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.