Mile Hi - New Things

There are many sponsors of local running races. Companies pay money sponsor races to get their name and logo out there. Sports Authority was the Title Sponsor of the  Sports Authority   Cherry Creek Sneak . Pepsi Next was a Supporting Sponsor. They had a booth set up in the finishers' area. Therefore, yesterday, I received a free 12 oz can of Pepsi Next .  PepsiCo  brought this new line of mid-calorie soda nationwide the beginning of 2012. The soft drink, which has 60 calories per serving, less than 1/2 that of normal Pepsi, debuted in trial run in Iowa and Wisconsin in July. Pepsi Next is sweetened by a combination of caloric sweeteners, like high-fructose corn syrup, and artificial sweeteners. It represents Pepsi's 3rd attempt at a cola with fewer calories than Pepsi and more calories than Diet Pepsi (ex Pepsi XL). But the company has found success with its mid-calorie orange juice, Trop50, so it's possible that it applied lessons learned from that...

The Sports Authority Cherry Creek Sneak is Denver's largest fun run that and offers waves for families and elite runners alike, including timed run/walk courses of 10-miles, 5-miles, 3.1-miles, and a 1.5-mile Sneak Sprint. There’s a ½-mile Kids’ Fun Run for ages 8 and under, and a Diaper Dash for kids under 2 in the Kids’ Fun Zone. The first race began at 8am. Race registration was $45 for adults, $20 for youth ages 17 and under, and $30 for seniors ages 60 and over. More than 10,000 runners and walkers will celebrate 3 decades of a Denver running tradition at the Cherry Creek Sneak as it is its 30th anniversary this year. The 1st Sneak was in 1982. The race added a 10-mile race to its collection of other races which is the longest race in its history. Food Bank of the Rockies collects non-perishable food items for families in need. The race is held in the Cherry Creek neighborhood of Denver.   I ran the 3-mile race which began at 9:15am. I was bib number 3905. I ran the 5 mi...

I didn't have time to post last night, therefore I'm posting this late as this occurred yesterday (Sat 4/28/12). It appears as if certain fast food restaurants have been experimenting with breakfast items lately. 2 examples would be Wendy's and Taco Bell . I think only select restaurants serve it. We wanted to try Wendy's Breakfast since we received a coupon in the mail for a free Artisan Egg Sandwich with side and drink so we decided to try it. We ordered an Artisan Egg Sandwich (eggs, natural Asiago cheese, Applewood Smoked Bacon, and Hollandaise sauce, atop a honey-wheat artisan toasted muffin) which came with seasoned home-style potatoes (skin-on, natural-cut, home-style potatoes seasoned with sea salt, cracked pepper and garlic powder) and orange juice, and ordered a Mornin' Melt Panini (natural Asiago and Cheddar cheeses, eggs seasoned with salt and pepper, Applewood Smoked Bacon, and tomato with butter and grilled with a panini press). Wendy's Bre...

I didn't have time to post last night, therefore I'm posting this late as this occurred yesterday (Fri 4/27/12). After a long week of work, we went to Katie Mullen's Irish Restaurant & Bar  for happy hour with 2 friends last night. Katie Mullen's is an Irish Pub right downtown off of the 16th Street Mall. Their happy hour special is every day 7:00pm-7:00pm. I'm not sure what their specials were or what I had. I forget already. I think I had some kind of Hefeweitzen. I would love to come back here for a tasty Irish meal of Fish and Chips! What did you do today?

My 75th New Thing on January 3, 2012 was that I signed up to be a 'Giver' for World Book Night . World Book Night started in the UK in 2011 where passionate readers across the country gave 1 million books to light- or non-readers to spread the joy and love of reading. Reading changes lives and at the heart of World Book Night lies the simplest of ideas and acts - that of putting a book into another person’s hand and saying ‘this one’s amazing, you have to read it.’ World Book Night 2012 was be held on April 23, in the US and the UK. They tried to get 50,000 volunteer book givers to hand out 20 copies each, for a total of 1 million free special World Book Night paperbacks! I was a 'Giver'. I picked up 20 copies of The Stand by Stephen King from my local bookshop (Barnes & Noble). Givers are chosen based on where, to whom, and why you want to give books away. I haven't actually read The Stand yet but heard it is good (it was a bestseller). The novel was...

Today, since I am a Columbia customer, I received an email from them about their new app GPS Pal . I wanted to see what the app was all about so I downloaded the app to my Razr to check it out. Columbia Sportswear Company is a United States company that manufactures and distributes outerwear and sportswear. It was founded in 1938 by the late Paul Lamfrom, father of present chairperson Gert Boyle. The company is headquartered in Washington County, Oregon. Columbia Sportswear also produces footwear, headgear, camping equipment, skiwear, and outerwear accessories. GPS Pal gives you the ability to rapidly journal memorable outdoor experiences to enjoy and explore the outdoors freely. GPS PAL preserves your journey and your memories by capturing videos, photos, and notes to set GPS tags at favorite spots. Each tag will be saved to map your explorations. GPS Pal tracking lets you create your own trail at the touch of a button – tracking route, distance, time, pace and elevation. Easily ...

I didn't have time to post last night, therefore I'm posting this late as this occurred yesterday (Tues 4/24/12). As an associate of the community marketing professionals living in Denver, there are many opportunities to attend marketing events. Last night, Ad 2 Denver and BMA CO YP held a speaker event at Battery 621 in the Santa Fe Art District. Online Experience Director, Stacey Pool, of Vail Resorts did an Epic Mix Campaign presentation. Ad 2 Denver and BMA CO both provide networking opportunities, education, and market exposure to young professionals in the advertising and marketing fields in Denver.   Vail Resorts, Inc. runs 4 ski resorts in Colorado, 3 in Lake Tahoe, and 1 summer resort in Wyoming. They also own luxury resort hotels throughout the United States. The company trades on the New York Stock Exchange, symbol MTN. The company is headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado.   Epic Mix is a online and mobile application for skiers and riders to share their ...

As an alumni of DU , I'm invited to attend events on campus. Tonight, was Daniels College of Business Voices of Experience speaker series event with Carol Tomé, CEO of The Home Depot . The Daniels speaker series brings in CEOs and significant leaders to share the lessons learned from their triumphs, mistakes, and decisions as they navigated through their leadership careers. The Home Depot is the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer of home improvement and construction products and services with stores (approx 2,248) in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, 10 Canadian provinces, Mexico, and China. The store operates out of large warehouse style buildings averaging 105,000 ft² with megastores operating in larger facilities (the company's largest store, located in Union, New Jersey is 225,000 ft²). The Home Depot is headquartered at the Atlanta Store Support Center in Cobb County, Georgia, in Greater Atlanta. Carol B. T...

Since today is Earth Day , admission was free to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science , as an SCFD (Scientific & Cultural Facilities District) Community Free Day (Free Days are funded in part, by the citizens of the metro area via the SCFD 0.1% sales and use tax). We were at the museum for about an hour and went to Space Odyssey, Wildlife Exhibits, Egyptian Mummies, and Lizards & Snakes (actual living creatures). Some other exhibits we did not see include Gems & Minerals, Expedition Health , North American Indian Cultures, Gem Carvings, and Prehistoric Journey. I'll have to go check those out another time.   Earth Day is an annual day on which events are held worldwide to increase awareness and appreciation of the Earth's natural environment. It is celebrated in more than 175 countries every year. The name and concept of Earth Day was allegedly pioneered by John McConnell in 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco. He proposed March 21, 1970, the...

I didn't have time to post last night, therefore I'm posting this late as this occurred yesterday (Sat 4/21/12). Matt and I tried a new Mexican place (new to us anyway) called  Yolanda’s Tacos  in Greenwich Village, CO. According " The Queso Quest " article in the July issue of  5280  (The Denver Magazine), they have the best white queso dip in Denver. This was also affirmed in the September issue by a reader that sent in a letter raving about it. For those of you that don't know, Southern queso is a silky, slightly spicy blend of melted white Chihuahua cheese and serrano peppers. We got the Cangrejo (blue crab) taco, Picadillo (seasoned ground beef) taco, and white queso dip with homemade tortilla chips. I will also affirm that this is some good cheese dip! In addition, while we were sitting at the table finishing our food and getting ready to leave, John Elway stuck his head in the door for 2 seconds and then turned around and walked out. When we got outside...

I didn't have time to post last night, therefore I'm posting this late as this occurred 2 days ago (Fri 4/20/12).   For my birthday (back a few weeks ago), Matt bought 2 tickets to a musical. We went to see I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change at Garner Galleria Theatre on Friday night. This is a musical comedy with book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro and music by Jimmy Roberts. I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change is the 2nd longest running Off Broadway musical. The musical was nominated for the Outer Critics Circle Award as Outstanding Off-Broadway musical in 1997. It is about dating, mating and marriage; husbands, wives, kids and in-laws; parents who talk baby talk, men who talk and women who pretend to listen, infidelity and the injustice of long lines for the ladies room. The show only consists of 4 actors/actresses that take on the lives of more than 20 characters as they face the trials and tribulations of dealing with the opposite sex. It reminded me of a ...

Since Easter was on Sunday April 8 this year, we made hard boiled eggs and dyed them. Tonight, I wanted to used some of them in egg salad. I didn't want to make the same ole boring egg salad so I searched for an egg salad recipe on Allrecipes.com . I landed on Cilantro Egg Salad . The recipe called for finely chopped hard boiled eggs, mayonnaise, fresh cilantro, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, lime juice, finely diced celery, finely diced mushrooms, and salt and pepper to taste. I also decided to add a little ranch dressing, hot sauce, steak sauce, relish, and garlic salt. Technically, this egg salad is for lunch tomorrow but I tasted a little and it was good. I'm going to put it on a flour tortilla with cheese, lettuce, and tomato. What did you do today?

I went to a happy hour with the CO AMA (Colorado American Marketing Association) tonight after work at Hapa Sushi Grill & Sake Bar in the Landmark neighborhood at Greenwood Village. My 1st drink was a Mango Gin Ginger ($7) with mango infused sake, Seagram's Gin, and ginger ale, pretty tasty drink. My 2nd drink was Hapa Punch ($7 but got it for $3.50) with raspberry & mango infused sake, spiced rum, orange vodka, pineapple juice, and orange juice, a fruity girlie drink. CO AMA is a professional member organization that helps individuals become better marketer with education on emerging marketing trends and networking events. The CO AMA is a chapter of the AMA (American Marketing Association). AMA has approximately 40,000 members, with about 76 professional chapters, and 250 collegiate chapters across the United States. I have been to AMA events in the past in Chicago and in Denver. It is a good organization to be involved with. What did you do today?

I didn't have time to post last night, therefore I'm posting this late as this occurred yesterday (Tues 4/17/12). We watched Betty White's new series on NBC called Off Their Rockers  tonight with Betty White. The show is kinda like a reality comedy show where  senior citizens play pranks on unsuspecting youngsters.  Here are a couple examples of pranks. 1) Old man asks a younger woman if she will take his picture. He runs away and comes back naked and runs away. 2) Old woman sits next to a younger man at airport and tells him shes a wild woman and the 1 thing she would like to do it join the Mile High Club so she propositions him and tells him to think about it while she gets a drink. IMDB gave it a 7.6 out of 10 and I probably give it an 7.2 rating so far after seeing 1 episode. Some pranks were pretty funny and others were dumb. What did you do today?

I didn't have time to post last night, therefore I'm posting this late as this occurred yesterday (Mon 4/16/12). Yesterday, I read an article that Facebook bought Tagtile. I wanted to see what Malbec Labs' Tagtile app was all about so I downloaded the app to my Razr to check it out. Tagtile is a mobile loyalty and direct marketing solutions designer for businesses and customers. Businesses can set up the service using a Tagtile “kit” which comes with a funny-looking cube that only needs to be plugged into a power outlet. Customers can then “tap” their phones on the cube at check-out counters, registering their visit with a business. The business can then use the information however they want, presumably to give discounts, coupons, or other incentives to come back and “tap” again. I can see how Tagtile could be very useful for businesses seeking to keep track of their customers, and also useful for customers whose wallets are overflowing with grocery store, gas station, ...

I didn't have time to post last night, therefore I'm posting this late as this occurred yesterday (Sun 4/15/12). I finished reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett in bed last night. It released in 2009 and was a best seller for more than 100 weeks. A film adaptation of The Help was released in 2011. It takes place in the early 1960s in Jackson MS. It is about the black maids that take care of white family's homes and help raise white children. Maids aren't paid well and treated poorly. The 3 main characters are Skeeter (22 year old women that recently graduated with dreams to become a writer), Aibileen (older, wiser, black maid for Skeeter's friend), and Minny (short, fat, black maid). The 3 women come together to secretly write a book about their bosses. I enjoyed the book. I always like when books are written from first-person perspectives multiple characters. This book had chapters with Skeeter's, Aibileen's, and Minny's points of view. It took me a...

My WVU friend was in town this weekend for an opera audition so we went brunch at Jelly  in Cap Hill neighborhood when she was done. It's a pretty popular spot, as we had to wait 45 minutes for a table. I had a Bhakti Toddy (spiced rum, milk, and Bhakti Chai, $6.50) for my drink. I ordered The North West Scramble (seared salmon, goat cheese, and chives $8.97) served with peasant potatoes, toast, and jelly (tried their jalapeno jelly, was pretty good with a kick) for my meal. Matt had Corned Beef Hash (corned beef, caramelized onion, and red potatoes $8.79) topped with 2 over easy eggs, served with biscuit and jelly. We shared, of course. It was a lot of food but it was really good. I believe it was rated as one of the Best Breakfasts in Denver by 5280 Magazine. I would go back again someday! What did you do today?

I didn't have time to post last night, therefore I'm posting this late as this occurred yesterday (Fri 4/13/12). We watched a movie entitled Hanna with Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana, and Cate Blanchett , that came out on April 8, 2011. It is European-American action thriller film about a ex-CIA German man (who has a secret) that trains his 16 year old 'daughter' to be a skilled assassin in the forest of northern Finland. When he thought she was ready for her mission to kill a CIA officer (who killed Hanna's mother), he told her to flip a switch, which alerted the CIA their whereabouts. The dad runs away and they are to reunite in Berlin in a few days. Hanna travels through Morocco, Spain, then Germany. All along the route she is being hunted by assassins. As she nears her ultimate mission, Hanna faces the secrets about her existence and unexpected questions about her humanity. It was a crazy, weird, tripy, Euro American movie! IMDB gave it a 6.9 out of 10 and I agree...

Since I'm in the marketing world, I like to try new products. I recently saw somewhere you can get a free sample box of the new  Quaker Oatmeal Squares if you like them on Facebook . I did so and entered my address. A few weeks later, my 1.5 oz cereal box of Quaker Oatmeal Squares (Honey Nut flavor) arrived. Here are some product details and nutritional information:  "Get the goodness you expect from Quaker in every surprisingly delightful spoonful. Get a taste of heart-healthy, whole-grains, a sweet swirl of natural honey nut flavor, and a crunch even milk can’t bring down. Fueling up for your day has never tasted so good." 210 calories, 2.5g total fat, 190mg sodium, 44g carbs, 5g fiber, 9g sugar, 6g protein. 96% of your minimum daily whole grain recommendation Good source of fiber and calcium Available in 4 delicious flavors:  Honey Nut, Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, and Golden Maple The cereal was crunchy and had a nice subtle honey nut flavor. There is a $1...

Last week, I went to Bed Bath & Beyond and bought a steamer. I bought a Joseph Joseph Lotus Non-Scratch Folding Steamer Basket . I believe I bought it for $9.99 at BB&B AND had a 20% off coupon so it was a really good deal compared to the other $50 stainless steel steamers at the store. This particular steamer features high-quality polypropylene, self-adjusting sides, heat-resistant silicone feet, and a silicone finger guard. Steaming vegetables for cooking, instead of boiling, helps the vegetables retain their vitamin and mineral content. When vegetables are boiled, the vitamins and minerals leach into the water and are then thrown away. Steamed vegetables also hold their shape better than if boiled or prepared by another method. Steamers can be used for foods other than vegetables, with fish and shellfish being popular for cooking using a steamer. Almost any vegetable can be steamed to eating perfection. Common steamed vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, green beans...

Since I'm in the marketing world, I read advertising news articles. I recently read that Kraft had a new product launching in 2012 called MilkBite . Kraft appointed agency, Droga5 (NYC Office), to handle the account. Kraft MilkBites are Milk & Granola Bars are that are available in Strawberry, Chocolate, Oatmeal Raisin, Peanut Butter, and Mixed Berry flavors. Kraft says MilkBite is one of its ‘big bets’ for 2012, aiming to take the lead in the ‘dairy snacking’ category that includes yogurt bars and cheese strings. Droga5 made the product a mascot named Mel, some commercials, and a Facebook page . Mel is soft-spoken and finds himself agonizing over his split identity —part milk, part granola. You can view commercials on the Facebook page or here . I think Mel is adorable. He is a product of Muppet creator Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. The puppet makers opted to create a plain bar (made of foam) adorned with a brilliant red outfit (of red jersey) as a nod to the strawberry bar’s ...

If you recall, I recently received a Jury Summons from Denver County that was dismissed since I wasn't a resident. 2 weeks later, I received a Jury Summons in the mail from Arapahoe County stating that I needed to report for juror service. Jury Duty is service as a juror in a legal proceeding. When a person is called for jury duty in the US, that person must attend or face strict penalties. Employers are not allowed to fire an employee simply for being called to jury duty. Potential jurors may be asked to serve as a juror in a trial, or they may be dismissed. I called last night to see if my juror number needed to go in and it was listed on the message machine. I had to report to Arapahoe County Justice Center at 8am. I checked-in and filled out a questionnaire. Then I played some games on my cellphone, read some of my book The Help on my Kindle, read my magazine Outside , and waited. There were a few announcements by an administrator and a judge spoke to us. Then they narrowed dow...

Today is Easter, so we went to Easter Sunday Service at Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church to celebrate the joy and hope of Christ resurrected. The church is in the Park Hill neighborhood of Denver. Here is their Statement of Mission :  "We believe that the love of God surrounds us. Our call is to nurture this love in ourselves and each other. Through prayer, worship, education, outreach and mission, we seek to foster spiritual fulfillment, community, tolerance, peace, non-violence and social justice. We dedicate ourselves and our church to follow the Spirit of Christ by word and deed." It was a sunny day in CO, probably 75F, a perfect Easter Sunday to take a walk, play Frisbee, and dye eggs. Also, a great day to make a delicious pork loin with steam green beans. All of which I did! Happy Easter!

I didn't have time to post last night, therefore I'm posting this a day late as this occurred yesterday (Sat 4/7/12). The last time my friend was in town for work, we were talking about White Chicken Chili so she jotted down the recipe for me and I made it yesterday. I made the chili with 1 lb boiled shredded chicken, 1 jar of medium salsa, 1 can Great White Northern beans, 1 can pinto beans, 1 can kidney beans, 1 can chili beans, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 can green chilies, onion, red pepper, cilantro, and cumin. I cooked it in my CrockPot on low for 6 hours. I served it with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream. It was really good chicken chili, I'm glad we have leftovers! What did you do today?

I didn't have time to post last night, therefore I'm posting this late as this occurred 2 days ago (Fri 4/6/12). We watched a movie entitled Couples Retreat with Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau,Malin Akerman, Kristen Bell, and Kristin Davis, that came out on October 9, 2009. The film is directed by Peter Billingsley (Ralphie in A Christmas Story). It is comedy about a couple who are having difficulties in their marriage so they would like to go to a island resort (shot in Bora Bora) with their friends that offers marriage counseling. The troubled couple convinces them to go on this relaxing vacation. Little did the couples know that the counseling was mandatory for each of them. It was a hilarious look at real world problems faced by all couples. It was a funny movie and the one couple's son (Colin Baiocchi) was soooo cute! IMDB gave it a 5.4 out of 10 and I would give it a 7.4 rating. What did you do today?

I went to see TEDxChange today after work. DU was broadcasting it from Berlin. TED (Technology, Entertainment, and Design) Conferences are non-profit conferences, formed to disseminate "ideas worth spreading." It was founded in 1984 and is held annually and globally. If you go to their website, you can watch videos of the speakers from the past and present. Each speaker is challenged to give the talk of their live in 18 minutes or less. Tonight, I listened to 2 speakers of the TEDxChange speakers in Berlin: Jeff Chapin and Sven Giegold. Jeff Chapin is a mechanical engineer and product designer for IDEO. He specializes in designing sanitation solutions for the developing world and has conducted projects in both Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Jeff challenged traditional perceptions of ‘design’ by emphasizing the importance of sustainable, market-based systems for developing societies. Sven Giegold is a Member of the European Parliament and 1 of the founding members of...

For my birthday, I got a coupon from Cold Stone Creamery for a buy one get one free Creation. Cold Stone is an ice cream shop that opened 1988 in Tempe AZ. They have more than 1,400 stores. They use high quality ingredients and a signature process for preparing a custom creation on a frozen granite stone. I went to Cold Stone today to redeem my coupon. I ordered a Mud Pie Mojo in the Like It size (5 oz). Mud Pie Mojo is made with coffee ice cream, Oreo cookies, peanut butter roasted almonds, and fudge. Obviously, it is a dessert and not healthy for you, however, I'm continuing my birthday celebration. It probably had about 400 calories in it but I split the 5 oz with Matt and it was delicious! What did you do today?

As a continuation of my birthday celebration, we went to Izakaya Den in the Old South Pearl Street neighborhood tonight for some sushi. We ordered edamame, Unagi Nigiri (fresh water eel), Poki Roll (8 pieces of spicy tuna, jalepeno, and other ingredients), and Rock-n-Roll (8 pieces of salmon, cream cheese, and other ingredients). Izakaya is the 2nd restaurant by the same founder of Sushi Den which is pretty popular in Denver. Both restaurants are excellent and right across the street from each other. I love sushi, I wish I ate it more than once every 2 months! What did you do today?

Today is my birthday and I received a voucher for a 60 minute Swedish massage as a gift from Matt. It was at 3rd Ave Studio in the Hilltop neighborhood. Swedish massage is a therapeutic massage performed by trained, licensed massage therapists. The Swedish massage I received was slow and gentle, the most common and best-known type of massage. Massages promote relaxation, eases muscle tension, and creates other health benefits (like improving blood circulation). During my massage, the therapist dimmed the lights and played harp and piano music. She used massage oil and performed various strokes that warm up and work my muscle tissue, releasing tension, and breaking up muscle knots. This was my 1st full-body Swedish massage and enjoyed it greatly. I've had a 30 minute sport massage after my triathlon (which was great) but this one was exactly what I needed on my day off of work! What did you do today?

My friend had free tickets through her work to the Colorado Rapids so we went to the soccer game tonight. The Rapids played the Chicago Fire. The Colorado Rapids are 1 of the 10 charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception in 1996. There are currently 19 teams. The Rapids won the MLS Cup in 2010. The MLS (Major League Soccer) season started in March so this was the Rapids 4th game. The Rapids beat the Fire 2-0. Omar Cummings and Kamani Hill scored the goals. Their record is now 3-1 for the 2012 season, pretty good start. 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 yesterday (Sat 3/31/12). We went out to get drinks and appetizers with a bunch of friends to celebrate my birthday a few days early last night. We went to Freshcraft in LoDo (Lower Downtown). Their description is good food at a great value with fresh ingredients. The food is an innovative take on comfort foods. They also have 20 tap handles of craft beers and around 100 plus different beers in the bottle. I had a few beers and we got the Snack Plate for $12.00 which came with Southern Fried Pickles (fried and served with smoky Cajun aioli), Herb Crusted Cheese Dippers (house cheeses dredged in a strong ale batter, crusted in herbed crumbs, fried, and served with smoked onion ketchup & cashew pesto), and Spudpuppies. Yes is was bar food, but good bar food. I had a fun night catching up with friends. What did you do today?