Cosi fan tutte

Megan and I saw the Cosi fan tutte opera. It was a comedy which was much lighter then the last one we saw. We ate at a champaign bar, Corridor 44, prior. I highly recommend (as did the bartender) the truffle parmesan fries.

Stand Up!

The Kempe Center has a facility at The Children's Hospital and is for the prevention and treatment of child abuse. Ellen and I attended a fundraiser comedy show. The comedians were Kathleen Madigan (video) and Josh Blue.

March of Dimes

I participated in the March of Dimes March for Babies walk. Children's was one of the sponsors, so a group from work was walking. 10k is an easier distance to run then walk - it took 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Eileen Turns 30

Here is a re-creation of the card I sent Eileen for her 30th birthday.

"Ring, Ring...it's your youth calling. Long Distance. "

Family Easter Egg Contest 2009

The contest began in 2007 with my winning "Easter Basket" egg and has been getting more competitive and sophisticated each year. Ellen joked about dying an ostrich egg to win by shear size but instead this year we added 'googly eyes'.
The entries are:
Ellen's "Bunny and Chick" (we're not quite sure why there are cotton balls on the bunny's sides but supposedly they are arms), Michelle's "Graduate" and Joan's "Monster".





















Ellen has suggested that there be a trophy for the winner. Joan will be leaving for Tibet in a week and will search the globe for the appropriate trophy to be passed from winner to winner.

Note: I have checked out Eileen's blog, and I have to say "City" is pretty impressive and quite a competitor.

Scruffy Murphy's

I went to Scruffy Murphy's for trivia night. It has a cool Irish pub atmosphere. I definitely say go for drinks but skip the food.

Copper Mountain

Fred and Joan at the top of Copper Mountain. Unfortunately Vicki fractured her ankle within the first part of her lesson the day before and was out for the rest of the weekend.

Copper Mountain x2

It was back to Copper Mountain this weekend. Tearah and Gardito tried snowboarding - both signed up for a lesson. Unfortunately Tearah fractured her wrist near the end of the day. The orthopedic surgeon that happened to be on our shuttle back to the parking lot took a look at the x-rays and assured her it was minor and would be fine in a couple of weeks. But she does have to wear a bright green cast. We stopped at Tommyknocker Brewery in Idaho Springs on the way back - good mussels.

Denver Restaurant Week - Vita

Denver Restaurant week was extended a week. I tried Vita up on the north side of town next to another restaurant I really like, Lola. The highlight of the dinner was the dessert, Banana infused bread pudding with almond ice cream. I'll have to go back in the summer when I can sit outside and enjoy the view.

Swimming

I'm taking a swimming class 2x/wk at the Lone Tree Recreation Center. This picture actually is the pool - you can't see the swim lanes to the far right. The instructor writes out different workouts and gives us drills. It's been so long since I've done organized swimming. I really enjoy it.

Copper Mtn

My favorite month to go snowboarding is February (before spring breakers, and weather is normally warmer). I had almost let the whole month slip by - so at least I caught the last day. The conditions were excellent - sunny, powder/packed powder - I couldn't have picked a better day.

Parallel 17

I tried Parallel Seventeen Restaurant (modern Vietnamese food). It's a very tiny restaurant on 17th avenue. The calamari had won a best bites from 5280 magazine, and it is very good. I was disappointed with what I ordered for the main course - it was tasty but $24 for 3 scallops is ridiculous.

Duo Restaurant

Megan and I tried a restaurant listed in 5280 magazine, Duo Restaurant in the highlands area of Denver. The exotic mushrooms appetizer was very good. I also liked the ambiance.

Nuggets

I attended the Nuggets vs. Bobcats game. I got to see Eileen's favorite Charlotte player, Morrison. Unfortunately for the Bobcats, they trailed behind the entire game.

Colorado Mammoth

I attended a Colorado Mammoth game at the Pepsi Center. I was surprised how many fans support lacrosse. I think it is because you can get better seats cheaper then a basketball or hockey game. Watching hockey is much more exciting.

Marco's Coal-Fired Pizzeria

I tried one of 5280's best new restaurants, Marco's Coal-Fired Pizzeria. It was good, but I don't know if it beats Osteria Marco in Larimer Square.

Charlotte Bobcats

During the Christmas holiday, Suzanne and I drove up to Charlotte to attend a Bobcats game with Shawn and Eileen. They have access to awesome seats right behind the Bobcats team. Here Suzanne and I got a picture with the mascot, Rufus.

Venice

A great way to pass the time when it's negative 10 outside - build a 1580 piece 3D puzzle! I had seen this on Amazon months ago and thought I might try it. Then when I tried to buy it, I saw that the company Wrebbit had been bought out by Hasbro 2 yrs ago, and they were discontinuing all of their 3D puzzles. You can't find them in stores anymore, so I got this one on eBay. You actually build it in two parts and then push the two together.

Cross-Country Skiing and Wii

Joan, Ellen, Eileen, Shawn and I went up to Frisco to cross-country ski. We had a guest join us near the beginning of the trip. It was a dog named Barley. He followed us the entire time and as we went along the trail from those we passed we heard his owner was looking for him. He was a very friendly dog that made our trip fun although perhaps could use a little training so he doesn't wander away from his owner.

Ellen was festive with her reindeer ears. After the skiing we went to the Frisco favorite, the Butterhorn Bakery. This time I had the grilled cheese and pasta salad which were excellent.

We spent the afternoon at Ellen's place trying out her Nintendo Wii. We tried guitar hero and then various sports. Here Eileen and Joan are playing tennis. It was entertaining and the boxing could be a good arm workout.

Eileen and Shawn Visit

Eileen and Shawn visited this weekend. We went to Red Rocks and then toured the Coors Brewery. The Coors tour is self-guided so we were able to go right in when we arrived. Eileen's making this face in the picture below because she didn't like the smell of the hops.

We planned to go to Eileen's favorite, Cru, for a pre-dinner drink but it was closed for a private party so we went across Larimer street to a champaign bar Corridor 44. The cheese plate was good and Ellen's champaign flight was good too. Megan, Stephen and Joan then joined us for dinner at Baur's Restaurant.