"Are You a Good Witch, or A Bad Witch?"

That's the question one must ask after seeing Wicked. Was the green witch bad.... or just misunderstood? I have my opinion, but you must form your own!

I know the "Wicked Weekend" was more than 7 days ago, but I finally got all my pictures dumped off my cameras. It's time to share the fun mini-vacation I had with my seester in Denver.

First of all, let me just say that I have heard stories about how wonderful the mountains around Denver are. I wouldn't know. I didn't see any. The city was socked in by low clouds the entire time we were there.

I took the top picture from our hotel the first morning we were in Colorado. This is looking toward Denver. The bottom picture is the second morning, after receiving several inches of snow. Thankfully it only delayed our flight by 30 minutes. But you can see how hazy the skyline was.

Our flight landed on Friday afternoon. We picked up our rental car, plugged addresses into the GPS and with Red sitting confidently behind the wheel, headed into the City. Our first stop was the U.S. Mint. I thought it would be fun to see where cash is made... and hoped that maybe they handed out $5 bills as souvenirs...?

Apparently, I didn't study the tourist information well enough. Not only do they not hand out free cash to all who tour the building, but you also have to have a "ticket" and a "reservation" to go inside. Nor do they allow you to go inside carrying a purse and if you have your camera along, the battery has to be removed. We knew none of this, except that they weren't going to hand out cash. (My bad!)

We ran our purses back to the car, planted them securely in the trunk and rushed back to get in the "stand by line," trying to get into the last tour of the day...

As the ticketed tour goers were admitted into the very secure building, the friendly (and I use that term very loosely!!!) guard started counting people in the standby line (and I use the word "counted" loosely too. He just waved his hand in the air like he was counting and moved his mouth, but it didn't seem that he was even looking at the people). He stopped "counting" right in front of Red and I -- who happened to be at the end of the line. He allowed those people to go on the tour and dismissed us without apology. We were the only two who didn't get to go inside.

Okay. We told him (under our breath) that he could keep his filthy lucre and headed back to the car. We only paid for 1/2 hour of parking anyway and with all the running back and forth our time was almost up.

Our tickets to the show were Friday night, so after visiting one of Red's very good friends, and finding our hotel we hopped onto mass transit and travelled back to the city. We were so glad we rode the train!! Parking downtown is not easy and this dropped us almost at the front door door of the theater!

We ate dinner at a small deli next to the theater. It was very crowded, but the sandwich was pretty delicious! And the show? Well, it was AMAZING!!! Our seats were pretty high up... okay, you couldn't get any higher... but it didn't matter!! We rented some $5 binoculars and that's all we needed. We used them when we wanted to see close-up, but when there was a lot going on the stage, we could see just fine without them.

I absolutely LOVED the show! As a matter of fact, I place it as my 2nd favorite musical, right under Les Miserables. And, as I've seen Les Mis more than once, I would love to see this again. Anyone want to come along?

Saturday we decided to jump in the car and explore. We found a delicious little place called The Eggshell for breakfast which served NON-Denny's type of breakfasts -- fabulous -- and I picked up my first Onion newspaper. Then we headed out to the Red Rocks Ampitheater. Red has attended concerts here before, but it was my first time experiencing it, and I'm so glad we did!



It was pretty awesome hanging out on the same stage where ♥ John Denver ♥, U2, The Beatles, Jethro Tull, John Mayer, etc. have played their music. PLUS, the visit there was educational: I learned that if I ever attend a concert there it would be okay to have a seat at the top of the stadium. It was heart attack worthy hiking all the waaaay back to the top from waaay down below where the stage is!! :)

On our way back to Denver, we stopped in Golden where we got a delicious hot chocolate at a cute little coffee shop and took a picture of the Coors plant (which was extremely stinky).





After a quick stop at a very decent cupcake bakery, we found ourselves at the Aquarium. That was interesting, to say the least. It had great reviews on the internet, but we found it simply okay. I would take Inigo there and even Buttercup would probably enoy it, but as two adults hanging out... probably not again.


The highlight for me was touching a sting ray. I did this a year ago at SeaWorld, but this time it was different. This stingray was much slimier than the first. It was disgusting. But I'm proud to say that I did it.

We spent a relaxing evening eating lots of red meat at a steak house and the next day headed to the airport! Like I said, even though Denver got 8 - 10" of new snow, we were very lucky that our flight was only delayed by about 1/2 hour.

I am so glad I got to go on this trip! Thank you, Red, for inviting me along! And thank you ♥ Max ♥ for coming home and spending the weekend with the children! And thank you Buttercup for texting me regular updates on the homefront. :)

Prayers

I think everyone knows how much I love listening to my son's prayers.

But I'm not unique. I think all parents love kneeling next to their kids listening to them talk to Heavenly Father.

This is some of what Inigo said in tonight's prayer:

"Please bless that we'll appreciate each other."

I'm not real sure where that came from. "Appreciate" is not a word he uses in his regular speech. Ever. Usually he asks that we'll be kind to each other and love each other. Maybe he didn't feel like that was working so he'd change the verbage...????

The other thing he said made me chuckle:

"Please bless that no one gets their name on the board tomorrow."

Inigo is a stickler for following the rules and it really bothers him that children misbehave in class and get their names on the board -- which usually leads to losing privledges. I thought it was sweet that he didn't want his classmates getting in trouble!

****

On a side note:

Before I left for my weekend in Denver, I asked him if he thought he'd miss me while I was gone. The answer was a wishy-washy, "yeah -- maybe -- I guess so."

He was the only one home when it was time for me to get in the car and drive to Red's house. (Buttercup was at play practice and Max was still on the road home, so I took Inigo over to Jillwanna's house until someone could be home with him) We knelt down to say a prayer together right before we parted. In the middle of the prayer I heard him sniff and I peeked at him. I could see big tears running down his face. Afterward, he looked at me and said, "Mom, I think I'm going to be very sad!"

Choking down my own tears, (I haven't had my own vacation away from everyone since spring of '02 so I was sad too... Thorny, do you remember? I came and visited you!) I reminded him that I was only going to be gone for 3 nights and that everything would be okay. Well, he started smiling and was okay when I hugged him goodbye at the neighbor's.

Today, the first full day back, he has been extremely clingy. He keeps coming up and climbing up on my lap, or sitting next to me, cuddling on the bed while we watch a movie together. He's usually a very affectionate child, but this is extremely sweet.

It's just one of those things that tells me, when his own words don't, that he loves me.

He really loves me!!

Denver, CO

I put this on my Facebook page too, but it doesn't hurt to double up:

I am going to Denver this week. Yup, it's the big WICKED weekend. I am thrilled beyond measure.

I have arranged my sub for my primary class.

My fabulous sister, Red, has worked hard and made all the travel arrangements...

My job is to figure out some fun things to do while we're there. The show is Friday night so we will have most of Friday afternoon, all day Saturday and a few hours Sunday. I have checked all the Denver websites for the "official" recommendations, but I thought I'd ask people what their favorite things to do is.

So here it is.... Have YOU been to Denver? What did YOU do while you were there? Is there something you missed that you wish you could go back and do again? What about the areas outside Denver, like Co. Springs, Aspen, any of the National Parks, etc.? We are open to just about anything.....

(Thank you!)

You Will Adore and Exalt....

.... after you try this recipe!!

Seriously.

Monday I was walking through the grocery store and was surprised to see the shelves empty of all Halloween items. It's amazing how quickly merchants got Halloween/Autumn stuff off the shelves and moved Christmas in, isn't it?

Okay, it's not such a huge feat. By the time Halloween actually arrived, most of the shelf space was already dedicated to red/green/Santa stuff, with a teeny little section left for last minute Halloween shoppers -- like me who were desperately looking for little black spider rings to put on the dessert I was making for my daughter's Halloween dance date. (Without any luck, I might add.)

Anyhoo...

As I was walking past their holiday section I was stopped short by the display of holiday Hershey's Kisses. Who doesn't love the many flavors of Kisses available this time of year? I was thrilled when I saw this kind...

YUM!!! Candy Cane Hershey Kisses!!

Of course I had to buy not one, but two bags. (It's still early in the season. Gotta start slow.)

Their purpose is twofold. #1. Simply, to eat. Unwrapping one and popping it in your mouth. Oh dear, it's a slice of heaven right here in Florin.

And the #2 reason is why I'm writing this post. Here's how you make an easy delectable treat with these little guys:

Step 1: Pop about 3 poppers full of air popped popcorn. I usually pop it into a large brown paper grocery bag. (You can use microwave popcorn. I don't because I don't care for the taste.)

Step 2: Butter and salt to taste. Make it exactly the way you like buttered popcorn. I have Max take the bag full of popcorn and shake it while I pour the melted butter and shake the salt on. I think it gives it a more even coating.

Step 3: Unwrap the Kisses and put them in a large Ziploc bag. (For 3 poppers, I use the entire package of Kisses.) Carefully melt them in the microwave. I do it in small increments, squishing and mixing them up until they are fully melted. The first time is about a minute, then I do 30 seconds after that. Be careful. They get hot!!

Step 4: Cut a tiny little bit off the corner of the Ziploc bag. Max again shakes the paper bag while I squeeze the melted Kisses out of the Ziploc and onto the popcorn. Go slow and easy for a more even coating.

Step 5: Eat. I dare you to stop once you start!!!

(You can make this without the Kisses, it's just a little more labor intensive.

Before you start the process, you need a package of the starmint candies. Put 15-20 in a bag and smash them to smithereens. All you want is powder, no chunks (chunks hurt teeth) . (I usually have to double bag and wrap the bag in a towel and then I smash with a hammer.)

When that's finished, melt an entire bag of white chocolate chips in the microwave the same way you do the Kisses.

Drizzle the chocolate over the buttered/salted popcorn. IMMEDIATELY, before the chocolate sets, shake the mint powder over the popcorn.

The poor person shaking the bag gets tired because the bag gets quite heavy. But reassure him/her that it's worth the sacrifice!

Enjoy!! If you make this, let me know what you think! I'm sure you'll love it just as much as we do!

Closing Weekend

It's no secret my where favorite place in the whole world is. I talk about going there all the time and my family and I go there as often as possible. (Disneyland is favorite place #2!)

Unfortunately, this year we didn't go there as often as we would like to. With Max travelling as often as he does, and spending hours and hours in his car each week, it's hard to get back in the car and spend another 12. Many of our summer activities were curtailed this summer as we adjusted to his travel/work schedule. (Since many of our summer activities involve spending time in the mountains, Buttercup's feelings weren't hurt that we were staying at home! My daughter hates nature.)

Due to the lack of time spent in this most beautiful spot in the world, hopefully you'll understand why, when the opportunity presented itself, we decided to skip our weekly church meetings and worship in the Church of the Pines. Also, this was the last weekend it was open to car traffic. Today the Park was closed to prepare for winter. So, it was the absolute last weekend we had to get a trip in this year. We had to go!

We went with Shack, Stinky and Miss Doolittle -- of course. Do we ever go to the Most Beautiful Place on Earth without them? Here is what we saw:

There was a LOT of scat on this trail!

The coup of the day was catching a glimpse of a pack of wolves! Since they were reintroduced to this area fourteen years ago, we have been anxious to get a sighting of these controversial, shy animals... without success. You can imagine how excited we were when Shack spotted them against the mountain side!! Shack and Stinky were able to count 7 wolves in all, but I only saw 4. (Please excuse the graininess of these photos. I have a GREAT zoom on my camera, but I had to use the digital zoom to get the close shot.)


Until I can visit you again next year, Favorite Place.
Rest well.

Can't Shut It Off

Apparently I don't have enough face time with adults these days. I have a lot more rambling to do and I'd better get it done before my head explodes! (And I'm also providing a service since my rambling helps certain readers not feel so crazy!) :^)

♥ Drive-up Pharmacy windows: Seriously. I want to kiss the foot of the pharmacist who said, "Let's not make people walk through a crowded drug store and stand in line coughing germs everywhere so they can pick up their medicine!" Although none of us are sick right now, I had to pick up some meds and I just drove right up to the Walgreen's window and got what I needed. I was tired and didn't feel like walking through the store and standing in line. It was beautiful.

♥ Pedestrians: Living in Florin is not all sunshine and roses. No. Really it isn't. It's a great, safe place to raise children and it's nice having 90% of the town have the same religious values as I do... but it's also a college town. That has its serious drawbacks. Like the fact that anytime you drive anywhere close to campus you're putting your good driving record on the line. I'm convinced that at Freshman orientation, they are told that when you approach a crosswalk there is no need to slow your pace or look both ways. It is assumed and presumed that all oncoming traffic will immediately see you and screech to a halt, insuring your safety. I'm also pretty sure that all students sign a waiver saying that they will never stop or slow down or get off their phone while crossing the road.

Okay. If there happens to be someone who is thinking about attending the University and they are actually reading this, let me give you some advice: PLEASE stop and check traffic before you walk into the road!!! Statistically speaking, there is a huge chance that you will get hit, hurt and possibly even killed. Yes. There have been several pedestrian deaths in our town the past couple years.

I avoid driving by campus like the plague. Buttercup is not allowed to go near it.

♥ Guilty Pleasures: I used to love watching Judge Judy. She was my guilty pleasure. I still enjoy it, but I've found another show I love just as much: Wife Swap. It's on every morning at 10 on Lifetime. That's all I have to say about that.

♥ DOH!!: Hey, teenagers! If you're going to graffiti on my car, at least use proper grammar! (We think we knew who did this, but there is no proof. And no, it wasn't done with love in their heart. It's the same group of kids who were bullying Buttercup.)

♥ Question: When you're paying bills, is it cheaper to put your check in an envelope, put a 47 cent stamp on it and put it in the mail? Or is it cheaper to get in your car and drive to various businesses and banks and give it to them in person? It seems that it would take a fairly complex mathematic equation using gas prices and mileage and driving time to figure all of that out. Math was never my strong suit. I'll keep driving it around. I can at least say hi to a real live grown-up person when I hand them my check.

♥ This week instead of his usual 8 hour (one way) drive, Max is flying to his meeting. That means he'll only be gone about 2 days. Considering this was supposed to be his week at home, two days is definitely better than 4! I'm seriously done with this working away from home stuff. I'm ready for him to be home....

♥ Enough grumbling. At least Max has a job!

♥ Halloween weekend was a blast! I'll write more about that later. I just needed to clear some space in the cerebral regions first.