Halloween week...

This is always a strange week of the year for me, at least the last 4 years have been... I just have a much different game plan or approach to Halloween relative to past years. There, but for the grace of god, go I.

This has been an eventful week full of ups and downs. Avs game was good, high scoring but no good hockey fight action, still a good game. Tuesday I had a bout of insomnia that in hindsight I think was a result of late night coffee and icecream and stress related to emotions, academics and extracurriculars. Really kind of scary because I don't like long nights like I did in my undergrad years. Wednesday I had the pleasure of sharing my story with some gentlemen at a half way house. They were too nice to have me and very appreciative. I had heard of this house for a long time, but had never made time to visit... so it was awesome to put a visual to a place I have heard so much good about. Friday I made some time to visit campus in the evening to celebrate with the Muslim Student Association the end of Ramadan and have a Eid Dinner. They had a academic speaker that I think failed to recognize his audience (one of the most diverse and educated rooms in US at that moment I am sure) hence his talk was a little off target. Still the food was great. We had an asortment of meats, falafil, humus, pita bread and wonderful company. Saturday, Ben and Leslie had their 4th annual Halloween party and it was great to see the children all dressed up in there outfits. The childless adults used it as a warm up to some bar hopping but I wasn't really in the mood for that so I called it an evening by 9:30. That evening I got some great rest only to wake up with a spare hour.

Today I went to hang with the folks in the O&G industry before the Broncos game. Halliburton sponsored and held its annual tail gate event at Mile High Station and served up some awesome elk, pheasant and etoufe. And finally, here I sit typing. Off to bed for me, thanks for checking in.

Best,
Joe

Avs Game Tonight

So, been a while and things are pretty much status quo here. I had a very relaxing weekend with a wonderful dinner at my Lebanese friend's house with about 20 friends on Saturday evening. I took the most awesome nap yesterday while watching some football. Caught a little of the world series, which is really cramping my Simpsons watching. I woke up with a hell of back spasm this morning, but its gone since I worked out.

Somethings on the horizon I look forward to are:
Avs game tonight.
Speaking at a half way house on Wednesday (no I am not an alum)
I have arranged for the Warren Miller ski movie to be shown at school in November.
Also arranged for student discount at the Denver Botanical Gardens Blossom of Lights event over the holidays.
3 test in the next week and half (sacastic YES!).
Researching a paper on Gas in the Rockies, more of a market analysis.


Still trying to convince someone to go with me to the Corn Maze and the Denver Arboretum (I must have spelled that wrong). And life is sweet. Hope everyone reading can relate and let me know what your are up to.

Best,
Joe

Christmas Itinerary - DEN>NYC>LOU>CHI>DEN

I booked my Christmas/Birthday Travel. Really excited for the 3 cities I will be in New York City for my birthday and Chicago right after X-Mas. I have no set plans or places to stay yet in NYC or Chicago so let me know if you want to hang or have a place to stay. See below.

Sat, Dec 16, 2006
Departs 9:47am, Arrives 5:10pm
Denver, CO to New York, NY

Tue, Dec 19, 2006
Departs 8:50am, Arrives 11:25am
United Airlines 3693
New York, NY to Louisville, KY

Tue, Dec 26, 2006
Departs 6:35pm, Arrives 6:55pm
United Airlines 7825
Louisville, KY to Chicago, IL

Thu, Dec 28, 2006
Departs 10:10pm, Arrives 11:40pm
Chicago, IL to Denver, CO

Hope everyone has some cool plans.

I am also looking for someone to go to Jackson with around the New Year or early January. Probably going to drive from Denver up there.

Rocky Mountain National Park

These are some pics from my drive up to Rocky Mountain National Park this weekend. Estes Park which is at the entrance to the park is a Rocky Mountain Shangri-La. I can't believe it took me 6 years to tak ehte time to drive up there. The leaves on teh trees had already begun to fall but there were still some brilliant colors on the hill side. Below is a shot of a Pasture where we found at least 200 elk watering and bugeling (sp?). You mau be able to pic out some of the elk near the water. It reminded me of a trip my mother and I took up to Jackson, WY last year about this time.
The below shot is take from Trail Rigdge Road just past Rainbow Corner which is usually the ternimus of th eroad for the winter season. This shot was taken facing south. It is hard to put this in perspective, but if you can imagine the trees below being a 200 foot tall stand of lodgepole pines, maybe that will help. Its very scenic up there to say the least. Funny thing is that it is less than 2 hours from Denver nestled in a nook of the Front Range, just north of Denver.

Weather partly cloudy, high clouds, about 50 at the top with a stiff breeze that makes you eyes water. But is you get out hte wind it is so comfortable. I guess fall has set in and winter is fast approaching. One of the things I have noticed since I am now in Denver more that I have been over the past 3 years is that the (jeez i have been living in Denver for 6 years now, whoa) is that is more moist here that I thought. Maybe thats because I have spent majority of that travel time on the western slope which tends to be drier, more harsh.

I hope this finds everyone ok, happy, content and blest with some health. I am getting over a chest cold... Just not very good at being sick. But hopefully this will leave be invicable ove the winter. Ciao!