It'll do for tonight

There was a fierce storm brewing when I left work this evening.  The sky to the east was full of monstrous, white, gorgeous thunder heads.  I wanted them to be behind me, over the mountains, ready to roll over Fort Collins...I love a good summer storm...but, sadly, those thunder heads continued east and have opened up over the plains.

We could use the rain; our forests and our firefighters could use the rain.  But, my want for that storm isn't to be interpreted as anything other than selfish tonight: I want my summer storm.  I want to watch the lightening streak across the sky.  I want the air to smell like rain.  And I want fall asleep to the sound of rain drops hitting the pavement.

There is the smell of rain in the breeze coming in through my open windows.  I hear rumbling thunder and every so often, for a split second, the sky turns purple and the foothills are illuminated by lightening.  It's not quite the summer storm I'm craving, but it'll do for tonight.

Little smiles

Wow, it's been 2 weeks (weeks!) since I last posted...hmmm, can we all say bad blogger?  That probably rolls right off the tongue when you think of me these days, doesn't it?  Rather than making a possibly empty promise to get back on the frequent blogging wagon, I'll leave you all with a picture of the handsome little fella that I spent this past weekend with: Mr. Mason Reid (he's a serious cutie).



my apologies for the poor cell photo quality



Thankful for him

I just have to tell you how thankful I am to have this man in my life.  There's been a lot of turmoil in my life since the end of March and he has taken my sarcastic, and often times nasty anger, my tears, and my need for reassuring hugs like a champ.  When I ask him to fight his urge to try and fix the situation for me and just listen, he does.  When I'm starting to cross the line between sarcasm and just plain, unnecessary snarkiness, he tells me and attempts to reel me back in.  And when I call him with tears in my voice and tell him that I feel like everything from the past couple of months may have finally broken my spirit, he refuses to believe me because he knows I'm stronger than that.  He is one of the very few people I've fully let into all that is happening, one of the few people I'll talk in depth to about it all, and I am so glad that I have.  I don't know what these past couple months would've been like without him. 

If we were sitting across from each other at a coffee shop...

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I would love to do a little soul bearing over a green chai latte, and I would love for you to do the same.  There is nothing quite like just talking things out with a good friend:

...I would tell you how scared and worried and angry I am about the current legistative changes happening in the world of Colorado wildfire and its direct effect on my job.  If this week is any indicator, I would probably get teary-eyed and eventually need a change of subject.

...I would probably vent to you my frustrations of dividing out an agency that is like a family simply to appease the public.  I would also admit that there is more going on than just public appeasement, but that I have doubts about the legitimacy of all of the motivating factors behind the decision.

...I would tell you how obsessed I currently am with Jason Aldean's Fly Over States.  It's my go-to song for my morning drive into work.

...I would tell you that I never realized what a strain differing core values can have on a relationship (of any kind), and how it feels nearly impossible to fully reconcile the feelings in order to ease the strain.  I wake up each morning wondering if this combination of disappointment and guilt that periodically hits me is supposed to be my new normal.  Needless to say, I don't "just get over" things well and being a dweller isn't playing out in my favor.

...I would tell you how absolutely gorgeous this Colorado Spring has been, but how badly we could use some rain storms...fingers crossed we get a couple this weekend!

...I would tell you how excited I am to go to the 1st birthday party for the son of one of my best friends.  I cannot believe Landon is already 1, and I just want to squeeze him on Saturday.

...and I would tell you how nice it is to talk about some of these things.  And, how comforting it is to just type some of these statements.  I feel a little better already.  

Fill in the blank Friday

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1. Today is a great day because, it's Friday and I got to have lunch with my Mama downtown...and do a little shopping...new earrings on a lunch break never hurt anyone.

2. Tomorrow I will most likely help Tony lay compost in the gardens and then we're going on a brunch date!

3. My favorite time of day is early morning because everything is calm and quiet and it feels like the world is still waking up.  I actually love driving through town nice and early when the only people out are the really early risers stopping for coffee on their way into work.  I only sometimes fall into this crowd, but when I do I love it!

4. Sometimes you just have to pour yourself a glass of red wine, turn on the music and tackle your ever-growing and entirely over-crowded bookshelf...at least I do.

5. A song that I just can't get enough of lately is Feel So Close by Calvin Harris.  I love blasting it while I drive down the highway with my sunroof open.

6. My favorite accessory is a pair of unique earrings and my claddagh ring.

7. My favorite thing about this week was meeting Chelsae after work for fish tacos and then heading to The Lyric to see Friends with Kids while enjoying New Belgium's summer brew, Dig. 

He's a smart one

The problem with two members of the same household* having identical travel mugs is that they can be easily confused.  Rumor has it this is really only problematic for the only-child member of said household. 

(I've heard she doesn't share well). 

The youngest-of-4 member could care less whose mug he's using so long as it keeps coffee from spilling on him on the way into work. 

Thank goodness that man I fell in love with knows not to argue when he reaches for a mug and, without even looking up from where I'm loving on the doggies, I say, "nope, that one's mine"; he simply grabs the other mug and continues on his merry way. 

Yep, he's a smart one, that man of mine. 


*disclaimer: Tony & I don't live together, but I spend a lot of time at his house*

Let's talk movies

I love movies...always have...always will.  I'm probably always going to be that person who likes, if not loves, most movies that I see.  I know what I'm getting into when I select my viewing pleasure.  You want a movie that will make you think?  Don't see a romantic comedy.  You want a movie that will make you laugh?  I recommend staying away from most dramas.  You want someone to bash out a movie with you?  Don't take me. 

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That being said, I am not always 100% thrilled with the movies that I see.  Case in point: The Hunger Games.  Now, before everyone out there starts egging this post, let me just say that I enjoyed the movie, thought the casting was spot on, and am no where near as disappointed with it as I was with Twilight, but I did leave the theater a bit disappointed and rather underwhelmed.  I thought they did a phenomenal job with the actual games, but where was the character development?  Where was the depth?  The background?  Part of what made the book so engrossing was the attachments the reader made with the characters, and I just didn't get any of that from the movie.  Especially the lack of information on Gale.  I know he doesn't have a huge role in the first part of the story, but his friendship is a part of Katniss' background and plays a vital role in her struggle with who she's supposed to be: who she was with Peeta during the games, or who she was with Gale away from the games?  The movie should've touched on this more because if you haven't read the book, you're probably going to walk away from the movie without a good understanding of her internal struggle.  So, The Hunger Games was enjoyable and had superb casting, but left me wanting more.

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A movie that didn't disappoint was Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.  Most of the time, I'm of the opinion that Emily Blunt can do no wrong, and when paired with sexy Ewan McGregor, Kristin Scott Thomas and a quirky, romantic story line I would say this theory proved true.  On the surface, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is about an improbable desire to bring fishing to the desert, but more than that it's a story about relationships and about love.  There's the relationship between a husband and a wife who have drifted apart; a budding relationship put to the test in the face of deployment; a political relationship between differing countries; a relationship between government and human desire; and what was to be a purely work-related relationship heavy with annoyance and disagreement that turned into something more.  I'm a romantic sap at heart and I was blown away by this movie's focus on friendship and perseverance.  The characters took the improbable and made it probable.  Obviously, I recommend you all rush out and see this one...but only if you like the slightly off-beat movies.  Yes, this is a romantic comedy, but it still has a slightly British-indie vibe to it, which I adore.