Coworkers

The last couple weeks have been very busy & stressful at work. At times I have lost my ability to focus on anything but work. I get tunnel vision and can only focus on my work load which at times like this can be an emotional roller coaster. I am lucky to have good coworkers who make me laugh and do not take everything seriously. Over the last couple weeks listening to them joke & goof off has been the one thing keeping me sane.

I use to think when people would crack alot of jokes at work or not be very serious it was the sign of a worker who would not work well. I have realized people who do those things work very well and help others to relax and work better. I owe all my coworkers a great big Thank you! I owe you more than that, like gift cards & flowers. You will just have to wait until I get a raise for monetary gifts. THANK YOU ANYWAY!!!

Suburban Snow Showing

It snowed so much I did not leave home today. I am guessing close to a foot and half but I won’t know until I catch a weather report. At one point I decided to strap on my snow shoes and hike around which was loads of fun! I noticed in a couple drifts of two feet or so I only sunk half a foot. Most of the time I did not sink too deep which was surprising considering most of what I hiked in was fresh powder. There were a couple points where I did sink very deep but only a couple. I hiked out of my neighborhood and onto the hills of a nearby park, William F Hayden Green mountain Park. At one point I had hiked into the park a good 200 feet from the road. Since I was hiking at night in a snow storm and could not see the terrain or where to go very well I decided I should not hike in any further and should hike back closer to the road which was well lit. I hiked around for 40 minutes and it was a blast. I have taken part of my new favorite sport – suburban snow shoeing.

Les Miserables

The older couple, Dave & Lori Person who own the town home of which I rent the basement, rave all the time about the play Les Miserables. They go on and on about how the story is amazing and the music is spectacular. Part of what I enjoy about listening to them talk about the show is how much passion they have & exude for this show. When the show came to Denver I missed it but I did manage to catch the movie which I hear follows the Broadway show very closely if not as an exact reproduction.

After watching the movie I agree 200% with everything Mr & Mrs Person have said about the show. If you have not seen the show go see it or the movie as it is an amazing story. This is the type of story that is epic without an epic. It is astonishing how much goes on over the course of this show. I do not like musicals but I did enjoy the songs in this one. It is odd to see characters singing in movies and through an entire movie but I got over it quick. Everything about the movie was amazing! The characters, the scenery & costumes, the singing...it is all quality work.

I was amazing at how many top Hollywood actors are in this movie & singing as well as they did to give such amazing performances!

At times the drama was so much and so gut wrenching it gets old and I noticed my mind wandering a time or too. I noticed if I did not pay attention I missed crucial parts of the story so do pay attention if you see the film. I won't give much away but I was surprised to see Sacha Baron Cohen in the film (most well known for Borat). There were points in the film where his comedy was amusing enough I laughed out loud which was inappropriate for this time of drama. It is so intense no one speaks. When the lights came up at the end of the film many people were in tears & I could hear sobbing.

I recommend the film with two disclaimers...don't laugh too hard at Sacha Baron Cohen and pay attention as the story moves quickly enough it is easy to get lost if you space out during the film.

Winter Alligator

I am going to give myself a new nickname: the winter Alligator! My skin gets insanely dry this time of year. I get so dry my skin chaps & cracks from normal wear & tear but also do to the weather. I have cracks on my fingers, my hands, my feet & my heels. I hate the ones on my feet as I have to learn to walk in an odd manner so I don't make it worse. Then I am walking funny for a couple days.

Most people come home from work, cook dinner, watch TV and then go to bed.

Not me.
I come home from work, cook dinner, watch a litle TV then soak in the tub and go to bed.

I have more lotion, cremes, and body type butters in my bathroom than most woman. This time of year I need it! If you have skin that stays moist and does not get dry this time of year be thankful! And don't laugh at my dry wrinkled hands.

P.S. Be glad you have not seen my feet!

The Hutch and the Spoon

I got out to a small Coffee shop that is north & east of downtown Denver. I have had my eye on that place for a while and it seems like I never make it out there before work but I went out on a Saturday. It is cozy with limited seating and a broad menu (they serve coffee, soda, wine, beer, tea, burritos, salads, sandwiches, soup, pizza, pasta dishes, and vegetarian dishes, and desserts.) I was really surprised at how delicious my burrito was and the mocha I drank was so yummy I almost ordered a second. I may head out there from time to time on a Saturday but I will not be able to visit consistently as it is a drive from my place (It is about ten blocks outside of the downtown area). They have early morning to early afternoon hours so unfortunately I can not visit them after work. Maybe I can start driving to work early and spend some time there?

In the mean time I am off attempting to discover food venues with wonderful coffee, food, and atmosphere. This one is worth checking out next time one is near the down town area.

Return of the mojo

A coworker I hang out with and joke over the years has lost a bit of her mojo or her attitude. She is not as funny as she use to be. For years she had this wicked sense of humor and for the last nine months or so I do not remember her making me laugh or even coming close to having any comedic timing or good jokes. Over the last week she has gotten it back. It is usually at the end of the day and she has to tease me a bit before she can come up with funny jokes. Every day over the last week she has been able to crackle a couple good jokes. She is getting her mojo back!

It is fun and exciting as that little bit of attitude or humor she carries and is able to whip out when she wants to tease me not only makes us laugh but it is spark of life & uniqueness that is symbolic of what it means to be alive. I like knowing that after she has had kids, moved around to a few different careers, and grown up she has not changed complete. She still has a bit of that spirit & fight that she use to have years ago.

I believe people can grow and change so much that you do not recognize them or they loose parts of their identify or persona that make them unique. I am not sure how it happens, if it is tied to age or experiences but we can lose our mojo.

I have noticed a few different changes over the last month. Little things I use to say or do have returned to my mind and not because I was reminiscing or remembering them. They returned out of the blue, like something I have not done for years but instinctively knew how to do. These are things that remind me of who I use to be. It is exciting to grow into a more mature person or to change for the better. It is also exciting to live and feel alive. Somewhere along the lines I lost my unique mojo and over the last couple weeks I see it returning.

I realized I also believe that we can get our mojo back. The question is: What will I do once I get it back?

My laid back weekend

Last week was so hectic I planned to not do anything this weekend. I was excited to lay around the house, maybe listen to the radio & sleep. Of course that did not happen...of course...it is always the best laid plans...

I intended to: stay home to sleep or listen to music, sleep in each morning and make myself breakfast, lounge around the house, maybe go for a walk and do some cleaning.

Instead I ended up: playing games online with some friends as it was great stress relief after a busy & chaotic week at work. Slept in Saturday & Sunday and made myself breakfast. I went for a walk, grabed some coffee, went shoping, and went to see The Impossible (it received a few award nominations and the trailer looked intriguing so I caught a matinee). I cleaned more of the house than I intended, went to a friends birthday dinner, visited my mom, hung out at bar to watch some sports, and went to a Superbowl party.

Maybe I will relax some next weekend!?!?!