An Unsettling Glance

Tomorrow looks to be a VERY busy day at work, so I decided tonight that I'd go get my workout for tomorrow done this evening in order to free up some time after what promises to be a very long day tomorrow. I went to 24 Hour, got my workout done and was on my way out when, unsuspectingly, I decided to glance over at the treadmills and see if I recoginzed anybody. Little did I know what eye-burning vision would lay before me.

Now, before going any further, I should provide a little history. As many of you have probably heard me talk about, when I first moved to the area I joined the 24 Hour Fitness in Highlands Ranch because it was literally on my way to and from work. Soon after joining, a mysterious "fellow" started showing up, prancing to and fro (most notably in the locker room). Now I had certainly seen my fair share of...feminine...men before (I did go to KU after all), but this may have been my first in-person encounter with a (s)he. You guessed correctly...it was a crossdresser. Ok, so, that's one thing if it's your life style, but come on - is it really necessary to gallop around the men's locker room neked, proudly displaying what you were given honestly - regardless of the fact you'd rather be an innie than an outtie? Needless to say, I was scarred.

Well, spring came and I took a new job in another part of town. With that I also started a new gym. I'll be damned if Sally Struts-his-stuff didn't start showing up at that one as well. Keep in mind, however, that the "new" gym was in Aurora and they aren't quite as "sophisticated" as the Highlands Ranch yuppies. (S)he didn't wasn't there long and haven't seen him/her in quite some time.

Finally, this brings us back to today's most unsettling events (it's almost over, I promise). SO, while leaving the gym, rather than focusing straight ahead and minding my own damn business, I peered towards the treadmills...figured out who I saw yet (if not then you probably should have stopped reading a long time ago!)? Yep, it was him/her! The scary thing, however - as if a 6'4" man in a skirt and high heels isn't scary enough - was that (s)he is now DANGEROUSLY close to being only a she, at least as far as the wandering eye can tell and that is PLENTY good for me! It seems that it wasn't run off by the Aurora friendlies, it was simply saving its money to move some things here, snip a little there...you get the idea. There was no doubt that the transformation has commenced! AHHHHHH!

So yeah, that's my long and drawn out story about a he with aspirations of becoming a she who has made his/her dreams a reality!

Moral of the story: when leaving the gym, put your head down and leave immediately. You may not have the luxury of your everyday tranny, but there's always a grandpa in spandex who just might offer up a little more than you're ready for.

The Da Vinci Code

I finally got around to finishing the Da Vinci Code last night. I have to admit, after reading Angels & Demons first, I was a little disappointed. It was good, but I think the ending was somewhat of a let down compared to the first book. It was the first Dan Brown book I've finished and was left...wanting more. For anyone who hasn't read them, I'd still definitely recommend both. However, I'll stick with Angels & Demons as my personal preference.

For what it's worth, the Da Vinci Code is coming to the big screen in May. I found a decent trailer online and if you haven't read it, don't worry, it won't give anything away (unless you know what you're looking for!). If you have read it, what do you think about Tom Hanks playing Robert Langdon? I'm not sure he is how I had Robert portrayed in my mind. Nevertheless, I'm excited about the movie, although I'm convinced it will be like most books-turned-film and will deviate from the book just enough to aggravate me.

It's Official

There's no backing out now! Our engagement announcement made the paper this weekend, although the picture looked MUCH better in person - the scan is not that appealing so don't be scared!

You'll have to scroll down a little bit, but the link is here.

Dang!

I hate Kobe, but wow! Link is here.

Skiing, Pt. 2

We made it home from our trip to Copper Mountain! We're both a little (a lot) sore, but nothing some rest won't heal. Overall it was really a wonderful weekend. The weather was perfect (albeit a little cold), we had some pretty good instructors in Beth and Ben, and we had a great time in the process. The best part, however, was the lack of people. Because the Broncos were playing (choking) in the AFC Championship on Sunday, a TON of people left early to go watch the game. Saturday was fairly busy, however we didn't wait in a lift line longer than about five minutes all weekend. In fact, there were times on Sunday when we headed down without seeing more than a few people the entire way.

We found some time to take a few pictures. They aren't the best but they'll have to do. I wish I would have had the opportunity to get a couple of Laura heading down. Talk about improvement! She started from scratch on Saturday morning...literally. She didn't know how to put on skiis, let alone get off a lift, slow down, turn, etc. By the end of the first day she was taking turns like a champ!

Pictures are here. Enjoy!

Skiing

I think I have finally made it out of my life slump after the consecutive losses to KSU and Mizzou. So, Laura and I (along with Ben and Beth) are heading to Copper Mountain this weekend to try our hand at skiing. This will be our first attempt (literally) so all I really hope is 1.) we have fun and 2.) we come home injury-free...and yes, if you're wondering, I would consider taking an injury in the spirit of item #1! I'l do my best to get some pics but no promises!

Be back Sunday...

That hurts

Losing to K-state was bearable...pretty awful, but still bearable.

Losinig to Mizzou, however...that's a kick in the ying yang. What a horrible last two games.

A Hiker's Tales

Found this while searching for a place to hike today. It's more or less a journal of hiking "adventures" from, well, some guy. Some of the stories are interesting, particularly if you enjoy the hiking scene. I especially enjoyed the one about Long's Peak, one of the most recognized (and difficult) peaks in the Rockies. Enjoy!

Glory Road

Went to see Glory Road last night with Laura. It was GREAT...great, great, great. Definitely recommended.

He Kicked Him

This is really funny.

Thank you, google videos.

Rock Chalk

Went to Boulder tonight to see the hawks play Colorado with JE, Ben & C-Ray. I even ran into a couple people I went to school with (which was sort of strange). Anyways, was a great game. Things were slow at first but the hawks pulled away at the end (if winning by < 10 counts as pulling away) and notched their first victory in conference play. Now if we can only beat those damned wildcats this weekend...

Wedding-palooza

So many decisions...we spent the weekend (almost literally) registering at a couple stores yesterday and today. I had pretty high expectations about this whole process, thinking it was going to be "fun". I hate admitting I'm wrong, but seriously, how much fun can it be when you choose your stuff that you'll have for the rest of your life (or at least the next several years) in only a weekend? At least it's out of the way and we can do the rest of it online if need be.

This week's wedding activities: choose our wedding night locale, get dates/times set for wedding showers (zzzZZZzzzZZZ) and, most importantly, start laying a foundation for (what will come to be known as) my world-renowned bachelor party.

I wish I was...

outside. It's almost 68 degrees in January and I'm stuck in here - what I wouldn't give to be on a mountain today. Alas, it ain't happenin' today. Laura hurt her back at work yesterday and my legs are still hurting horribly from a workout I did on Tuesday with a trainer at 24 Hour (they gave me some free ones so I took advantage). Maybe tomorrow...

Year in Review

2006...where did 2005 go? I think I say that every year but wow, this one was something else. For starters...moved to a new city 600 miles away, started a new job, got engaged, took up this silly blogging business, watched Laura graduate from college, started another new job, drove back and forth from Kansas more than any person should in a lifetime, moved in with a girl, became a referee rather than a player, answered "no" roughly 100 times when asked if I had become a Broncos fan, watched the Delt house nearly get shut down, moved in with another girl, worked nearly the entire month of October (literally almost every single day), decided I enjoyed reading, had a girl move out on me, watched a number of friends get married, move into their first homes, or start families, realized just how many clothes (i.e. shoes) one wee little person can have, realized that one closet "just isn't enough", and, here and there, even found time to make some new friends and have a little fun. It certainly was a year to remember. Here's to 2006...