february 8th, 2010

with an amazing super bowl defeat from the lousianna saints, an intense few hours of rock band and a phone call from united airlines informing me the snowstorm back home wasn't going to allow me to get back till wednesday, i woke feeling well rested. the plan kate and i decided on for the day was to spend it exploring boulder.

the drive was as gorgeous and scenic as one would expect while driving through mountains in the winter time. in fact, i started telling kate i wouldn't mind those awful bitter-cold-below-zero-chicago days... if i were able to just see mountains in the skyline of chi- there's just something about the air out in CO that just makes everyone a wee-more relaxed. or maybe it's all the brewery's and higher altitude that allow for a longer buzz? whatever the case, i could get used to it.

the food in colorado is right up my alley. or should i say, kate knew exactly which spots to take me. as many of you who are reading this may or may not know, i'm a picky eater- a picky vegetarian eater at that. however you can't go wrong when you take me to a restaurant who is claiming they have the world's best grilled cheese smack dab on their menu and is connected to a brewery.... hello, perfection!

we spent most of the afternoon roaming around pearl street. although the sun was shining, there was a bit of a chill in the air, which made us wander from store to store a lot quicker. we decided that we had some extra time and would try to find the coors' brewery in golden, co to do some taste testing of the brew-has. our trusty co-pilot; the iphone got us as far as the parking lot. the bold lettered sign that was posted prior to entering clearly stated their winter hours being closed on tues/thursdays. awesome, today was conveniently a tuesday. not getting down on the fact we weren't going to get into the brewery, we turned to what had just failed us, but yet still felt it was trusty enough for another go at it---theiphone-- and within a google, we were on our way to golden's second largest brewery...   

--literally a mile away from the coors' factory, we arrived to what looked like a cottage...second largest brewery, really? we walked into a place that could seat mayyyybe a maximum of 10 people uncomfortably. luckily, we found a spot next to some friendly locals and began our taste-testing of the brews. i started with a coffee flavored beer- it started out tasting rather odd, half way through it began tasting better, and by the time i had finished the pint i was not only shaking from the amount of caffeine it contained, but also had began thinking out loud how delicious it was-- later i would read the sign saying it was 14% alcohol content.... 

we spent the remainder of daylight at the brewery that's apparent claim to fame is being the second largest-- i still think they messed up and meant smallest, but either way it was time to venture back into denver. sadly, it was time to end the remainder of the trip with one last night at some local water holes. 

yes. it may seem as if a lot of beverages are consumed on these trips that i take. (not to be alarmed, my next venture takes me to SanFran---hello wine country!) and yes, sometimes things don't go as planned, i.e flights delayed or in this past trip canceled, or even worse--- getting stuck next to snorey, mc-snore-ster who drooled. but, to be honest that's what makes the adventures so much more... memorable.

 so, as i end trip number two of 2010 with more great memories of kate&allie(plus the newest addition---ms.ophelia), my venture of trip number three---march has been booked.  

xoxo, 

simon

February 7, 2010

so as anticipated, the alarm went off way too early. we pryed ourselves out of bed, knowning there was fresh powder on the ground. we met with kelby and his girlfriend lizzie and they drove kate and i up to breckinridge through a complete snowstorm to hit the slopes. 

 

kelby and lizzie ski- in fact they are practically olympians in my eyes. kate is learning to snowboard, and doing a great job for her first season. i tried snowboarding once in my life for a weekend at ski brule- i came back with bruises in places i didn't know could bruise. so, do i ski? well, considering the last time i was sking was probably in middle school ski club, when i thought i was a pro-skier going down the black diamond mogules at nordic "mountain", then yes... however, let's fast forward 15 years, and well, breck is in no comparison to nordic---in fact, it's more like a bunny hill, if anything. the ride up to the mountain was an adventure in it's self- who knew you had gondola up, and THEN take another lift up. 

i was promised by all, that there would be no extreme runs, and we would take it easy- which i have to say, was obeyed ...up until our second to last run, when suddenly i found myself on top of one of the highest peaks, with a sign saying  'black diamond' --- that may have been the moment when i looked to kelby with complete horror that i was going to have a heart attack right then and there. that was also the moment i was thankful for the helmet that was lent to me by ash, for i pushed myself downwards to face my fear of ice, speed, and heights all in one rush  praying i'd have all limbs in tact by the end of it. somehow- the only damage that was done were the numerous bumps n' bruises that have since appeared from the day.

thankfully i had kelby and lizzie's patience and encouragement, because without that i would never have made it down, in fact i'd probably be a frozen eskimo stuck in an avalache. the best part of the whole run? kate at the end of the hill waiting with a blue moon in hand, while i came to a complete stop on my butt. great form.

after surviving my first ski trip on a real mountain, we were all in dire need of refueling our bodies. so, what better choice than some mexican eats? mi casa, for some guac and gritas. yes, what a perfect end to such a wonderful day. thank you all for the memories that i'll forever have of being at breckenridge, and surviving all the runs! 

xoxo, 

simon.

february 6th, 2010. (co. trip number two of '10.)

 my trip out to colorado began it's planning stages six months prior, when my travel-seeking, partner in crime, kate (aka emma), moved out there to start a new beginning with her life. she moved to denver in may of 09', and althought i still can't be happier for her, i have to be somewhat selfsih and say it has been hard not having her here in chicago. she was a best friend both inside and outside of our work enviroment...and that's where we will continue to keep that friendship no matter how many miles apart we may be.

so began my trip to denver. i hadn't seen kate since we said our last goodbyes in november from our australian adventure. even after working a nine hour saturday, getting on a four hour flight, eating a bag of free peanuts and a consuming a bloody mary... i was ready to go out denver style...

we headed to a bar in the capital hill area--park tavern, in hopes of meeting with another friend of mine from high school who lives in the denver area; kelby leuthold. after having a few cocktails, and coming to a finalization on our plans for the early AM to drive up to brekenridge it was definately past our bedtimes. to be awake and ready to ski mountains at 6am was going to come quickly.

xoxo, 

simon