From our family to yours ...

Thank you to everyone who sent his or her seasonal tidings, photos and updates. Our mantel runneth over!

A very Merry Christmas!

May the joy of the season stay with you throughout the New Year, and may 2009 bring you much health, happiness, success and wealth.

With much love,
Regan and Andy

Welcome to our well-decorated home. We're crazy, but fun.

An off-color laugh

Given how everything is going with the economy, I found this hilarious!

Thanks to my father, Larry Foster, for sending this along.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

When a strange wind blows ...

I lived in Chicago, I'm used to wind.

Even though Chi-Town took its "Windy City" moniker from eastern legislators who were annoyed by Chicago politicians' boasting in favor of the 1892 World's Fair, there's no end to the gale forces that blow down Michigan Avenue.

Still, I have never felt wind like that blowing across Colorado Springs tonight. At 2:55 p.m., the National Weather Service recorded wind speeds at 47 miles per hour. It's about double that at 9:15. When I took Jack outside, the zephyr hit me across the chest while I was walking. At one point, it actually pushed me backward. My 85 pound dog physically couldn't move; and when I got back into the apartment, I was actually able to see the fan shaking.

In short, it's unbelievable.

What really strikes me as strange about this gale-force wind is something I can't quite figure out. I don't know if it's the mineral content in the Colorado soil or the totally dry snow blowing off of Pikes Peak, but the wind smells metallic - almost like aluminum. It leaves the same taste in the back of your throat, the same sensation you get when you bite your tongue to bleeding. The wind also sounds like a high-pitched cry; a child's wail or a wounded animal.


All of which makes it even nicer that as I write this, I'm snuggled to my husband and pets under a pair of cozy blankets.

As the song says: Baby, it's cold outside.

Waiting for Santa Claus ...

True story: I got home from work the other day and this is what greeted me. For obvious reasons, I call this picture "Waiting for Santa."

If you'll please indulge me, it got me to thinking of what Andy and my "kids" would write, if they could write letters to Santa Claus.

This is what I came up with.



Dear Santa,

This year for Christmas, please bring me a plush duck with a squeaker, a new tennis ball and a rawhide bone. I have been a very good boy this year. At least I think I've been a good boy. Now I'm not so sure. I've been a good boy, right? Oh, please Santa, tell me I've been a good boy. Please, please, puh-LEEZE say I've been good!!!!!

Love,
Jack

Dear Santa,

You WILL bring me a can of tuna and catnip. End of story.

Sincerely,
Boo-Boo.

Dear Santa,

Play? PLAY!!!!!! Play, play, play, play, play, play, play, play. Fall over. Sleep.
-T

If only in my dreams ...

My family is big on tradition around Christmas time.

One of our favorites is the Christmas Eve dinner. Each year, my mother would spend Christmas Eve day in the kitchen: roasting a goose, baking bread, boiling red cabbage, making a seven-ingredient salad (apparently lore says seven ingredients are lucky) and homemade ice cream pie. Dad would spend the day hunting with the boys and then make escargot.

Kinda explains why I love to cook, huh?

Anyway, the feast was a standard for my family. We would top it off with fine wine, coffee and family presents Christmas Eve. Then fall asleep and fart our way into Christmas morning.

Today I was at the grocery store, checking out the exorbitant price of goose and feeling nostalgic. While I was doing that, the store musack decided to play Mariah Cary's version of "I'll be Home for Christmas." For the first time, it made me homesick for Iowa.

We're not making it to either Iowa or Illinois this year, so we're coming up with traditions on our own.

That said, in honor of home, I'm re-establishing a long-gone blog specialty: A recipe. One of my mother's specialities, as a matter of fact, and a favorite taste of the holidays for both Andy and me.

Incidentally, when my brother Kelsey was flying over Iraq, these were the only things he wanted sent. They all melted together, but the Navy boys didn't seem to mind.

White bark Christmas Cookies a la Sherry Foster

Ingredients:
* 2 pounds of white candy bark
* 2 C peanuts
* 2 C slivered almonds
* 2 C rice crispies
* 2 C miniature marshmallows.

Directions:
1) Melt bark in a double boiler over high heat.
Note: If you don't have a double boiler, put about 2 inches of water into a sauce pan and set it on the stove on high. Put the bark in a second sauce pan - slightly smaller than the first - and put it on top of the larger pan with the water. This will create the same effect.
2) Mix the melted bark, peanuts, almonds, rice crispies and marshmallows togethere in a large bowl.
3) Drop the mixture in roughly walnut-sized balls onto a greased cookie sheet.
4) Allow to sit up until firm.
5) That's it! Enjoy!

Oh, Christmas Tree!

Andy and I had a cool opportunity today.

We were invited to his boss's house for a Christmas tree cutting festival. It's something of a tradition for some of the dealership: He invites a select group out to his spectacular property for a bonfire, cider, ice skating and cut-your-own Christmas trees. After the harvest, we all retired to the house for appetizers, drinks and camaraderie.

Andy and I have a fake tree - in part a nod to my inner tree-hugger and in part a fact of life when you lived in Chicago and didn't exactly have a surplus of cut-your-own trees - so we just harvested limbs leftover after trees were cut down. I plan to fill an outdoor planter with the greenery and possibly make a wreath from the leftovers for the boss's wife. I liked her a lot!

Anyway, unfortunately I didn't remember to take the camera out of the car, so I don't have any photos to post right now. I did, however, take some really cool pictures of the boss and his daughter whacking away at their tree on the boss's camera. Hopefully, he'll email some to us, including the shot he got of Andy and me in front of a gigantic Aspen scarred by mountain lions!

(A nod to Justin, Kristy, Sandy and all my photographic friends: I got the pictures from between the branches on the odd side as the boss was looking over his daughter's shoulder. She was wielding Andy's small hatchet. So, in short, I was in the way of where the tree fell, but got a really cool series of shots. Just as though I learned something from the talented photojournalists with whom I have worked.)

In short, it was an awesome day and we had a great time rubbing elbows with the elite of Mercedes-Benz of Colorado Springs. Cool to be in the inner circle and *hopefully* good for Andy's career.

If nothing else, I got to hum "Oh, Christmas Tree" and Joanie Mitchell's "River," while meeting a bunch of cool people.

What's your holiday tradition?

Bright lights, small(ish) city ...

A lovely, well-lighted lane at the resort's West Entrance. The capitalization is theirs, not mine.

As of the 2007 census estimates, 376,427 people call Colorado Springs proper home. Not exactly a massive metroplex, but, as Andy puts it, "Not exactly small," either.

So suffice it to say that Colorado Springs is a lovely mid-sized town. Small enough to feel quaint while still being large enough to have its share of growing pains.

And it's own five-star resort.

The resort is called the Broadmoor. If you're not familiar with it, the Broadmoor is toted as being the longest-running five-star in the country. It spans 3,000 acres on the city's western side, part of it abuts Cheyenne Mountain. According to it's Web site, the resort features: "an award-winning spa; fitness center; two swimming pools; three outdoor hot tubs; ... six tennis courts with camps run by hall-of-fame member Dennis Ralston; children's programs; 24-hour room service; and 25 specialty retail shops." Every year the resort plays host to a USPGA Senior Open tournament on its three 18-hole golf courses.

In short, pretty nice digs.

This tree was amazing! Just one of hundreds that the Broadmoor landscapers caked in tiny white lights. Too bad the photographer (me) couldn't do it justice.

As it turns out, every Christmas they do something called "White Christmas." This is a fund-raiser for the American Cancer Society of Southern Colorado as well as a really cool opportunity for them to drape their sprawling grounds in white holiday lights and play host to the city. It took more than 250,000 strands of lights to create the desired effect this year. You read that right: Strands. Not lights themselves. Doubtless there are millions of white twinkle lights sucking down power every night on this incredible display, but the folks at the hotel obviously can afford it.

Anyway, Andy and I went to check it out under the new blanket of snow. The effect, as you can see, is stunning.

Another gorgeous, tree-lined lane. The cool thing about White Christmas is, the grounds are usually off limits. During the holidays, however, they're open to whomever wants to stroll and enjoy their quarter-million-plus strands of lights.

Winter wonderland!

The winter wonderland that is our dog run. Two yearling mule deer bucks have set up housekeeping at the bottom of the hill.

It's snowing in Colorado!

I know, I know. Big surprise, right?

Snow-shrouded evergreens sure are beautiful. And just in time (to melt!) for Christmas.

Now, normally I would not be so excited about a real snow, but this year is not normal. Here's the deal: We got dumped on (for the Springs, that is) on Sunday. A full, fluffy six inches of heavy, wet snow fell on the city. It basically created a gigantic catastrophe for the community, since no one here knows how to drive in snow. But we made it through with no fatalities, per se, and lots of cars in the ditch.

Here's why I think this snow was great. It was all gone by Tuesday! No joke, this is what winters are like in what is essentially a high-elevation desert zone: Heavy snow and cold weather one day ... 60 degrees two days later.

Andy once again demonstrates his photographic prowess with this detail shot of snow on an evergreen branch.

So, it's snowing again today. Unless it clears off by this afternoon, that probably means lots of trouble for me doing my traffic reporting but I don't care.

'Tis nobler, in my mind, to take a cue from Jack and just embrace it. Since it'll only last a few days, I say "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!"

Our Alaska-born baby frolics in his natural environment. This is the image of pure joy!

28 and holding

I turned 29 yesterday.

I'm not searching for any sort of birthday wishes or anything, just saying. My Dad asked me how it felt to hit the final year of my 20s and my response: "not much taller."

So, yes, I've officially been on this planet, taking up my small portion of space, for 10,585 days and about 8 hours.

I've never been one to worry about aging: I consider it better than the alternative, and I'm fortunate to have really good genetics when it comes to longevity. Still, there's something kinda creepy about the fact that one year from today, I'll be 30. The good news is Andy got to forge that path first.

Screw it, I'm 28 and holding, and holding, and holding.

Rocky Mountain ghost hunting

Andy and I went ghost hunting last week. It was an indescribable experience!

The main building on campus is a combination restaurant, ice cream shop, saloon, ball room and theater. It's also a former site of public executions and a winter storage spot for dead bodies. People have reported hearing gallows sweep open, seeing two children, a headless gunman and others. An American Indian man made a peace offering to the spirits there of tobacco and one spirit followed Andy while he was smoking his pipe. The night after I took this photo, three of my colleagues got a picture of a little girl staring in at them through a window. What you can't see in this photo are the lights that were on inside.

This shot was taken from the balcony of the Crystal Palace. It's looking down the central road and lighted for the Town of Terror. What you can't see is how difficult it was to get this photo: Something or some one kept messing with my camera! The video really shows the problems. Incredible!

There's this wild site about 60 miles from the Springs called Buckskin Joe Frontier Town and Railway. It's right next to the Royal Gorge in Canon City. Anyway, Joseph Higgenbottom was an industrialist and miner known for his eccentricity and the buckskin clothing he always wore. He struck gold in the1860s and a Colorado boom town popped up named, you guessed it, "Buckskin Joe." Like so many mining towns, it died once the gold rush wrapped up; and was more or less left for deserted.

This is a shot of the central road. Those translucent specks on the left hand side and top look like dust, but they're actually energy orbs.

This is the same scene 5 seconds later. Note the absence of specks, making me think those really were orbs.

About 60 years ago, some entrepreneurial spirit got the idea to buy up the old 1800s Wild West-type buildings from across the state and build a tourist destination near the Gorge. The final compilation was named for the illustrious Buckskin Joe and has been an attraction for tourists, residents and Hollywood-types alike ever since. (It's been the set for more than 20 films, including one of my father's faves, "Cat Baloo.")

This is the inside of Rosie's Saloon. It was about 10 degrees warmer in this site than it was outside, even though where I was shooting is open-air and you only go about 3 feet indoors. After getting this shot off my camera froze. I asked 'May I please take another picture' and was able to get off a second. Immediately thereafter, we heard something that sounded like a cough and a bang from inside. We checked in back for bears and cats but no animals there. My conclusion, we weren't welcome.

People flock there every summer for meals, shopping and gun shows. What they may or may not realize is when the different elements of the town were relocated, so were dozens of ghostly spirits who had attached themselves to the buildings.

The set of Conagher. Our tour guides Vicky and Paula tell me the piano will often play even when no one is inside. If you look closely, you can see four of the keys are depressed.

Buckskin Joes puts on an amazing haunted house every October with cast members, costumes and human ghouls working hard to quite literally (or so they say) scare the crap out of you. They're starting it Thursday, but Andy, my friend Coyote and I were able to get in ahead of time for a ghost tour. It's the perk of working for the radio network partnering with Buckskin Joe to spread the word.

This photo was taken on the far-side of their model mine. Andy was at the helm during the walk-through and said he felt like someone was waiting for him. When I passed the same place (I was at the rear of the group), I felt someone following me. Note there is a VERY strong orb just to the left of center. That may be who we felt.

We didn't see any specters, per se, but we got lots of photos of orbs, heard disembodied footsteps, felt temperature fluctuations of 10 or so degrees, got very strong sensations of being watched, and heard one very human-sounding cough followed by what sounded like a beer tankard being slammed on a bar. We also had some serious dissidence with the video camera where the image is super-choppy.

Even if I hadn't been a believer already, I would definitely be now. And I highly recommend taking such a trip whenever the opportunity arises.

Happy haunting ... err, hunting!

At long last ...

I finally got my foot back in the newspaper door, so to speak.

I was picked up last week to freelance at the local paper, the Colorado Springs Gazette. (www.gazette.com) The editor got me my first story on Wednesday of this week, a 25-incher on the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community in the Springs. It was due at noon today.

The verdict? Awesome! The story was delivered on time and as requested. My editor was very impressed with the final story and I guess the copy editors are in love with the fact that I include a CQ box in my copy. Nothing like fanatical attention to detail to warm the spirits of those around you.

Anyway, I have two new assignments, both due at the end of the month, to be working on. I'm hoping something else comes up that they need me on before that.

Nonetheless, yay!

Weekdays with Joanie

There's a lovely older woman in our apartment complex named Joanie. She's 88.

Joanie on her way to Cripple Creek ... for the first time in 40 years!

Joanie is a native of Jamaica who studied in England and who immigrated to the U.S. in her 20s. She still lives alone, walks to the super market with her rolling shopping bag at least twice a week and spends afternoons in the apartment office talking with her friends, who have become something more like family. Needless to say, she's a fascinating woman with great stories to tell.

Anyway, last Friday I happened to stop by the office at the same time Joan was there. I mentioned to my friend Eve how Andy and I went into the mountains for some leaf viewing and hiking to celebrate our anniversary.

Joan casually mentioned that it had been 40-plus years since she took Route 24 west towards the Peak, and how this time of year was always so lovely. It was a genuine surprise to her when I volunteered to drive her up to Cripple Creek on Monday.

Eve was able to join us.

It required four hours and a half tank of gas to take a magnificent woman back half her lifetime ago. While Joanie is healthy as a horse, who knows if the three of us would be in a position to repeat the road trip next October? It touched my heart to get a big hug from this tiny woman at the end of the day and thanks for giving her a "wonderful gift."

The thing is, it was just as much a gift for Eve and me. We got to hear a plethora of stories about life on the island, her marriage and how much things have changed. Our seniors are phenomenal people with rich and interesting stories to tell: I felt so lucky to be able to spend the time with her and make her smile.

If there's a senior citizen in your family, neighborhood or even apartment complex to whom you can reach out for four hours on a sunny afternoon, do it. Not only might it put a long-missing smile on their face, it will enrich your life, too.

When Mother Nature paints ....

... This is what you get. Autumn is unbelievable here. Enough said. Enjoy!

This is one of three tunnels you pass through on a picturesque 30 mile stretch of winding gravel road from the Springs to Victor. I consider it a porthole to some of the most gorgeous roadway ever.

Aspen glow indeed!

This is what I always imagined when I thought of Fall in the mountains.

I can't find words to describe this scene, other than "spectacular."

On a side note, even Jack enjoyed the fall colors ... never mind that he can't see color.

Or maybe all he was looking for was a good nap.

Love in a time of Colorado

Three years married on Oct. 1 and still so cute! Or, as the song goes, "Still crazy after all these years."

Andy and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary today! While the big day technically isn't until Wednesday, after seven years together and 1,192 days of marital bliss, it's safe to say we'll make it another three.

Anyway, we decided to celebrate by taking an excursion to the Florissant Fossil Beds, Cripple Creek and Victor. All told, we put 180 miles on the pickup taking a gorgeous day trip around Pike's Peak. It was a perfect mix of fun ... a 4 mile hike through Florissant and another 2 mile trip to our perennial favorite spot, Crag's Trail.

We also hit one of the casinos in Cripple Creek - hilariously named the Brass Ass. Andy'd never gambled before, so it was a first for him. Depending on how you look at it, we either came out 74 cents up or $1.80 down. We alotted $20 for gaming and left with $20.74; but as Andy deftly reminded me, we had to pay a $2.50 service fee to use the ATM! Too funny.

Anyway, here are some great photos from today. Enjoy: We had a great time taking them!

Find a tree, hug a tree. Damn hippies!

Would you like some fries with your homestead?

Yes, these are our initials; but I assure you we did not do the carving. I hug trees, remember?

We love each other like crazy. Almost as much as we love self-portraits!

A quiet moment at home

Autumn came early to the Front Range. It was like Memorial Day came, sunny and beautiful, and summer said "Kiss my butt farewell!" It started raining Sept. 2, got cold and cloudy, and has vacillated between frigid 45 and sunny 75 degree temps ever sense. Today was more toward the chilly end of the scale than the warm. It rained all day here in the Springs, the first snow of the season fell on the top of Pike's Peak and the sun very rarely peeked through the heavy cloud cover. Tonight is no exception: Cool and damp. It's the perfect night to curl up in front of a fire with a glass of wine, some good music and a warm, fuzzy friend on your lap. 

Clearly, Andy and the kids agree. I love this picture!

 A sleepy (and brief!) moment after dinner. Andy woke up right after I snapped this photo, and all hell broke loose once the Boo-Boo realized she was sharing a chair with that damn kitten. 

Which means tomorrow will be almost 80 degrees. 

Go figure. 

Tessa cam. For no reason other than that she's cute and snuggly ... and it's my blog. 

Patriot's Day

Today is Sept. 11, 2008 ... the 7th anniversary of the day a bunch of terrorist thugs hijacked four U.S. planes and crashed them into three pretty damn important buildings. The fourth plane went down in Pennsylvania after a group of patriotic civilians overthrew the hijackers to the last known utterance of one Todd Beamer: "Let's Roll." Thrice before in my journalistic career, I've had the chance to cover a commemoration of the event. This one was definitely the most poignant and meaningful. There are likely several reasons for this: For one, a retired lieutenant colonel from the Air Force explained what it was like to be in the Pentagon when American flight 77 struck its walls and shattered the foundation. It was only the second time in seven years he's been able to talk about it, and the first time publicly. It was an incredibly moving presentation. 

Photo 1 of three of a massive sand sculpture commissioned by the "Triple Crown of Cripple Creek" for Military Appreciation week. As you'll see in the other two photos, they honor the infantry and airborne divisions. On a snarky note, this sculpture - while breathtaking - is also proof positive that some people have WAY too much time on their hands. Nonetheless, pretty amazing. 

But more importantly, it really struck home to me how close we came to danger when I did a call-in to our station to report from the scene. It was during the morning talk show hosted by my very talented friend and colleague, Richard Randall. He was having people call in and tell him where they were when the planes crashed and the towers fell. After I wrapped up my 60 second news sounder, Richard asked me that same question. The answer ... I was in Chicago where I attended graduate school. As I sat on my futon staring aghast at the television, I got a call from my brother Kelsey. A lieutenant in the Navy, he somehow managed to get through to our older brother, Jason, who was working for a congressman at the time in Washington, D.C. Kels informed me Jason was safe and said "Get out of the city, whatever you do, get out. We think the Sears Tower is a target." 

I still get chills when I think about how vulnerable we all were that day. Hearing testimony from the soldiers who have been overseas, who have fought this war on behalf of civilians like me, and who have shed their blood to keep us free and to protect us all from tyranny and unnamed evil, I can only say "Let's roll." 

Where were you on 9.11.2001? If you feel like sharing, please ... use your first amendment rights and post away. 

All I ask is regardless of your political affiliation or thoughts on the war, don't forget that Democrat or Republican, blue or red, we are all Americans first. If you see a soldier, a firefighter, paramedic, police officer or any other uniformed may (with maybe the exception of the UPS guy) working to protect us, thank that person for all he or she does. You'll be amazed how far it goes to put a smile on his or her face. 

Let's roll.

Happy Labor Day!

It's Monday, Sept. 1: A day to celebrate one of the few generally beneficial accomplishments of the AFL-CIO by drinking beer, cooking outside and eating food on a stick.

HAPPY LABOR DAY, EVERYONE!!!

How are you all celebrating? We're going to an art fair in Manitou Springs then to a friend's house so we can show her how to work her grill. 

We hope you all have a lovely and safe holiday. Remember, if you're going out, to designate a driver; and enjoy summer's last hurrah. 

Lots of love,

Regan and Andy 

Dog details

Much to our surprise, Andy got a call from Animal Control late last week informing him that they found the owners of the two marauding dogs that attacked him last week. Turns out the dynamic duo are frequent fliers around the pound ... they've been to our complex several times raising hell and lunging at people. They hadn't gotten their teeth on someone before; however, two people were bit last Tuesday. 

The pit bull was euthanized Wednesday, after being shot with a 9 mm police-issued handgun in the face. Sounds like the bullet rattled around in his cheek but didn't kill him. Wow! The lab is likely to be impounded until someone can positively identify him. My guess is it will be the guy who he bit from next door. 

Anyway, the state is moving forward with legal charges against the owners. The officer we spoke with thinks it's a pretty open-and-shut case, especially since the off-duty detective said beyond a shadow of a doubt the pit was the same one he shot in the face. If the owners plea innocence, Andy will be subpoenaed to testify. 

We're just glad officials found the owners and are willing to hold them accountable for allowing two dangerous animals to run amuck. It's really a shame, because the pit was a beautiful dog and doubtless if the owners had just bothered to train, exercise and care for him, he could have had a wonderful life. 

Blame the deed, not the breed. 

Dog Watch: Day 1

Still no word on the demons masquerading as domesticated dogs who attacked Andy yesterday. I'm wondering if it's like any other crime: The clues you get in the first 48 hours are most key to solving it. We still remain hopeful, but my journalistic cynicism is really causing me to question whether the animals or their (ir)responsible owners will ever be found. 

On the upside, Jack and I spent two-and-a-half hours in a southern Springs community called Fountain today. My good friend Eve moved down there yesterday so I went after work to help her set up her new house. Jack went to play with his buddies Blue, Lucky and Ammo in a nice big yard! It wore both of us out, but in a good way. 

Whoa doggies!

We've had some canine marauders in the neighborhood over the last couple of days. Check out this blotter 

entry from the Colorado Spring P.D. (Please note I did not edit it):

An off-duty CSPD officer was on his way to work when two viciuos dogs attempted to attack him in a parking lot. One was a brindle colored pit-bull and the other was a black labrador retriever. Just prior to the attack, the dogs' aggressive behavior was diverted toward a woman and her child who walked into the area. The officer was able to direct the lady and her child away from the dogs and get the dogs to re-direct their attention back toward him. As the dogs then started to attack again, the officer drew and fired his pistol one time, striking the pit bull in the head. Both dogs ceased their attack and ran away. The Humane Society did respond. Neither animal had been located at the time of this entry, although the pit bull had been briefly spotted as the Humane Society initally rolled into the scene. Witness reports indicate that the two dogs had been observed acting aggressively since the prior evening. Owners of the dogs have not yet been identified or contacted. Andy met the bad-news duo around 7 a.m. while he was out walking Jack. He came in and woke me up with a warning to be very careful while out and about today because there were two mean dogs loose and upstairs in the neighboring hallway. On his way to work, he met up with the pair again - this time, fortunately, without the dog.  The mutts came up from behind him, snarling and lunging. The pit bull jumped at him and Andy countered by shoving his gigantic left forearm into the dog's mouth. He shouted at the dogs to "Get" and was swinging at the pit's head with his right hand when it let go and took off. Fortunately, his response was such that the dog didn't break the skin, but in this picture you can see the bite wounds.  Andy's arm and the four pink bumps from the pitt's mouth. Given the size of his forearm, the dog must have had the muzzle of a bear.  Following the biting incident, Andy came upon the same dogs squaring off against a pair of high school-aged kids walking their bicycles. He told the kids he'd just been bitten and to get on their bikes and peddle away, pronto. They wisely took his advice and no one else was injured.  Pretty scary stuff, but it could have been so much worse. We're thankful, in a grotesque sort of way, that the dog got his teeth on big, burly and alpha Andy. I shudder to think what it could have done to a small child or a less dominating personalty. Andy made an official report to animal control and agreed to press charges if and when the dogs are caught. The pit was last seen bleeding profusely and running in the field near our complex. The pair was still missing this afternoon, but  officials say they have an idea of some homes to check out. Our landlord also thinks she knows where they came from, and she's confident it's not our complex.  In the meantime, I'm still carrying a large titanium walking stick I can use as a club any time I walk my dog. I'll also keep you posted on what we find out.

Back in business

It's been an unnecessarily long period of time since I last posted to this blog, and I apologize for that. It's also been an unbelievably busy month. 

Andy and I flew back to Chicago last week for the Breast Cancer 3Day walk. It was an unbelievable event in which to participate: I walked 60 miles over the course of three days with three dear friends to raise money for the Susan G. Koman Foundation and National Philanthropic Trust. It's amazing how much your body can hurt, go numb, wring itself out and do it all over again. 

And I'm officially Franken-walker, now. 

But we're back now in the rainy state of Colorado.  We are enjoying our new friends, and had a great dinner party this weekend.  The grill Andy got for his birthday has been getting more and more use every week.  The made Spanish pork chops, grilled salmon, corn on the cob that was grilled too. ...  Very tasty corn that we brought back with us from Chicago.  Thanks Mom and Dad Peterson! :-)  The rain has not kept us inside this weekend, but it has brought snow to the caps of the mountains.  It is chilly, and we are wondering what has happened to the warm Colorado summer.

Nonetheless, it's good to be home and back to something of a normal schedule. As normal as it gets for us, anyway. (Case in point, I'm working a 3 to 11 a.m. shift tomorrow.)

So hang in there. We're getting guests in the form of Mom and Dad Foster this week, and have a full schedule planned out so there should be plenty to post. 

Hope everyone is well and know that the door is always open! (You just may make the blog if you stop by.) 

One awesome interview!

Hi, everyone!

Well, my interview at NIACo went incredibly well. I was the first candidate they spoke with, which I consider to be a good thing. I've always liked being either the first person or the last: If you're the last, you're the easiest remembered although the hiring managers will be fatigued. If you're first, you get to set the bar for all other applicants to meet - exactly what I did! 

I spoke with both the office manager and the senior editor for the corporation for about an hour, then took a 30-minute copy editing test. This is after showing up 15 minutes early and explaining to the women how I drove by the day before just to have an idea where I was going. They were quite impressed with that as well as with my initiative to research the corporation and their industry itself. I gave them updated copies of my resume and clips, as well as business cards from the Herald that, while dated, gives them a the Web sites for the NorthWest News Group properties.  That way if one or both of them wants to go review my other pieces (all 1,400-plus) on-line she may do so. 

I finished the whole shebang by getting my thank-you card to the hiring manager in the mail. I didn't have an address or business card for the senior editor, so alas, no thank you for her. This elicited a short debate between Andy and me last night. He thinks sending a note saying "thank you for interviewing me, I enjoyed meeting you and learning more about your company" is brown nosing. While that's probably true in a shop - where testosterone is king - I think it's good policy when applying in a more conservative, less crude environment. 

What do you all think? Please help settle this debate. 

Anyway, thank you again for all your prayers, lit candles and general wishes for good luck. Now I get to play the hurry up and wait game for the next few weeks while they make their decision. 

A living legend at Rock Ledge Ranch

Last weekend we had a very cool opportunity. The Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site, the area's wonderful living history ranch, conducted a free concert on its lawn. 

The man himself. Willie Houston stole the show with an unbelievable blues sound. Think B.B. King with a raspier voice and less name recognition.

This wasn't just some local country group that's trying to get off the ground: It was a living musical legend. It was Willie Houston and the Blues Prowlers. 

Willie Houston and the Blues Travelers

Willie is 82 years old. As they told us at the event, he was born in the Louisiana cotton country and steeped in southern folk and blues music. Eight decades later, the man can still wail! He played for probably two hours from a mobile trailer stage. His band was very good, as well, but Willie was really the star of the show. Think B.B. King with a raspier voice and less name recognition. If you get the chance to check out Willie, I guarantee that you won't be disappointed. (And no, that wasn't meant to sound dirty)

We met up with our new friends Travis and Ree and their cute 14-month-old son Sammy. They caught the tail end of the show before inviting us over for ice cream and gluten-free beers. 

Travis and Ree, some new friends of ours who just moved here from Massachusetts, joined us for the concert. 

All-in-all, I can think of no better way to spend a warm Saturday evening than watching the sun set over the mountains and listening to magnificent live music. The fact that we were doing so on the front lawn of an 1800s orchard home with a trio of new pals just sealed the deal for me.

Andy entertains Sammy while the sun sets behind them. It's important to introduce children to good music early.

Hangin' with the "in" crowd

My 10 year high school reunion was July 4. I didn't go. The reasons are plenty: It was too expensive; I was too new at my job; I just didn't give a damn. I really didn't like high school much, and I certainly keep in touch with the people from my graduating class whom I care about. In part, my complete and utter ambivalence kept me from being considered "popular" in the traditional sense. 

High school popularity, at least at Sioux City North High School between 1994 and 1998, is a ridiculous-but-complicated social structure based largely on your parents' income. I should have been a cheerleader, a tennis player, a member of the student council and one of the kids who spent her weeks planning school dances and weekends drinking booze in the corn fields. Instead, I chose to ride horses, travel across the country and participate in the school music, drama and honors programs. National Honor Society was considered an acceptable thing for the "cool" kids to involve themselves in; theater was border-line; and choir was a flat-out no. Unless you wanted to slack off for an hour a day. If you actually cared about the music, you were a "choir queer," just a step up from a "band geek." 

 

Andy claims to have been a shy kid in high school, although you'd never know it now. He says he kept mostly to his circle of friends, and he left a legacy in the Prospect High School theater department for his technical theater work. It's not every day that they create a senior award for you! But I can only imagine where this accomplishment - that I consider remarkably cool - would have ranked on the North High School cool-o-meter. 

So it strikes me as ironic that, now that we're all grown up, Andy and I are part of the "in" crowd! I had to laugh about that Saturday, after I got home from work. The apartment complex was hosting a resident appreciation pool party. I missed the entire thing but was pleased to see my husband represented our family with flying colors. When I arrived at the aftermath of the shindig, Andy was lolling in the pool, talking to some friends of ours. Other friendss were playing poker around a table reserved for apartment staff members, while still others were relaxing - and wrestling - in the hot tub. My dear friends Eve, Mallory and Ashley reserved a lounge chair for me, and greeted me with hugs and kisses. There were lots of "hi"s, "I'm so glad you made it"s and "come have a drink"s. There were also plenty of hugs and knuckle bumps to go around.

Inexplicably we are part of the "cool" clique: the group that everyone knows and that always seems to be having exorbitant amounts of fun together. Other residents kept a watchful eye on our antics - and there were plenty, mind you - from a distance. When I invited one young woman to join us, she got embarrassed and said she was waiting for her friends to show up. 

What a comic, or cruel, genius fate can be. After all this time, the social structure still exists, albeit now based on individual merits and personality. My hope is that eventually we can all learn to infiltrate into the "in" crowd, and that the hierarchy fades away. 

In the meantime, my new friends and I are going shopping!

A (potential) new challenge?

I hinted a few days ago that there may be something to tell about new job opportunities. I'll continue to hint, because I haven't gotten the job yet, but I am interviewing on July 31 for what may be the biggest move of my career. And I'm preparing for it with a book on forensic auditing and the patient guidance of my kind and generous in-laws. 

Let me explain: A forensics auditing firm called NIA Consulting is searching for a financial reports editor. They are only looking for someone in the Springs and only someone with a proven track record of writing and editing experience. An advanced degree is on their "preferable" list. Given that I live in the Springs, have been reporting and editing for nearly six years and do, in fact, have that master's degree, I decided to throw my name into the hat. The problem is, while I'm a bang-up reporter and editor, forensic auditing ain't exactly my thing. And I want to knock this one out of the ballpark - the salary alone (double what I made as a full-time reporter) is worth it!

My father-in-law, Paul Peterson, found a book for me to read in preparation of the big day. It, honest to God, is called "Forensic Auditing for Non-Experts." Which is basically the politically correct way of saying "Forensic Auditing for Dummies!" I expect the book to arrive on my doorstep any day now, and am eagerly looking forward to the 31st. 

Please keep your fingers crossed and send your positive thoughts out west for a successful interview. I'll keep you all informed. 

Of birthdays and broadcasts...

Hi, friends and family!

Well, it's Monday, July 14, and I'm coming off a busy, busy two weeks. 

Andy's birthday barbecue was smashing. The brisket turned out WONDERFUL, although it was a little difficult and required my committing to spending the entire day at the apartment. No worries, I'd done my 18 mile walk on Thursday instead of Friday. Thanks to all who called or sent e-mails to wish him a happy birthday! I know he was really touched to hear from everyone: Especially the different renditions of the birthday song. :) 

It was a super busy weeknd for me. The station decided to put me on the air for the first time anchoring newscasts. My news director's suggestion was I would do the bottom of the hour (on the 30s) and my trainer, Jim, would do the top of the hour. Jim felt otherwise and just had me do all of them. That meant I cut and played two newscasts an hour for eight hours straight. In between, I was writing scripts, updating stories and just struggling to keep afloat. All went well (only a few flubs) for my first weekend on the air, and I'm picking up weekday hours cutting voicers for the station. Working in Hannity-land is definitely not something I intend to do forever, but it's OK until something better comes along. (More on that later.) 

So now we're off to the races for another week. I was supposed to start training for the U of Phoenix position this week, but it looks as though my transcripts didn't make it there in time, so I'll start next week. That's actually preferable, since I'll be wrapping up round one just before the start of the 3Day. I'll walk and hit round two of training as soon as I get back. 

Hope you're all doing well. Love and miss y'all,

Regan

Easy weekend recipes

It's been a while since I posted any new recipes, but in honor of Andy's birthday - and the fact that it's Friday - here are a few new ones. These are for side dishes. 

Andy's scientifically-proven-to-be-the-very-best-in-the-world potato salad

I'm a journalist. Ergo, I'm not allowed to have any opinions at all, everything that I say is proven fact. (Can you hear the sarcasm dripping, yet?) Thus, this is, in fact, the very best potato salad in the world. The recipe is super easily doubled for big parties, and guaranteed to disappear. The trick is the ice cold water on both the front and back end of cooking the potatoes. 

Serves: 5 to 10 fairly comfortably, although you always run out. Always. Without fail.

Preparation time: Do yourself a favor and give yourself an hour before you serve this salad: You'll understand why once you try it. 

Ingredients: 

• 2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes

• 6 radishes

• 3 stalks celery

• 3 eggs, hard boiled

• 1/2 large or one small golden onion

• 1/2 C Miracle Whip or mayonnaise

• Seasoned salt to taste

• Fresh ground pepper to taste

• Course salt, either Sea salt or Kosher, to taste

• Sweet Paprika to taste

You'll also need: A large bowl of ice-cold water in which to soak the potatoes.

Directions

1) peel and quarter potatoes. Immediately soak the sliced potatoes in the ice water for at least 30 minutes. 

2) While potatoes are soaking, clean and finely chop the onion, radishes and celery. 

3) Heat about a gallon of water to boiling. Salt with a dash of table salt and carefully lower in potatoes. DO NOT DISCARD THE ICE WATER. You'll want it later. 

4) Return water to boiling and boil the potatoes to desired doneness. For firmer potatoes, 7 minutes; for softer, more creamy potatoes, about 10 minutes. 

5) While potatoes are boiling, hard-boil eggs in a smaller pot. Add a pinch of table salt to boiling water to help with shell removal. Hard boiled eggs take about 10 minutes.

6) Remove both potatoes and eggs from boiling water and immediately place in the ice water you saved from first soak. This will stop them from cooking immediately. Allow them to sit for five minutes or so, then remove eggs and drain potatoes into large colander.

7) Allow potatoes to stay in colander until dry. Peel eggs and slice them into thin rings while the potatoes dry. 

8) Once the potatoes are dry, build your salad. Mix together in a large bowl potatoes, celery, onion and radishes. Add Miracle Whip or mayonnaise and mix well. It will be coated, but not overly creamy. If desired, add more dressing.

9) Season with salt, pepper and seasoned salt to taste. 

10) Top salad with sliced eggs to cover. Sprinkle with as much paprika as you desire. 

---

Chopped Coleslaw with apples and celery

This tangy, vinegar-tinted coleslaw is simply the best I've ever had. I will never, ever serve another slaw as a side dish. It's another Steven Reichland masterpiece. (I owe him, and BBQ USA so much.) I made this for the first time on July 4, and it went over gangbusters. Too bad it was left out and not good the next day. :( It will make a second showing tonight alongside my inaugural brisket and some of Grandma Foster's Chocolate Pie.

Serves: A hell of a lot, depending on how much they've had to drink. (A dozen-plus easily)

Preparation time: No advanced preparation required.

You'll also need: A large, non-conductive (plastic or ceramic) mixing bowl.

Ingredients

For the slaw: 

• 1 medium sized head of cabbage (1 1/2 to 2 pounds)

• 2 stalks celery

• 1 red delicious apple

• 1 small onion

For the dressing: 

• 1/2 C Miracle Whip or mayonnaise

• 3 T apple cider vinegar

• 3 T sugar

• 1 tsp. celery salt

• 1 tsp. black pepper

Directions: 

1) Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a large, non-reactive bowl. Whisk well until the salt and sugar dissolve. Set aside. 

2) Core and chop the cabbage as course as desired. Reichland suggests processing it in the blender until it's fine: I prefer to shred mine with a heavy kitchen knife. 

3) Peel, core and finely chop the apple.

4) Clean and finely chop the celery. 

5) Clean and finely chop the onion. 

6) Fold the vegetables and fruit together in a large, non-conductive bowl. 

7) Drizzle with the dressing, toss to make sure all is getting coated. 

8) Set aside for 10 minutes to allow the vinegar to "cook" the cabbage. Then try it. If you want, add more vinegar, celery salt or pepper to taste. 

9) Let sit for at least 30 minutes before serving. This can be made up to 4 hours in advance of serving and refrigerated.

Great grilling birthday, Benz-Man!

Today, Friday, is Andy's 30th birthday. Officially three decades for my hubby and best friend. I'm looking forward to at least seven more decades, but that's not the point of this entry. 

For his 30th, my parents bought him a gas grill. Now, anyone who has watched Andy at the helm of the barbecue knows that he says charcoal is the only form of grilling. But our new apartment managers tend to disagree because, as it turns out, you're more likely to set your home on fire with charcoal than propane. So at my recommendation and their generosity, my folks opted to introduce him to the wonderful world of gas grills.

 

Yay a grill we can use! Some assembly required.

They assigned me the task of finding said grill and picking it out, so we wouldn't have to pay for shipping. I found the Mother Ship of all apartment grills on sale at Target. It's a three-burner Amana with side grate and a five-foot wingspan: Truly an impressive monstrosity on our small balcony. I'm breaking it in today, with my first ever smoked beef brisket. Adjusting the temperature so it cooks low and slow is proving a bit more of a challenge than I had anticipated, but so be it. 

Here's the good part of the story. My friend Eve went with me to pick it up. We knew we were in trouble when it took two burly college-aged guys to lift the damn thing into the back of the pickup. There was no way that Eve - a willowy 21-year-old who looks like a supermodel - and I were going to get it out of the truck, up three flights of stairs and into the apartment by ourselves. We debated getting a couple of the maintenance guys to help out, but opted against it. 

Instead, we wrapped it in the bed of the truck and left it there. When Andy got home from work, this is what he saw.

 

If lifting it out ain't an option, leave it in. Those little black specs are pirate stickers, and there's a gigantic bright pink bow on top of the gift. Eve and I were a little slap-happy when we undertook this wrap job. 

P.S., hour one down and the brisket is looking AWESOME! It sat in a pretty intense flavor rub for 12 hours. Now it cooks for seven more hours, being - get this - misted with apple cider vinegar every hour, and this 12 pound monstrosity of meat should be ready to be pulled apart and made into sandwiches. I'll let you know how it turns out. If it's as well as every other recipe from Steven Reichland's barbecue bible, I will post it later.  

P.P.S., if you're reading this and get the chance, give the man a call and wish him a happy 30th! 

Happy Fourth!

Happy Fourth of July, everyone! 

Just a brief post to tell you all that we love you and are thinking of you on this Independence Day. And also to remind everyone that, as we're sitting by pools, watching parades and sopping up barbecue, there are thousands of patriots who are unable to celebrate with us because they are busy defending our nation's freedoms. We've made some wonderful friends since we've moved here who are desperately missing their soldiers. 

May the Gods, in whatever form they take for you, watch over our troops and keep them safe today and every day. 

I are (hopefully) a college professor

I'm sitting in the living room of my apartment sporting one of my favorite workout shirts. It's a custom-made that I got from my parents as a graduation gift that pokes fun at my incredibly good-spirited mother. It reads "I ARE A COLLEGE GRADUATE." Perhaps in a month or so it should say "I are a college professor." 

Here's the deal: I got a call from the University of Phoenix's Axia College today, and they are moving me forward in the process toward becoming an adjunct professor! I have already gone through a resume review, an online interview and a phone interview; now I get to start online training. Axia College, for those of you who don't know, is the junior college of the University of Phoenix. Its courses are taught almost entirely online. Assuming I make the training cut, I will spend nine weeks as an adjunct professor of a prerequisite communications class. I will have two classes to begin with; and I will, in a nutshell, teach the proper mechanics of written communication, with a business bend. I will have a mentor who will help me during my first nine weeks of teaching. If that person feels I am suitable, he or she will recommend me for full adjunct status, and I will be able to take over up to four classes at a time!

Starting tomorrow, I need to get the college a copy of my master's transcripts and start working on my faculty profile. I have four weeks to prove to them why they should or should not make me a member of their staff. I'm betting on should. 

This is an opportunity I've been waiting for, for a long time. Interesting that it took a move across half of the country and six weeks with nothing else to do to make me realize it. 

I feel in my soul that this is the start of something new. Please send your prayers, your love, your positive energies and your candle smoke this way, and I'll keep everyone informed of how it goes. 

Back in business

At long last today, I started my new job. Well, technically, I started training for my new job. I will be a weekend anchor for one of the area's largest news/talk radio stations. 

It's an AM station with the same programming format as all the other stations that I've ever worked for. That is to say, it holds the syndication licenses for Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck. Which is to further say, it's incredibly conservative. 

But I can handle the outrageously right-wing chatter in exchange for a paycheck. (I tend to be a little more mainstream.) I've decided just to take it all with a grain of salt, and enjoy that I am quite literally back in business. 

On a side note, I completed a telephone interview yesterday with the University of Phoenix's Axia College for an adjunct professorship. I expect to hear on Monday afternoon if they plan on moving me on to the training level. 

If you can't take the heat ...

Then get out of the blacksmithing tent.

 

Banging away at what would become a wall hook.

Andy took his blacksmith course Saturday and seems to have loved every single minute of it! Jack and I walked over to the site (a 4.25 mile trip, by the way) to watch the second half. By the time we got there, Andy had already made a six-link chain, several wall hooks and was well on his way to completing a lovely-and-industrial-strength doorstop. He went on to add a steak turning tool and the stock of a custom-made tool that I think is meant to pull spark plugs from cars.

 

My husband can bend iron with heat, a hammer and his bare hands. Sweet!

Not bad for nine hours!

He was covered in soot, sweating over the heat of an open flame, shooting sparks from his hammer and grinning from ear-to-ear. The instructors told him to stop by any time to keep honing his skill, so I don't doubt that many a summer weekend will be spent with Andy working over the anvil and me walking laps at the magnificent Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site. 

This is one of his first chain links.

 

What can I say? The man has talent! I can't wait to see what else he comes up with as he hones his considerable skills.