Theatre Shooting in Colorado

Current information on the shooting at a theatre in Aurora, Colorado from NBC.

Nick and I are safe; we were sleeping in our home in Brighton when the shooting occurred.  Of course, the theatre where the shooting occurred was mere blocks from our old home in Aurora, and that really makes the incident still more disturbing.

But we are safe, all our friends in Colorado are safe; just please keep the victims, families, and all of Colorado in your thoughts and prayers.

If you are able, please donate blood, it is a surefire way to help the victims and support our community.

The war is on!

So, have you all been watching Craft Wars?  I thought it sounded a little silly at first, but it’s AMAZING.

Three crafters compete each week for $10,000 by making one small project in an hour that will eliminate one contestant, and one MASSIVE project as the final test, to be done in 5 hours.  They’ve done patios, playhouses, and even pet palaces!

I’ll be honest… this is the first reality show I’ve ever seen that I actually want to pursue being on.  I love the idea of the challenges, and I think my unconventional cosplay skills would give me a real edge on the floor.  And yeah, ten grand isn’t a bad deal either!

Check it out Tuesday evenings, or at TLC’s website!

A chip off the old snack…

In my search for healthier eats for myself and my husband, I came across the recipe for kale chips.  Nick LOVES them, as he is a fan of more seaweedy type snacks and things like wasabi peas.  It was a little too strong of a kale taste for me, but I love that he loves them!  They’re really easy to make, too!  All I do is cut the leaves off the ribs (the kind of stalk part in the middle), and tear them into bite sized pieces.  I lay them out on a Silpat mat and spritz them with some olive oil, flip them, and spritz again.  Sprinkle a little kosher salt and pop them in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 12 minutes.  Slide them out, into a bowl, and it’s OM NOM NOM time!

What healthy snacks do you like to make?

It’s been so long!

FINALLY AFTER A MILLION BAJILLION YEARS (really, like a year and a half, but in Internet time that's like ETERNITY), I have managed to update my costume website. Hey, look at that! Finally got pictures up of Ophelia and everything!

There is a lot of stuff that’s just not done yet – I have a lot of the older costumes to update the pages to the new layout – but there are plenty of new things and (I hope) a more streamlined look.  I hope you enjoy!

Go get it!  =)

Disappointing behavior…

Dear efirstbank,

I must say that I switched to your bank after leaving Chase and Wells Fargo due to their unfortunate behavior regarding the average customer; there I was treated like a number.  I had anticipated that I would not have that experience with 1st Bank because you are a Colorado company.

Unfortunately, I was wrong.

I'm deeply disappointed by your "Free Checking" campaign - in my experience, your checking account is anything but free.  I've been charged for neglecting to use your bill pay service and charged for my debit card (seriously?  Didn't that policy end around 1996?).

This is frustrating to a customer like me.  I am a public school teacher, and those little charges of $5 and $10 amount to a lot.  That is money I could be spending in my classroom, on my students, on children, and you are taking it away from me.

My experience with your bank has been disappointing and sad.  I will not recommend your services to anyone and I will be switching to a teacher-supportive credit union as soon as possible.  I also want to express how unfair and misleading your "Free" checking campaign is.  No part of your checking service is free.

I hope that you consider the repercussions of your marketing and customer service, particularly in the case of the average customer.

Sincerely,
Beverly Warner
Brighton, CO

PS: Deleting my complaint from your Facebook timeline was super classy.  Very nice.

The best week ever.

Our wedding is 3 days away.  School is out.  We had incredible seats at a fantastic baseball game last night (go Rockies!), not to mention the gorgeous fireworks following!  We have had an absolutely stunning week so far, and if it’s any indication, the wedding should surpass all our expectations.

I am delighted to announce that in addition to successfully completing my first year of teaching, I will be moving to the Technology Teacher position for next year – a subject I feel particularly passionate about. 

I’ve had a purely incredible year.  I hope to be back more regularly to share the next one with you!

What passing bells

Ten years ago I had just started my junior year of college.  Ordinary day turned into extraordinary.

Later that year, all the choirs at UNC performed the Britten War Requiem.  It had been chosen prior to the reality-changing events of today, but it deeply struck a chord with everyone who was a part of the performance.  To this day it remains one of the most powerful pieces of music I have ever experienced.

Always remembering.