Spring has arrived!


The current temperature here in our parts of the woods is 64 degrees! I think that it's safe to assume that the winter weather is on its way out- and it's about damn time, too! Hubby and I were out and about earlier this afternoon and man, we actually had the a/c goin' in the car. It's not hot-hot just yet, but warm enough to put our jackets, scarves, beanies, and gloves away for the next 8 months. We actually saw this chick at Sam's Club donning a pink halter top with her black thongs jutting out from her way below the waist jeans. Let's just say that now that the weather has warmed up, the hootchie mamas are coming out to play, OKAY?! I know what hibernation can do, really I do, but this chicka is not ready to bust out in shorts anytime soon. As hubby would say, I'm the "house Pinay" and he's the "field Pinoy." In other words (and I'm almost embarrassed to admit this!), I am just about the whitest Pinay out here! I almost freaked myself out yesterday getting ready for church when I saw just how white my legs were. Geez. But in any case, one of my main goals this spring/summer season is to get me my color back. And if the temps keep rising from here on out, well, YAY! MnM is a happy camper!


Mini-Getaway


Last week, hubby and I spent time in the Mile High Clu-, er, um, City. Hubby had a business trip in Denver and I decided to accompany him. It was nice to get away from Minnesota, even if it was for a few days. The weather was a definite improvement compared to MN...for a city that gets more than 300 days of sunshine a year, well c'mon now! Although the temps did dip into the mid-30s, the sun did its job of warming you up. Denver is called the Mile High City because it's literally 5,280 feet above sea level. And you can feel it, too. If you've ever been in high elevation before, you know what I'm talking about when I say that your heart starts beating faster as it tries to pump more blood and your breathing becomes shallow. In fact, everytime hubby goes for business, he's constantly complaining about headaches and bloody noses. As for myself, it was all light-headedness. The last time I remember feeling this way was during our honeymoon in Maui. We headed up to Haleakala to watch the sunrise and that was more than double Denver's elevation. Hubby and I were climbing the steps to the observation tower and halfway up, we were both huffin' and puffin'! If you're not used to being that way up, you feel the difference. And boy oh boy did we feel the difference.


Rarified Air, DAM, and Jesus Lovers


Because hubby had to work all day, I was basically left to entertain myself. Our hotel was smack dab in the middle of downtown Denver, or "LoDo" as the local Denverites call it. LoDo is short for lower downtown. A block from our hotel is a strip called the 16th Street Mall. It's closed off to any other traffic except for a free trolley that travels up and down transporting tourists and workers to different spots along the way. One of the first things that you notice as you walk down this strip is the stench. Yup, the familiar disgusting stench of a downtown that includes putrid filled alleyways that reek of urine. It's bad enough I'm trying to catch my breath every so often and to get a wiff of the pungency is just nasty. This is also weird to admit, but it's been a while since I've seen any homeless people. Sure, there's homeless people in MN, but not as many as I've been used to seeing in downtown S.F. and sure not as many as in LoDo.


16th Street Mall is full of shops and restaurants that range from the Taco Hells and touristy souvenir stores to the upscale chi-chi I-can't-believe-those-pair-of-socks-cost-that-much stores. The city prides itself in the whole elevation thing. In a hotel magazine, it warns tourists to take precautions such as drinking plenty of water and wearing sunblock. I found it hilarious to see souvenir shops sporting shirts like, "Got Oxygen?" or "I really DID get high in Denver." There were a handful of sushi places that got us excited considering they're a rarity out here. There was also a restaurant called The Broker situated downstairs in a bank building that seated us in a vault! The ambience was pretty cool and for a lunch menu that serves $4 prime rib, $4 salmon, and $.75 caesar salads...well, that's pretty damn awesome. There was a Wolfgang Puck Cafe and a Coyote Ugly bar close by, but we didn't get to see either.



Here's the state capitol building.



Since I had a whole day to kill, I decided to visit the Denver Art Museum. It was about 7 blocks from our hotel and though it didn't seem too far, the whole lack of oxygen made it seem farther. I stopped off at the state capitol first. I heard that on the 15th step of the building, there is a marker to signify the 5,280 point. In fact, I hear that there are lots of other places around the city that mark the mile. To my disappointment, I didn't see any mark. Maybe they meant inside? I don't know, but it sure was tiring circling the entire building and searching for it. A couple blocks away are the museums: the state museum, the historical society museum, the contemporary art museum, and the Denver Art Museum. I can't remember the last time that I went to a museum without it being a field trip with 3rd graders. During the field trips, it's hard to really enjoy and soak everything in when you've got to worry about this kid or that. I thought it'd be nice to just take my time and stroll through each floor.


I hit the Asian exhibits first. To my disappointment, there was nothing on the Philippines except for ONE book on textiles in the reading area. Yes, I did browse the shelves and found nada. This is totally off the subject, but as I was reading up on Denver's demographics, Denver might as well as be Minnesota 'cuz there really ain't much diversity. Plus, to think that hubby and I almost moved there if it wasn't for MN. Anyways...


It did have an extensive collection of Tibetan art. One of the things that I found most fascinating was the "mandala" art. A mandala is a sand art with the most intricate details. There is a significance to the geometric shapes, pictures, symbols, and colors, but I probably wouldn't even know where to start explaining. From what I read, they are created to gain wisdom and to guide many to the path to enlightenment. The one that they had on display was done at the museum by three Tibetan monks. It took them two weeks to complete and was housed in a glass display. It is said that the monks chant and meditate to invoke the divine deities that reside within the mandala. It is also said to have some healing and purification to those who view it. The sand is a mixture of different colors, mostly coming from ground marble and in order to "fill in" the spaces, they have to use straws and wear masks so that their breaths do not disturb the art. In fact, the ones that make mandalas are said to be born with the gift. These people must study up on the art and practice so that it is perfect when one is made.







On my back from the museum and minding my own business, I was startled by this loud voice that yelled from the top of his lungs, "I'm in love! I'm in love and I want Denver to know!" Awwww, I thought to myself, someone has just proposed. I quickly thought about that commercial where this couple is in Italy (I think!) and he yells that he loves his woman. They show the birds scattering above the square and the woman trying to hush her man up. Then he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a diamond ring...awww. Ya'll know which commercial I'm talking about? Anyways, the voice continues his declaration of love, "I'm in love! And his name is Jesus! I just want Denver to know that I'm crazy in love!" I could tell by his volume that he was quickly approaching me and when I turned back, I saw this guy with long hair and a long beard clutching to his chest what looked like a Bible. He didn't quite look homeless and honestly, I think he really just wanted people to know that he loved Jesus. As he continued yelling, people either stopped and stared, or completely ignored him. There were a few that openly mocked him, while one guy backed him up with an "Amen to that, my brother!"


Up in the sky, it's a....


Bird. Yes, a bird. But not just any ordinary feathered friend, a bald eagle!


Hubby and I were driving home the other day when suddenly this "bird" came into our vision. At first I had thought to myself, That's one fricken huge ass bird. But the next second, I knew...it was a bald eagle. A freakin' bald eagle! I mean, as high above as it was, it was close enough for us to clearly see the white head, the enormously huge wing span, its deadly talons, its beak, and its beady eyes. It was simply beautiful! We started trippin' hard and perhaps it was instinct, but we both started searching the skies for others. None. A few days after our sighting, I read in the paper that some bird watching society of some sort were requesting people to send their bald eagle sightings. Apparently, they are trying to locate bald eagle nests. Hubby and I pretty much dropped our jaws because we bet our money there is one in the vicinity. How cool is that?!

Boy oh boy...just another factoid to back up our theory of living out in the boonies...




Finally got my MN plates...yay. But hey, check out the kitchen in the background!