Dearest Thingportants and Friday Fumblings

Dear Thingportants and Friday Fumblings,

I had high hopes for you a while back.  As usual, I created you with the highest of expectations.  Ah well.  Twisty, turny, tumbly, fumbly...

Although it's been quite a while since the dawn of Friday Fumblings, I'm in the mood to move forward.  So here's some of my new thingportants, in the "dearest" way possible.

Sincerely,
DTL

Dear Star Jones,

Get over yourself.

Dear Adobo Seasoning,
You give my cooking a little something extra every time.

Dear i-pod,

Where are you?

Dear Hair,
I think you're a little too light.  Time for some lower lights.

Dear Tucker,

It's just wind, buddy.  No need to tear up our NEW bedding.

Dear Mark,
Thanks for discovering adobo seasoning!

Dear Brayden,
Happy 1st Birthday, buddy!

Dear All My Children,

You make noon so, so, so worth it!

Dear Chamomile Tea,

Thanks for your natural calming properties.

Dear Skin,
Please, please, please stop breaking out.

Dear Real Simple Magazine,

You DO make life real simple!

Dear Camera,
Where are you?

Dear Backyard,

Don't worry!  We'll spruce you up with flowers and plants very soon.

Dear Heart,
Please stop racing.

Dear Body,
Heads up.  Many runs and hikes, including 14-ers, headed your way!

Dear Jess and Jill,

You are my sisters from other mothers. (Sounds better with "brother...")

Dear ADHD,
Never mind.  I can't remember.

Dear Sense of Humor,
THANK YOU!

Dear Android Evo,
You're welcome for the new, bigger battery.

Dear Mark,
Thank you...  You know why.

Dear Holland,

Lucas and I miss you today!  Hope you're having a blast in the mountains with your family.

Dear Lucas,

I hope your 7-month-old shots aren't too traumatizing...

Dear Denver,

Thank you for the sunshine!

Dear Chicago,

My heart aches for you...

Dear Timing and Circumstances,
You are certainly peas in a most realistic pod.

Dear Family,

I wish you were closer.

Dear F,
TGI!!!!!!!

Sincerely,
-DTL

Friday Fumblings, Vol. 6 - Tardy Birthday Tumblings, The Sarah Sturm Edition

Well, I took the week off from blogging.  I was feeling under the weather, dealing with a destructive dog, and working on some school work.  And honestly -- sometimes I just need a break.

Back to business:

It was someone's birthday yesterday, and I thought about her all day.  I didn't call her, however, because I never really have been good at timely communication.  I'm working on it...  (always...)  Well, she's my best friend from college, and I've known her officially now for about 15 years.  And yes, that makes me old, but it makes HER even older, since she's older than me  ;-)

Here she is with cute-as-a-button son, Cameron

She's my best friend Sarah.  She's sarcastic, brilliant, loving, strikingly gorgeous, and believe it or not, a little shy at times.  She was president of our class at St. Joe.  A born leader.  Star track and cross coutry runner.  Responsible, thrifty, savvy and most certainly, sweet.

And because she has such a wonderful sense of humor (hint, hint!), I'm sure she's not going to mind these college pics of us  (they are some of my most favorite memories, and I look like a shmuck in them too, so I'm calling it even):

 Christmas dance, freshman year at Saint Joe.  That's Sarah in the pretty blue dress.  Man, we were young!

In my dorm room in Halas Hall.  Yes, we were stuffing our bras.  She always loved when I embarrassed her...  Right Sar?


Oh, and here's me with her oldest, Spencer.  Such a sneaky little thing!  

I'm guessing we were rocking out to Shania Twain here.  Because we were 
THAT cool.

Well, I could go on, but I think I made my point.  She's my friend.  And she rocks.

MISS YOU, SARAH!

HAPPY

(belated)

BIRTHDAY!

Much love,

Chrissy

Friday Fumblings, Vol. 5 - How you gonna kick it?

Gonna kick it ROOT DOWN!  For some fabulous Friday fun, watch this. It's getting me through my morning...

1. We're talking root down...I put my root down.   And if you want to battle me...you're putting loot down...I said root down... it's time to scoot down. I'm a step up to the mic in my goose down!

These guys know what I'm talkin' bout!

 (Photo credit: http://dkpresents.wordpress.com)

2. Great friend Marilyn from Chicago is in Denver today and tonight.  Looking forward to happy hour tonight!

Here's Marilyn and me, circa 2002-ish: (yup, those are pumpkins!)

 And here we are, attempting our version of the Funk Soul Brother dance:

In case you don't know about the Funk Soul Brother Dance, here it is:
 

3. In honor of Marilyn's visit, we're heading to happy hour tonight at a lovely little spot in Denver called, well, you guessed it...

(Image credit: http://www.rootdowndenver.com)

The restaurant / bar used to be an old car service station.  So cool!

(Image credit: http://www.rootdowndenver.com)

I'm off to clean the house and run errands.  How you gonna kick YOUR weekend?

-DTL

Friday Fumblings, Vol. 4 - Rainy Weather OUT. Feel UNDER Weather. Definitely OVER Both.

Whine, complain, whine, complain...  Pick a preposition, it's all the same.

Just a few thingportants today and then I'm back to resting on the couch with some tea:

1. My entire body hurts.  Throat, head, bones, tummy, eyes, blech.  Perfect timing -- Colfax Marathon Relay in TWO days.

Here's me yesterday...feeling fine...

And today...  Ugh.

2.  AH!  Colfax Marathon Relay in TWO days!

3. Have run TWICE in past TWO weeks.

4. I have to run almost FOUR miles.

5. Have only run TWO recently.

6. Am determined to push through for the sake of my friend and relay team member Jill, who has been busting her patoot to run in her first ever race.  Will not let her down!

7. Had a wonderful breakfast meeting with my Pedagogy professor this morning.

8. It's hailing and raining and thundering and pouring.

9. Tucker is shaking and drooling and hiding, NOT snoring (because he refuses to eat the lunch meat spiked with tranquilizer treat I made for him!).

Attempting to move everything in my closet out of the way so he could hide in the corner...

The picture doesn't do it justice -- he's actually panting and shaking and drooling all over.  Ew.

He thought maybe THIS closet would be better...  (YES, I label everything.  No judging!)

It might look like a doggy smile, but he's really in agony.  Poor guy!   Seattle would be like suicide for him...

10. Headed to hide on the couch, myself.

-DTL

Friday Fumblings, Vol. 3 - Tardy Tumblings

Hi.  I'm tardy with my posts, but for good reason.  Traveled to Chicago and back to attend my first Bar Mitzvah!  A whirlwind, indeed, as my Chicago trips always are.  More on said Bar Mitzvah in a future post.  For now, it's time to TUMBLE!

Speaking of tumbles...

1. I should address my first Sunday Tumble Caption Contest.

AND THE WINNER IS...

Jeremy! (He's not a blogger, but he enjoys a good fall as much as the rest of 'em!)

With this doozie:

 "On a first date some women like chocolates, some like flowers, but not us. 
We enjoy the good old-fashioned concussion!" 

Sorry Jeremy, no job for me means no prize for you, but hopefully I'll be able to offer prizes soon!  Until then, will you accept this?

Thanks to all who participated!  Stay tuned for the next Sunday Tumble Caption Contest - will post another photo this coming Sunday.

 2. Finally got to meet good friend Gretchen's baby, Max!  More on him in the future (there's so many wonderful things to say...he deserves his own post!) 

Here he is with lovely Chicago friend, Michelle:

Here, he fell asleep while Gretchen was holding him...
nope, he's not eating a snack, he he!

Sooooo fun cuddling with friends, new and old! 
(Old friend, not person, he he)

 3. Here's some other random happenings from my Chicago trip, in no particular order:

                                                    Logan and Mark, in Millennium Park                  

That's me, in the Bean

                            Eli and Mark at the "Gyro Wheel" table at the retro-themed Bar Mitzvah reception

Me with the Bar Mitzvah, Logan, at brunch at Tavern on Rush

Yep...The Bean

 Me, in a cab on Michigan Ave.

 

4. I am proud to admit that I taught my young friend Caroline to plan her time using color coding and an "unschedule."  Had no idea she'd really take it and run with it, but look!  Wowzers...

 More on the Bar Mitzvah later this week.  Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!
-DTL

Friday Fumblings, Vol. 2 - Montage-Worthy Tumbling

Happy Friday!  I can't believe it's already been a week since my first Fumblings.   I must remind myself that I created Friday Fumblings as an exercise in letting go, so I'll just get to it.

Well, spring in Denver has pretty much looked like this:

And this:

 And yep, this: (watch out, Cherry Creek Mall...it looks like the end of the world is near!)

Which ultimately leads to our loyal, yet anxiety-ridden, Tucker to do this in the yard:

 Oh yeah, and this (you can't quite tell, but he heads over to dig up the area with the bushes as well! ARG!)

Oh, and if you aren't aware of what this adorable dog can do in terms of destruction...(no, not ME...he he)

Picture couches shredded to pieces, back doors scratched into splinters, and pools of nervously flung drool all over our wooden floors and carpets.  Ewwwww, Tucker.  Ew.  You'd think that since we've had him for almost four years now, he'd calm down.  Quite the contrary.  

The windy and rainy weather has, of course, summoned our lovely tulips and daffodils, which have brought us much joy amidst our doggy drama.  I didn't take a pic of them in full bloom this year, but here they are, somewhat withering away:

And that means it's yard clean-up time, and eh, well, time to get rid of the weeds as well:

And to transform our now barren back yard "gardening center" into a lively work center for the summer:

But first, both Mark and I have a lot of work to do (here's a little bit of school work I intend on wrapping up this weekend.  The rest of the table will be filled with Mark's work -- perfecting a presentation for an upcoming airport next week):

The working weekend will require lots of this (for me, anyway.  And yep, I did crochet the coffee sweater, which admittedly, I've used as a gin and tonic cozy as well):

See, told ya:

  And hopefully I can reward myself this weekend with some quality time with Jess:

Which makes me really:

Happy and content.

Thanks for reading, as always!  Hope you tumble into some fabulous weekend experiences.

-DTL