I don't get it . . .

I just can't get used to Colorado weather. I often feel ill prepared, it's chilly, so I overdress and then it warms up, or vice versa - it's warm, I under dress, and then the clouds blow in and the temperature drops. "Layers" is what the locals keep telling me. I'm not really a layers kind of a person. I'm a planner. I like to be prepared. I check out the weather forecast, plan my outfits accordingly, and wear them. We've had beautiful weather here for weeks, it's been in the 50s and 60s and sunny. I was sure winter was over, no more snow, when last week happened. It got chilly and was overcast most of the week (which isn't too common in Colorado, we get lots of sunshine), and then there was snow. Thursday a storm formed over Colorado and it snowed. We went up to the mountains that day to take my family (aunt, uncle, and cousins) and it was really snowing. Some places in the mountains got 1-2 feet of snow. It was nice because the snow was so soft, and Chae enjoyed snowboarding in the fresh powder, but me not so much. Visibility was so bad, and it was windy. Goggles or no goggles, I just couldn't see, which made me fall. On the plus side, falling on fresh powder doesn't hurt, it's really soft. I felt bad for my family, having come from Florida to this sudden cold front. Turns out it's what they wanted - to see lots of snow, so I was glad for them. I think God did them a little favor, and answered some of their prayers. My cousins had never seen this much snow, and had a blast. By the time we got home that evening, most of the snow in the area had melted. That's Colorado for you.
Anyway, back to the weather. So Sunday it warmed up again - 60's, yesterday was in the 70's and today is a whopping 80 degrees. So, you may ask, is the snow over for the season? Nope. Not so much. Tomorrow is supposed to be in the 40's with pm rain/snow showers. Aye, aye, aye . . .

Happy Spring!

Spring is in the air . . . actually it has officially arrived (although some of you reading this blog may not yet be experiencing it). Yesterday, March 20 was the first day of spring. I think it's called the vernal equinox. It was a beautiful day here in Colorado, a perfect welcome to the new season, 66 degrees, sunny, with a slight breeze and birds chirping. It was so difficult not to get caught up in it. I leisurely sipped a cup of tea yesterday morning, while sitting in our window nook and lazily daydreaming out the window, before beginning my day. I think Kiera was jealous. She loves to bask in the sun, and wanted to be in my place. She kept whining. It was so difficult to pull myself away, but alas, there were things to be accomplished. It was such a hammock day. We don't even own one, but I envisioned myself laying in one and lazily reading.

I actually heard my first birdsong of the year on Tuesday morning around 6 am. I was so unaccustomed to the sound, (I had forgotten it, seems like it had been so long since I'd heard it) that it took me a while to realize what it was. To my content, I realized that this song signified that spring was on its way. After a while it did get annoying, especially since it was so early, but I had to get up anyway. I must admit, however, that I do love the sound. It seems to bring so many promises of newness and life with it.

I feel much happier when the weather is warm and the days get longer. I feel like I can be more productive. Although I enjoy the beauty of the winter, the cold and darkness make me want to just cuddle under the covers. The days have been getting longer, and after daylight savings, the sun is setting much later. The days of sundresses and flip flops seem not to distant from now. Of course, I must remind myself that although it is officially spring, the weather can turn just like that and we could get more snow. I don't doubt that, especially here in Colorado. The weather can turn so fast. I was watching the TV at the gym yesterday, and while we were enjoying beautiful weather down here, it was snowing in the mountains.

My favorite part of spring is that morning when you realize the earth has been reborn. It seems to happen almost overnight. One minute everything is dead, and the next thing you know, you're driving somewhere some spring morning and you look around to see that everything is adorned with blossoms. It is as though nature has dressed itself in fine garments. No not nature, but its creator. At least that is how it happens to me. Of course, it is still too early to see that here. This will be my first spring in Colorado, so we'll see how it goes. If only spring could last a little longer.

For those of you who think Colorado is unbearably cold, I have to say that this winter was not bad at all. We get lots of sunshine, and the sun here feels so much stronger. I don't know why. Some people say it is because we are higher up, but I'm not sure (Denver is called the "Mile High City" because it is 5,280 feet above sea level). On a sunny day (which happens more than 300 days a year) it feels a lot warmer than at the same temperature on the east coast. It is also dry here. No humidity, which makes for very clear skies. We can see for miles. We can even clearly see Denver (high rises) from here. The winter has been mild, with spurts of snow and cold here and there. Actually, when it's really cold, it doesn't snow. Since sometime in February, we have had many days of 5o-60+ degree weather, with intermittent spurts of snow. The snow however melts so fast. It can snow one day, and be gone by the end of the next. Many of you know that I am always cold, but I haven't really had issues here. I think that over time my body has also regulated itself. So please, don't be scared to visit ;).

Hmmm . . . My little sis is studying in Buenos Aires, Argentina for the semester. Since it is in the southern hemisphere, the seasons are opposite from ours. She got there during our winter and their summer, so I guess, they must be transitioning to fall now. So Mara, what's the weather like there now? Still hot?

Same Old

I have nothing really to talk about. I just thought I should post since it's been over a month. It's already March and I have posted nothing this month. I just didn't want to bore everyone with the same old stuff (still job hunting and working on the house). Here are a few recaps, but remember, nothing exciting:

• We just got windows (today) installed in the two spare bedrooms. I'm excited, now they will be much warmer. They had the original single paned aluminum windows, which weren't very energy efficient. The other windows in the house had been redone or are double paned.
  
• I finally heard back about a position I applied for back in January in the financial aid office of a local community college. I worked in the financial aid office of my own school all four years and enjoyed it. I had to take two assessments (along with the other candidates) on Tuesday. One test was "Administrative Basic Support Skills" and the other "Interpersonal/Personality Skills." The tests were not difficult, just very random. I have no feel for how I did and I haven't heard back yet. The hiring manager may decide to administer another test, or pick the top 3 candidates and continue on with the rest of the process (interviews, I imagine). I would love the job, and it's so close to home (10-15 minutes - no commuting in the snow), but we'll see what happens. It's in God's hands. In the meantime I've been revamping my resume, changing it from a chronological one to a functional one. I'm worried that the breaks in employment might be scaring away potential employers. They probably think I can't hold a job for more than 6 months. That's what happens when you follow a military spouse overseas and live in each location for less than a year.
• I know I promised to post pictures of our bedroom, but there are still changes I want to make (build padded cornices for the windows, and change the shades, the current ones were left by the previous owners and don't match - the room is now a pale orange and the shades are light blue, great quality shades, very energy efficient, too bad they don't fit elsewhere in the house). We had our bedroom furniture delivered a few weeks ago. I was so excited to finally have bedroom furniture. I was able to free up a lot of room in the closet, but I think I was most excited about having a nightstand. In Italy I used a box leftover from when our household goods were delivered, and here I was using a dresser which was not by the bed. It's so nice to have the alarm clock near me and not have to get up and walk over to the dresser to turn it off. It's also nice to have a place to put my glasses and reading material. I want to be able to change/fix the last few details so that the room will come together, right now it looks a little miss-matched. I would hate for everyone to think that I have awful taste. It may be a while however, the bedroom projects seem to be at a standstill. There are just so many things to do around the house and everything cost $. I also need Chae for some projects, but he just started a Finance class for his MBA which has been consuming much of his time. It seems to be his hardest class yet, and the most work he's had for one class thus far. We haven't even been snowboarding on the weekends, which says a lot. If it was up to Chae, we'd be on the slopes all the time.

Well, guess that's all there is to say for now.

YiKeS!

I didn't realize it had been over two weeks since my last post. I must apologize to any of my faithful readers (if there are any ;) ). Nothing exciting to talk about.

• Experienced a Colorado norm. the other day, it was 65 and sunny on Wednesday, February 13, and we woke up to snow on the 14. I guess you could say that we had a "White Valentine's Day." The weather changes around here can be drastic.
• Chae and I painted our bedroom. I'll post pictures once we finish decorating it. We ordered a bedroom set a while back, but it still hasn't come in. It's scheduled for next week. We'll see, still haven't heard anything.
• We don't make a big deal out of Valentine's Day, because a special day to us is not one that you celebrate with the entire U.S., but Chae did pleasantly surprise me. He came home on Wednesday (the 13th) with a V. Day card comprised of coupons (i.e. breakfast in bed) and money to get a pedicure (I've been wanting one for a year now, but have never gotten around to it). He actually wrote a message inside, which also suprised me. He thinks we should celebrate "Valentine's Eve" so that we can be different from anyone else. We went to see a movie. It's actually a good idea to celebrate the day before. No one was out, only 5 other people in the theater with us.
• I started working out again in January and starting lifting again last week (been out of the gym since mid September - long time, I know). I have been in a constant state of soreness ever since. It hurts to walk, to sit, to move, and snowboarding on the weekends doesn't help. That's the price to pay for letting myself fall out of shape. I was probably in the best shape of my life last summer. I had been working out consistently for months (5:30am workouts, painful but worth it), eating healthy, and lifting consistently. I was finally seeing the results I wanted, but with all the transitions and moves the last several months, that stopped. I lost my routine, not to mention also had to find a gym. I had gotten so used to working out for free on base, but no more. I must admit that there are some interesting characters in Bally's. Keeps me entertained and gives me stories to tell Chae. Although I've gotten a tad pudgy, it's nice to know that I still have some muscles; they're just a little hidden right now. I'm determined to get in even better shape than before. The pain and soreness is a reminder of the progress (be it slow) that I'm making. Chae's also been working hard again to get back into shape (although he bounces back a lot faster than me). We have to be in shape so we can participate in all the outdoor sports Colorado offers, especially once it gets warmer.
• Looking forward to the 3 day weekend with Chae, although it's going to be busier than expected - errands to run, friends coming over for dinner, going over to friends for dinner, etc. I always think a 3 day weekend will provide some veg out time, but they seem to be busier than normal weekends. Maybe we try to cram more in because of the extra day? Dunno.

That's all for now. Told you, nothing exciting. I'll let you know if anything exciting happens. Ciao!

The Joys of Colorado

Okay, don't get me wrong, I really like Colorado. It's beautiful and I love all the open space, a nice change from the East Coast and the congestion of DC. People here are so laid-back and friendly, there are so many outdoor activities to pursue, and I love all the conveniences we didn't have in Aviano, but I'm not used to all this snow. I mean it hasn't been that bad, we haven't had to dig ourselves out or anything. I think the snow is beautiful, I just hate the mess we're left with afterwards, the slick roads and sidewalks and the shovelling.

Yesterday evening I left the house to run some errands, when I left there were snow flurries falling, but nothing was sticking. It seemed like in no time that changed. I couldn't have spent more than 20 minutes in a store when I walked out to barely visible conditions. The wind was blowing, the snow was falling hard, and the roads were covered. What should have been a 15 minute trip home (maximum), turned into a stressful 45 minutes. The roads were bad and it was difficult to see through the large snowflakes. Cars had spun out and were stuck all over the roads. We made sure both our cars had 4 wheel drive and were good for such conditions, for which I am thankful, but it was still stressful. A few times I coudn't stop and feared I'd hit someone. I prayed most of the way home and was thankful when I got home safely. This morning I woke up to a beautiful sunny day, one problem, Chae is gone and the driveway and sidewalk were covered in snow. I don't think I've ever really had to shovel. Growing up my parents usually took care of the shovelling, and we lived in a townhouse, so there wasn't as much space to shovel. In college, the facilities/grounds people took care of the shovelling, and snow hasn't been a big deal the last two years when we were overseas. Besides, I don't think I've ever lived anywhere known for getting snow as frequently as here. I procrastinated as long as I could, and finally headed out. It took me an hour and 10 minutes and our driveway looks nowhere near as pretty and clean as everyone elses. It's obvious that I'm an amateur. Shovelling is Chae's job, but he wasn't here to do it. One of the conditions I gave before moving here was that I wouldn't have to shovel snow (Chae's been talking about moving back to Colorado since we dated, I was always a little unsure). I know, it makes me sound like a diva, but everyone knows that I'm kind of h&m (high maintenance, it's a nickname Chae gave me), it's just that I'm not a fan of the cold. It really should not have taken that long anyway. Chae does it much faster, but he is also much bigger and stronger than me. I was also trying to scrape off the snow that had turned to ice. At least I got a workout in, especially since I didn't make it to the gym this morning, and Kiera enjoys it. We throw the snow at her when shovelling and she eats it (you cans see pics in a few posts back). She eats so much snow she is literally throwing it up, peeing a lot, and shivering, but she cries hysterically if we don't let her enage in this activity. She's always loved the snow. Anyway, I finished with an aching back and shoulders, and a blister or two.

I wish I could say that was my last complaint of the day, but one more incident occured as a consequence of yesterday's beautiful snowfall, I bit it. I was leaving the Home Depot and was just a few feet from the car when I slipped on a patch of ice and landed on my right butt cheek/hip/back. Contrary to what some of you out there might be thinking, I was wearing tennis shoes, not stilettos. I think that's the first fall I've ever had on the ice. I'm usually cautious after it snows and am wary of the ice patches. This time I was not paying attention and was in a hurry to get to the car. No worries, I'm fine. It didn't hurt at all at the time, and no one saw (although I wouldn't have cared, I don't think they would have laughed when we're all slipping and sliding). The area is just a tad sore right now, but fine. I think our weekend snowboarding trips and my crash landings have prepared me for such a moment. I'm more annoyed than anything else. I wish we could enjoy the beauty of the snow without the consequences.

Don't Blow Away

You know, Chae told me a lot about Colorado. He told me about the 300+ days of sunshine a year, the snow, weather patterns, temperature, the mountains, all there is to do here (i.e. hiking, snowboarding, camping), but he forgot to mention one thing, one thing that seems to be very significant, or perhaps I should say aggressive, in Colorado - the wind. I have never experienced such strong winds so frequently before. It's crazy. It's very windy right now and was so most of the night. You can hear the wind howling around the house, threatening to burst through the windows. There are many windy days in Colorado. I've only been here for four months, and as I stated before, I've never experienced so much wind. I don't know if it comes down off the mountains or what. It can be warm and windy or cold and windy. Maybe that is why you can see four seasons in one day here, the wind must blow in the weather. In our rental house (which we stayed in for 2 months) we actually had to take the table umbrella down and put it in the shed. I thought the wind would break it.

When I studied in the South of France, we learned all about the powerful wind down there. The wind there even has a name "Le Mistral" ("masterly,"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mistral_(wind) , in this link you can see a picture of the wind blowing in Marseille, I was 20 minutes north of there). I think the wind in Colorado should have a name too. Any suggestions? Either way, the wind I experienced in the South of France pales in comparison to the wind I've experienced here, although I was there for such a short time.

I hope it doesn't sound like I'm complaining, because I'm not. It doesn't really bother me, I'm just surprised at its intensity and the frequency at which it occurs. We've actually had really nice weather the last few days. It was in the 60s. We went snowboarding on Saturday and it was beautiful, sunny and warm. I wanted to post some pictures, but Chae left for Rochester, NY (business) yesterday and won't be back until Friday. He has the laptop which has all of our pictures. Well, I must go. I have a lot to do, which means I must venture out in the wind.

House of Crazy!!!!

Did I mention yet that my dog is driving me absolutely crazy?! I can't wait for her wound to completely heal so that she can go outside to play and burn some energy. Fifteen days and counting since she's been able to play and is full of pent up energy. I took her back to the vet on Friday thinking that we would finally be done with the whole process and that everything could once again return to normal in the Pak household. Turns out I set my expectations too high. Thursday night Chae took Kiera's bandage off so that we could take a look at her wound. It was stinky. Must be what it smells like when a cast is taken off. He then bandaged her back up. Well, Friday evening, an hour before leaving for the vet, I'm in the kitchen prepping dinner when Kiera walks down the stairs and lo and behold what do I see, but a naked paw. At some point she had taken off her bandage and cleaned her own paw. I found a piece of gauze, wrapped it back up, and sent her to her bed. Later that evening at the vet clinic, the vet informs me that there are no sutures to be taken out. Apparently Kiera had ripped them out herself (the whole reason we went to the vet was to have them taken out). No worries, the wound is healing well she says. The only problem is that the wound is located on a part of her paw that she uses when walking, which means it continuously opens and so it is healing from the inside out. The best thing to do she says is to restrict Kiera's activities for another week. Another week?! But she's driving me crazy. They re-bandage her foot to keep it clean and prevent infection. It looks like Kiera blames her bandaged foot for not being able to play, so yesterday she rips off yet another bandage. Good news, the wound looks a lot better. We just put a sock and plastic bootie on it whenever she goes out to make sure it stays clean. Four more days and she can finally go out. I can't wait, for both our sakes.
In other news, we went snowboarding on Saturday. Good news - this was one of my best and most fun snowboarding days thus far, bad news - Chae's snowboard went MIA. We took the bus back to the parking lot, and placed our snowboards on the designated brackets on the outside of the bus (just like everyone else). When we got off the bus Chae's board was gone. He rode back with the bus driver hoping it had fallen, but it was nowhere in sight. After a trip to the lost and found and filling out a report, still no board. I kept hoping it would show up. Why do people have to be like that? Stealing other people's things, especially something expensive? Chae was bummed and I felt so sad for him. He was a little attached to the board. It was his first one. Yesterday he bought another one from a store that was about to close so he got a good deal. We didn't exactly want to spend that extra money when there is so much to do at the house, but we've already invested in season passes and want to take full advantage of them. I believe in a just God, so although we may never see that board or know how justice was served, I believe that God will take care of the situation and culprit in some form or another.

Drama in the Pak Household

On Sunday, December 30 we had a slight medical emergency. Chae and me are fine, it was Kiera. We let her out in the front yard while Chae was shovelling snow. She loves to be out there with him and runs around trying to catch the snow he shovels. She whines by the door and watches him through the window if we don't let her out with him. Well, this day was a little different than any other. I was in the kitchen when Chae yells that Kiera is bleeding. There was blood everywhere. We couldn't tell where it was coming from. After cleaning her up a little, we discovered that it was coming from the bottom of her front left paw. It wouldn't stop bleeding, so I jumped on the computer hoping to find a Vet ER, knowing that all normal vets were closed on a Sunday at 5pm. Kiera has such a high tolerance for pain and such a happy spirit. The bleeding paw didn't seem to phase her. All she cared about was playing with her ball. Chae had to make her drop it. We sent her to her bed to lie down while we figured out what to do. When Chae's best friend stopped by to say goodbye on his way to the airport, Kiera was so happy to have company that she left her bed, jumped on everyone, and tracked blood all over the house. We had to yell at her to lie down. We found a Vet ER that's open weekday evenings and 24 hours on holidays and weekends. As it turned out, they had to perform minor surgery on her paw. She cut a vein and it didn't stop bleeding until it was sutured. We almost cried when we got the bill. $638 later we were sent home with a groggy dog with a bandaged leg, not to mention an additional $38 for a check-up and re-bandage 3 days later. Ouch! That money was supposed to be used on the house. Oh, well. Kiera is part of the family now. Needless to say, Chae spent the rest of that evening and part of the next one looking for pet insurance, and I applied for 15 more jobs. Kiera's not allowed to play outside, run around, or do much of anything for 12 days. The vet doesn't know my dog. That's extremely difficult for her. I feel so bad for her. She's been cooped up and has so much energy to burn. She's been driving me crazy! ;) The bandages come off on Friday, so we'll definitely be taking her out to play then.
Kiera playing in the snow on Christmas while Chae shovelled it to her. Just a few days before her accident.


It was so funny watching her when we brought her home from the vet. She was so groggy. She couldn't stand for long. She would start swaying and actually start falling asleep while standing.

And this is the guy who talked about getting rid of her? Yeah right. He calls her darling. He doesn't even call me that.

Conehead. We had to put this on her when leaving her alone to make sure she didn't mess with the bandage. We laughed so much.

It was funny watching her hop around on three legs. Sorry, the video might make you a little dizzy.

The culprit of Kiera's wound - hedging in the front yard that separates the mulch and rocks from the grass. A problem that was easily fixed this past Saturday with a trip to the Home Depot and rubber piping that you place on the hedging for $10.78. We weren't aware of the hedging because the lawn had pretty much been under snow since mid-November, just a few days after we moved in.

Catching Up

It's been a long while since I last blogged. For that I am truly sorry. I blame Chae ;). He was off for 11 days for the holidays. The entire company shut down, which was nice. He didn't have to use any leave, of which he has very little. He went from 30 days a year while in the military, to now a mere 10. So we spent the whole time hanging out with each other and friends, snowboarding, running errands, and vegging out. It was so great. I think we really needed that time to bond, to just be together without any other major distractions or interruptions. These last several months have been so hectic with all the transitioning and moves, which didn't leave much time for quality time. Work was slow when he went back last week (a lot of people were still on vacation) so we still got to hang out a little.
Christmas was great. We spent it at home together. We had a couple of invites, but decided to spend it in our new home. It seemed appropriate, considering it would be our first Christmas in our new home. We had a lazy day - slept in, opened gifts, slow breakfast, a nap, Christmas dinner still in our pj's, and went to see a movie in the evening. It was very relaxing. I also had my first white Christmas. I was very excited. I didn't think it was going to happen. Most of the snow on the ground had melted, the weather Christmas Eve was sunny and beautiful, and I hadn't heard any news of snow. We got home at 2 am on Christmas morning after hanging out with some of Chae's old friends, and it wasn't snowing yet. I was thoroughly surprised and amused to wake up to a "Winter Wonderland" on Christmas morning. Chae heard that in 100 years it had only snowed on Christmas in Denver 13 times. I was excited for this special blessing. I had just mentioned to Jesus the day before that it would be nice to have a white Christmas.

Our home under a blanket of snow.

Chae and Kiera on Christmas morning.

Chae with his gifts.

One more belated gift, from me. No he's not about to rob the bank. It's a face mask to keep him warm while hitting the slopes.

Me with my gifts. Thank you familia and TGS. Kathy, that book was amazing as always. At one point Chae was reading it to me.

Kiera opened her own present on Christmas morning. It was so cute!

Stay tuned for more pics with updates.