Volunteering Like a Pro!

The past two weeks I’ve been interviewing with several Habitat for Humanity affiliates for an Americorps State/National position in the fall. I think I talked to 6 affiliates, and I think the interviews went really well! Being able to talk about my experience and skills and passion for community service really made me feel more confident in myself. I’m so excited to be doing what I love, and traveling somewhere new and getting to meet new people, experience new communities and learn new things!

Yesterday I went to Red Rocks and volunteered with the Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado. We built a new trail. My crew got to install steps on one of the steeper inclines. It was really awesome to be out there meeting volunteers and chatting with other people who love volunteering. I managed to get a rode from a girl who lives pretty close. The VOC compiles lists of their volunteers who need rides and who can offer rides. It was excellent and I hope I can get out and volunteer with them again this summer! I also got to meet some other guys. Steve is running the Colfax Half Marathon, and I saw him again today while I was volunteering there!

So after a full day of backbreaking work yesterday I woke up early to volunteer at the Colfax Marathon this morning. And by early I mean, I was out of bed by 4:30 am. I signed up to be a Zoo volunteer. (This year the Half Marathon course runs through the Denver Zoo!) I was stationed in between the bird house and the elephants. Even though I could hear the monkeys and smell the elephants, the only animals I saw were rabbits and geese. So I was positioned along the race course to cheer and direct runners in the right direction. The Half Marathon sold out this year with 6,000 runners! It was a really cool experience. The first few runners that came by were athletes with disabilities; runners pushing paralyzed and paraplegic friends/family members, and a few blind runners running with a partner/coach who helped them navigate turns. It was really awesome! Then came the three gazelle like men who were in it to win it! I was told afterwards that the Half Marathon and the Marathon race records were both broken today. And they were followed by a massive crowd of runners of all speeds. And so many people called out to say thank you for being here! It was such a great atmosphere, everyone had such a great attitude! My hands hurt from clapping so much!

Exciting Week!

April was a pretty low-key month. It snowed here in Denver at least once a week. I had a great month filled with hot yoga, new books, and volunteering. Now that its May I hope that the weather warms up and I can start running at Wash Park again! Yesterday I ran the Louisville Trail Half Marathon. It was a beautiful run with a great view of the mountains. It was a little chilly in the morning, which was a great change from the 100 degree weather at last years race!

The race was a great start to a fun-filled week! My parents are visiting this week and I've taken some time off of work to hang out with them and see the Rockies/Yankees game. It's bound to be a great week starting off a great month!

Starting April

This past weekend was beautiful! The weather was sunny and warm, reaching the 70s on Friday! It really made me happy that I had taken the day off the volunteer with Habitat for Humanity! It was a refreshing change of pace to be outside working and meeting new people. I got to spend the day installing insulation and chatting with some volunteers from a local parents association. Then I hit up a local happy hour and met up with Maria after she got out of work.

Saturday I did a lot of yoga and running before Adam got out of work. We spent the afternoon walking around Downtown and tried a different Mexican restaurant for dinner.

Sunday I forced Adam to go to the Rocky Mountain Feline Rescue with me and play with the cats for a  couple hours! It was kitty heaven!

Birthday Weekend!

This weekend I turned 26. Saturday Adam and I were supposed to take the Colorado Brewery Bus Tour to Fort Collins and see the different breweries and sample the different beers. But alas, a monster snow storm was predicted, and the bus tour was cancelled. We were able to reschedule for late May, but I was so bummed on Saturday. For once we had actual plans to go out and do something, and those plans were replaced by staying home and eating junk food. I don’t think I’ve ever been that bored or incapable of entertaining myself in my life! Eventually we went to Barnes and Noble and GameStop and picked up some video games to try and pass the time. I got Final Fantasy XIII (which I don’t care for) and Fable II (which I love). While it wasn’t the blizzard of the century, the snow was miserable enough that I only ventured out for yoga twice. Sunday I walked there so I wouldn’t kick up the slush on my bike and get a dirt-skunk line on the back of my coat. Sunday was better than Saturday. It was sunny, and slightly warmer and I spent the afternoon at the Gypsy Café getting wifi, watching Bones and Castle and looking up half-marathons I want to run.

Monday was fantastic! Adam and I took the day off for my birthday and after yoga we went to Wild Eggs for breakfast. I had a “Surfer Girl” omelet filled with vegetables, and covered in sprouts and avocados. It was delicious! Then we went to the aquarium. I did not think the fish were very interesting or impressive. Though the aquarium is able to boast that it is “home to the biggest shark in Colorado.” I did pet a sting ray, but in my opinion the facility was less impressive than Mystic Aquarium. After that we walked around the Colorado Mills Mall, drank a Blueberry beer at the Yardhouse, and then watched Oz the Great and Powerful in IMAX 3D. I enjoyed the movie, and thought it was a great story with great effects. James Franco wasn’t too terrible to look at either. During dinner at the Olive Garden it started snowing again.

It’s now Thursday and it has finally warmed up again. It’s finally feeling Spring-like, and I’ve even worn short sleeves to work!

Crazy!!!

This weekend was one of those crazy weekends that make me feel glad to be alive, and lucky to live in Colorado! Friday Tula Hot Yoga started the 30 day yoga Challenge. I go nearly 30 times a month, so a challenge is the perfect incentive to get me motivated to make it there a few extra times. So Friday I started off strong with a refreshing 6am class. And then I went back at 5:00 for the Hot Music class. I love the music class because its chill (not temperature wise) and relaxing! Then Saturday I went to the gym for Yoga Sculpt (think combo yoga + weight lifting), then biked to the grocery store to do my shopping for the week, then headed back over to the gym for a vinyasa yoga class. It was a beautiful day, so after Adam got out of work we took a walk around Cheeseman Park and enjoyed the sunshine. Then I headed out for 90 minutes of Hot Yoga goodness!

Sunday was the Dam Half Marathon, and it was a beautiful day for it! I started the day around 7:45 with a warmup bike ride out to Cherry Creek State Park (about 13 miles away). I biked out there for the Denver Half Marathon this past summer, but the route I took this weekend was so much easier, I never felt lost, and I made it there with plenty of time to spare! The race was great. I got to see gorgeous snow covered mountains as I ran. That view alone is what keeps me signing up for half marathons! The sights and the adrenaline made me remember how much I love living in Colorado. My time was great too: 2:19:57! Then I biked home. I did get a little turned around on the ride home, probably adding an extra mile or two (uphill of course). Then I had just enough time to rise off, walk to the grocery store for a powerade and bike to another glorious 90 minutes of Hot Music. Glorious! It was a phenomenal weekend that made me feel alive, and happy and tired.  Two days later my legs wont let me forget it!

Not a great pic, but that was a spectacukar view in person!

Rejection

Friday I received the email saying that OB Minnesota has elected to hire more qualified applicants for the summer internships. I'm devastated. I've wanted to work for OB ever since I first heard of the organization three years ago. I've been planning on transitioning to this for nearly a year now. I've cleared my calendar and my obligations for May, and now it feels like my life is just ending and I've nothing lined up next. Being rejected from my dream job makes me feel like my life has lost all direction and momentum. I feel stagnated, and unable to pull myself out of this rut. After some research it seems like application deadlines for other locations, and similar organizations has passed, and I missed my opportunity. I'm trying to remain positive about my future. I can only foresee staying in Denver a little longer, staying with my job that has ceased to have meaning for me, and in an apartment I can't even unroll a yoga mat in. I'm trying to remember all the good elements of the life I've built here, and can continue to enjoy.

Trying New Things

Last week was truly terrific! On Tuesday I tried Forrest Yoga for the first time. It was pretty interesting, and definitely challenging. While not as enjoyable as other yoga classes I’ve had I definitely learned a lot about several postures, and see a great opportunity to continue to improve my practice. I’m about to go to another class tonight! After that Liz and I went to dinner at Watercourse to use the Groupon she gave me for Christmas. In the spirit of trying new things I had the blackened tofu instead of one of my tried and true menu items.

Saturday was the Snowman Stampede race. I signed up for the ten mile race, and it wasn’t until afterwards that I remembered: I haven’t run more than six miles since September! The race was out in Littleton, so I biked the 12+ miles to the race, ran as best I could, and then biked home. I knew it wouldn’t be my fastest race ever, and I did meet my goal of completing it in under two hours (it took 1:50:51). Then I had some time to relax and refuel before hot yoga. I love being able to attend the 90 minute Hot classes on the weekends. During the week I go to a quick 60 minute class at 6am, which is a great way to wake up, but my Friday my body just craves that longer stretch!

Liz recently bought a membership to FillASeat Denver, a program that obtains last minute tickets to shows and sports events and gives them to its members. Sunday she took me to a show at the Vintage Theatre in Aurora that showcased a couple local performers singing songs. It was a fundraiser to raise money for the theatre and build their client base (to do our part we gave our patronage to the bar). I loved the performances! There were so many talented performers singing everything from Sinatra to songs they had written. My favorite was the woman who sang “The Wizard and I” from “Wicked.” Her voice was amazing and she did a great job! The best part of the night was a gentleman who told jokes, and played his guitar while singing. He told a bunch of groaners, then started strumming the guitar, and the whole crowd starts reacting to the chords. And he starts singing. He performed the Gilligan’s Island Theme song, with a lot of audience participation! By the end I was singing right along “The Professor and Mary Anne….Here on…” At this point Liz leans over and says, “How do you know the words, what is this song?” Turns out Liz has never heard of Gilligan’s Island. Which I still cannot believe. It was an awesome night, and hopefully Liz will continue to get tickets to cool things!