#37: Learn to Make a Pot of Coffee

So this was an easy one. Or, at least, it should have been an easy one.

I love coffee. Usually by "coffee" I mean a Mocha Frap Light add Vanilla Bean and Caramel Sauce. Or a Vanilla Latte. But, thanks to burning the stick at both ends - and trying to live on a budget - I've started drinking coffee coffee. Usually this coffee coffee was supplied by SK+G. And then when I moved in to the Wicklers, there was always a pot brewing.

I've been spoiled.

But the other morning, I woke up and since it's spring break in the house - Josh and Linzi were not awake. And no one set the coffee on auto-brew. I've gotten accustomed to making my hour drive to work with a warm cup of Joe in my hand. What now?

Time to conquer #37, my babies.

What should have taken me 2 minutes took me 15 since I was trying to figure out measurements - water vs. grinds. But it happened. I made my first pot of coffee. Given, Josh had to add some more water to it to make it right but I still made it happen. A crash course in coffee making 101 and now I'm all set to do it on my own when I move out of the Wickler's next week.

Barista Kate. It's got a ring to it, no?

Discovering Denver

When I first made the plan to move, I had a few things I needed to take care of:

1. Find a job. Check.

2. Find a killer apartment. Check.

Now that those items are can be marked off my "To-Do" list - I have created a new list. Westword (Denver's Weekly), came out with their Annual 'Best Of' List today and as I was purusing, I got out a pen and paper and I have made a new list -things to discover in Denver - to add to the other 100 things I need to do. A lot of them have to do with food - or alcohol - but a girl has her passions.

1. Attend 'Dance Your Brunch Off' at Beauty Bar Denver. Held Sundays 11 am - 5 pm, it features a Bloody Mary and Mimosa Bar and a DJ. Need I say more?

2. Eat Girl Scout Cookies at My Brother's Bar - Denver's oldest bar also sells America's favorite cookies.

3. Get a Pankcake Flight at Snooze.

4. Attend the Horseshoe Craft and Flea Market when it re-opens in May.

5. Go to Interstate for Happy Hour and try the popcorn.

6. Take Gordie to the Comfy K9 Indoor Dog Park (reserved for a rainy day).

7. Drink beer at Freshcraft.

8. Eat Sticky Buns from Wooden Spoon Cafe and Bakery.

9. Camp. Anywhere and everywhere.

10. Shop @ Decade for all things gifting.

11. Visit Spuntino for their homemade popsicles in the summertime.

12. Get an RTD Eco Pass and take the bus more.

13. Go to Boulder's Farmer's Market (and maybe get #7 marked off the 100 list).

14. Go thrift store shopping at Rewind in Golden.

15. Have drinks at the Green Russell. Although - you may never know this happened since I won't be able to check-in. This speakeasy has rules - including no cell phones allowed.

16. B-Cycle around town, try to visit at least 10 different stations in one ride.

17. Get some stationary and/or cards from Wordshop.

18. Have wine and cheese at the Village Cork.

19. Go see the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls in a Derby.

20. Eat at Beatrice and Woodsley (I promise you, Flippin!).

21. Play skeeball at Ernie's Bar and Pizza.

22. Have afternoon tea at the Denver Tea Room.

23. Attend Showcase Showdown at Comedy Works.

24. Shop for a(nother) tutu at House of Arden.

25. Brunch at Jonesy's EatBar.

26. Go the Dazzle Jazz Club.

27. Shop at 5 Green Boxes for knickknacks ('cause I need more of those).

28. Drink at Bar Car.

29. Eat at Table 6.

30. Visit the Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls and Toys.

31. Have a slice of pie from Bill's NY Pizza (although Sexy Pizza, you are my boyfriend).

32. Mini golf at Aqua Golf.

33. Shop at Talulah Jones for I don't know what yet but there's only one way to find out!

34. Go to a show at The Ogden.

Alright, Denver, I think that's a solid start. Let's do this.

Sir Gordon, Publicist

Guess who got to join me at work today. He remembered his bow tie but forgot his briefcase. First day on the job, figured we'd let it slide.

(Downtown) Dreams Do Come True

My apologies, my babies, as I have been a little busy since my return from Vegas. I got back to Denver on Tuesday, applied for a few jobs, got a call on Wednesday for an interview on Thursday and had an offer by 6 p.m. Thursday night.

That's right. Katie Knoch is once again employed.

I am the PR Account Executive at Scream Agency. A smaller creative agency, 15-years-old, located right downtown (Wazee and 15th to be exact). I work with 3 women, all whom I believe will be some of my closest friends I make here. I've got a great list of clients to work with - including a Kimpton run hotel in Aspen and the Lodo's - the bar that throws the biggest St. Patrick's Day party in Denver - Keggs and Eggs.

This was day 4.

It was absolutely insane. We were there at 7:30 a.m. and this is what the place looked like - just mix that with the scent of beer and you'll be close to knowing what it was like.

I am loving every second of it though - I am so happy to be back in the daily grind. Not to mention that when I move in to my new place in two and a half weeks, I will be a short 2.8 mile bike ride to work.

I am living in Capitol Hill and working in Lodo - so I am here to tell you, babies, that sometimes when you choose happiness....it chooses you back.

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.

Game Face 2011

When I first arrived to live with The Wicklers, I told them that we should throw a Super Bowl Party. And by throw a Super Bowl Party, I meant have us, and Michael, watch the game while eating lots of snacks and maybe even incorporating a few drinking games in to the event. This, of course, was also just an excuse to wear my giant Giants jersey and draw lines on my face.

So as Game Day greeted us with another snow day, Linz and I headed across the mountain to pick up Michael and some necessary supplies. Josh was in charge of snacks and beer. We were in charge of face paint. And as expected, that ended up being the highlight of the party, as the photos show.

Josh and myself had an intense bet riding on the outcome of the game and I now owe him $3.50. The drinking games consisted of having to finish your beer if the enemy scored a touchdown, one drink for car commercials (a lot of those), two drinks for beer commercials. Guess what the commercial is about before given away, you get to order a friend to take x amount of drinks. As you can imagine, the face painting continued to get a little more creative throughout the game/night. My personal favorite ended up being Josh in the mouse ears.

The official after party consisted of more game playing with Smart Ass and Cranium on the table. And, of course, some friendly competition.

We're still enjoying the memories of Sunday as the paint was not as "washable" as the box claimed it to be so I got to go to the gym yesterday with a faint pink heart on my cheek.

The party was so much fun, we have decided to make GAME FACE a tradition. Although I can imagine that another face painting party is just around the corner....

Any design suggestions?

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