+ Mores in CO

Over the 4th of July, I was not just celebrating the Independence of America but also, the arrival of my +more.

Wait...have I ever explained the whole +more thing to you guys? Because if not, you're probably WTF'ing right now. A couple years back (2 maybe?), Lauren and I were shopping at Patty's Closet in Vegas. There was a man there, who seemed a little light in his loafers but was certainly following Lauren around the store as if that wasn't the case - but I digress. We tend to get the sister question a lot. Gee, I have no idea why.


So, the man, who was an employee of Patty's Closet, asked us if we were sisters. Lauren answered that no, we were just best friends and I felt the need to chime in "and more!" - because, apparently, I just didn't feel that the term BEST FRIENDS really captured us and what we have. It still doesn't. You know what does though? +more.

Moving on.....+more came in on a Friday night and in our typical style, we decided to scratch going out for a drink and just pick up a (Sexy!) pizza, enjoy some wine, exchange some gifts and spend the next 3 hours catching up as if we don't talk on the phone 6 times a week.

Saturday brought Dazbog and bagels in the Cheesman with Gordon, followed by meeting Andy for lunch at Parisi in the Highlands. Yes, we like to eat, OK? It's like our thing.

We then headed to DAM to check out their newest exhibit - Marvelous Mud. And you know what was truly marvelous about this particular trip? It was FREE. Yeah, thanks to my shiny new Colorado license, we were officially residents and got to roam the museum for free. Which was especially good since we got there at 4:15 and the museum closed at 5 (really DAM, on a Saturday?!).






Saturday night brought more eating - this time at City O City, a vegetarian restaurant in my neighborhood that makes the best Moscow Mule in the city. Then bars bars and more bars and stump stump stump



We, appropriately, coined it 'redneck golf' as you basically take turns hammering a nail in to a tree stump - this quickly became Lauren's favorite discovery of the trip. ...Before sleep sleep and then eat eat (yum Steuben's for breakfast) before heading to Morrison for a little...oh, what's that.....DOG THE BOUNTY HUNTER ACTION?


Oh yes, my friends, that is not Sasquatch much to man's belief, but Dog himself. In the flesh. At the Morrison Inn.

I know, we couldn't believe it either so we had no choice but to burn off some of our excitement by a few games of good 'ol Big Buck Hunter. Which, as you know, and is evident below, we take very very seriously.




We stayed up in Pine that night where Michael, Lauren and I took Linzi and Josh for everything they had (or just their pride for that night) in an intense (or just really fun) game of Cranium (and of course) - SHOTSKIS!



Monday brought grill time followed by a last hurrah dinner and a movie for +mores.



As always, having a piece of home in my new home made this for a highlighted weekend of the summer.


Love you +more! Can't wait for our next reunion (3 weeks!).

Discovering Denver #9: Camp Anywhere and Everywhere

Ok so I haven't quite gotten to the "everywhere" part of this one but I did go camping in Colorado two weeks ago. Alongside my partners in crime, I headed to Geneva campgrounds at 9,800 feet. I was warned to bring warm clothes. And lots of beer.

After loading up the four-wheelers in Evergreen, we took the trip up and over the mountains. As we kept driving, I couldn't help but think "You're not in Vegas anymore" - snow on the side of the roads in late June? Trees and greenery for as far as the eye could see? I took it all in and then pitched my tent. Well, Michael pitched my tent - but I was there to assist!


We spent the day hiking around, drinking those beers and chasing the dogs down. I rode a four-wheeler for the first time in my life and was loving it! I, of course, preferred the one that drove more like a car but that was only because I felt more comfortable there putting the petal to the metal.


Hiking through the back forest and watching the sunset through the trees was honestly one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen.


There was something incredibly refreshing about being totally disconnected from the world for two days. No Facebook, no blog, no cell service. Just good friends, breathing taking views, cold beers and lots of dogs.







Temperatures dropped at night but it wasn't unbearable...between a few layers and some s'mores - we made out A.O.K.


We were woken up early by the sun and spent a few hours enjoying the fresh air before heading back to civilization. Not before, of course, I drove my car up on to a tree stump**.

#typical.

**special thanks to Josh and Michael for, once again, saving my ass and getting me off that tree stump thanks to a jack, neutral and some manpower.

Knoch Family Reunion 2011

You all remember the Reunion of 2009 - right? The one where I ended up on a chairlift horizontal? Good times.

Well, I am proud to say that we Knochs survived a family reunion, this time beach side, with absolutely no injuries! We all gathered in North Myrtle Beach, SC from June 11 - the 18th for a little fun in the sun.

It was the epitome of a vacation - I only set my alarm one day and that was to see the sunrise over the Atlantic (which turns out, was slightly off of the horizon but beautiful nonetheless)...

I read and listened to music, I sipped on cocktails with good people and great conversation and I ate ice cream almost every night. What more could a girl ask for?





Oh, that's right....a bed. Which I eventually got but only after dealing with the pullout for the first few nights. You see, as the single one in the family and the youngest - I am consistently cast away to the pullout. Katie doesn't need any privacy - she's single and young! I knew this was coming - so I had actually drafted and sent a letter to my family, calling this the "Pullout Free Vacation for Katie of 2011!" I even told this entire story to a man I met on the plane - I felt like he would understand my pain, being in the same boat as I as the single, young one in the family. I broke it down for him - told him I was standing up for myself and there would be no pullouts in my future, I had had enough. After my speech? He turned to me and said "Oh, you're F'ED."

Well, come to find out - he was right. Apparently, nobody was buying it.

Now, I do have to give credit where credit is due...Andrea and Seth did offer to squeeze their bodies in to whatever bed is the size between a twin and a full - and share a room with me. Now, what kind of fun does that sound like for anyone? NO FUN. Then we are just all miserable - it's fine, I'll take the pullout. Now, it's rare that I get heated but at this point, I was so incredibly pissed off that I literally had to take a walk, cool myself down and decide that this was absolutely no reason to ruin an entire week at the beach with your family. Even if they do make you sleep on a pullout.

And you know what? It ended up being a fantastic week. My family may be small - but we are all so close. Everyone took turns cooking dinner every night, we played a lot of Bocce Ball on the beach, poked fun at each other, ate pancakes, clinked glasses in celebration and even caught a movie while we were there (Super 8!).

So until next time, Knochs, here is to a great week of catching up, filled with laughter and memories. And alcohol - and, of course, photos. I love you all.