Fun Winter Weekends

This past weekend was quite snowy in Denver. March is actually our snowiest month in Colorado, but Colorado has always had strange weather patterns. One minute there is snow and 2 days later it’s in the 50’s and 60’s. Since the end of winter is coming, we decided we would buy tickets to go tubing in the mountains.  I have been before and it is pretty fun. They put you on a lift with a tube and the guys at the top grab your tube rope and hurl you down the ski slope.

Unfortunately for us, the snow came down quite heavily this past weekend and the roads were bad, so we decided to do our own version of tubing at home! We call it REDNECK TUBING! My husband hooked up the inner tubes to the back of the truck and took my friend, and I through the snowy streets. I think it was way more intense than tubing down a mountain. We were being pulled at 15 miles per hour behind a truck that was spitting slush and snow into our faces.  We had to watch for parked cars, driving cars, and plowed parts of the street so our bottoms didn’t hit pavement. Dangerous…? Probably, but quite fun, and FREE! I can’t recommend the activity, since it can be a little bit dangerous, but it was a fun way to spend our Saturday. Have a great rest of the week!

Jamie

A Look Inside My Mind

Just a few headlines with my quick thoughts after.

Woods's return to No. 1 soothes golf. - Comeback of the decade.
Earthquakes shake broad swath of southern Mexico. - A massive earthquake will hit soon.
China's first lady ignites fashion frenzy. - Cool.
Home prices post sharp increase in January. - See, it's going to be okay.
Consumer confidence in US decreases more than forecast. - Oops, it's not going to be okay.
Humans wipe out pacific island birds in mass extinction event. - Nothing new.
James Cameron donates Deepsea Challenger submarine to science. - Can't wait for Avatar 2.
Lohse finally gets a bite. - Who?
Fewer hours for doctors-in-training leading to more mistakes. - There are so many.
Many US infants are fed solid food too early, CDC study finds. - We waited, didn't we?
Too much TV may make kids antisocial, study suggests. - No kidding, bored reporter.
T-Mobile prepped to offer unlimited, no contract plans--and the iPhone. - Victory is mine!
Google selling Nik software photo-editing plugins for $149. - Never heard of Nik.
Will Smith quit 'Django Unchained' because 'I need to be the leak' - Glad he didn't do it.
Shaun Rogers burglarized, missing $500K in jewelry. - Only cause he's on the Giants.

GB2

Trevor

How's My Driving?

I am sure we have all came across a car with a license plate in a different state and said or thought to ourselves "people from (enter state here) can't drive". I find the phrase funny because I have been to several states and have heard every state mentioned has having the slowest, fastest, craziest drivers. Of course everyone thinks the out of state drivers are the worse drivers but what they need to do is look themselves in the mirror, I don't care if they use the visor mirror, side mirror or the rear view mirror as long as they look at themselves because that is where the slowest, fastest, craziest driver starts. Currently I am residing in Colorado and I must say Colorado has the same slowest, fastest, craziest drivers as my previous home state of Oklahoma and every other state I have been to. So next time you hear the phrase about out of state drivers not being able to drive remember the "can't drive syndrome" is in every state!

Good Friday All
Dale

Too Many Tomatoes

A few weeks back I posted about how I started some tomato seeds. Well, I let The Toddler do most of the planting and I didn't keep a super close eye on how many seeds she put in each container. Now that they've started to sprout I'm afraid I'm going to have more plants than I have room for. This morning I counted 16 sprouts. Since you can get up to 20 pounds of tomatoes from one plant, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be able to keep up with more than three. I'm quite positive I'm going to be in the same predicament with the jalapenos and broccoli we planted, too. Maybe I should set up a booth at the market to get rid of some? I addition to having an awesome garden this year, I'm also going to attempt to save seeds from the vegetables that grow. Did you know you have to ferment most seeds, so they'll be able to germinate when planted? Fermentation occurs in nature when the fruit ripens and rots, but you can do it at home by placing seeds, pulp and water in a jar for several days. Fermentation gets rid of the protective coating that surrounds the seeds and kills diseases that live on the surface of the seeds. Springs almost here and I can't wait for the warm weather! Happy Wednesday! -Shala-

Almost Spring

I finally planted my seeds. I have planted a whole slew of vegetables in the house, and I’m not finished yet. So far, I have broccoli, lettuce, spinach, and a bunch of flowers growing. I am still waiting to see results from the peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, and kale. This coming weekend, I hope to plant Potatoes, Carrots, Corn, and later on some Strawberries, Watermelon, and even Pumpkin! We have a peach tree in our yard, which I hope to use this year as well. I am originally from New York State where things grow much better. There is a lot more moisture, shade, and a little bit of a cooler temperature. It makes the ideal environment for wild raspberries and black raspberries. Delicious! Since I no longer live in NY, I have to start things early here. I can’t wait until my seeds finally produce a crop, then maybe I can save a little money on groceries! The only thing I need to do now is keep the cat from using my seed boxes, as kitty litter, and pray that the weather gets better! Happy almost Spring!

Meal in a Jar

I really like eating salad for lunch. It's healthy, fairly cheap and doesn't make my afternoon all sleepy. The problem I have is it takes time to prepare every night and if I make a week's worth ahead of time, my plastic containers take up too much room in the fridge. I know mason jar meals have been popular for a while now, but I've never tried it. Since I now have an overabundance of large glass jars in my pantry, I think it's time.

If you look online for meals and salads in a jar you'll find tons of recipes and good advice. I found a particularly helpful image that I might end up printing for quick reference...

Happy Wednesday!

-Shala-

Cards Against Humanity

Happy Friday All!

TGIF.  This weekend most of us in Denver are likely going to be snowed in. So, what's better when you're snowed in than a hilarious game with your friends?   My friends and I love to get together and have game nights.  Why?

1. It's cheap entertainment.
2. It's hilarious
3. You can actually hear each other and communicate/catch up.  (The opposite of being at a bar)
4. Sometimes you just feel like lookin' a mess and not being in public
5. It's cheap entertainment.

I am very excited for tonight because my friend just got the hugely popular game - Cards Against Humanity
So what is it?  It's basically identical to "Apples to Apples" if you've ever played that game.  The rules are simple...seriously simple.  There is a black stack of cards with questions, that stack stays in the center.  Then everyone is dealt a handful of white cards which contain answers.  One person flips over a question card and everyone throws in their answer.  The person asking the question gets to decide who's answer was the best.  Then you do it all over again!  Cards Against Humanity is the more hilarious version of Apples to Apples.  Need an Example?  Here are some sample questions and answers from the game (at random, and in no particular order), enjoy! -


Q. What do old people smell like?
Q. But, before I kill you, Mr. Bond, I must show you _____?
Q. Daddy, why is Mommy crying?
Q. Lifetime presents ______, the story of _____?
Q. What is Batman's guilty pleasure?

A. Morgan Freeman's voice.
A. A hot mess.
A. The Hamburglar.
A. A gassy antelope.
A. Actually taking candy from a baby.

I highly suggest letting your creativity and hilariousness run wild with this game.  What else is there to do on a snowy day?

Allison

Getting Older

Things I am beginning to understand with Age

1.       Why my mother didn’t always want to have people over to the house.

A.    You   have to clean.

B.     You have to cook.

C.      You must put on “real” clothes.

2.       Why “older” people are always sticklers about how much food everyone is eating, leaving on lights, and the heat being left on high.

A.      Our Excel bill last month was 333.00.

B.      I go to the grocery store at least once a week, sometimes 2x, and we never have enough Milk.

3.       Metabolism

A.      I used to eat whatever I wanted and never gained any weight. I now work at a scale company, and while weighing myself the other day, discovered I have gained 10 lbs. in the last year!

4.       Sleep

A.      I used to be able to stay out all night long.

B.      I now get tired at 9 PM

C.      I can’t sleep past 10 AM no matter how hard I try.

I suspect this is only the beginning of things to come: bad eyesight, watching the evening news, and kids, although I hope not. To my dismay, I’m getting older and acting more and more like my parents each day. I am in bed by 10 on most nights, worry about bills, go grocery shopping, make dinner, and get regular oil changes. I even discovered my first grey hair the other day! I suppose that responsibility, wisdom, and tiredness comes with age to some extent, but I still intend to try and stay as young as possible in all the good ways for as long as possible.  Cheers to being young! Happy Thursday! 

Jamie :)