House sitting again

I spent a little over two week’s house sitting again. It is nice to get away from home for a while. One couple is a regular that have a nice place across Colo Blvd from the Museum and the other couple lived close to Downtown near 12th & University.

I loved being down town because I don’t live there but it also was awful. I realized I don’t like close quarters and constant noise. It is funny if you consider I was looking at apartments or houses downtown.

I was reminded why I don’t have pets. Tiny animals that beg when you open any type of food or follow you around all the time annoy me. I forget how independent I can be.

I realized how much I love driving by the mom & pop restaurants or hole in the wall places but how I’m not motivated to enter many of them. It is a love from a distance type thing. I did make it to the Tattered Cover bookstore one rainy night and another night I made it out to Paris on the Platte (been a steady hang out over the years for various groups of friends). As I left Paris I walked halfway over a bridge that crosses I-25 and watched cars pass below me. I realized I like down town Denver but maybe not enough to live there.

My Nephew at the Zoo!

My sister sent me some recent photos of Noah's first trip to the Zoo. Enjoy!

Work, work, work

A few weeks ago a friend of mine was changing careers. Alot of his friends were excited for him as he was entering the police academy. He thought he would enjoys the profession, make more money, and do something new & different. A few days into the training for the new job he realized he wasn't serious about the new profession nor did he share the same level of enthusiasm or commitment as his fellow cadets. He quit that day and fortunately he was able to get this old job back. In the process he learned alot about himself.

He and I have talked many times about work. We have talked about everything from doing something we enjoy, working in a healthy environment, working with good co-workers, believing in your company or co-workers, vacation time, frustrations with customers or customer service, and barriers to growing or moving on to something else.

While all this was going on a co-worker of mine has gone on vacation and I'm helping cover for her. I didn't plan to cover most of her work but ended up doing alot of it. I wasn't planning on being a leader for my already swamped co-workers but I took on that role. I wasn't planning on doing tons of data entry or computer related work that required me to sit in front of PC screen all day. I definately wasn't planning on meeting with my supervisor to give an update about our workload and recieve a few kudos from her. To look in my supervisor's eyes seeing she was pleased and hearing I had done well made me realize every conversation about work I had with my friend didn't matter. How much money you make, having postive or fun co-workers, enjoying what you do or how much vacation time we get, none of that really matters. What matters is doing a job well and making people happy.

I can't wait to talk with my friend about work again because I have something really great to tell him.

Fantasy Football

When I was high school I was in line to sign up for football try outs. I was so skinny they just laughed and told me to wait a couple years until I filled out. They wouldn't let me sign up.

So my revenge on being shunned by playing football is playing fantasy football...well isn't really revenge...not even the relieving of a dream really...growing up I played soccer....so technically that is my revenge...or when I hear someone yell gggoooooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaalllllllllllllll

anyway it's that time of year again. The funny thing is I was never into football growing up. I didn't know how the game was played nor did I watch. Didn't follow the broncos even though I met a few while working at Chuck E Cheese (One day I will tell the sad but funny tale of how Chucky E Cheese was beat up by John Elway's kids). I just never got on the football fan bus and over the years I noticed everyone else has.

It's funny how you get into something and it opens up doors. It is easier to talk with some guys when you have something in common or something to talk about. I can finally watch a game with my dad and have something to say besides "Is there anything else on?". And it allows for competition and every man to enjoy the thing men enjoy more then most things...winning.

I started playing fantasy football because I wanted to learn more about the sport and the players. Now I just want to win...

...and come up with crazy team names. I have a team named Mad Koala Bombs and another team called Naked Burrito Monsters...and they shall WIN!!!!!!!

Two nights ago

I dreampt I was a teenage mutant ninja turtle who was working with local law enforcement on various undercover surveilance activities. A group of little old ladies were on to us and to keep from blowing our cover we had to pretend we were a brazilian dance troupe touring the U.S.

Not sure what caused this dream...maybe it is because I started drinking coffee every day.