2010

It's a little too early for a post on New Year's resolutions, but I had to convey my EXCITEMENT over my visit to Kansas City! I'm looking forward to seeing you all and ringing in the New Year in style.

This will otherwise be a short post because snow melt is all that's happening right now.

Date news: last Saturday was fun but with no lasting potential. Going out with someone new in the next week!

Work news: things are still going well but have been slow lately. Glad to have some fun freelance work to keep me busy.

Bathroom updates: a few of you may have heard that my other bathroom got remodeling a little bit sooner than I would have liked. After a flood, it is nearly 100% put back together, thank goodness.

Henry: gosh, he's gotten so big! The not-so-little guy is constant entertainment and still growing!

Boulder news: my new favorite thing is driving by the dog park on my way to work. At 7 AM after a snow, the park is full of...cross country skiers! That's right, as soon as snow hits the ground people bring out their skis and the dogs run along side. In the morning there are probably on average 75-100 skiers.

Other: went to see the Nutcracker at the Denver Opera House. Super fun! Will definitely be going back for future ballet and symphony performances.

Have a wonderful week and you're all in my thoughts! Warm wishes!

New Scenery

Hope you like the new layout! Just sprucing things up a bit in here for the holidays.

And speaking of holidays...I hope all my faithful readers had a rock star wonderful Thanksgiving! Henry and I ventured to sunny and dry Arizona to visit my family. Yes, that's right, there are no longer any Aldredges living in Kansas. My parents flew the mid-western coop only 3 short weeks after I did and are loving Sedona, AZ.

So how did we get to Arizona for Thanksgiving? A plane. And did Henry fly? Absolutely. If you remember a few weeks ago I went on a little rant about small, yappy dogs getting to fly in the cabin and my well-behaved Henry flying down below. Well, it actually went surprisingly well and Henry was an ANGEL. Not only did he ride the shuttle bus with me from the parking to the terminal, but he walked through the terminal, up the escalator (Will Ferrel in Elf- style: he was totally spread out over about 4 steps) and right to the check in. Flying with a large dog ranges from $100 to $200 each way and Henry's kennel weighed it at $150. However, they said if he grows an inch he will need a bigger kennel. Pretty sure he's already grown that much since last week.

It was great to see my family and Henry was a very happy grandchild.

Other news: I have a date Saturday night from my Boulder dating thing! I'm sure more will be posted on the results of said date next week so be watchin' for that.

After chatting with a bunch of Kansas friends, I am trying to work out a way to visit for New Years! I can't imagine a better way to celebrate 2010 than with all of you! So, if I can get a day or two off of work, I will make the long, boring journey down I-70 for a few glasses of champagne and some overdue time with my girls.

Love you all and have a wonderful week!

And away we go!!

Wow the comments on my facebook and my blog about my new dating shenanigans! Loved it! Glad to know you are all on board!

So, as promised, a first update and a little more info about how the system works. This past Saturday I went to the organization's office for the photo session. I really like the idea that all your info has to have a CURRENT picture with it that is only minorly retouched. I could definitely see Photoshop being used as a dating tool, if you know what I mean. They told me before the photo shoot I could bring any props I wanted so...what did I bring? Henry! Henry came along and Mr. Photogenic took some super cute pictures. I pasted one on here for you to check out.

After getting your pictures taken they load it all into your profile immediately so you can start selecting guys you want to meet (everybody's local so it won't involve starting a long distance relationship) and they can select you. No cheesy pick up lines, no weird phone calls, and no phone numbers given until you both tell the system it's cool.

The breakdown so far: # of guys who have selected me: 5, # of guys I have selected: 0, although I did send a message to one who looked pretty cute and had a lot going on.

There seem to be quite a few more guys than girls in this age bracket but very few (so far) that fit all of my specifications.

Oh well, I'll just have fun going to the events and see what I hear from my already-messaged man!

More to come!

xoxo

Deal Breakers

Our week of 60-degree weather broke last night and we have 5 inches of snow on the ground! Henry is back in "snow mode" and if you have ever wondering what true frolicking looked like, you should watch him play in the snow!

What a week of ups and downs for my friends. From losing friends to engagements and from happiness to sorrow, it has been hard to be far away the past few days. My thoughts are with you all for both your celebrations and your sadnesses.

Of course, the biggest celebration was Kristi and TK's engagement! Congratulations again! What a great couple. After I told my office friends about their engagement the conversation immediately switched to single life. This past week I broke it off with the guy I had been dating. It was headed down a very nice and very boring road I had already traveled. So, with me added to the list of single ladies at the office, we decided to join Boulder Singles. Apparently this group I only recently heard of schedules everything fun in the city. From wine tastings to pub crawls and from sushi nights to swing lessons, we are going to (hopefully) be meeting tons of cute single guys!

This is absolutely not something I would normally do. But after ending it with the person I was dating I decided if I heard one more pick up line I might go crazy.

So that confession brings me to the title of this post: Deal Breakers. When we joined the club (which I would like to note is not online dating as much as a group social party) we filled out paperwork naming everything from "would you date a smoker?" (never) to "what are your ambitions?" (working on that one) to "what are your deal breakers?" Good question. What is the list of traits that would be an automatic "no" for you? Liar? Constantly late? Talks with his mouth full? Drinks? Lives at home? Took 7 years to get a 4 year degree? Doesn't drink? The list could go on and on.

So I scrawled out my list of "deal breakers" mostly basing these traits on past dating experiences. I'm sick and tired of settling. Settling for someone who is nice but not interesting or who is fun but annoying or who is cute but not witty or who is witty but socially retarded.

I used this list of deal breakers as my relationship "never will settle again" list. Why go out with a guy 5 times only to discover he is egotistic? Why even talk to someone if you will only discover he hates dogs?

This adventure into the weird and new world of non-bar dating should be quite interesting. I should have some fun updates around Nov. 22 when we go to our first event! Stay tuned for Boulder Dating Entertainment!!

The Ideal Boss

After my last slightly philosophical post about snowy days, I thought a little lighter post was in order! So with the snow melt and warm weather, here is my idea of "the ideal boss".

I have had some really wonderful bosses in my past jobs. (Marlys, this is for you!) I have also had idiosyncratic, power mongers for bosses. Currently I am very lucky to say I work with some wonderful people. In all fairness to any boss I have or will have, studying leadership in college trained me to be particularly astute to good and bad leadership characteristics. However, in all fairness to me, I work best when I am left alone and given a lot of responsibility.

The first and foremost quality of "The Ideal Boss" is security. This isn't necessarily job security (although that can be a factor) but instead self-security and enough confidence so they don't feel they need to assert their authority to their "inferiors" constantly. I think people who aren't secure for whatever reason tend to be the bossy-bosses who constantly feel the need to put-you-in-your-place.

Along with enough self-security lead with a light fist, bosses need to be trusting. They hired you because you were the best candidate for the job and therefore they should let you do your job. Micro-managing and constant "hovering" does not produce quality work, it produces employees who rely on being told what to do without thinking for themselves. Computer programmers often say that if they were constantly left alone, the work they could come up with would be better than their employer's most brilliant idea.

Even if your boss isn't an expert in your field, they need to be pretty darn intelligent. Intelligence comes in many forms and one of the best ways for an employer to be intelligent is to ask you when you know more than they do. Not feeling threatened by your skill set is important and should be a compliment to them that they hired the right person.

But besides being smart enough to ask you for an answer, they should be an expert in their own field.

Good people come in many forms and there is no cookie cutter great boss. Many people have trouble letting their employees run with an idea or aren't trusting enough to give people space to work. But no matter what, "thank you" and "please" are the most important words in an employer's vocabulary.

And speaking of bosses...

I know so many of you are fans of "The Office". The other day at my office we took a poll to see who would rather work for Meryl Streep in "Devil Wears Prada" or for Michael in "The Office." EVERYBODY chose Michael.

So here is some classic Steve Carrell as Michael.

"Michael Scott: My proudest moment here wasn't when I increased profits by 17%, or cut expenditure without losing a single member of staff. No no no. It was a young Guatamalan guy, first job in the country, barely spoke a word of English, but he came to me and said "Mr. Scott, will you be the godfather to my child?" Didn't work out in the end. We had to let him go. He sucked."

Peace on Earth

Is there anything more peaceful than fresh snowfall? The tranquility, the solitude, the silence. A perfect world in white with only the tips of the fir trees showing. It makes Christmas music acceptable (even in October) and seems to clean the world to start afresh. Candles scented like pine trees, hot apple cider on the stove with cinnamon sticks and Henry trying to eat the pumpkin I was carving are memories from this year already.

Halloween begins the holiday season and for many of us this is the first year we don't live with our parents while celebrating the holidays. Henry and I will be flying to Arizona to spend Thanksgiving with my parents and Graham to continue our holiday traditions. I'm currently in the process of making my case for them to visit me for Christmas- 65 and sunny just doesn't say "sleigh bells and mistletoe" like 30 and snowy.

But even though I will be flying to my parents, I no longer live with them. Henry and I are creating new traditions with new friends and neighbors. Henry, with the discovery that he loves pumpkin, has created the tradition of eating ALL of the pumpkin carvings. It's strange to buy decorations and think you will be using them next year. In college we bought chintzy 99-cent decor that would be thrown out when we moved to a new place. But now I will be in the same place for the holidays of 2010 and will pull out my holiday mat again.

But back to Peace on Earth. The pure and peaceful beauty of 10 inches of snow at sunrise today was a retrospective reminder of where I am now compared to the first snowfall last year. I am in a different state, a different state of mind and feel the peace that is only possible with contentment. I am finally content with who and where I am and, while I might now know where I am going, I'm just not too worried about it.

So as the snow in Boulder melts, I want to wish the solitude, peace and beauty of a perfect, white world to each of you.

When do you ever see "100% chance of heavy snow" as the forecast?

With 5 inches on the ground and total accumulation expected to be close to 15 inches, we are officially having our first big storm. Henry is a huge fan so expect more snowy pictures tomorrow! For your entertainment, I pasted the weather report above.

Shower of love

The long-awaited shower remodel is finished and I'm thrilled! Not only will I be able to turn around without hitting my elbows, but it won't leak and looks a million times better! Enjoy the before and after pictures.

Paige, my friend from K-State and Paris, flew out for a weekend of shopping, eating, drinking and girl talk. Perfection. Henry and I loved having her here and I think she had a great time as well! I also officially realized (as if I didn't know before) that I am such a senior citizen when it comes to staying out after midnight. Between getting up for my job and waking up early with Henry on the weekends, my life after 10:30 is nearly non-existent. Thanks to Paige for getting my rear in gear for a night of fun after midnight!

And with her departure today, Paige will end my string of fall visitors but as soon as big snow arrives at the resorts (They only have a few feet. Only. haha) I will be getting visits from my skiing and boarding buddies!

Lists have been all the blog-craze lately so here's a fun one: Things I'm "into" right now...

1. Raisin-colored nail polish

2. Taking off said nail polish after sign of first chipping

3. Saving $$ for a pair of Old Gringo cowboy boots

4. J Crew striped button downs for work

5. Local beers

6. Searching for the absolutely ideal coffee shop

7. Taking Henry on a new hike each week

8. Learning new Final Cut Pro and In Design techniques for work

9. Working my way through all 5 seasons of Boston Legal (current DVD: Season 4, Disc 3)

10. Making new Boulder friends

Thanks for reading, enjoy the new pictures and cheers to the K-State win on Homecoming!

Love and Happiness,

Emily

Joy from Mom

She came, she saw, she left, she got stuck on the plane, she came again and she left. That was about how fast the visit with my mom went! Although the scheduled visit was a short one, she gained an extra day when her plane had computer trouble and instead of sitting on there for 5 hours while they fixed it she came back to my house and spent the night!

It was great to have her here and "grandma" and Henry had a blast. We ate at the Brasserie, shopped on Pearl, hiked the mountains and more. We actually had a few laughs at Henry as the "granddog" and when my mom said what she would like her grandkids to call her my response was "Mom, Henry can't talk yet. He's a little behind..."

Our next rendevous will be when Henry and I fly to Arizona for Thanksgiving! I'm excited, nervous and aggravated about taking Henry on a plane but more on that later.

Right now I am looking forward to my next visitor: Paige!! For those of you who don't know Paige, we met on our K-State trip to Paris and have been friends ever since. I pick her up from the airport Friday night for another fun-filled weekend!

Recently I had a request to write about life in Boulder. What a great idea as my last Boulder-specific post was months ago.

So, by popular request, a list.

"You Know You're From Boulder When..."

1. Boots are year-round acceptable footwear

2. When people ask you what you do for fun you respond with a list of outdoor activities

3. You look at people's license plates when they cut you off driving. If they are a tourist you let it go. If they are from CO you honk

4. You know the busiest place at rush hour isn't the street, it's the Whole Foods grocery store

5. Buying non-organic is harder than organic because EVERYTHING is organic

6. Smoke in the air is no longer cigarette smoke. It's always that other smokable substance...

7. You get mad when your dog can't go somewhere because everywhere is dog-friendly. (Seriously, the Ann Taylor in Boulder allows dogs)

8. Seeing a "McCain for President" sticker is like seeing a three-legged person: you better take a picture because it doesn't happen often.

9. People take pictures standing in the street where you park because it's that pretty.

10. Dredlocks don't make you do a double-take or even go "whoa, look at that guys hair". TONS of people have them.

11. And finally...you know you're from Boulder when you feel very lucky every day. :-)

A few updates

Hello all!

Gosh, it's been a while. After the first snow, it warmed right up to a beautiful 60 degrees two days later!

Updates on three fronts:

Mom's visit- The snow melt is perfect timing for my mom's visit this weekend. I believed her when she said she would cancel her ticket if snow was predicted. The forecast is sunny skies and unseasonably warm temperatures at 70degrees.

Bathroom Remodel- So Henry and I are excited for "grand ma" to visit and I am VERY excited for my bathroom remodel to be finished! I will post pictures of the final product next week when the tile is dry. While it is not cheap to remodel a bathroom, I'm a girl and I love my bathroom and it needed some serious TLC.

Work- I am so lucky to still be enjoying my job. I realize not only how lucky I am to be doing something I like but also to be using my college major.

And quasi-related to work, law school! I officially turned in my application to CU law yesterday. It was a strange feeling of mixed emotions to drive through campus. Do I want to be a student again? Do I want to pay to do something instead of being paid? Should I give up my job? What exciting jobs would be open to me post law school graduation? Lots of thoughts. I'll keep you all posted on the application process as it rolls along. Right now my thoughts go out to Princess Alice as she prepares for law school finals!

So...who is getting excited for Full Moon (Twilight 2) to come out in November?? I am!

Boston Legal quote of the day/week/blog post:

"Denny Crane: You hear the one about the fella who died, went to the pearly gates? St. Peter let him in. Sees a guy in a suit making a closing argument. Says, "Who's that?" St. Peter says, "Oh, that's God. Thinks he's Denny Crane."

Judgy-wudgy was a bear

After reading (and posting a ridiculously long comment) Julie's blog about the latest homeless American Girl Doll, I couldn't help but wonder are we as Americans digressing each day? In a country where Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerburg, Larry Page and others invented extraordinary pieces of technology, (if you have googled and checked facebook today on your Mac you've used all of their products) how can we cultivate a generation of little girls who want $100 dolls that are supposed to be homeless people? This is a serious lack of good judgement and someone needs to be judged for it.

I was talking to a new Boulder friend this weekend about the difference in how Europeans judge people vs. how Americans judge people. In Europe, particularly Paris, citizens sit at sidewalk cafes for hours for the sole pleasure of picking apart the passerby. Is this rude? No. It's the culture. Now many of us have sat at Starbucks, the Classic Cup on the Plaza or any other sidewalk cafe and commented "cute shoes" when a girl walks by. But what if our comment was "Elle ne sais rien" or which would basically translate to "Did she look in the mirror?" We would be considered rude. This judgment is why Paris is the capital of the fashion world- people look in the mirror before they go out.

So my point: what if we applied the same judgmental attitude to our intelligence? Would we become the intelligence capital of the world if people knew they would be judged for being deliberately stupid? I can only hope a store clerk somewhere is thinking "Elle ne sais rien" when she sees a mother buying a homeless American Girl doll for her 8-year-old.

Americans are judgmental in their own way. When President Obama went to Denmark to lobby for the 2016 Olympic Games to come to Chicago, we judged. We called it "Obama's Olympic Mistake" when he didn't "succeed" by getting the games in his hometown. We are very judgmental.

It's high time we started to be judgmental for the right things, like a lack of good judgement.

God, sex and money

I could have copied Julie's last blog post title of "thoughts" but I thought two things: first, if you don't read something entitled "god, sex and money," what will you read? Second, these ARE my thoughts; my thoughts on relationships and how to make them work.

Before I begin I have to give credit where credit it due. These three things came from my parents former dance instructor who said she heard from a psychologist that all you need to figure out to make a relationship work are those three things: God, sex and money. THEN, when my dad was the preacher at a wedding this August (yes, you read that correctly. He was ordained on the Internet, not kidding) he imparted this wisdom on to the happy couple.

So, let me begin. If you can figure out those three things, you are set. Notice I did NOT say if you "agree" on those three things or if you can "compromise" on those three things...as we all know agreement and compromise are unfortunately not parts of many relationships. Instead you simply must figure them out and discover where the other person stands on the issue and if you can handle (without trying to change) their stance on it.

First, there's God. Now if you are part of a non-God-fearing religion, you could substitute the "God" part of this post with simply "religion" or "spirituality". But at some point in every relationship, you will need to come to terms with the religious beliefs of the other party involved. And speaking from experience, do this sooner rather than later.

Second, there's that biological function that makes the world go round. It's how we got here but God forbid (pun intended) we don't think too closely about we particularly got here. If you can't figure out the details surrounding sex (ie- when, where, how etc.) it's going to be a constant battle.

Third is, as my dad said in the sermon, the root of all evil. Surprising that in a happy relationship you should be addressing the root of all evil, but things are going to get ugly if you can't figure out the when, the where and the how much of spending money. It's obvious that if you're dating the chronic overspender and you're a "save for a rainy day" person, it won't work but there are other money-related disagreements out there. What if someone starts making more money (the woman, perhaps???)? Will the significant other be able to handle it?

So, happy spending, happy snogging (for you HP fans) and happy churching. :-) Good luck and don't forget the three rules.

Finally, since so much of Boston Legal revolves around God, sex and money, where would we be without the quote?

"The law says if you shoot somebody with a shotgun mistaking him for a quail, you really should call the police. We're cowboys judge. we do what we want, whether its starting wars, changing daylight savings time, We like to play it fast and loose in this country, making it up as we go along."

-Who else but Alan Shore?? :-)

Not gonna lie, I'm kind of impressed

Well if any of you read the comment on my last blog post, you will know Comcast contacted me to offer a promotional package with - get this - just HBO and the local channels! I'm still thinking on it but might get it...

Either way, I'm pretty impressed.

Yesterday was one of my favorite days so far at work! Things rolled right along with all of my projects and everything seems to be making progress. There are 3 other 22-24 year old girls in the office and we are all going out for drinks after work tomorrow! But don't worry, none of you are being replaced, EVER! xoxoxo

The bathroom remodel is coming along as well. I've ordered the tile and the guys are going to start around the beginning of October- great timing to coincide with a paycheck. :-)

Boulder Weather Report: Monday was the last official day of summer nationwide and Mother Nature made this very clear to Boulder residents! When I talked to someone 15 minutes away on the phone at work she made the announcement: "It's snowing here!?!" The mountains (called the "high country" to locals) got the first big snow and other areas got flakes. For us, it stayed about 40 and just rained. My exact assesment would be that the last few days have felt exactly like Halloween (or Homecoming, for you K-Staters!) in Kansas. But, never fear, it's supposed to be 75 next week!

I'm looking forward to my next guest visit- my mom! She is leaving the boys to fend for themselves and coming out to visit her granddog (aka- Henry) and me Oct. 17. Should be a fun visit! More on that to come.

Well stay warm, stay happy and get ready for the Boston Legal quote of the day:

This quote is dedicated to Princess Alice who is missing some class due to H1N1 (or some equivalent). It is the Alan Shore way to practice trail law and if you've watched BL, you will know it's extremely effective.

Alan: Trust me?

Sally: I do.

Alan: And because you trust me, you'll believe what I'm about to tell you.

Sally: I will.

Alan: That's all it is.

Sally: All what is?

Alan: Trial law... ...

"Dear Comcast, You are no Fair"

This is the beginning of the letter I would like to write to Comcast. See, the problem is I would like to get HBO and the 5 local channels. That's it. I don't want Better Home Gardening channels because I don't have a garden. I don't want sports channels because I don't watch sports. I don't even want the Food Network because they have an excellent website and I can visit them online. All of these superfluous channels come with HBO (where True Blood is playing as we speak) and I don't want any of those channels.

As for the local channels, I would like to watch the Bachelor when the new season starts in January and the news while I get ready in the morning.

Comcast, is this too much to ask?

The future of my television debacle will be covered in a future post...Wish me luck! :-)

In honor of fairness, here's another one of my favorite Boston Legal quotes:

Alan Shore: Let me tell you two things about myself. I too am a lawyer, I can be terribly vindictive, and I do not play fair.

Lester Tremont: That's three things.

Alan Shore: See? Not playing fair already.

The Misses and the Hits

I would like to begin by saying just how much I have enjoyed reading everyone's insightful, inspirational and often downright hilarious blog posts! While I like knowing people are following me, I get much greater satisfaction from following you all.

There have been posts on love, life and change, (something these combined= breakup) and jobs and money. Because this year I had one of the biggest life-altering changes and moved out of Kansas, this post is dedicated to choices...and making the hard ones.

One of my daily calendar quotes (it's call the "rage-a-day inner bitch calendar, if that tells you anything) said "There isn't such a thing as balance because you know sometimes your job needs you and sometimes your kids need you. So just try to stand up for whatever the right priorities are at the right time." Wise words from your inner bitch.

Many of you know my last year in Manhattan I was getting a little more than cynical. I was tired of the frat boy-binge-drinking-Aggieville crowd and I was tired of the "highest" culture being considered the KatHouse Lounge. Most of all, I was tired of people telling me how much fun I was missing out on in Manhattan. Was I missing fun? I guess the answer is relative but my answer is a definite NO. So...it was time to make a choice.

Yes, I chose Boulder for the law school but I knew when I moved there was a chance I wouldn't be attending for a year. Turns out that chance became a reality and it's a good thing I picked a town I actually wanted to live in sans law school. Moving was the best choice I could have made. For my own sanity and for my current and future happiness.

The true test of whether or not a choice was right or wrong could be your regret level a few weeks after. Regrets here? Nada. My only regret might be that I didn't go to CU for undergrad. However, that means I wouldn't have met all of you so that is not a regret at all!

Regrets I do have from school:

- Not stretching my mind more (thank God for French)

- Not telling people to bugger off when they asked me to go to the bars...again

- I should have gotten Henry a year ago- although my landlord prevented that!

- Not realizing you can't date someone just because they are nice

But, shoulda, woulda, coulda. It's all in the past and the present is...well...great! :-)

Remember: it isn't selfish to need a big change, it's often just what you need to get back to being YOU.

The Glory of the Weekends

I would first like to admonish Princess Alice for addicting me to a new show. Not only is it probably going to require getting cable to keep up with Season Two, but I am wracking up Itunes fees while I catch up on Season One. What is the show? True Blood- a rated R version of Twilight. Love it.

Anyway, one week down of work! It was nice to begin with a three-day week since I really hit the ground running. I am lucky to work with an extremely pro-active, intelligent and organized computer programmer so I think things will be great.

Henry is handling the new job very well too! He absolutely loves the PetsMart Hotel and RUNS for the door! The sweetest girl named Amber has taken a particular liking to Henry and so I usually take him on days she is working. This morning Henry and I spent some special time together at the farmer's market downtown. Henry loves it because he gets a ridiculous amount of free samples and attention and I love it because it helps him practice walking close to me in crowds.

And, finally, the Boston Legal quote of the day: (For this one you need a little Star Trek background. William Shatner (aka- Denny Crane) was the star of the show Star Trek, hence the reference in this post).

Alan: "This book "A Stain Upon the Sea' it's all about these sea lice." Denny: "Interesting." Alan "They call them cling ons." Denny "Did you say Klingons?...

Newly 9-5

The long-awaited day of entering the "real world" has come and gone and somehow, I don't feel different! It was a successful, albeit long, day and I think this job is going to be a great fit.

Although I can't divulge all the projects I'm working on (not because they are classified but because that is terrible blog etiqutte) I can say I am working on web content and improving a variety of different websites. My "titre officiale" (official title) is Multi-Media Content Editor and I have my own little office and AWESOME Mac monitor!

I knew going in the biggest challenge of this job was going to be "speaking" the language of computer programmer. I spent a long time getting to know the tech team yesterday and they are super knowledgeable and very fun.

And finally, for the decision on the bathroom tile...the winner is... TILE NUMBER TWO!!! Thanks for your votes!

And the Boston Legal-ism of the day:

Alan: I'm a man of principles...
or not.. depends really on the situation...

--James Spader as Alan Shore

Who is your flamingo?

Again, a lovely reference to the greatest show on Earth: Boston Legal. In season 1 Denny and Alan dress up as flamingos together, complete with huge pink heads, wings, tights etc. (For the full effect, see photo below) For the rest of the series Alan and Denny, whenever they aren't getting along or need a friend to "pick them up", they reference that they are each other's flamingo.

What is a flamingo? Well, that's something to be answer by the individual. An acceptable definition may be someone who is willing to do something silly with you. Maybe a better answer is the other half to your Oreo, the stripes to your pajamas, the match to your candle. So today on this glorious Monday off, ponder the following: who is your flamingo?

(After winning a trial, addressing the media): "So many questions. One at a time, I'm only human. Actually I'm not, I'm Denny Crane"

--William Shatner as Denny Crane

Help me pick my bathroom!

Hi girls!

My first paycheck will be going to remodeling/fixing my dilapidated shower. So...I would love your help! I'm choosing between two tile options shown at left- one is darker with smears of browns, greens and taupes. The other is lighter and natural stone with little crystal pieces. There are close up pictures of each one and the tile has to match my green bathroom!

Choice on top= #1

Choice on bottom= #2

Vote for your favorite in the poll and I'll keep you posted on the project!

Last week of: freedom? poverty? boredom? time with Henry?

Today marks less than one week until I begin full-time employment and enter the land of nine-to-fivers. I'm actually really looking forward to it! I think the combination of making some money to save and doing something productive that will hopefully help me get into law school next year is very appealing. However, the prospect of not spending as much afternoon time with Henry is sad and scary! Like any single mother I worry about two things: how I'm going to pay for the care I want to give him and if he is going to bond with someone else. :-( So far my plan is to budget in two or three trips a week to the new PetsHotel at Petsmart - since he goes to obedience and to the vet there, everybody already knows and loves him!

In the "home news" category I am going to be spending my first paycheck to remodel my bathroom! This is my first remodel project on my little place and I knew it was coming. The current shower is falling apart therefore improving my caulking skills but that's only a temporary fix. As my parents LOVE to say "it's always somethin"!

Hope all is well with everyone else. I loved reading the posts on decision making and might have to post my own soon. So far my biggest worry with this job and law school is that a year won't be enough and two years will start to look better and better.

Until next time!

New job, here I come!

It must have been all the well wishes and text messages because I got the job! Well actually, I was offered a different job than I interviewed for...here's the full story:

Wednesday was my first in-person interview with the company. It went well and I really liked the girl I talked with. She said she would like to invite me back the next day to talk with the other HR representative and potentially meet the head executives and company owner. So the next day I dressed back up and headed over for a two-hour interview which ended as a group interview with the whole company. Good thing I was psyched up for that! The executives are fantastic and super bright and I thought it went well, but, hey who knows! I got a call the next day from both HR representatives telling me they would like to offer me a job but not the one I applied for. The higher-ups in the company decided I was over qualified (their words, not mine!) to be an assistant/receptionist and were going to create a new position specifically tailored to editing, creating and researching for their technical department! Basically, it's exactly what I did for two years at the Collegian- online editing and using multi-media. Awesome! And with more responsibilities comes...a higher paycheck. :-)

I'm getting ready to fax back my signature on the official offer and I start Sept. 8! Can't wait to shop for more professional clothes!

Proud parent

Last night was graduation...tear. My little Henry is growing up and graduated valedictorian from Puppy Obedience last night. His teacher gave him a new toy (which ribbetts, grrrrrrreat) and he carried it out of Petsmart, to the car, up the stairs, into the house and then to sleep.

Not going to lie I feel a little like one of those obnoxious dog parents who dotes too much and takes too many pictures but, hey, he's my child! And speaking of pictures, his picture at graduation is to the left.

On the job front, the interview went very well! Thanks for your comments and thoughts yesterday! I have another interview with all of the employees at the firm today at 3. Fingers crossed! They said they would also be able to use my French (and 10 Italian words) because they order things from other countries all the time. Fun! On top of that, they have the most beautiful office I have ever seen! Again, if you watch Boston Legal it is just a cool as the offices of Crane, Poole and Schmidt.

Miss you all. Love you all.

Bring on the college boys!

Kidding! However I do have one thing to say for the vast majority of CU undergrad boys I have seen: nice. They are all in super good shape, mostly from out of state and very good looking. One came in the store yesterday...super cute. :-)

Anyway, since I have no interest in dating anyone under 23, they are out. Plus, I'm already living with the best looking blonde man in Boulder!

Another funny college note: have any of you former sorority girls tried to remove those white letters from your car? WOW. They are really meant to make you "Pi Phi For Life." It took me 30 minutes, paint thinner and a knife to get them off. I did leave my K-State sticker on the back, right above my Colorado license plates!

Job hunting news: I officially turned down the job at Anthropologie. I promise to still be an avid customer. No problem there! My interview is Wednesday morning so keep me in your thoughts and I'll let you know how it goes!

Love to all.

Is that really all I'm worth?

This post is a little rant/a little sorrow/a little hope all in one. I got my official offer from Anthropologie today and all I will say it was not at a salary I could live on...in Boulder. In Kansas City I would say a decent salary for college kids with part-time jobs would be about $8. In Boulder, because of the higher cost of living, it is considered to be $10. Anthropologie's offer was between these two numbers.

I kindly told the super sweet manager that I would have to think about it. I feel so bad I couldn't immediately jump at the offer but I would have to get a second (and if you count The Amazing Garage Sale, third) job just to live for a year before law school! Yikes!

However, I am a strong believer in Karma. Ten minutes after I hung up with Anthropologie I got a call from a downtown financial firm where I had applied to be the Office Manager. After the phone interview I got an offer for an in person interview next Wednesday. It would be a full-time (poor Henry!) well paying job but I'm sure there are a lot of very qualified applicants. We shall see!

Not sure exactly what I am going to do- a week ago I thought I had a job in the bag...

Home, Sweet Little Home

In the grown-up world it is a good idea to take pictures of your permanent residence for insurance purposes. And my purchasing home insurance is a funny story in itself. So I called Geico, as they already provide my car insurance, and set up a home insurance plan. I had no idea how much coverage I should get for the things inside my condo so I just said the normal amount for a condo would be fine. After I hang up I go to my mom and tell her I got SUCH a good deal on home insurance! It would only be $350 a year! Her first question was "how much coverage do you have?" I told her the normal for a condo was $45,000. Her reaction: WHAT??! What on earth do you have in that little place that adds up to $45,000? My answer: well, nothing, I just thought more was better. So after calling Geico back, I have much less (which is much more appropriate) and it is cheaper!

So, in the end, here are the pictures many of you requested of my little home in the mountains. It's very antique-full and Henry decided he wanted to be in one of the pictures. Don't let it fool you though, he hardly ever gets to sit on the couch!

PS- Most of the pictures are at the bottom of this page so you have to scroll through the other posts to find them.

I want to BE Alan Shore and MARRY Brad Chase

If you've ever seen Boston Legal you know that Alan is the best lawyer and Brad is the best looking- he's kind of like a Ken Doll with a law degree. Those are my two goals for the next ten years. Julie's blog post inspired me to post a little on marriage as I too have been invited to 9 weddings between May and November of 2009.

Unfortunately I couldn't go to all of them but I have both enjoyed and learned something at each wedding I have been able to attend. I have learned both how I want to feel on my wedding day and how I want the whole day to transpire.

In addition to Julie's post I was recently reminded of weddings by thinking back to times on the Italian beach with Rachel and Jenn. We spent hours (no joke) describing our perfect man and perfect husband. This fact alone has led me to feel that the only two things I want out of my wedding day are the groom... and the ring. But believe me, I will be much pickier about who the groom is!

And speaking of Jenn and men, Jenn and her boyfriend, AD, will be paying a visit to Boulder tomorrow and staying for a few days! I can't wait to meet him and see Jenn and pass my judgement on if he fits all the qualities she named that fateful day on the Venetian beach.

Anthropologie, here I come!

After my five minute, second interview they hired me! I get the "official call" Friday with salary offer and start date. Exciting! Although it has nothing to do with my major, it will be a fun way to make some money and spend some time at a fun store- read carefully, that did NOT say "spend some money at a fun store". I'll need to watch that! :-)

Well the other good news is related to Henry. After a VERY long week with one of those huge plastic collars to keep him from itching at his stitches (he lost his "manhood" last week) he gets to have a collar-free day tomorrow! It's perfect timing as one of his last puppy obedience classes is tomorrow night and I think he has been taking advantage of my sympathy this week.

Next mission: get a volunteer-ship at a law firm.

Interview #2 Tomorrow!

Just got a call from Anthropologie that I am asked back for a second interview tomorrow! Keep me in mind tomorrow about 1:00!

I'll post again tomorrow to let you know how it goes but so far I love all the girls I have met who work there. They all have a lot on the ball.

"Where I lived and What I lived for"

First of all, if you get the nod to Walden by Thoreau in this title, you are either a Unitarian or a little nerdy. :-) Second, this post is about work and what I've been up to!

Currently I work on Saturdays and Sundays at The Amazing Garage Sale. www.theamazinggaragesale.com

It's a super fun blend of retro and modern furniture and working for Judi keeps you on your toes!

I've applied at Anthropologie- hopefully I will have an update on the results of that interview this week. While working retail (and making money so I can actually live here in Boulder) I'm also going to intern/volunteer/provide free slave labor at a law firm. I think that will greatly help my chances of CU acceptance next year!

From talking to friends who are looking for jobs, there seems to be a consensus that you can't get a job unless you have work experience. Great for employers, terrible for college graduates. I have felt once or twice that maybe I should have spent the last four years working instead of studying and I might have a few more job prospects!

My Reading List

When I moved to Boulder I was still waiting to hear from the University of Colorado as to if I would be attending this year or next year. Well, they said next year (fingers crossed) so I applied for a few jobs...more on that later. In the present time, I have had lots of time to read so I thought I would share my reading list!

1. Bram Stoker's Dracula

2. Carl Sagan's Cosmos

3. George Stephenopolis's All Too Human

4. Barbara Walter's Audition

5. Cosmo Magazine (haha, thought I would throw that in there)

6. The Perfect Mile

7. Letters from a Skeptic

8. Voltaire's Candide

Up in the Near Future:

1. Finishing Audition by Barbara Walters

2. Beach Music

3. True to Form by Elizabeth Berg

4. Galileo's Daughter

Welcome!

Thanks to my other blogging friends and the extreme peer pressure to join the fray, I have started my Boulder Blog! Full of Colorado livin', Henry lovin' and, hopefully, time spent workin' I hope you enjoy!

I'll begin like Princess Alice: the things I have learned about Boulder:

1. Everyone LOVES the environment. While this does include loving nature, what I am talking about is protection of the environment to the point of using compost-able bags to pick up their dog poo.

2. Prius is the new yuppie car. Goodbye oversize SUVs! If you want to be a yuppie in Boulder, you must drive a Prius, preferably complete with an array of liberal bumper stickers.

3. Boulder weather is AMAZING! Just when it starts to get a little too toasty, it starts cooling down for the night. Plus, thunderstorms rolling in over the mountains make for great sunsets.

4. Everyone exercises. I will be out with Henry at noon and see people walking, hiking, biking, jogging, parasailing, rock climbing etc. When does everybody work?

5. Everything MUST be organic. Seriously. Someone in my condo complex puts carrots and lettuce out for the rabbits that live under the bushes but the rabbits won't eat the food. The standing joke is that the lettuce isn't organic so the Boulder rabbits won't eat it.

6. Last on the list is simply that I LOVE living here. Each day is fun and beautiful. And for those of you who were wondering, I have not grown dreadlocks, smoked pot or gotten a tattoo.