Mile Hi - New Things

For Christmas, I received a Sun Dried Tomato Dip Mix so I decided to make it for a New Year's Eve snack for the party we are going to tonight. I took 8 oz of light cream cheese, 1/2 cup of chopped sun dried tomatoes, and the dip mix and put it in my food processor for 30 seconds. That was it. I will be serving the dip with Wheat Thins Crackers. I haven't tried any of the dip yet but it should be pretty good. Happy New Year!

I didn't have time to post last night, therefore I'm posting this a a day late as this occurred yesterday (Fri 12/30/11). We went to Zink Bar + Patio with our neighbors last night. Zink Bar is in the Hilton Garden Inn that is about 1 block away from our apartment. It is a little higher end then where we usually go. I had a glass of wine for $9.00. It was a Sebastiani Chardonnay. What did you do today?

Today, I was in a meeting and felt that what was being said wasn't the best way to go about the situation. So afterwards, I talked to the director-level and senior-level managers after the meeting to stand up for myself and how I felt about the situation.  It is a good thing... I think... I hope... That is all I'm going to say about that since I'd like to keep my professional and personal lives separate. What did you do today?

I didn't have time to post last night, therefore I'm posting this a a day late as this occurred yesterday (Wed 12/29/11). We watched a movie entitled The American last night with George Clooney that came out in September 2010. It is about an American assassin who is mostly alone. He goes to Italy for his next assignment to build a gun for another assassin. Little does he know the assassin's job is to kill him with that gun. He befriends a priest and falls in love with a prostitute in this small town in Italy. Some parts of the movie were exciting but the movie was pretty slow and quiet as times when he was alone. IMDB gave it a 6.5 out of 10 and I would probably give it a 7.0 rating. What did you do today?

About a month ago, I got my Klout Score (my 41st New Thing). To remind you, Klout is a San Francisco based company that provides social media analytics to measure a user's influence across their social network. My current Klout Score is down to 34 (from 37). Klout Perks are exclusive products or experiences that you earn based on your influence. My 1st Klout Perk was a instant $10 credit to LeftLane Sports . LeftLane Sports is an online retailer that sells apparel, equipment, and gear for Outdoor, Fitness, and Action Sports enthusiasts with daily sales from top brands at up to 70% off retail. For this Klout Perk, ssers have to have a Klout Score above 20 to qualify. I used my $10 credit to buy a beanie and socks. I had to pay a total of $7.85, mostly for shipping and handling. I haven't fully experienced the sales and service of this online store (since I haven't received my products yet), but I would suggest this website to Outdoor enthusiasts to take a look around, I di...

We watched a movie entitled  Just Go With It tonight with Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler that came out in February 2011. It is about a plastic surgeon that pretends he is married to get women. He meets a young woman that he likes and makes up a lie that his assistant is his ex-wife. He then makes up more lies that his assistant's kids are his kids. He basically tells lie after lie to try to keep her. His assistant also makes up a lie to her friend. They whole group goes to Hawaii and the surgeon and assistant wind up falling for each other. Some parts of the movie were funny but the story line was pretty bad. IMDB gave it a 6.3 out of 10 and I agree with that rating. What did you do today?

I didn't have time to post last night, therefore I'm posting this a day late as this occurred on Christmas Day (Sun 12/25/11). I made a Holiday Ham with Ginger and Bourbon in my CrockPot yesterday for Christmas Dinner. The recipe call for ham, bourbon, brown sugar, and ginger. I also added some chopped carrots. I put the ingredients in my CrockPot and cooked on low for 7 hours. I also served the ham with homemade macaroni and cheese made with monterrey jack cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic, and cauliflower. It was a delicious holiday meal. What did you do today?

I didn't have time to post the past couple days, therefore I'm posting this 2 days late as this occurred Christmas Eve (Sat 12/24/11). I've never personally made anything with veal, so I decided to make Veal Parmesan . The recipe called for putting salt, pepper, flour, egg, and bread crumbs on the veal and frying for 4 minutes on each side. Then you put it in a baking dish with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese and bake at 350F for 15 minutes. I served with some spiral pasta and broccoli to make a well-balanced meal. It was really tasty. Bon Appétit! What did you do today?

I didn't have time to post last night, therefore I'm posting this a a day late as this occurred yesterday (Fri 12/23/11). Since I got off work early yesterday, we went to Le Grand Bistro & Oyster Bar ’s Happy Hour. Their happy hour is Monday to Friday from 3:00-6:00pm. They have specials on food (oysters for $1.25 each) and drinks ($3 each). We got 6 oysters, 2 white wines, and 2 pilsner beers (and a free loaf of french bread with lemon butter) for about $20. Good food at a good price. What did you do today?

I bought a Stouffer's Sautés for Two Steak Gorgonzola meal at King Soopers  the other day since I had a coupon. The package description is: prime rib steak and penne pasta with roasted red peppers and sun-dried tomatoes tossed in an Alfredo gorgonzola sauce. All you have to do is sauté it for about 13 minutes. It was a very rich and creamy meal (with a ton of fat I'm sure). It was pretty good, but I don't think I would buy it again. What did you do today?

Everyone brings in snacks, cookies, breads, chocolates, and other sweets into work during the holidays. Today I tried a homemade Traditional German Springerle Cookie (pronounced SPRING-uhr-lee) that my co-worker made. These festive biscuits called Springerle have been a Christmas tradition in Austria and Bavaria as far back as the 14th century. The ingredients include anise seeds, flour, baking powder, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, and confectioners' sugar. It was only ok, as I prefer cookies with chocolate! What did you do today?

I bought a Mission Sante Fe Wrap Kit at Target the other day since I had a coupon for $1.00 off. The package included 12 flour tortillas, Sante Fe Seasoning, and Sante Fe Sauce all for about $2.69 ($1.69 after my discount). The kit requires you to cook 1.5 lbs of chicken with the seasoning. I also added onions, green peppers, jalapenos, corn, and black beans to the cooked chicken. I also served it with lettuce and chips and salsa. It was a delicioso Taco Tuesday for us! What did you do today?

Google+ is a social networking website like Facebook . You can share your thoughts, links, photos, and videos with your networks. Google+ main differentiator from Facebook is its Circles, small groups of people that you can share to. Another feature is Hangouts, a group chat feature. Instead of directly asking a friend to join a group chat, users instead click “start a hangout” and they’re instantly in a video chatroom alone. I previously had a Google+ account but never used it. Today I added to it (added a picture and profile). You can also play games. I played Zynga's popular CityVille for about 3 minutes. CityVille is a social networking game where you are the mayor of a virtual city and to oversee its development into a large metropolis. This is comparable to the old SimCity computer games of the 1990s. What did you do today?

A friend recommended Sailor Jerry Spiced  Rum to us last week saying it was as good as, if not better, than Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum, so we decided to try it. Sailor Jerry's is crafted from the spirit of a selection of rums distilled in the Caribbean. The named was derived to keep alive the legacy of the man, Norman ‘Sailor Jerry’ Collins. The name/brand started as a small mom and pop clothing brand in Philadelphia, selling leather goods, sneakers, t-shirts, and other products featuring Sailor Jerry's marks. I made a rum and Diet Coke while watching the Denver Broncos vs New England Patriots football game. Unfortunately, the Broncos lost but the drink was ok. I would say Sailor Jerry is as good as Captain but not better. What did you do today?

I didn't have time to post last night, therefore I'm posting this a a day late as this occurred yesterday (Sat 12/17/11). The Dew Tour was in Breckenridge this week and this weekend, so we skied a few runs during the day and watched the Dew Tour for about an hour. The Dew Tour hosts the best male and female snowboarders and freeskiers in the world, in superpipe and slopestyle. We watched the Men's Snowboard SuperPipe Finals at 2:30pm. I got to see Shaun White ride the half-pipe. Shaun White is a 25 year old professional snowboarder, skateboarder, and Olympic gold medalist. I believe they stated that Breck's Freeway is the largest pipe in the world. It is 602 ft long and 22 ft tall. The finalists and results are as follows: Shaun White 95.00 Louie Vito 92.75 Iouri Podlachikov 90.00 Christian Haller 88.00 Kohei Kudo 86.00 Matt Ladley 84.00 Steve Fisher 79.75 Keito Kumazaki 55.75 Kazuhiro Kokubo 47.75 Scott Lago 40.00 Luke Mitrani 24.25 Danny Davis Wh...

I went to happy hour with some friends today since a friend is leaving for 2 weeks for the holidays. We went to Ale House at Amato’s in LoHi (Lower Highlands). It is an ale house with “Good Food, Good Drink and Good Cheer”. I had a Breckenridge Peachfork Wheat and a Wynkoop Patty's Chile Beer. Both were good beers! What did you do today?

We had a work holiday happy hour today at Stoney's Bar & Grill . It was my 1st time there. They have a decent happy hour with 2-for-1 drinks from 4:00-7:00pm and deals on appetizers. I got 2-for-1 margaritas and socialized with my co-workers for a couple hours, then headed home. What did you do today?

I went to see a dermatologist today for the 1st time in my life. Dermatologists take care of diseases and problems of the skin, scalp, hair, and nails. I wanted to get a skin screening to make sure my moles are normal and nothing to worry about. My doctor did a visual skin screening and then did a biopsy of 1 mole on my back to get it tested. The biopsy involved a shot of anesthesia to numb the area and then scraping the top layer of the mole off. They needed this sampling of cells to examine under a microscope to determine the presence of a disease. It was not painful and I should get the results back in a week. What did you do today? 

I went to Panera Bread to meet a friend that is in town for work this week. I tried a bowl of the All-Natural Sonoma Chicken Stew . Ingredients include carrots, peas, leeks, diced red potatoes, sweet cream, and thyme. It is served with a Dry Jack Cheese Biscuit and a choice of potato chips, baguette, or apple. The stew was thick and creamy and hit the spot. What did you do today?

Tea is a beverage made by soaking cured leaves of the of the Camellia Sinensis Plant in water. Tea is the 2nd most consumed beverage in the world (water is the 1st). The largest producers of tea are China, India, Kenya, Sri Lanka, and Turkey. Tea is said to provide antioxidant properties and therapeutic applications. I’m feeling a little under the weather today so I wanted to drink some good herbal tea to help my immune system and prevent further getting any sickness. My co-worker is an avid tea drinker and has a variety of tea flavors. She had a Celestial Seasonings box of Fruit Tea Sampler caffeine free herbal teas. Within this box was 4 bags of True Blueberry Tea . This tea consists of hibiscus, rosehips, orange peel, natural blueberry flavor with other natural flavors, blackberry leaves, wild blueberries, and blueberry leaves. This is my 1st time drinking blueberry tea. I added a little sweetener. It was good. What did you do today?

Homemade soup sounded perfect after a weekend of being cold in the Colorado Rockies and at the Denver Broncos game. I decided to make Tortellini Soup tonight. I followed this basic recipe for Spinach Tortellini Soup from Allrecipes.com but then added to it. The ingredients that I used include: chicken, tortellini, chicken broth, spinach, onions, carrots, celery, peppers, mushrooms, cannelloni beans, garlic, salt, and pepper. The soup was excellent to warm up after a cold weekend! What did you do today?

I didn't have time to post last night since I wasn't home, therefore I'm posting this a a day late as this occurred yesterday (Sat 12/10/11). There was a music fest in Vail this weekend, so we skied during the day and went to Vail Snow Daze in the evening. The main band for the evening was Yukon Kornelius .  They are a rock super group consisting of Dave Matthew’s Band bassist Stefan Lessard, Barenaked Ladies guitarist/vocalist Ed Robertson, Guster guitarist/vocalist Adam Gardner, Spymob drummer Eric Fawcett, Twisted Sister vocalist Dee Snyder, Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready, O.A.R. members Marc Roberge and Jerry Depizzo, and actor/professional cow bell player Jason Biggs. Yukon Kornelius’ shows are known for being extremely rare, enormously energetic and JAM PACKED with special guest appearances. The band, who have has released five studio albums throughout their career, recently finished recording new material for their sixth album.  The played a lot of great songs...

I was at a friend's apartment after work today. She is from Michigan so she had a variety of Michigan beers. I tried a  Pandemonium Pale Ale made by Shorts Brewing Company in Bellaire MI. It's a pretty good beer. What did you do today?

My company offers various corporate training classes throughout the year. I took the popular Excel 2007 Advanced Formulas class today. It was a 4 hour class taught in a computer lab by an external educator. We learned about IFS, IF ANDs, IF ORs, COUNTs, COUNTIFs, SUMs, SUMIFs, VLOOKUPs, and HLOOKUPs. This class was probably a valuable class to most working professionals but especially benefitical for Analysts. What did you do today?

I forgot to post last night, therefore I'm posting this a a day late as this occurred yesterday (Wed 12/7/11). I've been doing Yoga about once a week for the past 4 years. Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, that people practice for their health and well-being. It originated in ancient India dating to the mid 3rd millennium BC. New schools of Yoga were introduced towards the end of the 19th century. Crow Pose or Crane Pose (or Bakasana) is a mid-level arm balance pose. About 2 months ago, I could  only hold a Crow Pose for about 3 seconds. Today I held it for 37 seconds. My goal is to hold this pose for 60 seconds. Instructions for Crow Pose: Bending the knees slightly, bring your palms flat on the floor about shoulder distance apart. Place the knees on the back of the upper arms. Start to come forward, lifting the head as you go. Take feet off the floor, one at a time, so you come to balance with both feet up. What did you do today?

I watched a classic sitcom today from the 70s, Laverne & Shirley . The show aired on ABC from January 26, 1976, to May 10, 1983 and starred Penny Marshall as Laverne De Fazio and Cindy Williams as Shirley Feeney. They were roommates who worked in a fictitious Milwaukee brewery called "Shotz Brewery". The show was a spin-off from Happy Days, as the two lead characters were originally introduced on that series as acquaintances of Fonzie. I watched Season 7, Episode 22, "Perfidy in Blue" originally aired on May 11, 1982. This episode started out with Shirley looking for Laverne's favorite blue purse that she borrowed and lost. Laverne asks where it is because she would like to use it on her date. Shirley lies and says she hasn't seen it. Shirley then watches TV and daydreams that she is in the TV show and married. Laverne is having an affair with Shirley's husband and Laverne tries to poison Shirley. Shirley pretends she is dead. Shirley wakes up and ...

Last week I bought a couple sweet potatoes to make as a side dish. I looked up a few recipes online at Allrecipes.com and settled on Honey and Rosemary Sweet Potatoes . The ingredients are sweet potatoes, honey, rosemary, olive oil, salt, and pepper. The only difference is I fried them instead of baked them. We also made salmon and broccoli. What a well-balanced, delicious meal! What did you do today?

Today is National Cookie Day so I decided to make cookies. National Cookie Day occurs on December 4th every year. The English word "cookie" is derived from the Dutch word "koekje," which means little cake. Bakers used to place a small amount of cake batter in the oven to test the temperature. They soon discovered that these little bits of cooked batter were quite tasty on their own, and the cookie was born. I made 2 dozen Chocolate Chip Cookies. They came out warm and gooey and delicious! What did you do today?

Survivor is a reality TV game show broadcast on CBS since 2000. It is the American version of the Swedish TV series, Expedition Robinson . The show hosts a group of people in a desolate location. They are formed into tribes. The people must provide food, water, fire, and shelter for themselves, while competing in challenges to earn either a reward, or an immunity from expulsion from the game by votes for elimination. The winner of the game wins a million dollar prize. The show has been very successful as it is rated amongst the top ten most watched shows. The series has been nominated for several Emmy Awards, including winning for Outstanding Sound Mixing in 2001, Outstanding Special Class Program in 2002, and subsequently 4 times for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program when the category was introduced in 2003. Jeff Probst has won the award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program 4 consecutive times since the award was introduced in 2008. I wat...

I was tired last night, therefore I'm posting this a a day late as this occurred yesterday (Sat 12/2/11). We were downtown Denver last night to watch the Parade of Lights . It was the 37th annual Parade of Lights that marches a 2 mile route with sparkling lights, marching bands, giant balloons, majestic floats, and delightful characters. The Denver Christkindl Market was also along the route of the parade so we listened to German holiday music, looked at the ornaments, wood carvings, and gifts, and drank some Glühwein (spiced mulled wine).   What did you do today?

Matt is having his work holiday party at Marco's Coal-Fired Pizza in downtown Denver. Therefore, one of the managers invited him to try out some food before the party in 2 weeks. She gave us a complimentary Meatball Sliders appetizer and beers. We also ordered Coal-Fired Lemoncello Chicken Wings and a Queens NY Pie. Marco's uses authentic ingredients, including Antimo Caputo 00 flour from a 3rd generation family mill, artisanal cheeses imported from the Italian countryside and locally grown produce from Colorado. Their pizza makers are trained by the renowned Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napolitana. In fact, Marco’s Pizza is certified as an authentic Neapolitan restaurant by the Verace Pizza Napoletana – the only certified restaurant in Colorado, and one of only 40 in the USA. They have delicious Italian appetizers and pizza! We also watched the 1st half of the WVU vs USF game where WVU won 23-20! What did you do today?

Klout is a San Francisco based company that provides social media analytics to measure a user's influence across their social network. The analysis is done on data taken from sites such as Twitter and Facebook and measures the size of a person's network, the content created, and how other people interact with that content. Scores range between 1 and 100. My current Klout Score is 37. The average Klout Score is around 20. I will work on earning a higher score by consistently creating great content that people want to share and respond to. Klout also offers Klout Perks. These are exclusive products or experiences that you earn based on your influence. This is one of my goals: to be paid to try products and then write about it.  Chevy teamed up with Klout to allow 3 day loans of its new Chevy Sonic to people with Klout scores above 35. I believe you also had to be in your 20s to qualify. It may have also been location specific. Hopefully I will qualify for a Klout Perk soon! W...

As I stated a few posts ago, I like buying from Groupon and other daily deals. I bought a Hamburger Mary’s Bar & Grille Groupon for $10 for $20 worth of food since I've never eaten there before. Matt and I split a Mary's Bleu Cheese & Pear Salad (spring mix, pecans, pears, bleu cheese, sun-dried cherries, cherry vinaigrette) and a Queen Mary Burger (cheddar, monterey jack, grilled onions, bacon, special sauce) with fries. All was excellent and I didn't feel it was super greasy like Smashburger. I highly recommend the food here. They were even getting ready to play some BINGO. We also got a few drinks: 2 $2 Coors Light and 1 $2 Margarita. The bill was a little more than $20. Good times. What did you do today?

I read an Oprah.com article, 16 Ways to Make an Incredible Impact With Less Than $15 , recently about 16 different organizations you can donate to for as low as a $1 donation or up to a $15. Since it is the holiday season of giving, I decided to donate $1 to Books For Africa . Supposedly $1 will provide 2 books shipped to a classroom in Africa. Access to an education is one of the only opportunities young people have to end the cycle of poverty and attain a better quality of life than previous generations. Books For Africa works to help children who otherwise would not attend school by supplying educational materials to reduce or eliminate education costs. In the wake of Wyclef's accusations (1/3 of $16 million raised went to the charity), I was a little leery of donating but if Oprah says it is a reliable organization, it must be! What did you do today?

It was a warm sunny day in Denver today (1 of 300 days of sunshine) so Matt and I played some basketball in Garland (David T) Park . I bought a basketball yesterday so I wanted to try it out. We warmed up for a bit then played the game O-U-T (shortened version of H-O-R-S-E). In this game 1 person is allowed to shoot from anywhere on the court. If the shot is made, then the other person must make the same shot from the same position. If person 2 makes the shot, no letter is given to either person. If missed, that person receives an O. It so happens that I won. Matt had O-U-T and I had nothing. What did you do today?

We went to Mellow Mushroom this morning at 10:00am to watch UGA vs GA Tech. Mellow Mushroom is a pizza restaurant franchise that started in Atlanta GA in the 1970s with over 100 restaurants nationwide today. Their pizza crust is buttered and sprinkled with parmesan cheese.  The UGA Alumni Chapter goes to Mellow Mushroom on the 16th Street Mall in Denver CO for each football game. Since it was so early, they have 3 different types of breakfast pizza to offer. We ordered a medium Denver Breakfast Pizza with eggs, ham, green peppers, onions, and cheese. It was different but delicious. I also had a hot chocolate with Frangelico. UGA won 31-17. What did you do today?

Today is the 104th Annual Backyard Brawl where the West Virginia Mountaineers  (7-3) take on University of Pittsburgh Panthers  (5-5) in Morgantown WV at 5pm MST. This football series begin in 1895. Instead of going to the WVU RMC's (Rocky Mountain Chapter) alumni bar, Hopper's, to spend money on food and drinks, we decided to spend money on food and drinks at King Soopers (a Kroger brand grocery store). Thanks to my friend’s parents, I was already stocked with 24 cans Yuengling (made by the oldest brewery in the US in Pottsville PA since 1829). All that we left was food. King Soopers has a lot of fresh food bars to choose from, like salad bar, soup bar, olive bar, etc. One of them is a chicken wing bar with about 6 flavors to choose from (fried, honey chipotle, teriyaki, buffalo, bbq, spicy) with or without bone and carrots and celery as well. Wings are $5.99/lb so we got 24 wings for $8.04. There were pretty good wings but not the best. WVU 21-20 but we also did not play ...

Keystone has been open since November 4, 2011 and we didn't have to work, therefore Matt and I went skiing today. Only 12 lifts open and 20 trails open (although it seemed like 3 lifts and 3 trails), but it was still skiing and Thanksgiving Day.  It was a sunny day about 40F and a little windy. The snow was decent and we did 6 runs and then went back to Denver. What did you do today?

Since tomorrow is Thanksgiving, here is a list of things I’m thankful for: My significant other, Matt - my best friend, roommate, confidant, comedy relief, cand more! My family - for all the love and support throughout the years. My friends - for lending an ear. My job - for providing a paycheck. My education - both undergrad and grad degrees. My car - for getting more from point A to point B safely. A roof over my head - for providing heat in the winter and cool in the summer. The ability to purchase food - provides energy and nourishment. The clothes I wear - may be old and out of style but at least I have clothes. The shoes on my feet - I have shoes when people in other countries do not. Good health - I try to eat healthy and exercise every day. My 5 senses - I enjoy seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching. 300 days of sunshine - people are happier when the sun is shining. No credit card debt - I rack up the bills and pay them in full. Social media - to k...

Since the holidays are here, there are holiday dinner parties. I recently read that a good gift for a hostess is The Proust Questionnaire by Marcel Proust. The book contains questions about life and outlook. Proust grew up in elite social circles in Paris. He encountered a popular ice-breaker style British parlor game that encouraged guests to answer a personal questionnaire as a means of getting to know one another better. I then did an internet search on Proust and discovered Proust.com . This website was inspired by Marcel Proust since it captures life stories, thoughts, and aspirations. I decided to signup and answer some of these questions. There are many, many, many questions and I only answered a few. You can view my story here, http://proust.com/story/patriciabuwen . What did you do today?

If you haven’t already heard me complain about how my cell phone broke, you are going to now. Last Tuesday 11/15/11, I was heading out to work. As I got in my car, my LG Ally (covered with a rubber protective case) slipped out of my bag and drop to the ground (about 2 feet). I did not realize it fell out so I drove away. A couple minutes later, I realized I did not have my cell phone with me so I went back to my apartment to look for it. It wasn't inside so I retraced my steps. It was still sitting in my parking spot without a scratch on it. What a relief I thought to myself.  There was a green light blinking on it, signifying I had a message. However, when I tried to turn it on it did not come on. I then realized the phone worked but the screen did not. I went to the Verizon Wireless Store after work and then informed me the LCD screen was shot and it was $90 for a new part + labor. I could also buy a new phone for $400+ or use an old phone until my contract was up Febru...

I finally finished The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown on the airplane today. It released in 2009 and was a best seller. It takes place in Washington DC about the Masons, codes, secrets, and unseen truths. It took me 385 days to read it but I finished today and I gave it a 3 out of 5 on Goodreads . I rated Angels & Demons 5 (my favorite Dan Brown novel) and DaVinci Code a 5. What did you do today?

Since I was travelling and I don't have my Droid anymore, I'm posting this a a day late as this occurred yesterday (Sat 11/19/11). We traveled north to Ellija Georgia on Saturday to visit my aunt and uncle. They have a cabin in the woods in Coosawattee River Resort . It is a resort full of wilderness and gravel roads. We saw some deer in the backyard. They also have a rec center with an indoor pool, fitness center, basketball court, tennis court, mini golf, and a game room. We ate at Charlie’s Italian Restaurant  for dinner. I had Gnocchi Alfredo with Mushrooms, which came with bread and a house salad.  I also had a pinot grigio. It was a nice time in Ellijay. What did you do today?

Since I was travelling and I don't have my Droid anymore, I'm posting this a few days late as this occurred 2 nights ago (Fri 11/18/11). We went to Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant in Atlanta's Buckhead neighborhood Friday night. This is a chain brewery with handcrafted beers and made-from-scratch cuisine restaurant that start in 1988 in Palo Alto CA. They currently operates 33 restaurants in the United States. I had a the Hefeweizen (a German wheat beer) and Lobster Bisque Soup. The lobster bisque was AMAZING! What did you do today?

I went to the Mall of Georgia today located in Buford GA. It is the largest mall in Georgia and the 29th largest mall in United States (based on total square feet of retail space). The mall was built in 1999 and has 225 stores. The Mall of Georgia one of Simon Malls owned by Simon Property Group . We didn't buy a single thing in that mall; it is too close to Christmas. What did you do today?

Since I'm travelling and I don't have my Droid anymore, internet hasn't been readying available and I'm posting this a day late as this occurred last night (Wed 11/16/11). This one is a little on the lame side as I've never ate at Schlotzky's but I've wanted to eat there for the past 8 year since I LOVE sandwiches. We were at the Denver International Airport today since we were heading to Atlanta. I had a sandwich for lunch so I just wanted a salad for dinner. So I ate a Turkey Avocado Cobb Salad even though they are know for their sandwiches and they sounded, looked, and smelled good. My salad had mixed greens, turkey, bacon, avocado, black beans, eggs, tomatoes, goat cheese, and croutons in it. It was served with a piece of cheesy flatbread. I had it with light ranch salad dressing. It was approximately $9.76 (higher cost at the airport I assume). Good salad but I can't wait to try a sandwich! What did you do today?

I went out to lunch with my co-worker today. We went to Café 180 in Englewood, CO. This is a unique eatery in the aspect that is lets you pay whatever you want for your food. If you can't pay, you can give 1 hour of service for food. They say "Give and Take. Pay it Forward. Support your Community." Their ingredients are fresh and mostly organic. I had a half Apple Walnut Salad, a half Turkey Bacon Spinach Wrap, and small Diet Coke so I donated $8.00. They also said I could have a complimentary cookie so I choose a Rocky Road Cookie. All the food was delicious. Jon Bon Jovi also has a new restaurant, Soul Kitchen , in Red Bank NJ that is a similar concept that opened on October 19, 2011. They serve healthy, organic meals without prices on the menu. $10 is the minimum donation for a 3-course meal that includes a drink and dessert. If a customer can't pay, they can volunteer in some way to earn a voucher for a meal. Panera Bread also has experimented with this conce...

I decided to watch a show that I've never watched before. I've never watched 20/20 even though I used to see the Barbara Walters commercials all the time. 20/20 is a television newsmagazine that has run on ABC since 1978, with around 5 million viewers per week. I chose to watch Episode 66, Lessons from Billionaires, that originally aired on October 28, 2011. Segment 1 was about Guy Laliberté , worth $2.5 billion, who founded  Cirque du Soleil in 1984. He is originally from Canada and started out as a street performer himself. I believe there have been 29 unique shows thus far. Segment 2 was about Lynn Tilton , who is the sole principal of Patriarch Partners, LLC which manages 75 companies that generate $8 billion per year in revenue. She is originally from Teaneck NJ. She buys companies in jeopardy, restructures them, and finding new ways to make them profitable. Her advice to young entrepreneurs is "success comes from following your passion." Segmen...

I met up with a couple WVU friends for brunch this morning at Highland Tap & Burger . I had a couple mimosas and a breakfast burrito while watching the Steelers (won) vs Bengals, Broncos (won) vs Chiefs, and Falcons (lost) vs Saints games. This was also my 1st time in LoHi (Lower Highlands). The Highlands is a neighborhood in Denver with many trendy restaurants, bars, and shops. It is located a few miles northeast of downtown Denver. What did you do today?

This may sound weird to some and normal to others, but today I boiled peanuts . This is a popular snack in Southeast United States (most popular in the Carolinas). Since I'm from the Northeast, I've never heard of this until last year when I watched a University of Georgia football game at a friends house in Denver. The hosts were from GA and had boiled peanuts as a snack. They were good. All you have to do is buy raw peanuts in boil them in salted water for about 4 hours. You should try it sometime. What did you do today?

As I stated a few posts ago, I like buying from  Groupon  and other daily deals.  I bought a Smashburger Groupon for $6 for $12 worth of food since I've never eaten there before and the corporate headquarters are based in Denver CO. Matt and I split a Colorado Burger with green chilies, melted cheddar cheese, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayo on a spicy chipotle bun. We also had Smashfries, Fried Pickles, and a Small Wedge Salad. Everything tasted good but was pretty darn greasy and I'm sure the calories and fat content were pretty high. I'm not used to eating 'fast food' like that at all. I recommend it if you like 'fast food' but I don't think I will be eating there again for awhile. I guess I need to work out tomorrow morning. What did you do today?

I decided to watch a show that I've never watched before. I've never watched 60 Minutes even though my dad watched it every Sunday night at 7:00 pm. 60 Minutes is a news television program that has run on CBS since 1968 and averages 13.36 million viewers per week. In 2002, it was ranked #6 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time . I chose to watch an episode that originally aired on October 2, 2011. Segment 1 was about the earthquake and tsunami that destroyed Japanese town Otsuchi in March. Death toll was about 1,500. Otsuchi has an American Sister City, Fort Bragg, CA. Segment 2 was about 26 year old mountain climber, Alex Honnold , that free solos (scales walls without a harness). He was featured in Sender Films' documentary, Alone on the Wall Segment, 3rd episode of the First Ascent series, where he ascends Yosemite’s famous Half Dome. Segment 3 was about Andy Rooney , the iconic commentator and his remarkable career on 60 Minutes, most famous for the en...

I read more Oprah these days and she has a web-base application called the O Dream Board . A dream board is when people cut out inspirational images from magazines and put them on cork boards to serve as a daily reminder of your aspirations and what you want your life to be.  It helps you get clear about your goals, your hopes, and your vision for your life to turn your dreams into reality every day. I made a quick one with the image library supplied. I tried to color code the text boxes: white for personal goals, blue for health/fitness, red for education, and green for career. It is a good start and I can probably make a better one soon with my own images and style.  Enjoy! http://www.oprah.com/odbimage/db_210248005_1 What did you do today?

Have you ever heard of the Six-Word Memoir books by SMITH Magazine? Well, Six-Word Memoirs are basically writing your life story in six words. The books are a collection of Six-Word Memoirs from its readers contributions. I took a stab at my Six-Word Memoir, here is what I came up with: Inspired by fitness, innovation, and sustainability. Everyone has a story. Can you tell yours in six words?

Tonight I decided to make my own granola. I looked up a few recipes online on www.allrecipes.com  to get an idea of what to put in it and how to do it. I settled on the ingredients of olive oil, butter, honey, oats, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, raisins, and dried cranberries. I now feel like a Boulder hippie. What did you do today?

I bought Swai Florentines from Target this week. I believe the package of 2 was only $3.99. Swai is a white fish that has a mild, sweet taste. Swai has a light flaky texture with similar taste and texture to tilapia. I baked it in the oven for 20 minutes at 375F and served it with brown rice (with creole spices) and asparagus (with pine nuts). It was delicious! We had an early dinner since we are heading to the Avs game. What did you do today?

I watched the movie Antwone Fisher tonight. It is about a man in the navy that is forced to see a psychiatrist since he constantly got in fights. He eventually opens up about his past to his doctor who helps him heal from his past and move on from the present to his future. I give it a 7 out of 10. What did you do today?

I ate at a new sushi restaurant today (when I say, new, I mean new for me). Matt and I went to Opal Restaurant . They have a daily happy hour from 4:30-7:30pm with drink specials and 2-for-1 sushi. We had 2 22 oz Kirin bottles, 1 Corona, edamame, 2 unagi pieces (eel), 2 sake pieces (salmon), and 2 spicy tuna hand rolls for $20 + tip. Good food and good times! What did you do today?

I wanted to see what all the hype was about for this game called Words With Friends so I downloaded the app to my LG Ally Android to check it out. Words with Friends is a social mobile game that challenges players to create the highest-scoring words while playing against family and friends (basically it is the digital version of Scrabble). My Aunt Nancy had already requested to start a game with me. She started the game with the word TENTS. I then played the word RATS. She played PURE, and then I played RUIN.  She is currently winning 24 to 18. What did you do today?

Today, I participated in a market research project with AccuData Market Research in Aurora CO on allergy and cold medicines. I would call it a focus group. Focus group studies are a form of qualitative research in which a interactive group of people are asked to talk about their perceptions, opinions, beliefs, and attitudes towards a product, service, concept, advertisement, idea, or packaging. Before I got invited to do the market research project, there were a series of pre-qualifications that I went through. First, I was registered on their website as a participant in their database. Then, I believe I received an email that linked to short online survey.  Finally, I received a phone call and took a short phone survey to qualify. At the market research project, there were 6 total participants (all female and I was the youngest) and 1 moderator.  She asked us what types of products we use to prevent and cure allergy and cold symptoms. She also asked us our opinions on ...

This morning, since I had a $5 gift card, I wanted to treat myself to Starbucks . I wanted to try one of their 6 breakfast sandwiches and a new coffee that I read about, Blonde Roast which is a lighter-bodied coffee. It turns out that they only announced that they will be selling this new brew soon but not until January 2012. Therefore, I tried a Bacon & Gouda Artisan Breakfast Sandwich (not bad) and a Pumpkin Spice Latte (one of my fall favorites!).   What did you do today?

Today I have decided it is time to add a profile picture to my blog but I don't necessarily want my picture up there. I saw that my cousin, Juliette, had some sort of cartoon figure as her profile picture, so I thought it would be fun to make a cartoon or caricature out of myself as well. I did a Google search on the keywords 'free caricature from photo'. I looked at a few websites but used this website to cartoonize my profile  BeFunky . It only took minutes to complete. I guess this one isn't too cartoony or crazy, but I like it. It looks like a real artist painted me. Then I experimented with Simpsonizing (if you like the TV show The Simpsons) myself and Avatarizing (if you like the movie Avatar) myself.   Someday while I’m at a carnival or amusement park, I would also like to get a real live caricature artist to draw one for me too. What did you do today?

I'm pretty big on buying from  Groupon and other daily deals from websites these days.  I probably average buying about 2 per month.  Matt and I ate brunch at Off the Vine Coffee & Wine Bar  in Englewood with my Urban Dealight deal.  It cost $15 for breakfast with mimosas for 2.  We had a Green Chili Breakfast Burrito and a Smoked Salmon NY Style Bagel.  Both were very dealicious (ha ha get it) and a great way to start this sunny Sunday! What did you do today?

I went to the WVU alumni bar in Colorado today to watch WVU take on Rutgers.  The bar is called Hopper's Sports Grill in Wheat Ridge, CO.  Rutgers gave us a run for our money but we pulled it off winning 41 to 31.  While I was there I tried a draft of 90 Shilling Ale by Odell Brewing Co.  Since I wasn't sure if I had tried that before, I had a Full Sail Pale Ale by Full Sail Brewing Co when I got home.  It is a pretty good beer. What did you do today?

I watched a movie tonight after work called Hereafter . It released in 2010 with Matt Damon. It’s about the lives of 3 different people in 3 different countries that are affected by death and the afterlife in some way. They are all searching for answers and their lives intersect at some point.  I give it a 8 out of 10. What did you do today?

I believe I’ve carved a pumpkin or two when I was little and helped carved one in Chicago a few years ago, but I’ve never saved the seeds. The scraping and carving process is a lot of work and is a mess. The stringy stuff apparently is pointless but we separated the seeds from it. We scraped and scraped. Later, I roasted pumpkins seeds in the oven at 325F on a baking sheet for 30 minutes with worcestershire, oil, and seasoned salt. It is a good, healthy snack! What did you do today?

My apartment complex has a small fitness center with 3 ellipticals, 3 treadmills, 2 bikes, some circuit training, and some weights. This is not enough for me. As a Glendale resident, we can get discounted membership rates at Glendale Sports Center at Infinity Park right down the street. We have a free day passes there, so we decided to try it out. They have Technogym products (their ellipticals, treadmills, and bikes all have personal touch screens where you can watch TV, listen to the radio, or listen to you iPod!), a basketball court, plus fitness classes that are offered, mornings, afternoons, and evenings. You get all this for the bargain price of $8.00/month. The fitness center wasn't all that big but it also wasn't crowded at the peak hour of 6:00pm and at $0.27/day, you really can't lose! What did you do today?

It’s Taco Tuesday! So Matt and I tried a new Mexican place (new to us anyway) called Little Anita's New Mexican Foods  on South Colorado Boulevard.  We really wanted to try Denver's best white queso dip at Yolanda's Tacos, but realized they closed at 7:00 pm before we got there. Anita's has won many "Best of Denver" awards.  We had Chile Con Queso and Chips and a #4 Combination plate with a beef burrito, pork tamale, cheese enchilada, rice, and beans. The waitress also brought us 2 free sopaipillas for dessert.  I've never had a sopaipilla before. It was like a puffy, sweet dough. We ate it with honey. What did you do today?

Last week, when I was at the local Albertson’s grocery store, I saw a butternut squash on sale for $0.69/lb, so I decided to buy it since it seemed last a nice fall vegetable to eat. I wasn’t really sure what to do with it, so I went to www.allrecipes.com and did a recipe search by ingredient. The most popular recipes were for variations of Butternut Squash Soup, therefore I choice one ( this one ). The recipe called for butternut squash, potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, and chicken broth. It took about 10 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook. The weird part was putting the chunks in a blender, but it doesn't matter because it was delicious!

I watched a new movie today.  It is a little embarrassing to admit, but I watched The Craigslist Killer  on Lifetime Movie Network. It is based on a true story of Philip Markoff, the Boston University medical student who went on a murderous crime and gambling spree back in 2009. Crazy story, I remembering hering about it when it was happening. Apparently, after he was arrested, he committed suicide in jail in August 2010. You can read more about Markoff here, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Markoff .

Arapahoe Basin has been open since October 13, 2011, therefore Matt and I went skiing today.  Only 1 lift open and 2 trails open, but it was still skiing and only October.  It was a sunny day about 50F and pretty windy. The snow was decent and we did 4 runs and then went back to Denver.

Today during the lunch hour, I attended a TRX Rip Training class at Englewood Recreation Center . "The TRX Rip-Trainer is a three dimensional (3-D) training tool that delivers intense core work through functional movement, promoting proper posture and core stability. You train every muscle in the body how to move with precision and power." Here is a picture I got from the internet: There were only about 6 people in the class. We all stood in a circle facing the base. Each of us had a bar attached to the base with a resistance cord. The trainer led us through variety of exercises in 45 minutes, mostly upper body but some abs and lower body. It was an interesting product and worked different muscles. Overall, I wasn't a big fan of the class, but I think I'll be sore tomorrow so it did the trick!

HELLO! Long time, no post. I’ve been really busy with work, grad school, and life. But I graduated in August so I’m back! Occasionally, I get bored of my daily routine (ex work 8 hours, work out, make dinner, watch a show, go to bed). Therefore, I’ve decided to challenge myself to try something new each day, 365 New Things (in terms of cooking, eating, drinking, reading, travelling, fitness, games, careers, good deeds, and more). I hope it will inspire others to be experimental and exploratory to try new things in your lives as well. I encourage you to read my blog, follow me in my adventures, and share your new things as well. I leave you with this expert from a post from Trying New Things, by Alex Lickerman ( www.happinessinthisworld.com/2010/02/28/trying-new-things ). In summary, here’s a list of things I try to remind myself whenever I’m faced with trying something new: • Trying something new often requires courage. • Trying something new opens up the possibility for you to en...