Emily's Fun House

As you likely noticed from the picture, Graham is here! We have a fun, full house and I have a full-time Henry sitter. Coming home to a tired dog instead of dog ready to go for a long walk is pretty nice. And when I want to head to Denver for dinner with Bryce, Graham and Henry veg together and watch movies.

Last weekend I bought something I had wanted for a while...golf clubs! I've been to the driving range twice and Bryce and I plan to play nine holes Saturday morning. So far my golf knowledge is mostly Internet-derived so a lesson might be in order before I develop a bunch of bad beginner habits. After driving the beverage cart at a golf course for two years in college, I thought it was high time I actually learned to play the sport. And hanging around serving beer automatically gives you some good skills, right? Osmosis? Okay, maybe not.

Work is keeping me extremely busy and I have learned a host of new skills in the past few months. From e-mail campaigns to setting up AdSense accounts and monitoring Google AdWords systems, my marketing ability has increased tenfold. And I'm very lucky to have some great girlfriends at work! We've spent some great afternoons eating sushi and going shopping.

Tonight Bryce is coming up to Boulder and we are making dinner at Chez Moi with Graham. Should be a fun, relaxing evening and...best part...tomorrow is Friday!

Wine recommendation: Monte Lindo Argentina 2008 Bonarda. This was honestly one of my favorite wines I have tried for a long time! It was dry but fruity and extremely easy to drink. There is no alcohol taste whatsoever which is one of the reasons I am not a huge Cabernet fan. It's a gorgeous deep, dark purple and if you don't like oak or smokey wines, this would be an excellent choice. Best part: you can find it for about $11!

A year ago this week...

This time last year many of us were graduating from college. It's hard to believe only a year has passed because things are so different from Wednesday Chapter nights, Pita Pit, keg beer and finals week.

While I can't speak for my fellow '09 graduates, personally, I feel so far away from that world. Is it because I don't live in KS anymore? Is it because of the long hours and often high stress of my job? Is it because I was so desperate to be in a more mature place when I was in college? Hard to say. But looking back, I've learned a lot and as a note to the 2010 graduates, here's some lessons for your first "real world" year.

1. Apply for jobs like it is your job. Set a goal for yourself and sit at your computer until you have submitted that number of applications. Do it every single day. Things rarely fall into your lap so make searching for a job a full time job.

2. Go out on a limb. In this tough job market, you might not get to be the graphic designer at a large advertising firm or the project manager at a hospital. In other words, landing your first- choice career right out of college is pretty rare. So be willing apply for something that presents an opportunity for growth and see where it takes you.

3. Get a dog. Nothing teaches you selfless responsibility more quickly than a puppy! You learn to get out of bed when they need to go out or clean up the mess that is sure to result. Plus, a dog offers companionship if you...

4. Move away. Granted, I don't mean cross country but get as far away from home as you are comfortable. For some, this might mean 5 blocks and for others it might mean 2,500 miles. Go where feels right and don't look back.

5. Visit friends. I have been so lucky this year to visit my amazing friends! During your first year out of college, taking the time off of work to jet off to visit friends is very worth it.

6. Start drinking good beer. Bud light, Natty light and Keystone are now in your past. Upgrade. Really.

Congratulations to all the 2010 graduates!

And for all of you with pups, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! :-)

Finally, a wine recommendation: if you're ready for a sweet summer wine, check out the amazing Vouvray offerings this summer. Amazing Vouvrays come from the Loire valley (this type of wine is a France-specific and made from Chenin blanc grapes). I recommend a demi-sec or Moelleux (the two middle of the road options on the sweetness scale) Vouvray. A sparkling Vouvray can be an excellent alternative to champagne! Enjoy!

It's all in the details

Isn't it always the little things that matter most? Routine and unplanned, you gotta take pleasure in the details. I decided last weekend when Henry got to take his first swimming trip of the year (see picture to the side) having a dog really increases your daily dose of laughter.

But there are so many other small things that make a mundane more fun. For me, a great movie, time to read my book, French press coffee and new running shoes have added serious enjoyment to my last few days. Plus, the weather is getting warmer, the weekly farmer's market is open and I got a grill! So much to enjoy this summer.

Next weekend I am jetting out to St. Louis to visit Paige! We are in for SO. MUCH. FUN. I have been incredibly lucky this Spring to visit a lot of friends! :-) Unfortunately, I'll be missing two weddings of good friends next weekend. Kelsey (former Pi Phi president, for those of you in the K-State crowd) and my friend Crystelle (a long time friend who lives in Utah) are both tying the knot on May Day. Two great couples who will be enjoying BIG events in less than a week! Congratulations to Crystelle and Jeff and Kelsey and Jeremy.

So while I was sitting thinking about my wine recommendation of the week, I had to poke a little fun at Bryce. A newly minted wine connoisseur, he is discovering the wonderful world of wine. But...he is obsessed with one small vineyard in California and I'm getting a little worried that if it isn't a 2007 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir (particularly from the wine maker Bogle), he isn't going to like it! My new mission: get him obsessively hooked on another variety. Next up: Syrah/Shiraz. So one final Pinot Noir recommendation: Rodney Strong 2007 Russian River. Yeah, that's right, it's pretty good stuff.

A wonderful week to you all!

Snowboarding and Slot Machines

Hey all!

I hope April is showering you with fun and happy times! It seems April is the month of birthdays. Bryce turned old, Henry turned 1 and a few other friends celebrated various ages in between.

For Henry's b-day he got a trip to the groomers where he came out looking like a lion as opposed to his normal punk rocker look. Henry+blow dryer= poof.

For Bryce's b-day we had a wonderful Italian dinner with his family followed by a fun weekend. Saturday started with a trip to Breckenridge for snowboarding and then the fun continued at one of the Blackhawk casinos! Somehow we managed to gamble for over four hours without losing money despite neither of us being experienced blackjack players. I think my friend Ally had it right when she said, "Don't put anything on the table you aren't willing to lose and stay away from those bloody slot machines!" Wise words.

Another exciting piece of April news is my long-awaited furniture delivery! At the beginning of March I bought a new bed and switched my queen bed to the guest room. To make a very long and aggravating story short, I just was able to get it delivered last week. Luckily, it was worth the wait! It's a big, wooden Pottery Barn bed and I promise to have some pictures up soon.

Wine recommendation of the week: At Bryce's birthday we had a great bottle of red and a wonderful white. In the spirit of summer drinking, I'd recommend the apple-y and sweet white! It was a 2007 Orvieto Classico from Orvieto, Italy. Fruity and delicious Orvietos are easy to find for under $20. If you aren't a white drinker, the 2006 Chianti Classico goes great with rich Italian food, red sauces and chocolate desserts!

To end this update, I'd like to recommend some food for thought. We watched the Michael Moore documentary called Capitalism, A Love Story over the weekend and it is a must-watch for any informed American. Whether you agree with Moore or not (past works include Sicko and Fahrenheit 9/11) it is an eye-opener to an imperfect system where the imbalances in wealth and ownership grow ever-wider. I'd love to hear what you all think of it so feel free to post comments here!

Thinking of you all,

Em

Springing into Spring

Hey guys and gals!

We in Boulder had our first 80-degree day yesterday! It was a fabulous day for dog walking and made me sad to be inside all day!

And speaking of being inside, work has gotten incredibly busy. I've now worked there almost eight months and this is by far the most work I've had come at me at the same time. Even though there aren't enough hours in the day (I get there at about 7 and leave just before 5) the days fly by.

Right now I'm loving...

1. Hootie and the Blowfish- wonderful summer music

2. My car finally got an oil change along with every-other-liquid-change. Poor thing had been neglected so now I'm enjoying driving in general more since I know it's in better shape.

3. Riding Bryce's motorcycle with him. Super fun and he got me a helmet, safety first :-)

4. Wine. As you might know, I'm a pretty staunch red fan but summer is a good excuse to dapple in some whites. When I find great ones, I'll post them up here but right now the favorite at my house has been Bogle 2007 Russian River Pinot Noir. Hard to find but worth the search. Kamiak makes a fantastic California white that is a sav blanc and chardonnay mix that'd I would recommend as well.

I am SUPER excited to visit my family in just two days! Hiking, biking with Graham, eating at Nic's and testing out my parent's new addition on their house is going to be a blast. And after this trip....get excited to hear about my next voyage! At the end of April I'll be off to St. Louis to visit Paige for shopping, dining and a full weekend of girl talk!

Henry will be one year old next week so I hope the weather is perfect for a dog park visit. Be thinking of him April 3!

Lots of love to you all.

Visits and Visiting

These beautiful spring months have been the months of visits and visiting! First, I have to again thank Rachael and Mark for being fantastic tour guides during our visit to North Carolina! We ate some wonderful southern food, played a little Guitar Hero, strolled around the Wake Forest campus and spent time catching up. What a great weekend!

Another visit during late February/early March was our family friend Cait. Cait was visiting the University of Colorado on the last of her many college admissions visits. I got a text from her the other day saying she has narrowed it down to two schools and CU is at the top of the list! Best of luck to her while she makes a lot of tough choices.

And currently, I have another visitor! My long-time friend Meghan is here with her 6-month old pup Autumn. Henry and Autumn are an absolute riot. From getting each other in trouble to stealing toys and food, they are having a blast and I think Henry will be very sad for her to leave. As for me and Meghan, I am enjoying the company, girl chats and live in Henry-sitter and she's enjoying her last college Spring Break! Meghan also got to meet Bryce over the weekend for some beers, wine and chili. It's going to be a fun week!

The next visit is going to be a trip to sunny, beautiful Arizona! As a little surprise, I bought tickets for Bryce and me to visit my parents and Graham the first weekend in April. So we will have three days of fun in the southwestern sun! As a little pre-payback for meeting my parents, Bryce is determined that I meet all of his family before we leave. Conveniently, they all live in the Denver area. So far I've met his dad, one of his sisters and two cousins and I'm sure he has more family times lined up I don't even know about yet. :-) They are all wonderful so bring it on.

Lots of love and warm, sunny weather to all of you!

5280

5280. It's the height in feet of Denver. It's the name of Denver's magazine. It's how many calories I consumed in the first 45 minutes of dinner last night. It's also how many calories I ate in the second 45 minutes. It is 5280 restaurant week. Yum.

Each year for about two weeks, all the fine dining establishments in Denver open their doors with a special prix fixe menu and about five choices for each of three courses. From the Capital Grill to the Broker and from Fago de Chao to the Melting Pot, they all participate in this gluttonous affair. And it is sooooo good.

Last week we hit up the Broker, an upscale steakhouse where seating is entirely in the vault of an old Denver bank. Great steaks, great ambiance, and it was great to hang out with Bryce as well. (especially because, again, I know he's reading this)

And then last night we went to Oceanaire Seafood Room. Great wine list and absolutely five-star service. Phenomenal place!

I know it does weigh into my opinion that my significant other lives there, but the Mile High City is really starting to grow on me. Denver is fun, clean, urban and still navigable.

Other updates: Cait had a great visit and loved CU! She still has one more school to hear from before she makes her decision. This Friday is the big NC trip! Good luck with your tests this week Rach! We are thinking of you.