The Month of May

HELLO!

My apologies for neglecting you, my HSCOOC, but the month of May has been a totes cray cray obv. 

There's been dating, a Quinceanera celebrating 15 years of Scream Agency, the finale of the Voice, the premiere of the Bachelorette and then a Bachelorette party IRL for my +more who wed her now husband, Scott, on May 19 in Las Vegas.

There's been the beach, a reunion with four of my best girlfriends, kayaking the La Jolla caves in the Pacific, grilling out, eating out, eating In-N-Out, driving from CA to LV, eating blue crabs with Dad and Anne, Cracked Egg with Pep, Sammy's with Benneton (wait, is there an eating theme here?), a night of karaoke at Dino's with Kid Sis, drinks with Austin and Andi, SSFS with Eener and Anika and, of course, a rehearsal dinner and a wedding.

Which was one of the most beautiful days of my life thus far. My +more did an amazing job putting together the wedding of dreams. She looks simply breathtaking in her dress, the groom so handsome, Christopher Walken did a great job marrying them, the kids in the wedding were adorbs, the food delish, the dance floor a ton of fun and then there were the Nothing Bundt Cakes to top it all off.

Oh and did I mention I caught the bouquet?

Nothing could beat the company though, to be surrounded and completely submerged in my nearest and dearest for nine days in May was more than I could have ever asked for.

All to come home to my life in Denver - Sir Gordon and Sienna, work, the Yves Saint Laurent exhibit and brunch date with the girls (complete with dress up), Josh Wickler's birthday, dinner at Linger with Lindsey Jones and Anne and one of two concerts at Red Rocks for this week.

And there ain't no stopping because you know what's next?

June!

Writer's Block

Well hey there, my babies! My apologies for being absent from the blogosphere for a few weeks now. I've been suffering from something they call writer's block - luckily though, I have not been suffering from life block.

As summer has progressed, so have the experiences, friendships, travels and memories. I took a little trip back to the Home Sweet Neon for Pep's 60th birthday, I traveled to Salt Lake City for the Summer Outdoor Retailer show where I got to spend a few hours with Miss Ann Westlake (Ann, how in the world did we not take one single photo together?!), I was involved in a hit-and-run car accident, I met Sebastian Evan (pictured below!), I threw a Meet and Greet at my apartment complex where I encouraged my neighbors to come down and enjoy a cold one with me and my curly dog, I finished up another season of Waka Kickball, I caught up with friends, I visited SK+G, I went to see Fleet Foxes at the Filmore, I house-sat up at the Wicklers while they went to visit the Schumachers up in Oregon, I went to WaterWorld with Andy - where we were two cousins, at age 28, acting like a bunch of 8-year-olds running around a water park on a Saturday morning, I crashed my bike, I got my car registered in Colorado (so official!), I ate empanadas for the first time, I watched thunderstorms, and today brings my first trip to Colorado's Ikea with Anne.

So, you see, it's not that I've been lacking in life - it's just that looking back on my last few posts I felt like this blog had become very "This is what we did and here are some photos." What kind of creative writing is that? Not that I don't love sharing all experiences with you guys - it's just this blog is not to recap my life - it's to be an experience all on it's own.

I've been reading a lot lately - trying to get some inspiration through others. So as I work that out, I've put together this little recommended reading list for you - and I'll even throw in some pictures so you know this isn't some kind of an impostor but just a girl getting wrapped up in life.

Read:
Freedom by Jonathan Frazen
This article from the New Yorker
The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman
This new column from Benneton's very own Xazmin Garza
About Ryan Gosling from Esquire
Any current copy of Entertainment Weekly

Look:

My First Place

As my new place is coming together - I thought it was time to look back at my very first place. And all of it's clutter. Seriously so much clutter. I remember moving out of 7151 S Durango, thinking I'll never live like this again. I dumped a lot of stuff before loading up the storage unit for Denver.

My new apartment is about 100 square feet smaller than my last and I still have a lot of work to do. Once it is complete, I will, of course, share with you.

7151 S Durango holds so many fine (and some not so fine) memories for me, including:

The very first day of moving two buildings over after Ann and I moved out.
Bringing Sir Gordon home.
Ordering prints on Etsy to decorate.
SSFS with Renee.
Sitting on the balcony with Ann for hours the night I broke up with Superchump.
Pool days with Lobo.
Bear fixing my bed by putting 900 screws it in.
Panda picking me up at the gate for many occasions.
Pre-gaming kickball with Kid Sis.
Linzi and Josh staying over with Gordon sleeping on their heads.
Studying for school.
Cooking. Or at least attempting to.
Dance party in the living room the day MJ died.
Midnight stop-ins from Spadoni.
Getting ready for Britney with Anika Jones.
PayPie Sienna-sitting for me and sending me photos of him dressed as Max.
Nights by myself, on the couch, with fro yo and Gossip Girl and feeling so content.
Dropping off rent, in person, every month, to my Long Island landlords - Corky and Joanne.
Lying in bed, realizing it was time to leave Vegas.

So yes, it may have been cluttered with junk but it was also cluttered with memories. I love you, 7151 S Durango, you were a fantastic first place.

Home Sweet Neon

I arrived in Vegas the night of Thursday, March 3 and as I walked down the tarmac, my eyes began to water and I cried over the pure happiness of being home.

It had been an incredibly tense week building up to my trip. My mom and I got a phone call on Friday, February 25th letting us know that my Grandma (aka Beppee) was not doing well. My mom asked, "Should we come now?" and the doctor told us, "Yes." So that night I packed my bags, trying to figure out how I was going to fit everything from a dress for a funeral to sweats to jackets to dresses for Vegas in two bags. But I did, and early Saturday morning I took off from Denver to Pittsburgh. We drove straight to the hospital Saturday afternoon, prepared to say our goodbyes. Luckily, she was coherent enough that she knew that we were there and shed a few tears over us being there with her. But come Sunday and Monday, she was drifting. Monday the hospice people came in and asked us if we told her it was OK to go, that sometimes that helps. We wanted her to be at peace so that is exactly what we did, we told her it was OK to go. And she went. 2 am Tuesday morning. After a viewing on Wednesday and a funeral on Thursday - I needed a trip home more than ever.

Hence the tears.

Thursday night I stayed the night at Lauren's since Pep stayed back to wrap things up in Pittsburgh. We had dinner and she made Mimosas with Blood Orange Juice (TO DIE FOR). We spent the evening catching up and since Payton lives with her now, too, it was a perfect instant hit of home that I needed. Friday brought a much needed trip to Globe Salon and time in the chair with my girl Megs followed by lunch with the old SK+G PR team at Sammy's Woodfired Pizza. Then I headed to Blue Martini to meet Diana for some Pomegranate Martinis over Happy Hour. Went home, spent some time with the family (and Miss Sienna Miller who wouldn't speak to me until Saturday) - then headed back out to meet my girls for dinner at Macayo's before we headed downtown for First Friday festivities. Walking into Mama's was like coming home. I had missed that place SO. And don't even get me started on the smile on my face the entire time at The Get Back. I was outside in a tee-shirt, jeans and a pair of Tom's with a drink in my hand, a dance in my feet and friends all around. Maybe that is why I didn't get home until 4 a.m.

Saturday was lunch and a movie with my parents before meeting Lauren, Scott, Kid Sister and Payton for dinner at Firefly. Holy sweet sangria reunion. It was totally worth the hour wait. We then headed back downtown to catch Del tha Funkee Homosapien. We stopped for drinks first at the Griffin to then find out that the show (at Beauty Bar) was sold out. Hearts were broken. Then a friend of a friend said they could get us in with Del. We just had to meet in the back alley behind the Beauty's trailer park and he would walk us in. We figured it was worth a shot but that shot ended up being watching Del sit in the car "prepping" for the show for an hour before Megs and I decided just to head over to the Griffin and finish the night off there.

Sunday and Monday involved more eating, spending time with the family, catching up with friends (glad we got to squeeze in that happy hour, X!), meeting baby bumps with the Bordinhaos and a very special introduction to Mr. Maximus Alexander - son of Renee and Jay Losey. He is absolutely adorable and was such a gentleman the whole visit. Congrats you guys!

I got back to Denver early yesterday morning, and figure that I will be spending the rest of the week trying to catch up on the lack of sleep I had in Vegas.

Thank you, Vegas, for reminding me that although it was time to go, why you will always be my home sweet neon.

Idling

As of today, I have officially lived in Colorado for seven weeks. I've become nice and settled in at the Wicklers, spent lots of quality time with my cousins, hunted some bucks in Morrison, dined in Golden, visited the Granquists in Evergreen, took to the slopes at Winter Park, threw one helluva Superbowl party, ate at Sexy Pizza, shoveled a deck, visited the Beauty Bar, looked at apartments in Capitol Hill, took Gordon on a muddy walk, revisited 1999 while seeing the Get Up Kids where I found out mosh pits still exist, spent a few happy hours at Tavern Uptown, saw George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic with old SK+G friends, played more than a few games of Cranium and have had a few bottles of wine in between.

It's good. I am happy. I know that moving here was the best thing I could have done for myself at 27 because although it feels like I am idling here now as I wait to land that dream job, I was really idling in Vegas.

But homesickness has finally started to set in. I cried for Vegas for the first time this week. It was during a drive home up 285, I had spent the afternoon at Linhart PR's Inside Scoop, met a new friend in Boulder for drinks and stopped to pick up Girl Scout Cookies from Hailey. And all of a sudden, it hit me. I missed home.

I think the shine of being out of work has warn off. I was the girl who was always going 90 miles a minute in Vegas. If you wanted to grab lunch, we had to plan it for two weeks in advance. I was always taking on too much at once and I longed for days where I would just lay around all day catching up with the Kardashians. Now, those days are called Mondays.

I am ready to work. Come to find out, early retirement is not for me. I'm hungry to write some releases, pitch some stories and tweet for someone other than myself. I am ready to get up every morning early enough to catch the Matt and Meredith portion of the Today Show instead of Kathy Lee and Hoda (although I have been enjoying that wacky pair). I want to put on make-up and dress pants and walk in to an office. I want to find that company I want to give another five years (plus) of my life to. I want to make friends over after work drinks.

But until that phone call comes, it'll be champagne Mondays, episodes of Ellen and days with the dogs between sending out applications and cover letters.

Oh, and a trip home.

Vegas, I'll be there March 2 - 8. I cannot wait to reunite with your people, your lights and your restaurants.

See you soon.

About the Great Kate Escape and "How It's Going So Far"

Greetings from CO! And my sincerest apologies for dropping off the blogosphere the past few weeks. I had to give myself a minute to get two feet on the ground (although not quite there yet), gather my words, and promise myself not to cry as I recapped the Great Kate Escape.

First off, thank you to everyone who came out to bid me farewell. It meant the world to me to be able to pop that bottle of bubbly (thanks, Mama's!) with all of your smiling faces there, eager to share with me in the bittersweet celebration of my move to Denver. We had a meal with the soon-to-be mama's (Renee and Arlene) at Firefly before heading to Don't Tell Mama where we spent more than a few hours listening to Spadoni, Dre and even a special appearance by Bianca, singing our favorite tunes. Around, oh I don't know, 3? - we headed to the Griffin for a late-night dance party in the back. It was a fabulous way to kick off 2011.

The week following the Great Kate Escape was my last in Vegas and mostly focused on wrapping up things at SK+G and squeezing in as much time as possible with my nearest and dearest. My last day at SK+G was the first time that me leaving actually hit me. I had packed up all of my stuff, set my out of office to something along the lines of "I no longer work here" and was heading out to my farewell Happy Hour with the crew. Just as Ellen was walking up to my cube to walk out with me, I felt my eyes fill up. I had done so much growing at that agency. I still remember my first day like it was yesterday. Pulling up, fresh-faced at 22, ready for the challenge of my first job in my career. Meeting Stacy and Arlene, and the snack cabinet. Bagel Mondays, weekly staff meetings, lunch at Sammy's followed by Yogurtland, lounges, press releases, new business meetings, lunch and learns and most importantly, the people - so much to miss about SK+G.

I got a special visit my last week in town from Chloe, who was on the westcoast to visit her boyfriend, Patrick and the two of them came out to Vegas for a night of sharing hummus at Paymon's and champagne at Arlene's. Always good to see Chloe and extra good to see her so happy in her new relationship.

My last night in Vegas happened to be the First Friday of January and I had flown Mrs. Wickler in to Vegas in order to do the drive to CO with me - which only meant one thing, we were headed downtown. But not before I got to squeeze in one last trip to my new favorite restaurant, Crab Corner. Let me ask you something...are you from Maryland? Do you now live in Vegas? Do you love seafood, more specifically, blue crabs? Then drop what you are doing and head to Crab Corner on Eastern and Flamingo right now. This place is owned by two brothers, who I actually played kickball with, but that's another story all in itself, and offers fresh blue crabs at a reasonable price. Place opened in December and I couldn't believe the timing - ate there six times in six weeks to make up for it but they promised that whenever I got a craving, they'd be happy to ship some off to DIA for me. So it was Crab Corner with Pep and Sam and a few of my besties, followed by the Griffin, ending with a nightcap at Don't Tell Mama after a few run-ins on Fremont East. I got to say goodbye to a few faces I hadn't had the chance to at the Great Kate Escape and left Vegas feeling - ready. Sad, but ready.

We stayed out later than we should have but still got up to rock-n-roll around 8:30. Spent some time with Pep in the morning, knowing that she would be the hardest to leave. I am so lucky to be so close with my mother, but it made the decision to move ten times more difficult. Linz and I got everything squeezed in the car - all the necessities as you can see from the photo below - the LOST board game, a tutu and Beggin' Strips - and hit the road around 11.

The whole move started to feel a little cursed starting with me getting a speeding ticket an hour outside of Vegas. I was going 89 in a 75 and got a $250 ticket - even with my sob story about how I just quit my job and was taking a chance by moving to Denver - but it was on an Indian reservation so it doesn't get reported to the DMV or my insurance and I have until March 11 to take care of it. The first 1/2 of the drive went super smoothly, I didn't have to ask Linz to drive until the snow started really coming down right before we got in to Grand Junction for the night. We ordered pizza in, popped a bottle of wine and watched SNL to get up early for part two of the drive the next day.

The morning greeted us right and white where Sir Gordon really got his first taste of snow. Which has become his new best friend over the past three weeks. This doodle was meant to be in the snow - he digs in it, rolls around in it, eats it (not the yellow, Gord!) and looks like he belongs in it. Don't you agree?

The second part of the drive didn't go quite as smoothly as we hit some pretty awful weather and ski traffic through Vail Pass and then again about 20 miles from the house. But long story short, we made it! I am here and happy. The first week was a little weird - it didn't feel like everything was sinking in the way I expected it to. I think I expected to have this big break down about leaving the city where I had lived and loved for the last 20 years and even now, on week 3, I still haven't had that happen. Don't get me wrong, I have certainly shed a few tears here and there because I miss my people but I think ultimately, I was just really ready for this change.

I'm living in Pine with the Wicklers while I look for job and get settled. Pine is about 45 outside of Denver so I make the trip a couple of times a week to get acquainted with the city. I've spent some time with my family who is here. Andy and his girlfriend, Angela, and I get together a few times a week and I'm making a new tradition of spending a night of tv and food-in at cousins' Tracy and Devin's house where time is spent with little 6-year-old Hailey who read me a bedtime story last time I was over and just melted my heart. The other days and nights are spent with Linz and Josh who have just been so kind to open their house and hearts to me. We go to Morrison to have drinks with Michael and hunt some bucks. And this weekend, I am heading to snowboard at Copper on Saturday with Andy and going ice skating with the Granquists on Sunday. The job hunt is going pretty well. I've applied for a few positions - two at an agency that I totally have a crush on - and I even have my eye on an apartment in Capitol Hill that opens up March 7.

It's certainly been a bit of an adjustment, but I am excited for what lies ahead. Just getting used to having this as my view instead of the neon lights. It is quite breathtaking though, don't you think?