A Taste of Colorado....disappointing

So yesterday after my class we went downtown to go to the Taste of Colorado festival. Vendors set up booths and offer samples of their food for a small cost, and then you can also buy larger portions. I thought it was going to be many of the higher end restaurants....but there were only a few of those. And there were so many odd balls there....middle age women in midriffs (sp?), teenager girls with their butt hanging out of their shorts...sickening. It was so disappointing. The food was not that great and it was super hot. We left after a little while, walking back down 16th street to the train station.
Now, we lived in Baltimore city for 2 years. And a couple of times I did get lost driving around and I was scared....but I was in my car and I just got out of there as quickly as I could. Walking downtown yesterday, I was more afraid (being on foot), than I ever was in Baltimore! We saw a lot of drugged out people...some hippies begging for money, and just some straight up sketchy people. I was so uncomfortable, gripping my purse close to me while trying to walk around the masses of weirdos. It was for about 2 blocks that I had that nervous anticipation that someone my accost us. I HATE that feeling. It's just unnerving, not really in control of the situation. Seriously......it's Denver! Even walking around Philly or NYC, I haven't felt that way. In NY we would see people that we would want to avoid being close to, but never clumped together like that! So I don't think we will be going to another fest downtown. It's the second one we've been to, and both have be bad.
If we wanted to see bad parents, drunks, and kooks we would stay home and sit on our porch, not go all the way downtown.

College 101

This is a little something I journaled tonight, while waiting for my statistics refresher course to start (it is kind of random, just a hodgepodge of thoughts):

I'm nervous, anxious, scared.
Do I belong here? Already I feel like everyone is smarter than I am. What if it's too hard? What if I fall on my face? What if I fail?
On the verge of tears.
I am now realizing that everyone brought their laptop. Except for me...shit.
I feel out of place. I know my anxiety is apparent I hear other languages being spoken. This is a part time grad program...Great, even the guy with highlights that just touched down from Cali has his laptop.
At least everyone looks older like me. That's comforting.
I am so intimidated right now. What am I doing? The girls sitting in the row in back of me are fast becoming friends, I can hear a couple of them giggling. Sitting in front of their brand new dells....man, new technology scares me.


So I feel ALOT better now, after the class. The professor was very interesting and engaging. And it wasn't over my head. I remembered my t's, z's and probabilities some what. I walked out feeling like maybe I do have something to offer. I just doubt myself sometimes. This is going to be a big dedication, but if I put my whole heart into it, I know I can do my best. It was just scary to start something new. Walking through the campus to class today reminded me of the first days of my freshman year of college. Feeling small in a great big college. Wondering if I was going to be as smart as the other students, if I was going to make friends. Is everyone going to be dressed up? You would think 10 years later I would be so much more confident....but I think everyone is apprehensive when they are starting a new chapter in their lives.

Soy Rey Del Mundo!

We went to the top of our first 14er today, Mt. Evans. Although I hesitate to say we 'bagged' it, because you drive to the top and only have to hike about 10 minutes up to be on the peak. But it did feel like we were on the top of the world. The views were great! And we got to see some mountain goats, one right on top of the peak! And we went geocaching while we were up there, and we found our first cache. It was kind of obvious, and it had been compromised and broken (it was an enclosed pipe), and some little brat kept shaking out the log entries, (all the while his mom telling him how cute he was - urghhh, but I digress). We were still excited to find it. Then we looked for the second one but didn't find it. Oh well, we'll have to look again next time.
What a wonderful day. These are the kind of days that really make me appreciate Colorado (even more than I thought possible), and all the outdoor activities it has to offer. I need to keep doing these things, experience new adventures, because it makes me miss Maryland less, and lifts my spirits. I've been in kind of a funk, just missing our friends and the things we got to do in Baltimore. Today made me feel a million times better. Everything is just an adjustment, especially moving 1/2 way across the country. Living in Colorado has been what we wanted for so long, and days like today are one of the big reasons why.

Roasting, Green Chile that is

I found some Hatch Green Chile at the grocery store. That's right, HATCH GREEN CHILE! Only one of the best things ever. EVER. I roasted it over our tiny camping grill, cleaned it, put cheese on it, and then had my way with it. And IT WAS AMAZING. I almost cried when the smell of the roasting chile started permeating the air. It is by far one of the BEST smells in the ENTIRE WORLD.
It is a smell of my past. It brings about so many pleasant memories. It makes my mouth water to even think about the smell. It is a signal of the start of fall in New Mexico. Even if it is still hitting the mid-90's, you just know that Fall is around the corner. The welcome relief from the heat is soon, along with scarecrows on front porches, surrounded by pumpkins, your house smelling warm and welcoming like fresh baked snicker doodles, school supplies, football games, sweaters. All these memories and more flood back to me with one wiff of the roasting chile. I wish everyone could know this amazing smell, and the even better taste of a FRESH roasted green chile. Oh the possibilities...rellanos, green chile cheese burgers, plain on a fresh tortillas, fresh green chile enchiladas, green chile stew!!

GMAT - no longer taking up every breathing moment

Ahhh, I finally took the GMAT. So very glad that is over! I've been studying like mad for the past month, and finally Monday I took the test. It was hard...just as hard as I thought it would be, but I did A LOT better than I had anticipated. In fact, after the test was over and my unofficial score popped up on the screen I sat there in wonder as silent tears rolled down my face. I was/am so proud of myself. For actually doing it, for studying so hard, for trying so hard. For taking that first big step in going back to college. So I'm doing it. I found out today that I have been accepted to the University of Denver. I will only be going part time (still working full time), so in a mere 3 1/2 years I will have my graduate degree! I know it's going to be hard, time consuming, and at times miserable, but I also know that I HAVE to do this, if I want to move up in my job, or move on to a better job maybe, and there is no time like the present. I am only getting older and it is only going to get harder. So here it goes. Look out world, Melissa is matriculating.

visitors from a far away state - postdate

standing in line for the bus to Coors


on the booze tour


Craig said it was the altitude....hmmmm

(Craig - thanks for the not so friendly reminder that I needed to update the hottest blog on the net with your visit - this is for you.)
In June we got our first visitors, after that the computer broke, and I didn't update the blog to include our fun!
Craig and Cherie had to come out on business, but they flew out early to see us!! It was so good to see friends.
We went on the Coors Brewery tour, awesome. We went to eat at a funky resturant downtown and then the next night they got to experience all that is holy, Little Anitas. We also hit up Six Flags...not as much fun as I rememebered. I also don't remember getting motion sickness as easily. I thought I was going to barf all over Craig on one of the swing rides. After 4 hours we all needed a nap.
It was so nice to see familiar faces. And it meant alot to get to see friends. I can't wait for you guys to come out again!