The Colorado Chronicles

Has it been that long?

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Mon, 11 May 2009 00:31:00 +0000

I realized that I haven't actually written a blog in almost 3 months. Does that make me a dead friend? I hope this revives me again. Let's see what's going on here in good ol' Colorado?

We still have the worst roommate ever who knows how much we dislike him but still stays, like mold. We can give him his 30 days in October, we can't wait. It's hard to live with someone who you can't even rely on to take the trash out, he really is a child in a man's body.

It's finally getting warmer here and there's been no sign of snow for a few weeks, bring on summer! Eventhough summer brings on my b-day, literally. My b-day marks the first day of summer and the end of my twenties, I'm not sure I'm really ready to be 30. Plus, it's also Father's Day and exactly 3 weeks until I get married. I wonder how much of a wreck I will be at that point? Or if I'll just want to get it done and be married so we don't have to worry about paying for it anymore. The invites will go out this week sometime. They are so cute, I love them.

We still have our puppies. Kiara is getting so big and we got her spayed last month.

Her and Yogi are getting more used to eachother but they still get jealous of she gets time with Robert and I. She's pretty feisty and will antagonize the other tow bigger boy dogs. She's almost 40 pounds now, she was 24 when we got her 3 months ago.

Robert got a great job last week where he' not changing oil. He gets to drive tractors and forklifts all day at a construction rental place. They tell him everyday how impressed they are by his hard work. He finally works at a place where they appreciate him and aren't "shady" as people were at his former places of employment.

So that's what's going on right now, in other words, not much. We can't wait to see everyone in 2 months. I can't believe it's only two more months.

What's going on?

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:13:00 +0000

I haven't written for awhile so here's a little update on Colorado life. I have officially been engaged for a year and 5 days and I still have about 4 and a half months left. We received our blessing in the form of CALSTRS check, the CA teacher's retirement association and was able to make a big dent in our vendor bills. The Woman's Club is almost paid off and, more importantly, we were able to pay my parents back all the money we owed them. If you know about my parents you know that is a big deal! Now they can't hold it over our heads. I wanted to use more of it for the wedding but we had to cover our unemployed roommate's part of the bills. We almost had to kick him out 2 weeks ago for being a week late on rent but we gave him until the end of this month to get a job or he is out. He's been without work since November and for lack of trying. It's been stressful covering what he owes as well as our parts. The whole point in having roommates is to get help with the bills. At least we have the other one pulling in his share.

But on to happier events. We adopted another dog, I know we are crazy! I'd like to think we saved her from being a fighting pitbull. Her name is Kiara and we met her two weeks ago at a friend of a friend's house. He wasn't able to take care of her fully due to his trucking job so he needed to sell her. It was either us or the brutal people that would buy her to fight her. We took her home the night we met her, spur of the moment but we are happy with our decision. How could you say no to those sweet brown eyes? She's 3 months old and already weighs 26 pounds. The vet said she will grow to be over 50 pounds so I have to enjoy my time picking her up and letting her be a lapdog while I can. She'll be bigger than Yogi when she is full grown and then he won't be able to bully her like he does now. He's a little jealous at the moment because we have to give her more attention with her house training and making sure she's comfy in her new home. So our family got a little bigger and now we have the sibling rivalry to add to the mix.

Wedding Update

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 17:12:00 +0000

With 6 months left until the wedding I am in full planning mode, complete with a little notebook I carry with me just in case I get an idea. I am not stressed about paying for it anymore thanks to CALSTRS (California State Teachers' Retirement System). I got my annual statement while I was in CA and my mom suggested I see if I can get that money out since I don't live or teach there anymore. I called and they said I could take all or nothing and when I found out how much was "all" was I took it! I won't say how much, but it's enough to pay for the wedding and pay back a personal debt we have with my parents. This is the biggest blessing and the biggest weight off our shoulders. I would cry almost nightly wondering if we were going to have a wedding at all and now we will! I am aware of the penalties and tax stuff but after they deduct we will stay pay for 95% of the wedding. This gives me freedom to pick out invitations and favors and such. Now I can have fun and not be so financially stressed. Before, the wedding seemed to be flying closer because of the dollar sign hanging over us but now it's going to seem like forever because I can't wait for it now. Plus we have an officiant after a decision I had to make about our former one. Now Mark Schoch from DFCC will be performing our wedding. 175 days to go!

Another reason to hate Paris Hilton

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 16:35:00 +0000

So I was perusing Audrey Hepburn stuff, (what can I say I love her) when I came across this gem...

Under the picture was the caption "The next Audrey Hepburn." Seriously? What an insult to a great woman. She would roll over in her grave.

What I did on my Christmas Vacation!

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 04:59:00 +0000

1. Flew with Robert for the first time.

2.Had a long awaited In N Out Cheeseburger, Animal Style.

3.Finally met my 5 month old niece, Lisa.

4. Met up with some great friends Tuesday night and met the cutest babies ever!

5. Went to my family's traditional Christmas Eve gathering.

6. Found out who my true friends are.

7. Got spoiled by my future in laws on Christmas morning.

8. Did something crazy.

9. Picked my flowers and cake for the wedding.

10.Spent more time with my brother, sister-in-law and niece.

11.Said goodbye to a dear friend who's moving to Michigan.

12.Went to DFCC for a visit.

13.Visited with my Grandma Gerry.

14.Ate at BJ's, mmmmmmmmmm Pizookie.

15. Saw Bridget Moynahan at LAX.

16. Unfortunately, had to fly back to reality.

17. Reunited with our Yogi! We missed him so much and he missed us too.

18. Realized that a week is not enough time to see everyone we wanted to see. We are sorry if we missed you.

I'm slacking

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 22:24:00 +0000

If anyone still reads this, I haven't written for a few weeks. I guess I'll bring you up to speed. We were adopted by our roommates family for Thanksgiving. His mom even referred to us as her "kids" which is weird since we're getting married. They were very welcoming and we had a fried turkey, which I haven't had for a few years. It was all delicious and nice to be part of a family, at least for the day.

I'm still subbing and applying for jobs as they come, but there aren't many right now. I'm meeting principals when I can and trying to be "memorable" so when they see my resume they'll remember me.

I got some wedding things straightened out. All my bridesmaids actually agreed on a dress to wear. I was amazed, I'll have some in Marine and others in Sterling. I also had to change the wedding date to July 12th to save some money, still at 3pm. I arranged to meet the flower lady when we are home for Christmas and we will see the guy in charge of the Woman's Club too to pick the cake design and flavors. I tried my dress on again, just for fun and to make sure I still liked it. The results? I had the moment I should have had at David's Bridal, the tears and image of my walking down the aisle in it. Better late than never. Now I'm waiting to hear back from certain people regarding the wedding. I wish people would return phone calls.

We finally got our first decent snow last week which resulted in my first scary spin out. I went 180 but, thank God, ended up in the middle turn lane on the highway and not in the opposite lanes of traffic. That happened on recently plowed roads too. But the snow was beautiful, glistening in the sun. Yogi likes to play in it too.

I think that's it, we'll be out in CA from December 22-29th. Let me know if you want to hang out. I miss everyone very much, but cannot see everyone I want to in a week with Christmas in the middle but I will try. Call me up! (970)449-3414

I've become a crazy dog owner!

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 02:59:00 +0000

I never thought it would happen to me. I get a dog and get the idea that he's my kid. I know Yogi is not a four-legged human but he's our kid. We refer to ourselves as his mom and dad, we like cuddling with him, and I am even reading dog training books by the Dog Whisperer. I am learning how to train him with a clicker and how to understand his "energy," according to Cesar Millan. We are even going to take our Christmas picture with him! I am the person I used to make fun of because I didn't understand how someone could love an animal so much, just like a child. But we do love him just like a child, we've already had to worry about his health and are responsible for his medicine. I used to make fun of my mom for getting Sable her own stocking and here I am now looking at what to put in Yogi's and find myself a little sad that we will miss his first Christmas living with us. We can't take him with us to CA for the holidays. Don't worry, since he is a mix I won't be getting pads of paper and other stationary with his breed on it, I've saved myself there. I take back everything I've said about crazy pet owners and look forward to our Christmas picture this year with our new "kid." Should I get antlers or a Santa hat for him? Hmmmmmm...

Wedding crisis averted, for now.

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:06:00 +0000

First of all, I want to thank everyone who commented and tried to think of a place for us to get married. I knew I had to call Ed, the head guy at the Woman's Club to cancel on Monday. So I called him after I subbed all day and told him we couldn't pay what he wanted by the end of this year. He asked to release the date and I said yes, since we couldn't hold it. Then he said something that didn't even cross my mind before that moment... "You can have it on Sunday and just pay everything the week before." Sunday? I had Saturday permanently in my head, and it was an east date to remember, 7/11. But I figure a 3pm to 8pm wedding wouldn't be too bad on a Sunday, it's after church and ends early enough for work the next day. So now our wedding is July 12th at 3pm at the Woman's Club of D-town! Make a note of it. Then I asked him about the menu, we had a deal for a hot dinner and he suggested a cold sandwich buffet instead and that took $700 off our original contract price! This guy is awesome, the whole quote is based on 100 guests eventhough he knows the guest list is 120. It all goes back to my wonderful Grandma Nancy who got me the hook up to begin with. I was also lucky to have my DJ and photographer avaliable that day too.

If anyone wants our new address, here it is:
215 Robin Dr.
Loveland, CO
80537

Back to the drawing board

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 23:12:00 +0000

So, here's a news flash... weddings are too expensive!!! Especially when you have to pay for the majority of it yourselves. Plus the economy is in the crapper and all that equals to the fact that we can't afford to pay what we need to keep our venue, the Woman's Club of Downey. The due date crept up on us and now I have to call them and say sorry, I have to cancel you and find a free or cheaper place to have my big day. Like that will happen. We have other things that took up our money, getting out of our crappy, crack head infested apartment, and getting our four legged "kid." Then he got sick from being in the shelter and now we are at a place where we had to choose to go home for Christmas or try to pay The Woman's Club. We hope we can afford to go home though, Christmas last year was pretty lonely so we want to change that this year. So back to the wedding, we need a place to get married and celebrate with all of our friends and family that we can afford and that isn't ghetto. Don't say Vegas, our grandparents are too old to make it there, it has to be in So Cal. We are desperate and I have been so upset that last week. If you have ever been a bride than you should have some inkling of how I am feeling. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

White people and our President-Elect

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 05:27:00 +0000

What race card? I voted for Obama!

Poor Yogi!

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 19:14:00 +0000

Last week I was worried about Yogi because he vomited on Wednesday, then Thursday. We thought we had been giving him too many treats, or he ate too fast. We also have another dog in the house now too, Zeus. But then Saturday, after I had been giving him rice and boiled hamburger (per the vet's suggestion) to settle his stomach, his little nose was warm, dry, and peeling. We knew that was not a good sign. He vomited that day again and then had diarrhea on Sunday. So I took him to the vet first thing yesterday morning. They wanted a stool sample to test for different things. I let them keep him there to get the sample while I was at work. I picked him up after work and as soon as he came home, and the rest of the night and still today, he has not stopped itching. I'm not sure what they did to him there, or if they put him in a dirty crate but he wasn't itchy like that before I took him. We were pretty upset, we took him to get better and then he comes back with the massive itchies and he's still sick.

We got the results today, he had high parasite levels. It is called coccidia It takes 13 days to incubate and he's been the sickest since Saturday so he had it before we adopted him. He either got it from the Humane Society or from his former owners. They surrendered him at the beginning of the month. So I picked up his medicine a little while ago and gace his his first dose. We will see how he feels in a few days. And tonight he's getting a bath with his new oatmeal shampoo to stop the itching, hopefully.

Someone with more experience... Of course!

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:31:00 +0000

So after almost 2 weeks I finally heard back from the principal I had an interview with about that 5 week Title I job. I waited two weeks to find out that I was not chosen because they found someone with "more experience." I guess they didn't want to train me, which wouldn't take more than a day, so they chose someone who knew their ways already and could jump right in. But he did tell me he'd want to interview me for future positions and he asked if he could share my number with other principals who needed people. He said I'd be a good fit somewhere. So, we will see if I get a call from someone else. I'm not holding my breath. For now I'll sub and I'll enjoy Robert, Yogi and our new house we are moving into next Thursday! Focus on the positive, right?

Hey Boo Boo!

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 01:42:00 +0000

Robert and I had a big day today. We signed the lease for our house that we can move into at the end of this month and we got a dog! His name is Yogi, full name, Yogi Bear. He's a mix of basset hound and border collie. He's very much a hound, always sniffing low to the ground but with a bit longer legs. He's 2 years old so he's already house trained and knows the basic commands. We are very excited for our new addition.

As promised... Fall pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 15:29:00 +0000

We went to a place called Round Mountain Trail 2 weeks ago with some friends and I got to take my fall pictures. Enjoy!

We're moving!

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 19:20:00 +0000

Our lease is up on Halloween and this month has been full of looking at Craigslist and other rental resources on the Internet and in the classifieds. First of all I want to say... I love Craigsist! It is such a great way to find, well, almost anything. I do wish people would delete their postings when they have found a buyer or renter though. It gave me false hope on a few places. But then I found this listing...

Looking for a responsible renter for a nice house near Campion.

The house includes:
4 Bedrooms
3 Bathroom
1 car garage
Very large fenced in backyard
Washer/Dryer Hookup
Great kitchen

$900.00 Deposit
$1025.00 Rent

This is a great home for a family. Please call and leave a message if interested (970)988-4284, please feel free to drive by and look, we can also set up time for showing.

1 or 2 year lease available.

I know for you guys back in California, this is an impossible dream but here it's feasible. But we still had our reservations, since a house like that would normally go for about $1200 a month. I called the guy and he was really nice and told me a little more about it and we set up a time to meet him. We met this last Wednesday. It turns out it's so cheap because he can't refinance and he can't afford the mortgage because he lost his job. SO him, his wife and their baby have to move in with his parents for at least a year. We feel bad for them, they're so nice.

The house is awesome! It's in a quiet neighborhood, mostly older people. The master bedroom, ours of course, is pretty big, bigger than what we have now, and it has a WALK IN CLOSET! I've never had that before. I was sold after that. The backyard has a 6 ft. fence all around which mean s we can finally a dog. It also has a fully furnished basement with 2 bedrooms, a bar and it's own living room. We're moving in with a guy we've known since July, so that will be his area. I took pictures, so I will post them in a few days. The guy called us less than 24 hours later to tell us we got the house, we were so excited yesterday. Plus, we can decorate the outside as well as the inside for Christmas.

Job update

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 23:59:00 +0000

When I was subbing at a school last week I decided to pop my head in and introduce myself to a teacher I was going to sub for today. I ended up talking to her partner teacher instead and she happens to be 6 months pregnant. Of course my first question was... Do you have a long term sub lined up? She teaches in the Title I room and I told her that I have a background in Title I. This was last Thursday. I wanted to introduce myself to the principal and tell him that I was aware of the job opening. I talked to him this last Tuesday and the teacher had already told him about me so by the time I talked to him he already knew who I was. Since I was at the same school today we set up an interview before my sub day started. He called it a "meeting" but I should have known it was more of an interview, which I HATE! I did ok, I was nervous but he liked the experience I had and my answers to most of his questions and scenarios. I just had to update my license on a website the district uses and I'll be on my way. I thought I was hired but, no yet. I have to be interviewed because the principal had just pre-screened to see if I should be actually interviewed by the team. The interview is next Friday before I teach there all day in 5th grade. Now I have to brush up on all that I did in my Title I room a year and a half ago. Good thing I have a week to study. By the way all this is for a 5 week stint from 8-12 everyday. But whatever gets my foot in the door will help.

Fall!

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:50:00 +0000

I am so excited for fall, eventhough out here it only lasts about a month before the snow comes and the beautiful golden trees lose their leaves. The leaves are turning their wonderful reds, yellows and oranges as I speak. I will be taking pictures in a few days to show the progress of God's seasonal goodness. Too bad it's still eighty degrees outside.

Fall also brings a bit of panic for us. Our lease is up on Halloween, not sure if that's a good or bad omen. We will be very excited to move out of this apartment with half of it broken in some way, our noisy neighbors upstairs with a 3 year old and a pit bull they aren't allowed to have, and the neglectful parents across the small parking lot (I'm not sure her kids actually go to school and I highly doubt they're home-schooled). On October 1st the new rentals come out from our property management, we want a townhouse or a condo, which run from $750 to 1000/month. Jealous? The panic comes in from what else? Money! We have a wedding to pay for, plus the usual bills, hopefully a trip home for Christmas, and now a month's rent plus a deposit on November 1st. We've been struggling for awhile but hopefully with me subbing and tutoring at night we will be able to make it and move out of this place. Robert's been working so much too. After living in an apartment, we will never live above or below strangers again. We had no choice but to get another roommate for this next place too, which I'm not looking forward to coming home to after our honeymoon but we have to do what we have to do. Our present roommate cannot afford to rent anymore so we had to get another guy. We know him, he's a nice guy so I'm not worried.

Lastly, fall brings the new school year. I started subbing/networking about 3 weeks ago. I've been working every day I can and checking for jobs in an OCD fashion. I got business cards made and have been passing them out like mad and putting them in every elementary teachers lounge I'm in. Today I plan to talk to a principal at a school I was at last week and am at today. I talked to a pregnant Title I teacher who needs a long term sub starting in December. So I'm going to introduce myself today to Lamb, the principal, and mention my interest in the position and my experience in Title I. I just hope he doesn't already have someone picked. Too bad the long term sub pay is a whopping $90 a day. It's better than $84 a day for regular subbing and it will give me experience in the district. I'll keep you posted on this new job possibility. Say a little prayer.

Bacon Salt

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:55:00 +0000

I was on Facebook this morning and saw an ad on the side for Bacon Salt. Their motto is... "Everything should taste like bacon." I'm not sure EVERYTHING should taste like bacon. It's a seasoning that tastes like bacon, I thought that's why we had bacon-bits. The difference between bacon salt and bacon bits is that bacon salt is kosher and for vegetarians, for the people who've sworn off meat but still crave the pork they gave up.
On a sidenote I started subbing again yesterday, finally, and got a dollar raise for being at the tutoring center a year. Woo hoo!

We're #1!

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 17:44:00 +0000

I just wanted to inform everyone that The Dodgers are in 1st place in the NL West while the Rockies are in 4th, tied with The Giants! Although we have the least amount of wins, compared to all the other top teams. I'm still very excited. Go Dodgers!!!

Who should I vote for?

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:24:00 +0000

I have been asking myself this question for a few weeks now, so has Robert. We have a little of both parties in us so I decided to be a well informed voter and look at the issues from both sides. I found a pretty interesting site called Vote by Issue . You can take a quiz and find out which candidate you agree with more, based on the issues not campaign ads or their personalities. The answers are actual quotes from both candidates from interviews, speeches and statements made. I took it but I won't share who I agreed with more but it was a very informative quiz. Even if you are dead set on a particular candidate, you should take the quiz. You might surprise yourself.

Reason to move to CO # 12

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 01:23:00 +0000

We went to the Loveland DMV to finally get Robert's driver's license, a year late. You say DMV, I think long lines, grumpy employees, and a day wasted. We walked in and we were THE ONLY PEOPLE THERE! He got his license in 10 minutes and the employees were nice and were making jokes. An alternate universe? No, just the Front Range.

Pig monkey

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 02:30:00 +0000

Not only does China have the honor of hosting the Olympic Games, they also have the honor of having a farmer who owns a pig monkey, or monkey pig. Robert told me about it a few days ago and I couldn't bare to look but I had to. So I Googled it and I could only look at it for a few seconds without letting it invade my visual memory bank and giving nightmares tonight. I couldn't even post the picture because it made me squirm, but here's the link. Look if you dare.

Beijing 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:35:00 +0000

Yay! I love the Olympics! We are in Day 5 of the games and the USA has been kicking some butt, if you haven't watched your recordings I won't spoil anything like a kid did for me yesterday (at work) for women's gymnastics and the men's relay. I was kind of annoyed by that but I still watched my DVR recordings and enjoyed every minute of it. By the way that kid thought it was hilarious to ruin part of the Olympics for me. The Olympics even caused me to watch an entire basketball game, USA vs. China. That might be the first time I have ever done that. The best is watching women's gymnastics and hearing guys in the room with me, including Robert, say things like, "She stuck the landing," and, "The uneven bars are my favorite." Ahhh, good times! Have fun watching the Olympics, everyone!

2 social security numbers?

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 22:23:00 +0000

So I sent in my interim license renewal application plus $60 a few weeks ago and I got it sent back to me today. For a background, CO makes out of state teachers apply for an interim authorization for the first two years they teach, or in my case, sub here. This will be my last year with this particular license in the hopes that I will get hired full time and get an initial license. Anyways, I get my application sent back saying I don't have a license with the Colorado Dept. of Education. I immediately called the number on the notice, and getting angrier by the second, I waited for the next licensing professional. I get a person and give her my social and she tells me I didn't pay. I corrected her and then she found out they had me under 2 different socials. How they managed that, I don't know. But at least they are going to continue processing my application when I send them back my application they returned to me plus a copy of my social security card. I won't even get it until October anyway because they take 3 months to process. I can't sub without the renewed license so I had to apply to work full time at Michael's because my tutoring job gives me 10-15 hours a week (If I'm lucky)and is 20 miles away. Just another setback in the life of your favorite wannabe teacher.

Bad Luck for the Dodgers?

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:49:00 +0000

So the last two Dodger games Robert and I have been to, the lost. One was last year on the 4th, Robert's b-day, and the other was last night in Denver. We went with Robert's best friend Cesar (who's been visiting us for the last 2 weeks) and our friends David and Heather. They were playing three games against the Rockies and whooped their butts on Monday so we were looking forward to another butt whoopin' last night. No such luck! After 8 innings of barely a base hit from the Dodgers and general mockings from Rockies fans we decided to leave early and beat traffic. The only run the Dodgers scored was in the ninth, after we left. Coincidence? Probably. I wouldn't like to think we are bad luck for our beloved Dodgers. They lost again today too to the Rockies. We are in 2nd place in the NL West behind the Diamondbacks. At least the Rockies are still in third.