What Happened To Free Airshows?

I've been able to see about 15-20 air shows, and all but the last couple have been free. The common theme with the recent air shows that charge for admission...Colorado. For some unknown reason, any air show in Colorado wants to charge you 4 months pay to get in. I thought the whole purpose of air shows was to attract the younger generation into flying. So the last few air shows have been the Broomfield air show, charging around $20 to get in. It's the same show every year, so this year, our whole family decided we didn't want to pay $22 per person to see the same show. I thought, we'll use the money we're saving there and go the Blue Angels show out in Grand Junction this September. I forgot in my plan that this show is in Colorado, $20 admission. That's on top of gas money. That's alright though, despite the costs, the Blue Angels show will be well worth the money. Here's a link to the show if you want to check it out.

~wt

Which came first - Peter or Matthew?

Hi All,

A little labor day history mystery for ya...

While most sources, even the Department of Labor, credit Peter McGuire with the origination of Labor Day, recent evidence suggests that the true father of Labor Day may in fact be another famous union leader of the 19th Century, Matthew Maguire.

According to legend, Peter McGuire stood before the New York Central Labor Union on May 12, 1882, to suggest the idea of setting aside one day a year to honor labor. McGuire believed that Labor Day should "be celebrated by a street parade which would publicly show the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations."

Peter McGuire was a young, though well-respected, union leader. A child of immigrants, he quit school at an early age to go to work. In 1881, he founded the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, which would become the largest trade union of the time. Later, McGuire would join with his friend, Samuel Gompers, to found the American Federation of Labor (AFL). Through the AFL and the Carpenters, McGuire led the great strikes of 1886 and 1890, which would eventually result in the adoption of the eight-hour workday on the nation's agenda.

Recently, however, evidence uncovered at the New Jersey Historical Society in Newark reveals that another respected union figure of the day, Matthew Maguire, may quite possibly be the man behind the creation of Labor Day.

In the 1870s, Matthew Maguire led several strikes, most of which were intended to force the plight of manufacturing workers and their long hours into the public consciousness. By 1882, Maguire had become the secretary of and a leading figure in the Central Labor Union of New York.

According to the New Jersey Historical Society, after President Cleveland signed into law the creation of a national Labor Day, The Paterson (N.J.) Morning Call published an opinion piece entitled, "Honor to Whom Honor is Due," which stated that "the souvenir pen should go to Alderman Matthew Maguire of this city, who is the undisputed author of Labor Day as a holiday." This editorial also referred to Maguire as the "Father of the Labor Day holiday."

So why has Matthew Maguire been overlooked as the "Father of Labor Day"?

According to The First Labor Day Parade, by Ted Watts, Maguire held some political beliefs that were considered fairly radical for the day and also for Samuel Gompers and his American Federation of Labor. Allegedly, Gompers did not want Labor Day to become associated with the sort of "radical" politics of Matthew Maguire, so in a 1897 interview, Gompers' close friend Peter J. McGuire was assigned the credit for the origination of Labor Day.

Retrieved form http://www.dol.gov/laborday/history-maguire.htm

Have a good holiday weekend!
Allison

College Football

Fall is right around the corner which means College Football is upon us. The College football season starts tonight with some lackluster games unless of course you are a fan of the teams playing. I am excited for this upcoming season as once again the Oklahoma Sooners are one of the top teams and have a very good chance of playing in and winning a National Championship. Now the question is where can I watch the OU games at? They usually aren't on tv here in Denver, Colorado :(

Dale

So Long Summer

September is right around the corner, and although it's still hot, I can feel Summer slipping away. The days are getting noticeably shorter, kids are back in school and stores already have their Halloween decorations for sale.

Summer is, by far, my favorite season. It's not that I hate the cold, it's just that the rest of the year isn't as awesome. I'm powered by the Sun, and the short days and cloudy skies of winter just really stink.

Instead of sulking about the upcoming months, I'm going to list some things I'm looking forward to.

Halloween - I love decorating and handing out toys to all of the cute kids in our neighborhood.

Fashion - As much as I hate Fall and Winter, I really love the clothes and accessories. Layering is the best and I have a closet full of scarves!

Thanksgiving - Who doesn't love eating until they can't move?

Snow Ball Fights - The Toddler is old enough to pummel with snow this year. Should be pretty awesome.

Soups and Stews - A big steamy bowl of goodness just isn't the same when it's hot outside.

Christmas - My family is driving over from Arkansas to spend Christmas* with us this year! *Actually, they're spending the week before Christmas with us, but it's still the same level of awesomeness.

Hot Chocolate - Best drink ever invented.

New Years - Last year we celebrated New Years in Central time because we're old people and can't make it to midnight. This year will be awesome...maybe.

Snugly Pajamas and House Shoes - Yes, house shoes. Not "slippers"...Allison.

Super Bowl - I will admit, I don't really enjoy football, but I DO love Super Bowl snacks =D

Seed Starting - Some veggies just do better when you start their seeds indoors. Hopefully I'll have a garden full of veggies next year. I just need to learn how to can.


What are you looking forward to in the upcoming seasons?


-Shala-

Like Code? Got stuff to do?

Hi All,

I hope everyone is finding themselves in a happy place this Friday afternoon.  Found a cool little tidbit on the Interwebs that I thought I would share with all of you.  I am continuously keeping lists at work of things I need to do, trying to rearrange and prioritize, but I always wish I had something online so I don't tear through so many post-its or notebooks.  *Que bright, shiny lights*  Then I found Holly - A true nerd's to-do list creator.  Enjoy my friends - https://hollyapp.com/

Allison

Surprisingly, It Gets Easier

This week I started riding my bike to work instead of taking our car. I made this decision for a few reasons. Not only does it save money, but also wear and tear on the car. It's 40 minutes less of car pollution a day, GREAT exercise and I don't feel as stressed out or tired when I get to work (I hate Colorado traffic).

Monday, on my way to the Old Will Knott warehouse, I thought I was never going to make it. I was so tired, my legs were on fire and I was sucking in wind like the World was running out. There were hills I had to zig-zag up, I stopped what seemed like a hundred times and I stayed in the lowest gear pretty much the entire time. Oh, and I got passed by another bike.

Yesterday was a bit better. I made it up hills without crying (I never really cried, just wanted to :D), I was able to stay in second gear for most of the trip and I got to work a little bit earlier.

Today was great. I left my house the same time as Monday and Tuesday and got to the warehouse 10 minutes sooner. 10 minutes doesn't seem like much, but it's a crazy difference. I was able to power through most of the inclines though, I admit, there's still one that kills me. I even hit third gear a few times.

My point is, it's crazy how fast your body adjusts to exercise. I did my test run a few Saturdays back to see if I could actually make it 7.5 miles and it was so hard. Now, it's no big deal.

So, if you're just starting to exercise and you feel like it's too hard, keep going! It gets easier!


-Shala-

Sweet, Sticky Goodness

I recently found out that honey is not only delicious on toast, delightful in tea and a great sub for sugar in tons of recipes, but it can also be used as a gentle face wash.

I was reading a blog post about honey over at www.marksdailyapple.com the other night and one of the readers commented that she uses honey as a face wash followed by almond oil for moisture. She said that before she started washing with honey her face had pimples, red patches and dry areas, and now she doesn't even wear makeup. Holy cow! I thought about how awesome it would be to have skin nice enough to go without makeup, so I gave it a try.

I noticed a difference with the very first wash. My skin looked bright and it felt so soft. I didn't have any oil to follow up with, but I didn't need it.

The important thing is to use raw, unfiltered honey. It acts as a natural peroxide and has antibacterial properties that clean up the bacteria on your face. Just remove your makeup if you wear it, wet your face, put about a teaspoon of honey in your hand and rub in small circles. Leave it on your face while you finish up your nightly routine, (you know, brush your teeth, floss, change your clothes, etc...) and then rinse. It comes off easier than I imagined. Finish up with a splash of cold water to close your pores and you're set! You can also use almond or coconut oil to moisturize when you're finished.


If any of you give this a try, I'd LOVE for you to share your results!



-Shala-

Got NutterButter?

Well I have a new addiction to go along with my Red Bull addiction. NutterButter cookies are my new addiction. They are peanut butter sandwich cookies that are delicous. I just can't get enough of them. They are high in calories at 250 calories per a 4 pack. Since Peanut Butter is a key ingredient they aren't all bad but still not what I would consider healthy eating. Yet I still eat a pack a day. So beware if you haven't tried NutterButter cookies that if you do try them you may become addicted.

Consider yourself warned

Dale

Bicycle, Bicycle!

So, starting Monday, I'm going to be riding my bike a lot and I've been looking for ways to replenish my electrolytes without drinking nasty, chemical laden sports drinks. One of my friends recommended lemon, baking soda, salt and maple syrup mixed with water. Another said that raw coconut water with chia seeds is great, too. I took a look online and celery stalks blended with an apple was popular, but I think I'll pass on that.

I currently have an effervescent powder with minerals and electrolytes that I use, but it's a little on the expensive side. What do you use to replenish all the good stuff you worked out?

-Shala-

It's Hot!

So, this Summer has been pretty darn hot and our electric bill is the proof. Since our last bill, we've been looking for ways to cut costs while keeping cool.

A few things we've been doing, (which we should have been doing all along) is turning off our power strips that hold our tv, game consoles, computer, monitor and more. Every night, right before bed, those puppies get switched off. We also have our router and modem on a timer that shuts them off at midnight. We unplugged our microwave, since it never gets used, and keep all of the curtains closed to keep the heat out.

I read that a good thing to do is insulate your garage door, so we might save up to do that. I might even break out the trusty old tin foil to cover our windows :)


What do you do to keep cool when it's scorching outside?

-Shala-

Wake Up!

This week has been an extremely exhausting week so far.  I am officially addicted to watching the Olympics, and thus I don't get to my grad school work until around 11pm.  Between the late bedtimes and my dogs crying about every other boom of thunder, this has been making for some very tired mornings.  So, I found this entertaining blog detailing ways to naturally wake up -

How to Manipulate Your Body to Wake Up

No tired excuses now, huh?!

Allison