It's not just at my house!

This picture proves that Norm is just plain scared of activity in the kitchen. It happened on more than one occasion at mom's this past week that when anyone was cooking in the kitchen, the dog could be found, in the far corner of the living room, tucked away safely between the couch and the lamp.

Catching Up...

Things have been pretty crazy around here since Thanksgiving, and now Christmas is less than two weeks away. Time for a catch up post...in pictures.

Thanksgiving weekend with some of the family at Keystone

Daven & Avery (my niece and nephew) at Der Fondue Chessel - Avery was 3 for the night!

Chef Daven working the raclette grill!

Avery on the tubing hill before dinner.

Daven enjoying the entertainment during our fondue dinner.

Tubing with the girls from the office during the 2nd weekend at Keystone. Taking a little recreation break after touring the Resort all day. Followed by more fondue! Note to self: fondue two times in two weeks is too much!


The draft horses that pulled our wagon to dinner at one of the original home sites at Keystone this weekend. Storm and Shadow. There wasn't enough snow yet to get the sleighs out. But a horse drawn wagon ride while it's snowing on the way to dinner was still pretty cool and the dinner was amazing - 2nd best mashed potatoes ever - because nothing beats Grandpa Seibert's mashed potatoes.

And more tubing. Adam had never been tubing. We also did some snowboarding this weekend, but the camera didn't make that trip up the mountain. If it had, it might have captured me actually linking turns and looking almost like a snowboarder, or me during a couple of spectacular wrecks or Adam looking like a pro (to me) after a 2 year vacation from snowboarding.

And now, it's a cold and snowy Sunday in the metro area. Norm slept til 10 today and is currently snoring on the bed, under his blanket. And I'm thinking he's on to something!

I saw them...and it was fantastic!

Several groups from my jr. high and high school years have been out on tour recently. A friend of mine was very excited to spend an evening at a Bon Jovi concert not too long ago. And, I would have enjoyed that too I'm sure. However, the group I was obsessed with..I mean into in jr. high and honestly most of the way through high school was made up of five guys from Boston...yes folks, I'm talking about the New Kids on the Block!

The picture was taken on my camera phone, from the 11th row.

I was home the morning they announced the reunion tour - I had a CPR class in BV that afternoon, so took the whole day off. I'll admit, I even squeeled a little when I found out they were going to be doing a concert in my area. And, I really wanted to go, but never bought tickets. Then the week of the show rolls around and friends back home saw them in Omaha and loved it.

As luck would have it, for maybe the second time in my whole life, I won something from a radio station - a pair of tickets to see the New Kids on Friday night. Thank goodness I didn't know until Friday that I was going, or the anticipation might have killed me.

The tickets were way in the back - but I was at the show. Turns out once we left our seats to get some drinks before the show, we'd never return. Tash has a little rebel in her and she managed to sneak us down onto the floor where we enjoyed the show from the 11th row :)

It was almost like a time machine - the place was packed with late 20's-mid 30's women, all decked out in their NKOTB wear, toting the action figure dolls and everything. It felt like mom should have dropped us off at the door.

So the show was amazing! They're still hot - I think even moreso than before. :) And now my ears have quit ringing and my voice is almost back to normal.

Bighorn Sheep

Yesterday, I went up to Estes Park for the afternoon. While in Estes, my friend and I got a craving for Runza...mostly because we knew there was one within less than 50 miles of us...down the Big Thompson Canyon in Loveland.

As if driving the Big Thompson Canyon wasn't treat enough...check out what we saw before we got to Drake...

And a close up* too...

*The close up was taken from the safety of my car - just like all the other picutres I took. No matter how badly I wanted to get a better close up, I knew better...Though I'm amazed by the number of people who don't...

Case in point...

New Music!!!!

Brett Dennen's new CD Hope for the Hopeless came out on Tuesday - Entertainment Weekly calls it easy-like-Sunday-morning.

Here's a little excerpt from the University of Wisconsin Advance Titan's review of the CD...

On “Hope” Dennen delves into issues of human rights, optimism in a largely pessimistic world, personal insecurities and the back and forth nature of relationships that for Dennen at least, show his loyalty and positive outlook which he keeps throughout the 11-track LP.

From sitting in front of a roaring campfire singing to at-risk youth to touring the country with multi-platinum selling recording artists and even having the closing track, “Ain’t Gonna Lose You,” appear recently on “Grey’s Anatomy,” Dennen is a man that, although aware of the bad in the world, is incessant on preaching that if we all band together good will breach the barriers, because even when things seem dismal and like it won’t ever get better there is still “Hope for the Hopeless.”

You can listen to the whole album on MSN here.

And finally... here's the video for "Make You Crazy"

San Fran...the quick list

Six days...
10 intensive classes in 3 days (work related)
Orsen's
Folsom Street Fair (only in San Francisco - don't Google this one at work)
Chanticleer in concert - Amazing vocal music group - totally Google this one
In and Out Burger - it's a good thing we don't have them out here. Seriously.
Pier 39 and the Sea Lions
Alcatraz
Forbes Island - "private island" dining experience
Trader Joe's - I'd heard so much and it was so close, I had to go
Thai in the Tenderloin - thank goodness for cabs!
Ghirradeli Square - Haight Ashbury ice cream sundae
Coit Tower
Chinatown
Lombard Street
Cable Cars
Union Square
Clam chowder in sourdough breadbowls
The Ferry Building
Fabulously fun nights out with friends!

There are about 200 pictures and it'll be a while before I get to them - but I'll share a few sooner or later, with more details on the trip.

What does your music say about you?

It's another iPod/mp3 survey/meme:

If someone new were in your car, what song on your player would you be quickest to skip out of embarrassment: Oh...quite possibly something from Don McCloskey - mostly for the language, and the fact that I'd probably be singing along.

What is the longest song on your player? Probably Paradise By The Dashboard Lights by Meatloaf

What do you think is the silliest song on your player? King of Spain by Moxy Frouvus

What did you most recently add to your player? Oh, I think I added some Barry Manilow, Don McCloskey and George Baum (of Lost & Found) piano stuff

What did you most recently delete? A bunch of stuff that I never listen to and never really liked in the first place that I had put on for a former frequent passenger.

What is your favorite song on your player that is from a movie? This Never Happened Before - Paul McCartney, from The Lake House

Is there a song on your player that is only there for someone else’s benefit?
Not anymore....See the one on most recently deleted.

What song or artist do you find yourself skipping most frequently and therefore should probably delete?
There aren't really any right now.

Without cheating, start your player and list the first 10 songs that come up in random play.
Tied Down - Colbie Caillat
SexyBack - Justin Timberlake
Have You - Jordan Knight, yes that Jordan Knight
Come Dance with Me - Joey McIntyre - yes...again, that Joey McIntyre
Don't Tango with the Freakshow - Don McCloskey - no, not the song from the first question
Kiwi - Maroon 5
Home - Michael Buble
Daughters - John Mayer
Rockstar - Nickleback
Sweet Affection - Tom Freund