Holy Smokes

Saying that I took a break from blogging would be the understatement of the year.  Hopefully this is me getting back into the swing of things.  So highlights of my summer.  Here are some pics of things we did.

Some pics from our cruise:

Rock climbing on our cruise ship

Us with the cruise ship behind us

Visiting the Kennedy Space Center before we leave

Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney Concert Pics:

Jake Owen starting the show

Grace Potter and Kenny

Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney

Misc. Summer Activities

Before Warrior Dash

After Warrior Dash

Labor Day Bike Ride

We did also climb another 14er this year:  Mt. Massive and let me tell you it was quite the hike.  It took approximately 7 and a half hours and was a lot harder than I thought it would be.  Anyways I have much more to say so hopefully I will start making some time for blogging again.

Until next time,

Krystal

The Hunger Games (Series) - Suzanne Collins

I finally listened to all the people telling me that I needed to read the Hunger Games.  I absolutely loved the book and the rest of the series.  This story is about a dystopia in which the government oppresses the citizens with the Hunger games, in which 2 children from each district are sent to fight to the death.  The books are cleverly written and each chapter tends to drop off with a shocking revelation that leads you wanting more.  My favorite was the 2nd book and that had to do more with the development of Katniss' resolution to her problems as well as plenty of surprises along the way.

These books were quick reads and definitely written in a way that had you desiring more.  I love the transition of her feelings for each person in her life as things progress from book to book and chapter to chapter.  It seemed to mirror reality where in life we change based on our situations.

Anyways I highly recommend this book and hope that you will all give it a chance even though the subject matter can be depressing.

Yours Truly,

Krystal

Office Pranks

Oh you got to love going on vacation just to come back to work in tin foil.  No joke, my coworkers carefully tin foiled everything in my cubicle.  My favorite was the phone....here are some pics.

Alan Jackson Concert

So last night me and Jeremy went to the Alan Jackson concert.  I have seen him before and I swear he is just awesome to hear perform.  On top of that, the concert was held at the Red Rocks Amphitheater, which is my absolute favorite concert venue.  There really is no other way to see a performance.  Gloriana opened for Alan and I have to say I was very impressed with their performance as well, considering I only knew one song.  The are a very talented group and I am sure they will go on to do many cool things.

Shot of downtown Denver from Red Rocks

Red Rocks stage

This is the video my husband took with his Go-Pro camera.  This is one of my favorite songs by Alan Jackson.

Hope you enjoy,

KP

Bolder Boulder 10K 2012

Today I ran the Bolder Boulder and while most of the time I probably wouldn't really brag since I usually don't finish it that great, I felt the need to brag today.  I finished the race it a whopping 1 hour, 5 minutes, and 25 seconds.  I could not believe it.  I finished ahead of Jeremy, although I will say I am impressed that he finished since he did get sick this weekend.  Anyways here are a few of my stats:

overall place:     19663 

division place:   277 out of 655

gender place:     7856 out of 24482

mile 1:               10:29.44 

mile 2:               11:12.39 

mile 3:               10:38.32 

mile 4:               10:50.77 

mile 5:                 9:46.91 

mile 6:               10:22.56 

net time:            1:05:25.86 

pace:                  10:32  

Anyways I hope we all remember what Memorial Day is all about and pay a tribute to our fallen heroes and the ones that are still here.
Yours Truly,

KP

Roger Waters Concert (Pink Floyd's The Wall)

We started the concert season off right.  At the beginning of this month we went and saw Roger Waters perform Pink Floyd's The Wall and all I can say is that he was phenomenal.  The tickets were well worth the price given that the amount of people it took to put on the performance and the fact that it was a theatrical performance and concert all in one.  We also didn't have to deal with an opening act.  It was just Roger Waters and the entire Wall performance.  As the concert progressed, the wall was slowly being built.  The blocks that built the wall were also used as a projection screen and various different scenes played before you.  The other props were huge blow up characters that were the size of the Pepsi Center and went along with the movie.  And then at the very end we got to see them TEAR DOWN THE WALL, which was pretty awesome.  Overall I would say it was the BEST concert I have ever been to and will ever go to, because I really don't think there is anything that will ever TOP that performance.

Yours Truly,

KP

10 Year Reunion

So I was recently sent a message from a friend regarding my 10 year reunion and whether or not I wanted info so I could attend.  Let me just start by saying that I find the idea of high school reunions entertaining at best.  Everyone goes to either see what everyone else is doing or they want to commiserate on 4 years of schooling that were awkward and, in my opinion, miserable unless you were popular.  The other thing is that who needs reunions anymore when there is Facebook.  Okay well I guess since I deactivated my account I shouldn't suggest that.

I have been spending a lot of time looking back and it is interesting to me to think of my high school years.  I was a geek, oh I still am.  I was not popular and that is fine with me.  I really have never been for being the center of attention, which is why my current hair color is kind of driving me crazy, but that is another story.  I guess I just feel that reunions are a celebration of a time that really defined you, but I feel that I was more defined by the last 5 years than at any other time in my life.

Anyways here is a look back on the last 10 years:

• Met and married my wonderful husband
• Went to school and graduated with a BS in Computer Science.
• Traveled to many exotic places and plan to do more of that

What I plan to do in the next 10 years:

• Start a family
• Travel some more
• and truly enjoy every bit of life I have been given

So some may wonder will I go to my reunion, and I have decided that a cruise to the Caribbean will be much more exciting than looking back at the past.

Yours Truly,

KP

Android vs. iPhone

I really have been feeling the need to write this post for a long time now and the time has finally come.  After talking to a coworker, who is about to buy an iPhone because she feels it would be more fun, I realize a lot of people don't know what they are missing.  I have been both an iPhone user and an Android user.  I have to say I love my Android so much more than I ever did my iPhone.  There are pros and cons, but the pros of the Android far outweigh the pros of the iPhone.

Android Pros

• WIDGETS, WIDGETS, and more WIDGETS - These little gadgets can show you exactly what you need to know immediately and are so useful I am not sure how I did without.
• Easy and fun to customize to your liking
• Expandable storage and it is cheaper to get more storage
• Can easily replace battery
• The charger can be used with many other phones - Me and my husband use each other interchangeably and he has a crack-berry (Blackberry)
• I'm sure there are more I just can't think of them right now

Android Cons

• Not as user friendly as the iPhone being that you can customize it every way to Sunday, but if you are interested in tech things this will not matter that much

iPhone Pros

• Easy for everyone to use

iPhone Cons

• NO WIDGETS
• Can customize, but not quite to the extent of an Android
• The storage on the phones are limited to what you buy and if you are anything like me you will have 16 gig one loaded to the MAX.
• Once the battery is gone, get a new one
• The charger only works with iPhones, iPods, and iPads so if that is all you have then you are set.

Anyways they are both good phones, I just feel that for the amount you pay for one of these you should get your moneys worth.  I think the Android does the job far better then the iPhone, but that's just me.  You have got to figure out what works best for you.

Yours Truly,

KP

The Melting Pot

I went to the Melting Pot for the very first time and I have to say it was absolutely awesome.  The food was really good and so was dessert, of course.  I am not sure that anyone can screw up chocolate and other yummy foods.  I also really loved the atmosphere.  It seems that so many restaurants are loud with people talking and music blaring, but at the Melting Pot it was nice and quiet so it was much easier to have a conversation.  It was also interesting to cook your own dinner, but all the food was really high quality and they made it pretty easy to cook the food.  The price is a little steep so I really only recommend it for special occasions or if you get a good deal like 5280 like we did.  Anyways I highly recommend for a great night out.

Yours Truly,

KP

The Hiding Place - Corrie Ten Boom

So I know I have been kinda MIA lately, but life has been pretty busy.  That being said I have tons to post about, but will take it a little at a time.  I have been part of a book club as of late and it is really cool, mostly because the people in the club have many other tastes and I enjoy reading all sorts of books.  One of the books we read was The Hiding Place.  This story takes place in Holland and tells the tale of a family's desire to help the Jewish and other people that were being persecuted by the Nazi's.  The family is such a good family and their faith in God leaves them uncorrupted, but also leads them straight in captivity.  This story shows how they refuse to lose themselves amid all the hardships that befall them.  I love that despite all they remained true to their faith and found away to bring that to others.

The story is also interesting in that the details of their life are neatly interwoven into the fabric of the tale and I felt that I got to hear a lot about a decade long forgotten.  Another thing that was interesting to hear about was life in the concentration camps, while this is hard to read about, I think it is very important to remember and know what happen.  I think this because it is the only way that history will not repeat itself.  I highly recommend this book, plus the cover is really cool or at least the copy that I checked out was.

Yours Truly,
KP

Tebow Trade and Peyton Manning

Ok so eventually I was going to have to say something about this.  So I am officially back to hating the Broncos.  Not only are they a team I have never really wanted to root for as they are not my team, but now they have Peyton Manning, who while he is a nice guy,  I have no love for him.  He has played in the same division as the Jaguars for many years and I have spent a good majority of my life rooting against him and that will not stop now.

I am sad to see Tebow leave and even sadder that he didn't end up in Jacksonville.  I have deep hope that maybe someday that will happen, but in the meantime I hope he succeeds in New York as I am sure he will.

Here is to an interesting season next year and I soooo can't wait for football to start up again.

Yours Truly,

KP

To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

To Kill a Mockingbird is a riveting novel told from the perspective of a young girl.  She watches events unfold as her father chooses to defend a black man wrongly accused of rape in the south in the 30's.  I loved the ideals of this family and how the father had to protect his children, but also choose the right path in properly defending the man because he knew he could not face his children in the end if he did not do the right thing.  I thought as I read the book that it seemed such an interesting dilemma because I live in a world where I hope this kind of thing does not happen.  I know racism still exists but in this book it was so much more blatant.  I love these kind of wake up calls that can send people back to the past and remind everyone where we once were as a society.

Reading this book I loved how real it was.  The situations do not end like you would expect, instead it shows what would most likely happen in this world not just to the reader, but to the narrator and her older brother.  They had expectations and in their minds the world should be one way, but then it changed and they found that the world is not fair and that sometimes you just have to play the game.  I think those are very hard lessons to learn and we all go through that at some point, but the author is very good at showing them and the reactions of the kids involved.

Overall this is a wonderful story about growing pains in life, particularly through a very difficult time period and a difficult event for these young kids.

Anyways I highly recommend this book as it brings everyone who reads it into a different world and leaves the reader hoping to be a better person.

Yours Truly,
KP

Nutella (YUM)

So I was introduced to a wonderful product that I am sure is not new, but it is delicious.  It is called nutella and it is a hazelnut spread that has cocoa in it.  I LOVE taking a slice of toast and smearing peanut butter topped with some nutella.  Everyone should try this and I mean EVERYONE.  Also there is a day for nutella and because of this there is a website dedicated to Nutella recipes for this day.  So check it out here:  http://www.nutelladay.com/nutella-recipes/

Hopefully you find it as wonderful as I have.

Have a wonderful day,

KP

The Book Thief - Zusak

The Book Thief is a wonderful book, let me just start there.  Give the subject matter can be harsh to deal with, and I am speaking of the Nazis' treatment of the Jews, this book is still a must read.  It can make you cry, but it portrays a little girl and her way of surviving through a most difficult time.  As the title eludes to she steals books.  I was drawn into the story by just the thought that some might not have the access to books like I do and her joy for reading just made me feel for the people in that country that ended up losing a beloved past time. 

The book is narrated by Death (this would be the person who collects the souls for the after life and acts like a person).  To me this was an interesting concept and he has along the way picked up the book thief's journal, which is how he tells the story.  I also thought that the way background information is given to the reader was fun.  Death will kinda stop the line of thought for a second and in bold give you some important info.  I thought this was clever way of breaking up the story.  Anyways this story allows you to follow a horrible scene in history through a child's eyes and to see how they perceive what is going on.  You follow her journey and you see her transition into this amazing person because of the circumstances that she is continually in.

I loved this book and I think it is most important to remember how we treat others.

Yours Truly,

KP

Super Bowl

I promised to post on this and all I can say is that I am extraordinarily happy that the Patriots did not win.  Yay, I am glad for Tom Brady pouting and for his wife Gisele showing what kind of lady she really is.  Anyways that is all on that front although I am sad that there is no football until August :(.

Yours Truly,

KP

My Adventures in Painting

So one thing that I like to pretend I am good at is painting.  I mostly love to paint abstract pictures, but I have attended canvas and cocktail's painting classes.  This is a place where I have learned some techniques and have really been able to pick up ideas of how to mix, use brushes, and really make the pictures come to life.  Here are some of my works of art and hopefully you will see the improvement that I have seen over time. 

My very first one - supposed to be aspen trees

And continuing on:

Living Room Remodel

So as most of you probably realize I have not been great about blogging lately and that is mostly due to the massive projects that have needed some real attention.  One of my bigger projects in recent months have had to do with the living room.  We have gone from white walls and carpet to color and hardwood floors below are some pictures of the AWESOME transformation.

One of the walls prior to painting

This is how it looks after

NFL Playoffs...

So  I am a little bummed about this NFL Season.  My Jags did not do very well and there was a lot of chaos with the team this year.  They ended there season with a 5-11 record so I am sure hoping that next year will be better.

WildCard Weekend

Tebow and company did end up making it to the playoffs and took the Steelers out on Wild Card weekend with a magnificent win.  Tebow ended up throwing for 316 yards, which of course lead to some crazy talk, in my opinion.
Brees and company taught Stafford and the Lions a lesson and Giants came away with a win. Texans also found their way into the next round of the playoffs.

Divisional Weekend
Brees is kicked out of Candlestick park by Alex Smith and the 4whiners.  Patriots met with Broncos and came out the victors unfortunately.  Tebow ended up leaving that game in serious pain.  Texans get taken out by the Ravens and somehow the Giants take the Packers out.


Conference Weekend
Patriots and the Ravens fight it out until the very end and due to a missed field goal by the Ravens, the Patriots end with a win.  The Giants and the 49ers duke it out all the way into overtime and now the Patriots and the Giants will head onto Indianapolis for a Super Bowl rematch in Super Bowl XLVI.

I don't really have any desire to watch either Little Manning or Tom Brady so yeah I am really, really bummed.


Anyways let's hope Manning can show Brady up!

KP

Pinterest

So I have heard many things about this Pinterest and I have decided to take an interest and see what this phenomenon is about.  And I can sum it up this way it is a social bulletin board where if you find something you like on the web you can pin it to one of your bulletin boards.  You can then follow those that have similar interests as you.

I am going to say that I think it is an interesting idea and as I explore it more I will be sharing what I find as I think you all may enjoy it as well.  If you want to check out my boards you can do so by following this link: http://pinterest.com/slinkesnake/  BEWARE it is kinda blank right now.  I will add more soon.

Yours Truly,
KP

Happy New Year....

So I think I will start a tradition.  Last year I made some new year's resolutions and while I was not good at keeping them I think it is good to start each year with goals and then evaluate them at the end.

Last year I resolved to do the following:

1. Eat better -  I think I did really well on this although I couldn't really quantify it well, but I definitely cut back on soda drinking so I will call it good.
2. Exercise twice weekly - Yeah almost completely failed at this one.
3. Finish blanket - Failed!
4. Finish painting - Failed!
5. Learn 2 guitar songs - Failed!
6. Paint Room upstairs - well I picked out the paint... Failed!
7. Pay off student loans - almost there, but not quite...
8. Practice piano twice weekly - Failed!
9. Read one book a month - I ROCKED this one

So goal for this next year is to try not to make so many goals,  ok not really I have other plans like:

1. Work on resolving past issues

Maybe this does not seem like a big deal, but this year brought a lot of these issues to the forefront and I am realizing that to be healthier I need to deal with the big issues in my past so that I can move forward.  Anyways I am hoping that we can all make realistic goals for ourselves, follow through and feel successful at the end of the year.  With that said I feel extremely successful about this last year given that I only accomplished 2 of my 9 goals.  So here's to a better and brighter new year.

Happy New Year,

KP