doing business with the university.
But with several south campus dorms set to undergo repairs in the coming years, the university sought out the extra space.
Campus Partners plans to spend $4 million to $6 million to convert the hotel into a 480-bed dorm. Aschenbach said it’s possible the dorm will be ready by fall quarter.
The Holiday Inn also is widely known as the home of Hineygate, an OSU football-related party featuring live music. Aschenbach said Hineygate’s fate is uncertain.
“Our first issue there is determining when students will occupy the building,” he said. “That will allow us to evaluate options that may be available on continuing to host Hineygate.”

What the hell? Are you kidding me? There will be no reason for me to visit Columbus ever again!!! Well, other to visit Stace & Chris. And all of my friends. And to go to the football games. ANd to get my stuff. But seriously! I have many many memories of the Holiday Inn on the Lane. It's a travesty!!!!

Acura update

Got the car back last Friday after two weeks in the shop. It looks like new! They did a great job with the repairs. I tried to negotiate a deal with the repair shop to cover my deductible and he agreed to do some additional work instead. The side mirrors and door handles were painted as they were faded pretty bad. He also got State Farm to pay to have the hood repainted. Cathy's friend Henry owns a car dealership and referred me to a tire shop and they gave me a 10% over cost discount. The wheel / tire combo I selected was less than what I was given to buy OEM wheels so I more than made up for the deductible. All in all it worked out great. Icing on the cake is the off street parking I secured with a friend who lives nearby. Picked up the garage door opener today. When I picked up the car the security feature on my car stereo had been activated so I called the company and after answering several questions they walked me through the activation sequence so I have tunes again.
So Stace - no need to root through the storage unit for that CD ;)
Headed to Breckenridge yesterday and was disappointed with the conditions. It was thin and icy. We only stayed for a few hours then headed back. Ran into traffic so we caught the frontage road to Idaho Springs where we had lunch at the Tommyknocker Brewery. Had a buffalo burger with a beer. They were out of the Cocoa Porter on tap already but I picked up a 12 on the way out. Great beer! Scored the condo at Breckenridge for the long weekend so looks like we'll head up Friday. Hope they get some snow by then.

WOW! What a great day

THe forecast called for sunny skies and a high around 70 so I shot out of the crib and headed to Red Rocks for a hike. Took some cool pics and had a great hike. It was so warm I was sweating. Got back to the car and drove to Fossil Trace in Golden to play 9. Got there early and sat on the patio for a bite to eat. Hit the range then headed to #10. Was paired with a guy named Kevin when the started called to us to wait. This guy came strolling down the hill with his pull cart. Teed it up and smacked it down the fairway. Turns out John was 75 and was walking 18. Mind you, this isn't a flat Ohio course. Major hills everywhere. This guy could play too! I started off poorly but regrouped. Had one of my 3 birdie putts lip out. Played from the tips too. That R7 Draw was a great gift - thsnks again Dad!!!!! I actually played one fairway shot from a snow bank. I wouldn't recommend that. This is the course where you can see dinosaur tracks next to hole #11. Way cool. Aslo saw a coyote strolling across the #1 green / fairway when we approached #18. Keep your pets close! FInished 18 with a bomb of a drive right down the middle, an great 8 iron then stuck my lob wedge to 1 foot. On of the best shots I've ever made. Made the birdie putt. Then I had to high tail it to the Pepsi Center for the Avalanche game. Got to watch the entire game and got out early so I joined a few buddies from Red Rocks at Brooklyn's for a special 2 for 1. All in all it was a great Thursday. A little cooler today with a chance of snow this weekend. Hope it gets cold - ski season is in full swing and Lisa & Nate will be here in tho weeks for their ski trip. They're the couple I went to Utah (stayed with them in NM as well) with last year. They're staying in Frisco at the ind of the month so I'll ski with them for a few days.

Car update

Woke up on Monday to find a ticket on my rental for expired tags. WTF? Are you kidding me? I could have been pulled over at any time over the past two weeks. Idiots. I stopped by to pick up the new registration yesterday and decided to swing by the repair shop to see the wheels and check on the progress of the repairs. Looking great! It almost looks as good as new - I'm not kidding - and the wheel / tire combo looks better than what I had. My friend Henry hooked me up with the Manager at Paris Tires and he gave me the 10% over cost discount. I'm trying to secure off street parking to keep it out of site. It won't last a month on the street looking like this.........
Looking for a high of 65 - 70 today.
What to do...what to do.

Groundhog Day

Hear Ye Hear Ye
On Gobbler's Knob this glorious Groundhog Day, February 2nd, 2009
Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Prognosticator of all Prognosticators
Awoke to the call of President Bill Cooper
And greeted his handlers, Ben Hughes and John Griffiths
After casting a joyful eye towards thousands of his faithful followers,
Phil proclaimed that his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers were World Champions one more time
And a bright sky above me
Showed my shadow beside me.
So 6 more weeks of winter it will be.

I've never been so excited!!!!

Super Bowl party

The party was a hit - great time had by all. Great game and a pretty funny commercial that hit home - http://superbowlads.fanhouse.com/quarter3/Bridgestone-Moon_Dancers/2409760

Hope to get my car back this week. Looks like I'm working the Avs game tonite as I have some free time.

Silverthorne

Just got back from skiing at Winter Park on Friday and Keystone on Saturday. Great weather and had some fantastic runs. Came down one run at Keystone like a bat out of hell. I bet I was going 60 when I hit a catwalk which at that speed is a jump. Flew through the air and landed like it was powder. What a feeling!! I'll post pics later but I'm throwing an impromptu Super Bowl party and guests will arrive in 30 minutes.

Stranahan's

Ray and Kerry turned me on to Stranahan's in Denver. Every few weeks or so they have a bottling and for helping out you get....a bottle! I had nothing better to do today so I signed up. Good times! Cool place and great whisky. They were overstaffed so after an hour they gave me a bottle and said "good day". Ray and I then took a self-guided tour....and found the mother load.....