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Crab Feast

Saturday brought the 2nd Annual Cousin Day at Water World followed by the Inaugural 'I Got Crabs at Andy's House!'

The first just involved two 29-year-olds running around a water park on a Saturday afternoon. The second involved a group of friends from all over Denver, with a few of us residing from the east coast originally, getting together to crack a few crabs and a few laughs on a summer night.

We had shipped the crabs straight from the source - Maryland. 78 Blue Crabs arrived, pre-steamed (thank God) and pre-seasoned in Old Bay (but don't worry, we had extra). My dad had shipped us Utz Potato Chips (Original and Crab) and even a few editions of the York Daily Record and the Baltimore Sun. We ate crabs off of Michael Phelps abs. How was your Saturday?

Of course, about 6 minutes in to the feast - it starts to spit on us and then the thunder starts to roll in. Andy declared, "We're not moving!" but as the paper (and our hair, jeans, etc.) began to soak, it was decided we could, indeed, go inside.

As the moans and groans took place from our feast being disrupted by Mother Nature, Graham promised us a rainbow at the end and well, he came through.

And yes, that is the view from Andy's new house. I swore to him that I would never again give him a hard time for living in Westminster. The house is amazing. And I cannot wait to spend Christmas there this year.

Three hours later (not an exaggeration, have you ever sat down to a crab feast?), with Old Bay on our fingertips and bellies full of crab (a few of us even suffered a few minor injuries - freakin' claws), we decided that this needed to be a yearly tradition.

Next year we just need a few less crabs or a few more people - you in?

Open House

The month of July was like one big open house - I hosted two of my best friends, two separate weeks within two weeks, I went to an open house as I considered buying my first home (not happening) and thanks to some closure over Strongbows on a rainy afternoon - my heart was, once again, one big open house.

Lisa left sea level for the mile high mid-July. Her first night here, we broke her in to Colorado with a camping trip.

The rest involved a night of Saturday Night Shenanigans (which always end with a trip to Benny Blanco's for a late-night slice of that NY pizza), bottomless mimosas (I know, you're shocked), Jazz in the Park, Film on the Rocks with E.T. and a backyard barbecue.

Linz, Lisa and I (among those few fav others) have been friends since we were 12 and we've changed, moved, loved and lost in the meantime. We've found ourselves in 2012, lucky enough to get together not just once (Lauren's wedding) but twice (CA --> DEN) and it really fills my heart with warmth and love. Yes, it's true, the older we get, the harder it is to get away and get that time with the ones who've known you the longest and have you watched you grow from girls in to women and love you just the same. But when it does happen - it reminds us of who we are, where we came from and how incredibly lucky we are to have the friendships that we do.

The six days between when Lisa departed and Chloe came from Denver: Round Two, brought the UMS which was an adventure all in and of itself. The only one who really got a break during that time was Gordon and that's only because he was in a cone.

....And heartbroken, apparently.

Chloe arrived and this trip brought us Florence + the Machine at Red Rocks (where, yes, I cried again), a movie at the Mayan with My Two Dads, dinner at Linger, rooftop drinks at the Irish Snug and Symphony on the Rocks. Oh, and champagne, of course.

Fill that in with a visit from Aunt Karen and all the times that I am lucky to drive a quick 30 minutes to meet Pengs in Morrison for drinks and well, it's no wonder July flew by.

 So I grasp at the last month of Summer with open arms, an open heart and well, always an open house. 

We'll be waiting for you.