THE GOOD LIFE

Snow, and Wind and Blizzards, OH MY!

IT SNOWED YESTERDAY! Denver had the largest snow storm this season which dropped some much needed moisture to the area! We have only had a total of about 18 inches in the Denver Metro area for the season which is below normal and average. This caused some wildfires and dry conditions for the area.

However, yesterday’s blizzard provided some much needed moisture. It started out as a nice cold morning, with partly cloudy skies and then got darker as the morning progressed. Eventually, we had white out conditions due to the snow and winds and we eventually closed the office early which was nice. The down side is that I took public transportation. You might say to yourself “well that would be better than driving”! Wrong! Normally, taking the bus and light rail is a benefit in bad weather. However, because we got let out of the office early, I ended up stranded at Lincoln station waiting for the bus…for 2 hours and 30 minutes. Our office closed at noon, and I got home just after 4PM. What a commute!

Either way, it was nice to be out of the office and to get some snow. Unfortunately, my mom ended up stranded in Miami and couldn’t get home. Thankfully she is getting home this morning! Here are some of the snow totals for the Denver Metro area from the storm yesterday:

Snowfall Totals:
Boulder: 18″
Roxborough Park: 15″
Conifer: 16.6″
Genesee: 20.5″
Lakewood: 12″
Lone Tree: 12.4″
Wheat Ridge: 15.1″
Evergreen: 14.8″
Littleton: 10″
Greeley: 11.5″
Highlands Ranch: 12.5″
SE Denver: 8.5″
Greenwood Village: 8.0″
Castle Rock: 12″
Loveland: 10.1″
Parker: 12″

As you can see, my house got 7.3 inches of snow, a far cry from the 2 feet that was predicted, but still much needed, and beautiful! I did hear this morning on the news that with that much snow in the metro area, the meteorologist is expecting that we will get 1/10th to 1/2 inch of actual moisture in the ground. Seems kind of funny that this much snow only produces that amount of “moisture” for the ground.

My Friend that is a Girl…My Girlfriend!

So in case you don’t know, thanks to facebook’s stupid new news feed system, or because you are not on facebook, or you haven’t talked to me in a few weeks, I have a girlfriend whom I thoroughly enjoy! Her name is Laura Schmidt and has been my friend for about 10 months. Just recently, as of Saturday 3/21, we have been an official couple! She is wonderful, funny, smart, attractive and fun to be with! We both want a Jeep Wrangler, and we don’t even have to speak when we see one on the road…we just look at each other and start laughing! Ah, the joys of relationships!

Spring, Spring, Come and Stay, Go Away Another Day!

Aside from the blizzard yesterday, we are all about spring here in Colorado, or at least I am! Trees and flowers are budding, the weather is getting warmer, I we have summer activities planned already! Because of this, I have decided to begin purchasing necessary gear and clothing in order to have fun and be comfortable in the wilderness! Of course, all of my outdoor purchases, or the majority of them at least, is coming from REI (Recreational Equipment INC) which is perhaps the best outdoor store ever! Recently, I have purchased a backpacking backpack, and a backpacking tent. See the images below:

This stuff is amazing! First off, it is excellent gear. The ratings are top notch and all recommended by magazines and users! To make it better, because I am an REI member, I get a dividend of 10% on all REI purchases, plus, I purchased these with my REI Visa card, so that is an extra 5% back! I am making money on these purchases! REI will calculate the dividends all year, and every March they pay out their members with a dividend check, to be used at REI which means I can get FREE or CHEAP gear! Win-Win!

My next purchase will be a down sleeping bag, rated for between 15-25*. That will be nice for the cooler nights, and one that I can take with me backpacking! Oh, and a sleeping pad to make sure that I get a restful nights sleep! Of course, nothing compares to the ultimate outdoor recreational tool: the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited in wonderful Rescue Green!

I think that there are a lot of people out there who don’t understand why you would want to buy one of these SUVs. I will tell you that I had the same question when I lived in Arizona. I would see these trucks and think to myself “what is the attraction to this vehicle? why would you ever want to drive such an ugly car”? Well, let me just tell you; until you have experiencing off-roading in a Jeep, and see all of the wonderful scenery around you, have the top down and doors off, radio blaring, sun shining, climbing rocks, flying though sand dunes and laughing with friends, you wont understand why this is such a great vehicle! Check out this Jeep commercial:

Believe it or not, but that is not just a marketing tactic! You actually have that much fun in one of these things! If you don’t believe me, you need to come to Colorado and rent one in order to find out for yourself! It is so much fun, and I have seen the most beautiful places in Colorado, only accessible to high clearance 4×4 trucks over the last one and a half years, and that is why I want one. The memories I have with friends participating in this sport are awesome, and it is a recreational activity that you can share with many people. The picture above is the Jeep that I am saving up for! I am going to get one…no doubt!

OK, now that I am done with my Jeep talk, I wanted to share with everyone some of the stuff that I will be doing this year that is already planned, and stuff that is in the works but not on the books yet. That way you can know what kind of pictures and posts to be looking for!

Here are the events that are planned and on the books:

• Small Group Passover Meal
• Rockies Baseball Game
• Alpine Slide
• 14er(s). Going to try 2 this year!
• Church hike of Pikes Peak in Colo Springs
• Combined camping and white water rafting trip
• Geochaching: Young Adults vs. Youth Group

So those are the items that I have planned to do with my small group at church. In addition to that, I would like to do the following:

• Several day and multi-day off-roading trips (Websters Pass is in the planning stages for a multi-day trip)
• Camping / hiking trips
• Fishing
• Caving
• Rock climbing
• Backpacking

Ah, I love Colorado! Moving here is the best decision I have ever made! It is the most beautiful, moving, awesome place to be outside in, offers a number of events and fun activities both indoor and out, and I will never move from here!