you appear just like a dream to me

Well this week was my first full week of school. I really like most of my classes (one exception), but they are definitely a challenge compared to undergrad. But I guess I take that as a good thing. I would rather be challenging my knowledge than just getting an MBA over the same things I already learned. This week was a whirlwind just trying to get into a routine, but I'm starting to get the hang of it I hope.

Friday was nice, I was able to go to dinner with Rusky, his wife, and friend at a little Mexican restaurant close to campus. It was nice being able to catch up with Omaha friends and hear about what was going on. It was also just nice getting out and eating something different. Most of my meals lately have surrounded pasta or easy substitutes, although tonight I reached out and made an Asian stir fry with some shrimp, carrots, rice, and ginger teriyaki sauce. After dinner Brian came over and we hung out with Laura for a bit before all heading down to Oktoberfest. We made some new friends, one that lives in our building, Charlie, though I think I'll be calling him Chuck. And Jeff. I actually knew Jeff in undergrad but haven't really seen or spoke to him in 3 years. After Oktoberfest we came back to our place and played some games before realizing how tired we were.

Saturday I geared up for the Husker game and went to meet Brian and Jeff to watch it at a bar. We went to a bar not too far from the apartment actually, Pub on Penn. Everyone in there was wearing Husker gear which was kind of surprising to see. I guess I just wasn't expecting it, but it was great. Everyone cheered GBR and moaned at the bad plays. Then someone brought a baby in.... to a bar? That's not odd or anything. Saturday afternoon I headed out to my cousins' house for a celebratory BBQ for Shelby's 9th birthday. I gave her a Jonas brothers birthday card and a huge Justin Bieber poster that she hung up immediately. It was nice hanging out with family again, I needed a break from the apartment and being around family was the trick. Not to mention I talked to a bunch of friends this past week and that made me feel so much better, way less homesick and lonely. I tend to forget I can use a phone and call my friends. I always tell the girls, never take it seriously, if you never take it seriously, you never get hurt. You never get hurt, you always have fun, and if you ever get lonely, just go to the record store and visit your friends.

Then Danny, Julie and I went for a ride in their '65 Ford Mustang with the top down. It was great, such a beautiful fall day for it. Came home and had an amazing dinner- homemade chicken wings, veggies, salad, shrimp, and baked potato. Delicious. Then Shelby and I watched The Last Song, she got it for her birthday. It was the 4th time I've seen it now, and I have to say I'm not tired of it. It's a really good one. Definitely better than the last Nicholas Sparks book-turned-movie (Dear John). Then I came home and watched The Notebook.

Sunday was productive day. Laura and I got up early and went to church at Holy Ghost. It was nice, I think next time we're going to check out the cathedral mass and see which we like better. Then we came home and Laura got ready to leave for Dallas, she's training there all week. I went to Target and got some errands done then came home and cleaned the whole apartment - mopped, vacuumed, cleaned bathroom. Then I reorganized our bookshelf- I finally brought in the picture I bought in NYC of Central Park. Unfortunately the cheapo frame melted in my car, but the picture and glass are still in good shape, so its now sitting happily on a shelf. I moved the candelabra down a shelf and it stands out really well. I got some pumpkin spice candles today after being at Julie's and smelling how good the fall smells in the house were. Then I moved our everything board to the kitchen, the wall clock in its place in the entry way (now visible from the table and TV area) and hung Laura's Aspen picture above the table. I was going to attempt the mirror, but not being able to lift it or know I needed a stud caused me to stop. And I've been doing homework ever since.

Pretty excited for this week and weekend. Chuck E Cheese possibly tomorrow for celebration #2. Hopefully see my aunt and uncle that are coming in for a visit. Class retreat in the mountains all weekend. I'll keep you updated.

Recommended Songs

1. Mine- Taylor Swift
2. Sweet Disposition- The Temper Trap
3. Man in the Mirror- James Morrison
4. I'm Not Over- Carolina Liar
5. First Day of My Life- Bright Eyes
6. Green Eyes- Coldplay
7. Crazier- Taylor Swift
8. My List- Toby Keith
9. All Over Me- Josh Turner
10. All I Believe In- The Magic Numbers

Movies I Want to Buy

1. The Last Song
2. Hannah Montana Movie
3. Father of the Bride (1&2)
4. Lion King
5. Aladdin
6. Sleeping Beauty
7. Girl Next Door
8. Beauty and the Beast
9. Probably all seasons of How I Met Your Mother
10. High School Musical 3
11. Phantom of the Opera
12. Hitch
13. Inception

Movies I Can't Wait to See

1. Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt 1
3. Love & Other Drugs

new marketing class

Starved. 8-10pm. Amazing?

So I'm in a marketing class called Integrated Marketing Communications.  Over half of my class is international students, Buenos Aires, China, Italy, Greece.  And there's a girl in here that owns a cupcake shop down the street from my apartment, awesome!

rockies and jello shots. that's what denver does.

This was a big week for Laura and I and the apartment.  Thursday I went on a campus tour of University of Denver.  It was great, especially to see the rest of the campus and where things were so I don't look like a lost loser anymore. I'm still only really aware of how to get from point A to point B, but at least I know what the scenic route and pretty things are. Here's some pictures.

View of the undergrad side of campus.

Just a view of one side of campus and the Penrose Library.
The Daniels College of Business is just off to the right
behind one the trees.

Sturm School of Law (gorgeous)

Magness Arena in the Ritchie Center for Athletics.

Friday night my cousin Justin and his girlfriend were out to visit for the Diamonbacks vs. the Rockies.  So Laura and I met up with them for the game at Coors Field. Hooray for first Rockies game!!

View from our seats! GREAT SEATS RIGHT BEHIND
HOME PLATE. Row 37.

Laura and I at the game. 

So it was International Night and Disco Night at the Rockies. Which was really weird.  First they started the game with different cultural entertainments? Like there was a bagpiper, Chinese dancers, and then some other types of dancers.  Then a cute elementary school sang the National Anthem.  Then it turned to Disco Night so every time a Rockies player was on the big screen you would see them dressed in 70s clothes and hairstyles.  The Rockies went on to whip the Dbacks, we left after the 8th inning when it was 12-2 and freezing.

Saturday night was our second Rockies experience, but this time with DCB at DU.  They had a BBQ before for the students and their guests.  I brought Laura and Taylor, one of our friends from Creighton that came to visit.  We also pregamed a little before we went to the BBQ at Jacksons', a local sports bar right by the stadium.  The BBQ was actually really great, I had an amazing Blue Moon broiled brat.  I had been craving a hot dog for a while now, and complete with saurkraut, it was so good.  Then we went up to watch the game from the Rock Pile.

Dbacks in the outfield. Adam LaRoche playing 1st base.

LaRoche up to bat.

View of the field from the Rock Pile with a little
Denver skyline in the background.

We sat with some people I knew from class, not that I particularly liked, but is roommates with Laura's really entertaining and fun cousin.  Plus their friends were really fun to hang out with. During the game, kid that I don't like asked for my number in a super cheesy way that made Taylor laugh.  Here's how it went: "Hey I think there's something wrong with my phone..." Me: "O really, is it frozen? What's wrong with it?" "It doesn't have your number in it." Yea buddy, nice. Unfortunately since he is in my class and I had my phone sitting on my lap at the time I had to give it to him, but in no way was it connected to that awful line. Word to the wise, NO. After the game we went to one of our new friends' houses and played some drinking games and then ventured to Sing Sing, a dueling piano bar.  The piano bar came complete with tons of drinks, we got a few buzz buckets and split them and then I ordered a beer tower with wheat ale for Taylor, Laura, Corey and I to share.  The rest of our new friends were in worse shape than we were, which made for some entertainment.  After Sing Sing we hit up Maloney's and then home for some quesadillas with butter, only the best kind and way to make it. High five me.

Taylor ordered Laura a jello shot, with whipped cream.

Exhibit A of our new friends.

The end of Laura.

oh me oh my. how time does fly.

Well it's been a while since I last updated this and there's good reason for that.

1. I moved to another state.
2. I started an intense 2 week course that covered Finance, Accounting, Marketing, Management, IT, and Statistics in place of 3 months next summer.
3. I tested out of said class.
4. I had a flat tire my first week in Denver, CO.
5. I had no internet... or cable.

Here's a picture of sad Liberty with a donut tire. She's all better now.

On the upside, things have been going really well. Laura, my roommate, and I have settled into our apartment and are just finishing with the decorating. Once complete I will upload the new video where we actually have things in our apartment. Since I got here August 21st, I was staying at my cousin's house about 40 minutes away from the apartment and then moved in August 28th.

My first night of real freedom was September 3rd. Like I said it's been busy. Laura and I met up with some friends from undergrad in LoDo (Lower Downtown) and threw back some brewskys. We had a blast and noticed quite quickly how the mountain air really affects your buzz. Needless to say we were a bit tipsy after 2 drinks, let alone 7 beers, a Jagerbomb, and vodka sour later. We stayed til near bar close (2 am) and then walked back to the apartment with another friend.

The next morning we all were up pretty early and enjoyed a lazy Saturday complete with scrambled eggs and turkey, strawberries, and waffles for breakfast. Then Laura and I waited around for our cable guy to come and set us up with internet, cable, and HBO. We pretty much spent the rest of the night catching up on TV and checking Facebook since we hadn't been able to.

Today, I ventured out for a little more exploring of CO. I went to Sniagrab (bargains spelled backwards, up to 75% off on ski/snowboard gear) and bought a new ski jacket and gloves for about $100 less than the jacket was worth alone. I feel good about this purchase and can't wait to use it. And I spun the wheel for free prizes and I was oneeeeeeeeeee click away from a free ski lift ticket. O well better luck tomorrow when I go again.

Then I went out to my cousins' house to go to a Labor Day BBQ. This was so much fun, some of their close friends have a little potluck/BBQ and they set up a volleyball net to play. We were there for 9 hours, and I played volleyball probably for 5. If you know me at all, you know I am a terrible volleyball player, but I keep it interesting and entertaining. I met lots of great people around my age so I know some people and will have friends to go out with or just bounce ideas and dinners off of.

Anyway, so I just got home, and I'm going to bed, and more updates soon, because thankfully the internet has returned.

xoxo

A