OD'd on 5280

Most of you probably have a similar deals in your town--for a set price you can eat at various restaurants. Well the mile high city's is 5280, for $52.80 per couple they serve a 3 or 4 course meal. It is such a deal we have tried 3 places and have another reservation for Sunday night. That means we will have eaten out 5 of 9 nights including birthday at Nordy's on Sunday. If we had accepted our other invitations we could have eaten out every night. We are doing our best to help out the eating business, regardless of our 401K fall.

D'Italia, Mizunos, Briarwood and Bistro Vendome. My favorite has been D'Italia (Kevin, Mrs Bunano's husband is the chef/owner at D'Italia and Mizunos). A taste very much to my liking and I'm sure calorie filled pasta, with bacon, cheese and butter sauce--WOW. Best wine too, a Chainti. The Briarwood in Golden was a surprise--it has been there a long time--food was very good, best wait person--Good People--our neighbors. On our way to dinner we visited Bill and DJ, they offered more wine and food, we needed to catch up with them.

I' m finally REAL!

Well almost--I am almost a real cyclist, now! I'm finally clipped in. After gentle pushing from my more avid biking friends, my cycle spinning class instructor and my son. Kevin sacrificed the most--he let me try it on his new Scott (which had never hit the dirt), well I hit the dirt with it because I am not good at being clipped in.

Great guys at Adventure Cycle, Parker Road at Quincy--I went there to get my bike "fitted" to me. John and Kevin recommended mountain bike shoes and the pedal less clips. He had some great deals on both, I tried a bunch of each and the sale stuff was OK for me. I rode home and not crashes.

Great weather for riding--I have ridden 48 miles in 3 days--that is what I rode last year in a week and I have 4 days left--assuming the weather will hold out.

Birthday celebration goes on.

Good People--Amanda, Kortney, Jan and Paul
Good Food--we tried a new BBQ place near the Budweiser Center--Nordy's. We tried the family meal--chicken, ribs, pork, beef, sausage, fries, corn bread, toast, cold slaw, potato salad and the new wheat beer from Bud--Shocktop-everything was really good and a reasonable price.
Good Exercise--we Skyped Kevin--free calls, video--Jan was able to see her "boy" after he bumped into a tree--it was good that she could see that he was OK. It was fun getting the family "together" so to speak. We also talked and saw Bob and Sharon the other day--it was good to see them and talk at the same time.
Good Retirement--Stayed the night with K/P played some Tripoley (Amanda won), on Monday we hung a few valances that Jan sewed for Kortney's birthday.

This is funny!

Click on the third picture in the video bar (which ever one spins up the video, the "remix" has music-not as good as the original), turn on the sound. It is funny and we have all been there. I can't get the other ones off--and I don't know what they are. KJ help!

Sadie is HEALED!

I almost forgot to report on our favorite dog--Sadie. We visited Dr Mike on Wednesday, thank goodness he passes along some "friend of the vet" discounts, to get her stitches out. He thanked us for keeping him in business--Kortney/Paul's dog and a couple of visits with Sadie for stitches--I don't think we have set any records BUT!

All is well now. She ran with me yesterday and along side the bike today for a couple of miles. I think she has forgiven me.

Some fun things!

I'm learning how to post these pictures in the center and one at a time, but I didn't put them in the order of last/last. Good Exercise--my bike ride today, temp about 40+-out to Pine Line in Parker and back, about an hour. I lost my old bike computer not too long ago, Jan gave me one for Valentines but I was having trouble getting it to work so I don't know how far. On a side road and I ran into this dead end barrier and a nice view of the Rockies. Oh! how sweet it is!
Over our 40 plus years of friendship with Steve and Cindy--we added another year of birthday celebrations. They are the Good People! The Good Food--Steve and I had a "man's meal", steak, baked potato with all the stuff on top, corn, Cindy's chef salad with lots of blue cheese and a chocolate brownie with chocolate/carmel sauce--loved it! We played some Tripoly--once we learn a game we keep playing it. Not a great deal of money exchanged hands, though.
Good People--The beautiful women in our church's small group celebrating our annual Valentines Party. All are smiling but some of them have lost some money playing Tripoly. Maybe not a smile but gritting teeth. As you can see and those of you that know--all the guys married up!

Fireproof

A movie for everyone--the acting was typical for a "church" movie, but it was pretty good especially the leads.

It's about a fireman's marriage--fireproof your marriage--If you get a chance see it!

Valentines Night

Good People--our church small group.
Good Food--BBQ from Parker's Hickory House and all the trimmings from all the great cooks. It seems as though wines have a run at being the popular one--we had our 3rd Rioja, Spain wine. It is our new "You gotta try.........." We took a growler of Dry Dock brewery's new Vienna Lager--it was a hit! I think the women liked it as much as the men.
Good Exercise--we played Wie tennis and baseball--we quit before someone got hurt. Some pool, the table owner was the winner--for not having played lately--I held my own. The women started playing Tripoly and then the guys started their own--great fun until 1:30am. Yes, you wimps we stayed up until 1:30. The Pearces son came home after midnight and was shocked to see the old folks still up. Some lost money and a few won--as we learned this morning at Church--it is God's money. And we experienced "He giveth and He taketh away".
Great Retirement--we have some time to recoup--we were invited by some friends at another church that is showing "Fireproof"--We have heard great reports on it. Pizza, a movie and time to fellowship with friends--Oh Boy!

Happy Valentines Day

Good People--my sweetheart. Met some new, interesting people.
Good Food--our church hosted a Valentines breakfast--what a feast. Also, some food for the soul.
Good Exercise--a walk later.
Great Retirement--For sure!

Happy Birthday, Kortney!

Good People--Birthday girl, Kortney, her sister and mom. Paul had a basketball game.
Good Food--We have eaten twice at the Rock Bottom Brewery at Centera Mall near Loveland. Both times the steaks were outstanding and the price was reasonable. Oh, the beer is good too. The birthday girl had a chocolate, raspberry and ice cream cake that was really good and she shared. Mom ordered a coffee ice cream and oreo cookie sundae that we shared and it was worth the calories. Pictures at a later date. Rock Bottom has a yearly keg opening event 2/19 of their Fireman's Ale. Proceeds from the beer sales go to local fire departments. That's a Good Thing!
Good Exercise--we walked the outdoor mall some--in the snow. My man measurements says 2-3 inches on the car. Driving home was not too bad, hard to see the lines in the road due to construction. The snow stopped in north Denver and we barely had a trace in our hometown.
Great Retirement--getting home last night was not all that important except we left Sadie at home.

WOW! The weather is perfect!

I got the bike out yesterday and hit the road. Some of you will recognize the route-up Gartrel, up hill by Liberty Middle School, up the hill in front of Creekside Elementary, through Chappral (I forgot how hilly that area is), down hill by Creekside, through Antelope, up hill by Perry's and down into the area behind our house. About an hour, not sure of the miles--lost my bike computer. I can tell it today--my legs are like rubber. Today is nice as well alittle cooler 60's and the wind died down after this morning. We may pay for it come summer--although the mountains are getting plenty-it didn't look that way when we were up a couple of weeks ago.

Sadie is adjusting well to her helmet! We get it changed tomorrow, maybe off and a smaller one put on. We are gonna take in a HS basketball game tonight--a friend has a daughter that is the star as a junior, her husband played at Mines, and I want to talk to the new head coach of Smoky Hill, he and I coached together when he first started.

Man's best friend

I must confess, I abused my dog. I was cutting out some burrs, she moved and I cut her ear. She is still my friend even though I injured her, she had to have stitches, she has to take a couple of pills and now is in this cast like contraption. I think she would think that the worst part is she missed a bike ride, a walk, she did get to sit outside most of today in a near perfect day--70 and no wind. The worst part for us--she snores more than usual. All will be back to normal in a week or so.

In case something happens to your dog's ear--it bleeds more than you can imagine, the first step is to stop the bleeding. Pressure works, fold the ear up on top of their head and wrap it so the injured ear does not hang down. Warning, if it is not wrapped and your dog shakes--blood will be sprayed everywhere.