Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Obama in IOWA!!

Well I have been a slacker over the holidays so I want to catch up...this blog has a TON of pictures but there are just some things that could NOT be left out! I went to Iowa with a group of Obama volunteers from Colorado to help canvass neighborhoods getting ready for the Caucus that is now TOMORROW!! There were about 25 from Denver that made the journey...my journey was made with Mike and Brea...and what a journey it was!!

ARE YOU???

The first stop of our journey was to get gas at the very edge of Colorado...we didn't know they had pumps that still looked like this!

BUT the best part of the gas station is the posting of the homeland security threat level (see cashier!!)
And this was our welcome to Nebraska...snow...LOTS of snow!
This was us VERY excited to see brake lights which meant we were actually going to move after being stopped for almost 2 hours on the highway for an accident and having already read all magazines, eaten most of our snacks, and listened to music for as long as we could.
The highlight of night 1 was definitely finding an open Taco Johns for Brea...we barely made it before closing. While at dinner we decided to just stay in North Platte and hit the road early in the morning to Iowa. The Royal Colonial Inn was quite good to us...once we could get in the door to our place (real keys! who knew that still happened either! but ours wouldn't turn)
We hit the road at 5am thinking we'd have plenty of time...at least there were things like this Prairie museum OVER the highway to keep us laughing!

Iowa...FINALLY!
And the Obama office in Council Bluffs Iowa...we rolled on in at 11:45 when we were supposed to be there at 11:30. Mind you that is after leaving at 5am for a drive that should have taken 4 hours tops!
Me and Brea looking a little dorky in our matching hats and white puffy coats...had to stay warm while canvassing! We hit our first section of houses all together, were a bit demoralized as no one was home at the first 4 places and the 5th slammed the door in our faces, but it did get better. We met some great people and really hope the work pays off.
Mike drew the short straw on this one...not much shoveling is done in Council Bluffs we realized.
Inside the headquarters...the wall is full of supporter cards (we got 2!)
Time to relax with the crew after a long day out. We took over the music and had a great time!
Brea attempting to put a bumper sticker on her car (a BIG deal for her) however it was actually too COLD to stick!! Yes...too cold! Brrrrrrr, time to hit the road.
A really cool church on the side of the highway that was all glass.
We have decided that Nebraska has more random museums than anywhere we have traveled before...and the signs start hundreds of miles away. We could hav visited the Pioneer Museum, the Prairie Museum, the Kool Aid Museum...just to name a few!
Mike and Brea find the name Runza pronounced runnnnnnnnzzaaaaaaaaaaaaa by them...very amusing, so of course we had to stop on the way home for their first experience.
Merry Christmas...EAT BEEF...yes that is what this sign says. We first saw it on the way out at night because it lights up in bright green, but unfortunately on the way back we hit it before it was dark...however I am sure you can get the idea.
And...back to Colorado!! What a trip...Obama better take Council Bluffs after this journey!
To get Brea's version of the trip visit her blog and look at December blog posts

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Supper Club White Elephant...Dirty Santa...take your pick!

Our supper club had a Christmas Party where we decided to do a White Elephan exchange or as Helen calls it "dirty Santa" It was hilarious what people had in their homes or found to bring!
Ben with the Kenny G Christmas...yes Fudges DID OWN THIS!!
Josh and Denveropoly circa 1982
Sam excited about the new ski boots...
Sam modeling the new ski boots...purple, red AND yellow...AMAZING (thanks Fishers!)
Alison with the salad bowl...that became mine for good!
Ohhhhhhhhh Fudge!
Catherine with the green gift!
My book...for a few minutes until Helen took it...some AMAZING pics in there!
Jack waving his new flag
Hollanders with their Britta...not a bad gift I must say!
Josh with his new favorite shirt
And Joel who will be learning all about poo to tell the rest of us!

Snowy Skiing

We were up in the mountains the weekend of the big snow storm (7-9th) and benefitted from the new snow while skiing! With the still early conditions there were quite a few "bumps" so I got a lesson in skiing them!
Sam and Josh
Helen and me
Our new car after the day up skiing...it snowed that much!
I also suffered the first ski injury of the season with a massive faceplant which resulted in a swollen lip and nose, a huge headache and a sore neck all week...just happy it wasn't worse!

Monday, December 3, 2007

Christmas Partaaaaaaayyyyy!

We decided to kick off the Christmas month with a Christmas party based on two great Christmas movies: Elf and the BEST one ever National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. We played the movies in the kitchen projected on the wall.
Every year my family watches Christmas Vaction on Christmas Eve...so we really got into the dressing up. Sam (as Clark in bed with the sap all over his hands) Me (as Mary the underwear sales lady) my dad (as Eddie...notice the green dickie) Scott (Clark cutting down the tree in the garage) Lindsey (Audrey holding the cat food jello) Kate (Margo getting attacked by the squirrel) my mom (Ellen taking up smoking again)

Bri sporting the sweet sweater vest and Christmas turtleneck!
Margo and Eddie...a.k.a Helen and Josh
Eddie: shitter's full

My sisters...notice the candy, candy canes, candy corn...and syrup!
Buddy: We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup.
The fried cat
Jack and Megan from the pool scene
Where do you even get a sweater like that?! (Joel and Alison)
Clark: 'Tis the season to be merry. Mary: That's my name. Clark: No shit.

The REAL turkey day...

For the actual Thanksgiving we headed up to our condo in the mountains with some friends.
Sam trying out the new helmet
Sam and Josh The view out our condo window
Our condo
The drive down Thanksgiving morning
There were really cool low clouds all along the way
Getting some morning skiing in before we start eating!
Me, Sam, Helen, Josh
stuffing prep...we have now been eating it for weeks!
Josh smoked a turkey it was delicious...to toot his horn! :)

We had a lot of fun skiing, relaxing, eating, playing games, and watching movies.