Brrrrr......

It's cold here.

I mean, honest-to-God, bone-chilling, teeth-chattering, human Popsicle cold.

The sort of cold we would have in Chicago for January and the better part of February. But it's not supposed to happen here on the Front Range. I mean, we're in a desert for God's sake.

As I write this, these are the current conditions according to KVOR news partners KXRM Fox 21.
(Don't you just love those weather graphics?)

Snow 6

Feels Like: -9°

It's been snowing for the past 18 hours, so we actually have an accumulation of fresh powder dusting everything. And it's supposed to stay below freezing tomorrow.

That said, I can't be too cranky about this cold snap, given that things are supposed to be back into the 40s where they belong by Wednesday. Suffice it to say, it didn't take long for my blood to thin out.

I just hope my Robin Redbreast friend from last week managed to get the 5 day forecast in time to buckle in.

Stay warm everyone! Spring will be here before you know it.

Me thinks he's confused

I saw one of these yesterday.

"A Robin Redbreast in a cage puts all heaven in a rage." - William Blake.
I saw the first robin of the year yesterday. This isn't him, because I didn't have my camera. Thanks to Google images for this pic.

Really.

In Iowa, good ol' Robin Redbreast was the first harbinger of spring. Our neighborhood otherwise-migratory bird showed up on a neighbor's porch railing on January 17, sang to me a little bit, and hopped away.

Now, granted, it was 62 degrees yesterday when I spotted him.

But here's my conundrum: Does this bird mean that spring comes really early to the Front Range or do they just not migrate from the Centennial State? I suppose it's possible we're the southern stopping point for Iowa's robins ... after all, we're technically considered part of the American Southwest here. (Which I love, by the way.)

But if Colorado isn't a winter haven for the hardier of the robins, is this something to worry about? Should it tell me that Global Warming isn't as much a joke as the Eastern Seaboard would probably have us believe this year? Or, should it just tell me that everyone whose said this was simply a ridiculously warm season is right and winter will return with vengeance next month and brutalize us?

Either way, it's supposed to be in the mid 60s again today, so Andy and I are taking Jack for a long walk through our favorite little town of Manitou Springs. Carpe Diem, I say; and here's hoping that if winter's wrath returns, my favorite harbinger of spring finds a warm spot to roost.

One week down

Eleven to go.

I started my new job on Monday. I'm learning how to review mortgages in early-stage foreclosure for possible misrepresentations. It's completely exhausting, but really interesting work.

I'm one of five new recruits getting trained up. We're undergoing 90 days of what is essentially real estate and mortgage boot camp. Needless to say, there's an unbelievably high learning curve, and I'm already overwhelmed by the sheer amount I've learned.

For me, the hardest thing to accept was that I wasn't able to jump directly into and know exactly what was going on. Journalism always came so easily. Sure, some stories were tougher to piece together than others, but I always knew the right things to ask and how to frame even a mundane story in an interesting way.

I have to keep reminding myself that nobody has it down pat the first week, and that's why the training period lasts for three months.

Have you experienced this? How do you deal with the challenges of learning a new trade when you knew your last one inside and out?

When I said I wanted a few long necks ...

Andy feeds one of the dominate cows while (from left) Eve, Lacy and Gary look on. Check out the grin on Eve's face!

... this isn't quite what I had in mind.

New Year's Day is my dear friend Eve's birthday. She turned 22 and was trying to figure out last week how to celebrate the big day.

Eve celebrates her birthday by meeting her favorite animals face-to-face.

Here's what you have to know about Eve: giraffes are to her what horses are to me. She adores them, lives and breathes them and has a deep-abiding fascination with them. The remarkable thing is, a long-time Coloradan and Springs resident for the past two years, Eve has never been to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

I've had the opportunity to scratch a horse's tongue before, but never a giraffe's. Apparently, this bull enjoys it too!

The zoo has a renowned herd of giraffes. Not only well-known because there are so many animals, but because they are very domestic. For $1, you can buy three "giraffe crackers:" Cookie-like patties of compressed alfalfa hay that you can hand-feed the animals.

Gimme that cracker!

So on Thursday night, Andy and I met up with Eve, her sister Lacy, brother-in-law Gary and close friend Ashley. We spent the evening on safari for the chance to get up-close-and-personal with the spindle legged goofballs of the Serengeti.

What struck me the most about the giraffes was how horse-like they are. They have similar coats, similar body language, and distinct pecking orders. They even use their ears the same way, twitching them to express anger, interest and emotion.

Scene stealers: These two calves couldn't quite figure out the whole cracker-thing ... but they definitely wanted to!

We had a great time feeding and playing with the animals. It's an amazing experience, and one I will very highly recommend for any future visitors.

Happy New Year

Well, it's officially 2009 and what a start to the year!

Actually, I must admit I slept through the real thing; thanks, in large part, to a crazy work schedule that had me at the station from 11:30 p.m. to 9:30 a.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. So, basically, I was passed out at 8:30 last night.

Andy, however, went to a party in our complex and won some cash playing poker. Not a bad way to start the year, huh?

So, it's belated but here's a new years wish for everyone:

May 2009 be filled with laughter, love, light and lore. May it be happy, healthy and hopeful. And may you be blessed with joy and peace today and always.