Colorado Symphony Orchestra

I went to see the Colorado Symphony Orchestra on Friday night. The CSO was doing a tribute to American composers. They first performed pieces by two composers that were present for the concert. They then did a Copland piece, Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F and a couple of rags. The auditorium is really amazing. It surrounds the stage, so some of the audience is actually sitting behind the orchestra. I guess that's for people who wonder what faces the conductor makes during a performance. Something very unusual though that I've never seen done before...the conductor played the piano for all the pieces requiring one. They had the lid off and slid the piano so the conductor was facing the orchestra how he normally would be. He would sit and play nodding his head to get the orchestra to come in at the right places, then he would stand up and conduct when he wasn't playing.

Earlier I had dinner at Rialto Cafe. I had brought Billy here during his visit last summer. It's ranked with 3.5 stars - equivalent to PF Changs or Pappadeaux.

Mizuna

I went to dinner at Mizuna. It's rated as one of Denver's top 5 restaurants by Gabby Gourmet. I tried their French Onion Soup, TK's Mac and Cheese (lobster with mac and cheese), and oven roasted venison loin. This was my first time trying venison, and I liked it. I then had their Apple & Date bread pudding for dessert. It was all delicious but a very expensive restaurant.

Vail

Here's a picture of Kerri, me and Ben on the ski lift in Vail. President's Day is a holiday for the hospital, so we spent the holiday skiing.

Table 6

I went to dinner at Table 6. This restaurant does not take reservations. Table 6 is rated "to die for" in Gabby Gourmet. It's the 2nd highest rating possible. I tried the baby lettuces salad and leek/rock shrimp rolls for appetizers. I had a chicken dish for the entree. All the food was well prepared but thought perhaps I didn't order the menu items that are spectacular.

Orange Lilies

I got orange lilies on Sunday and as they started to bloom I thought they'd be perfect to try and paint. I used a small 5x7 canvas and oils.

Brokeback Mountain

I went to see Brokeback Mountain. It won the Golden Globe for Best Picture and numerous other awards. It was a well-done drama. It's the story of "two young men - a ranch-hand and a rodeo cowboy -who meet in the summer of 1963, and unexpectedly forge a lifelong connection, one whose complications, joys, and tragedies provide a testament to the endurance and power of love." It was an interesting perspective since it takes place in the 60/70's.

Anthony's Pizza

I tried Anthony's Pizza for lunch. The location near the 9th & Colorado Blvd hospital. It's been ranked Denver's best pizza in previous years. It's New York style pizza (foldable, thin crust). It's still not as good as Mellow Mushroom but not bad.

Steamboat

I went to Steamboat this weekend with Ben and Travis. We stayed at a friend's of Travis'. His friend had quite a few people come up for the weekend. We left on Friday afternoon after work and arrived around 10pm. The mountains had gotten tons of snow in the past couple of days. It's the best ski/boarding conditions I've had yet. It is a different experience to ride in a 1/2 foot to a foot of powder. Here's a picture of most of our group and picture taken from the lift of the snow covered trees. I forgot my camera, so the pics are courtesy of Travis.