Simple Pleasures

Have you ever noticed how easy it can be to please people sometimes? Here's a for instance for ya:

Each morning, I drag myself out of my super-comfy bed to inhale airborne caffeine and with a smile ask over and over again, "Good morning! How are you today? The regular?" Usually the customer grunts, yawns, or has a major throat-clearing session before answering "Yes" and handing over their $3.51 and Frequent Fluid Card.

After this point in the transaction, there are either two reasons that a person will smile:
1) They are walking out the door and have taken a few sips of their much needed morning caffeine; OR

2) They have earned a free coffee!

Now, usually the latter of the two will result in the greatest mood shift, but let's be honest here, who's wouldn't be altered at the news of a free coffee? It would certainly make my day!

We leave early tomorrow morning for a camping trip to Lake Macconahey in Nebraska (yes, Nebraska). We are going with a group of midwesterners we have become friends with and needed a good dose of some waves! Happy 4th of July and have a safe and wonderful weekend!

The Latest

Hi Friends and Fam. Meg here. I just got home from touring my new school tonight. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Every single detail that could have been thought of for this building was - and then some! I feel so lucky. When I got to see my room I started to cry. I suddenly felt incredibly overwhelmed by it all - the building, the job, the idea that I will be IN CHARGE OF several eager-minded children, and that it was all going to happen VERY SOON. The tour of the building and picnic to follow was meant to be a family evening for the staff to have a chance to mingle with the significant others of those we will be working with, but Chris couldn't come. Unfortunately, he was unable to leave work at his normal time due to extenuating circumstances on the site today. I was sad. He would have loved going on the tour - especially because there was still a lot of stuff unfinished and he could have really taken a look at things from the construction engineering point of view! Luckily, one of my team teachers, Lee-Ann, was there by herself as well because her fiance was also working late. It was nice to have a buddy to chat with and talk about the upcoming year.

Since my test has been finished (it went very well, by the way), I have been able to let my mind wonder a bit and it has felt great. Things I have been thinking about...

1) I want a dog! Really bad! We dogsat this past weekend for friends of ours and it made me realize just how much I miss having a dog around. I love their energy, devotion, and curiosity. They are such amazing creatures. Keep your fingers crossed that I can talk Chris into this one! ;)

2) I recently found out that my cousin, Stacy and her husband, are going to have their first baby! What an exciting time!! As Chris and I get older, it is weird to think that this is the next stage that we, our friends, and our family will be entering! At the same time, it is such a wonderful and natural part of our growth as couples. Congrats to Stacy and Alex!

3) I love Denver. I miss my parents and their hugs. Can you send me some in the mail? My mom and I used to always celebrate special occasions with a glass of Vouvray. I bought a bottle tonight at the special wine shop across the street to celebrate seeing Sky Vista. I'll save a glass for you when you come to visit in September, Mom.

4) Chris and I ate our wedding cake-topper this weekend. How on Earth did it manage to taste just as good as it did on our wedding day? It simply amazed me! :)

5) I need some good books to read. Any suggestions?

Alright, time is ticking away and I have very little of it left before I need to head off to bed. Tomorrow will be a big day - I am submitting my application downtown to become a certified Colorado teacher! Woo hoo!

Until next time...

P.S. Don't you wish YOU could do this too? I do! Looks like waaaay too much fun!!

G & G Weltsch

Hello again friends and family,
I just wanted to ask all of you for a little help. My grandpa, Clint, is getting a new pace-maker this Thursday, in hopes to correct his irregular heart beat and strengthen his arteries. This "new equipment" will have a built-in defibulator and wires that wrap around his arteries that will electrically stimulate them to aid in pumping blood when needed. He has had issues for many years and this will definately aid in increasing his quality and comfort of life. My grandma, Katie, is also dealing with an irregular heart beat and is on medication and goes for regular checkups. I just ask that you keep them both in your thoughts and prayers as they work diligently towards improving their health. I hope with your thoughts and prayers, his stength, and God's will, my grandpa remains calm during his surgery and positive during his recovery. I know the same will help my grandma with her heart and give her strength to aid grandpa in his recovery. Thank you all for keeping them in your mind and heart and thinking of your loved ones in times of need and the power of prayer.

One year already? Feels like a few months!

Hey there friends and family! It's Chris here actually dropping a message to you all. Meg and I had a great weekend dogsitting with Jake the 13 month, 90lb Chocolate lab (he is very fit and just big). He hops around all the time like a little guy. Playing with Jake is really giving Meg the itch for a dog. I guess it is better than a baby itch and it will put the new couch itch on the back burner.
We woke early on Saturday (6:30am!) so Meg could finish studying for her Colorado Certification Exam. When she was off to ace the test, I took Jake for a walk, got flowers for my better half, and washed Donna Dakota squeaky clean. When Meg got back from taking the test, she was really confident because she randomly received the same version as last time. With all that work, we were both glad to take a nap. The dinner on Saturday was great! We went to a fondu reasturant called The Melting Pot. It was a slow-paced, flavorful, romantic dinner with great company (my beautiful wife of one year). I'll spare you the dinner details as Meg is much better with words on this blog thing.
On Sunday we took Jake on a long walk towards Blockbuster so we could finally watch the last episode of "24" -2nd Season. We can thank Kamran and Nicole for getting hooked onto "What will Jack Bower do next?" As we got closer to Colfax, a few blocks south, we saw a large gathering and remembered it was the Denver Gay Pride Parade was taking place. It was quite the site and we were glad to celebrate diversity. We saw lots of shirtless, cross-dressing men dancing to lively music. One of the most outragous outfits was a man dressed in only leather chaps and a pink banana hammock with black lether biker hat. The really funny thing was that he was about 5'9" and 125 lbs - and that was soaking wet. We also saw a man dressed in a pink dress on the back of a convertible, with a pink boa. While this was not an unusual site, the boa continue behind him for another 50' off each sholder and was carried by about 15 helpers. Definitely larger than the pink boa I had to wear at the bar for my bachelor party, thanks Shane (a whole other story no one will ever hear).
Well it was fun sharing and I hope everyone is doing well. I look forward to reading your comments.

Big Weekend

Hey Everyone!

Well, we have a huge weekend coming up...anniversary dinner, certification exam AND we are going to dogsit! Yay! Our new friends, Matt and Stacey are going to be out of town for the weekend and so we offered to take care of Jake, their 13-month-old brown lab. He is adorable and really friendly. Anyway, we are really excited about all that is going to go on over the next few days and we will surely let you know how it all turns out.

Happy Friday and enjoy the two-day vacation we call a weekend!

P.S. Happy 11th Anniversary to Mom and Brian tomorrow! We love you!

The Dreaded Ma'am

Ever have just "one of those days"? Well, today was a definite banner day for me! It started by hitting the snooze button SIX too many times so that I had just enough time to throw on a hat, some jeans and a t-shirt and run across the street to Fluid. And so, the morning routine began with the brewing of coffee, the distribution of papers, and setting up of the pastery case. It looked like things were going to be okay despite the rough start. That is, until...

(1) Three customers showed up before we were actually ready to be open throwing off the rest of our opening procedure
(2) I managed to explode an entire canister of milk as I was frothing it for a latte
(3) I slipped behind the counter and almost landed flat on my derriere
(4) In a rush to complete a series of orders, I knocked over a blender filled with mocha chiller smoothie and it spilled all over the counter, refrigerator door, and floor. Cool.

and a whopping finish to my time at Fluid...

(5) I got addressed as ma'am!! Not once, but 3 TIMES!!!!! I was seriously in shock. Ma'am?????? I'm 24!!!!!!!


Argh. Good thing each day is a new day. Don't forget to root for the Pistons tonight!

New Faces

One thing that I have found through the last few years is that teachers tend to be able to psychicly find one another. How this happens, I have no idea. In our few weeks here in Denver for instance, I have already met over 15 different teachers! There are two new faces in our neighborhood that are special though...

Just last week, Chris and I became friends with a great new couple from Ohio. Stacey is a high school Social Studies teacher and her husband Matt is an accountant. It has been great getting to know them, as they moved out here under very similar circumstances. What I truly appreciate is having someone to discuss "teacher stuff" with! Extremely passionate teachers are rare. When we find one another, we stick to each other like glue! Upon getting to know Stacey, we have had several amazing discussions about kids, classrooms, planning, strengths, weaknesses, and of course the teacher attire. (Let's be honest, the real challenge of a teacher these days is what to wear without sacrificing one's sense of style!) :) Anyway, it is nice to have someone out here to bounce ideas off of (as I haven't started working with my own staff yet) and get excited about the upcoming school year.

In other news...

Chris continues to rock the world of construction as he puts in long hours and dedication into his new job. He is now working on-site in a city about an hour away from Denver. He seems to not mind the drive and loves being on a "site schedule" of 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. I am so proud of how hard he is working and getting to know all his new coworkers. He rocks!

I recently found out that I missed passing my Colorado certification exam by 6 QUESTIONS!!!!! I was pretty upset, but realized that I only needed to get two more questions correct in 3 of the 4 sections to get a passing score. Chris has been the hugest supporter and has been so great with helping me study and remain calm. He best put it into perspective when he said, "Meg, you had like 1 week to prepare last time and you only missed by 6 questions. This time you have so much more time, practice with the test, and materials to prepare with. It's in the bag." He is so sweet and I'm incredibly lucky to have such a supporter. So the big test is this Saturday at 1 p.m. I could really use your thoughts and prayers (again) and I will surely keep you updated on how it all goes.

Chris and I are also getting ready to celebrate our 1st anniversary on Sunday! It is hard to believe that one year has already gone by in wedded bliss!! We are going to go out to this cool restaurant called The Melting Pot, which serves all fondu food. I am really excited!

Well, it's dinnertime and the tummy is grumbling. Off to dine with the hubby...

Our First Hiking Trip!

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Originally uploaded by mege18.

This is a shot of the Flatirons. There are three - we hiked the one in the middle. Check our our pictures and then the post about our visit with Marissa and Brian!

The Hikers

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Originally uploaded by mege18.

Chris, Brian, Marissa and I just after we started up the mountain. It was a beautiful day and even better company! :)

Being Me

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Originally uploaded by mege18.