Project 365

It starts tomorrow. You have been warned.

What better way to learn my camera and improve my photog skills (ha! skills) than by taking a picture every day for a year? I guarantee you I take more than 365 photos a year anyway, but they are in large chunks. (case in point.... previous blog post below)

So here goes nuthin'!

(Wait... it's leap year. So would it then be Project 366? Oh dear, now I'm overwhelmed...)

Wonderful day for a sleigh ride

My roommate saw this on Groupon a while ago and purchased a 4-person sleigh ride package thinking it would be something fun to do after the holidays. She's so smart. We had a wonderful time - thanks, Kate!!

Soooo, it's been snowing in the mountains, if you couldn't tell

Ready to go!

A break for hot chocolate and roasted marshmallows in the middle? This keeps getting better :)

Doc & Ted (both about 23 years old!)

Thanks, Kate!!

This was at Snow Mountain Ranch, which is a part of YMCA of the Rockies. Lori, I think I found the perfect place to stay when you and the fam decide to trek out to CO! Check out the Yurts: http://www.ymcarockies.org/smrlodging.html. Upscale camping!

CO Bearcats take 2

Last night we had our second NWMSU alumni get together, and we doubled our numbers! (Which wasn't hard to do because last time we only had 6...) When I asked for recommendations on where/when people wanted to meet in the future, among the responses I received were:

"Anywhere but here" and "I get up at 4 a.m. and I can't wait until 7:30 to eat dinner, so it has to be earlier."

Hmm. Really. My response was something along the line of, "maybe you should have a snack". (Or just go home for dinner and not grace us with your negativity.) Now why did I volunteer, again?

Shouldn't let one rotten apple ruin the bunch though, right? My favorite graduate of '52 was there again! In John's words, "Bearcats gotta hug."

#studyabroadproblems

"My dog ate my passport and my student visa yesterday. And my flight leaves for Greece on Saturday."


Yup, this is my job, people.

**Update**
I thought maybe I should provide a quick update... yes, a student's dog did actually eat her passport (w/ visa included), and yes, her flight does actually leave on Saturday. The process for obtaining a student visa for Greece is a very long process (including obtaining an FBI background check and traveling to the nearest Greek consulate to apply in-person) - hence the urgency of the situation :)  However, student is a rock-star and she was able to obtain a new passport within days, and her new visa is being affixed in her passport as I type. Seriously, Rock star! Now if only they were all like that...

Now that the holiday hubbub has died down, snow is no longer exciting, and Spring is nowhere in the near future, I remember why this time of year is tough. And I'm still working on shaping my new "normal" in CO. Not having built-in plans every weekend has been an adjustment, but it has also made me so thankful for the support system I have here in CO, back at home, and in all far corners.

Despite having a shiny, new camera I have no pictures from the last week. But there were many memorable moments- A DU alumni event that was filled with free snacks and drinks, boring (oops, was that out loud?) academia speeches, catching up with classmates, and laughing with good friends... A catch-up with London friends filled with reminiscing... And long over-due phone chats with far away friends. All good things!

And the icing on the cake? Finding the steal of 2012 at Gap today... a pair of long-enough jeans for under $10! For those of you who have ever had to endure had the pleasure of jeans shopping with me you know just how happy that makes me :) B, you are welcome to borrow them at any time!

(you know who you are!)

Squaw Mountain

First snowshoeing of the season! And the first ever snowshoe hike for both Heidi and Marlena. Thanks for braving it with me, ladies!

To all those nay-sayers in Denver... Yes, there is snow in the mountains

Our destination comes into view!

View from the top

A storm coming in, perhaps?

Signing the book at the top

Time to head back down before the snow comes!

Cool tree

Yes. Snowbowing. It happened. 

(And yes, I am in mid-pose. Think about how hard it is to run in snowshoes and pose in the 10 seconds that my camera self-timer allows!)

Back down we go

Happy MLK day from the Rockies!!

Sadbowing

replacement snug

Thank you ladies for a fantastic "replacement snug" Thursday evening! JUST what I needed to unwind from an overwhelming week. That, and the upcoming 3-day weekend! (Next time let's all make sock puppets, shall we?)

Apparently there is some big football game on tonight, so I suppose I should go watch that. The only sports paraphernalia I own is either Bearcat or Husker related... And in the theme of being honest, I don't think Broncos Orange is that flattering of a color on anyone. But bring it on! Now what's all this about Tebowing?

They even lit up the Denver City and County Building in Broncos colors - it is competition for the Husker sea of red? Not sure...

Resolutions

I'm hesitant to broadcast my resolution, because that means I'll have someone to hold me accountable. But then again, I suppose that isn't a bad thing. My New Year's Resolution is to start being more honest. With others and myself. Not that I'm a pathological liar or anything (or am I?) - I just have my reasons. But these are also good ones:

OH! And I am going to join a gym. I swore I would never be one of those New Year's gym goers, but if I'm being honest (!), I really need to join. And there are some pretty freakin' sweet deals around this time. 

la-zy

I am being la-zy today, and I'm loving it.

As you may have (correctly) assumed, I made it back from Berlin! My flight back was listed as nonstop from Frankfurt to Denver, but it actually stopped in Chicago. And it was late arriving in Chicago which led to a "fast pass" through customs via the Military/Diplomat line, frantically picking up and re-checking baggage, traveling from the international to domestic terminal, skipping to the front of the security line through the grace of strangers, and making the second plane with minutes to spare. Sneaky, sneaky move, Continental Airlines.  Luftansa: 1, Continental/United: 0.

And I forgot how much easier it is to fly OUT of the states than it is to fly back in! Passport control to get into Germany consisted of a bored-looking man who glanced at my passport and then stamp. The way back was a string of interrogating questions fired at every passenger - "Where are you flying from? Who packed your bags? How did your bags get from the hotel to the airport? Did ANYone else have access to your baggage? What have you received from strangers to put in your bags? Has your carry-on luggage left your sight since you packed it?" Now I want my plane to be safe just like everyone else does, but really, is this the best use of our national security budget?? Methinks not.

But my time in Berlin was fantastic! We had an awesome group of students and I couldn't have asked for a better partner in crime (AKA my co-leader, Georgine). We kept the students very busy, which, consequently kept us even busier! I left Germany wishing I had more time to spend there, of course, but I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to go. And NYE in Berlin? Hard to beat :)  Next time I'll buy myself a pair (or two) of Birkenstocks... international travel meets my love for hippie footwear. Perfekt.

So now I feel like I'm half on German time and half on CO time. Therefore I am still in my pajamas, watching season two of The Office, and giving myself free reign to take a nap whenever I feel like it. Productive? Nope. Wonderful? Yup.

Just a few random photos of Deutschland:

 The view from my hotel window

The top of the Reichstag dome is open-air!

:)

Plaques on the sidewalk outside of homes/offices that were owned by Berliners who were killed by the Nazi regime in WWII

Auf Wiedersehen, Deutschland! 

photoblog

.... until I have more time to add details !

Remnants of New Year's celebrations...

Free book tree!

Soggy students in front of the Berliner Dom cathedral

TV tower... they are very proud of this! I don't quite see the fascination....

Even soggier students on the way to the Brandenberg gate in the evening

They walked in the rain so I could get a group picture in front of the gate - they are so great!