Archive for November, 2008

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Puerto Rico Trip Itinerary

Sunday, November 9th, 2008

We are going to Puerto Rico for a little over two weeks. We bought our tickets on Expedia. We leave January 28 in the morning and arrive in Puerto Rico about 12 hours later-in Puerto Rican time. Puerto Rico doesn’t observe Daylight Saving Time so the time difference between Colorado and Puerto Rico is larger during the winter with a three hour difference. We will be returning on February 12 and on that return trip we will be going back in time, so it will only take us 5 hours in local time. I am not sure what all will be going on in Puerto Rico during that time (festivals and such), but we have a few things we need to take care of including (not in any order):


The last time Britton and I were there together Aug 2005

1) Find rental car on the cheap (or other mode of transportation)
2) Go Snorkeling
3) Go salsa dancing
4) Visit the bank we are working with to buy property
5) Vist the Dept of Natural Resources to see how things are going with title/easement
6) Visit Carlos, the lawyer
7) Learn about growing the various crops
-8) Visit a couple of farmers’ markets (where are these? I’ve heard there is one in San Sebastian and Rincon)
9) Walk the property
10) Research possible electricity generators -microhydro- and how that would work
11) Determine hot water and water pressure situation
12) Try surfing for first time?
13) Make pasteles and deliver them with Awilda, the current owner
14) Visit bioilluminescence bay -Bio Bay- in either Paguera or Vieques early in trip since full moon will be there at end of trip
15) Go swimming

And probably many other things that we can’t foresee.


Hibiscus in PR

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Posted in Fun, Moving, Puerto Rico | 4 Comments »

History in the making

Thursday, November 6th, 2008

We have all been witness to history. No matter what your political leanings, it is a moment to stop and reflect on where we have been and where we are now. Every so often we get moments like this where it makes you realize that this is a special time, an instance, a turning point in history, like the flash of a camera.


We are just floating along out there in a big, black sky making Human Earth History

Unfortunately, usually these types of events occur after huge tragedies. In my lifetime the world news events that have stood out in my mind have been: 1)The Challenger Explosion when I was about 6 years old. 2) >Berlin Wall coming down when I was about 9 years old. 3) Witnessing the US declare war in the Middle East the first time when I was about 11. 4) 9/11 when I was 21 and another war in the Middle East. (Others include the news of AIDS, South Africa Apartheid, the Asian Tsunami and various hurricanes, tornados and other natural disasters.) Of those, only the Berlin Wall and Nelson Mandela represented progress. I am happy to say that I have witnessed another great moment in time in both senses of the word on Tuesday and that Colorado was a part of it.
For a breakdown of how the country voted, I found this link really useful:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27339545
It even breaks it down by county data.

Also, I heard that Puerto Rico had a pretty historic gubernatorial race as well, electing Fortuno to office. I really don’t know what that means to us, but we’ll have to call Awilda and see what she thinks of it.

In the end, we are all just floating around out there on this lonely little planet trying to make sense of it all for the short while that we are here on it. Let’s enjoy it while we can and try to make it a better place for those who come after us. That’s what we’re trying to do anyway: In peace, a Life TransPlanet.

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Posted in Colorado Daily Life, politics, Puerto Rico, Rants and Raves | Comments Closed

Basement Before and After Pics

Tuesday, November 4th, 2008

A little over a year ago we finished our basement. We had originally hoped that Kosei, our Japanese exchange student would have been able to stay down there, but the time schedule for construction is always underestimated. Britton and I have had various people stay with us since then in the basement bedroom, and since the last roommate just moved out, it made me think about all the work and money we put into it. It was definitely worth it, but it’s good to look back and remember.

Also, some people still haven’t seen it since it was finished (including Kosei, this one’s for you :-) !) We are planning on renting out this house when we move to Puerto Rico, but we are enjoying it while we are here. Also, maybe this will be motivation for Britton to finish the rental house basement *hint, hint*

 
At a concert with Kosei


Before


Fireplace Area After


Bathroom Before


Bathroom After


Downstairs Bedroom and Closet Before


Bedroom After


Looking from the Vents Toward the Utility Room Before


Slightly Different angle, soffets cover vents, looking from wetbar


Wetbar area, this is the same view to the bathroom behind it covered with drywall (4th picture)


Living Area- Where we watch movies, PBS and Britton plays video games :-)

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Posted in Colorado Daily Life, Friends and Family, Fun, Work | 2 Comments »

Friends, Fun and Contra Dancing

Sunday, November 2nd, 2008

Saturday was a fun day and night. Britton found out one of his long-time high school friends was going to be driving through Colorado from Texas and wanted to hang out. Shana asked me if I wanted to go Contra Dancing, which I had never even heard of before she told me about it, and so since Britton had company, I went with her. It was SO much fun. You get a little dizzy with all the twirling, spinning, swinging and so on, but it was awesome. I was sweating and laughing the whole time.

Contra is hard to describe. It is kind of like square dancing, except it is done in a long line and to what kind of sounds like Celtic music. It’s a little like those old Elizabethian movies where they move between each other and switch partners except people weren’t all that dressed up. There were way more women than men, so I think if Britton ever went with me, he’d be a hot commodity.

Cassie, Sunset and Chicken

Cassie, Sunset and Chicken

 Hangin’ w/ the Black Chicken before we left


Getting Ready to Join back in to the line going the other way


Some of the girls from work who went: Pam, Me, Kathy, Shana


All the Swinging to one side left my right hip sore

After Contra, Shana dropped me off at home but Britton and Sean weren’t there, so we (Shana and I) decided to go meet them at the bar. We hung out there and talked for a while-till about 2 in the morning, but then the time fell back because of Daylight Saving and it was only 1:30am when we got home. :-) It was a fun day.

 
Later that evening with Sean, Britton, Shana and me

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Posted in Autumn, Colorado Daily Life, Friends and Family, Fun | Comments Closed

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