Wash Park Walk

Recently we went on an afternoon walk at Wash Park, one of my favorite places in Denver. You can see from the photos that spring has definitely not arrived even if the weather was beautiful. In a few weeks, however, it will be one of the loveliest places to take The Mister for an ice cream and a stroll.

An example of the posh real estate that borders the park.

The flower beds are lovely in the summer. The park also attracts a lot of very large bats at night. I've never seen them anywhere else in Denver.

Can't wait to sit on this bench when the trees have leaves!

The Boathouse--the Mister and I were to have our reception there, but they don't book it for holiday weekends. Bah!

Florists in Denver

SIL asked me to do some research on flowers for her wedding as she's not coming State-side for another 2 months. I guess the florists I've contacted don't know that we're in a recession, as they're not good about responding to e-mails or even showing up for appointments! You'd think they'd want the business? We were supposed to meet with someone on Friday and she didn't come. I called and e-mailed her while we were waiting and she still hasn't responded. Another flower shop had ridiculous hours for appointments that were not remotely manageable for people with jobs. So far we've met with two that seemed competent and professional, but I'd really like to get a third bid. Any suggestions?

Image via Whimsical Chris

Images From Easter

The cupcakes are Ina's recipe; I added the jelly beans to the top to make them festive.

Pizza Pizza, Vegetarian Style

Last week we made homemade pizza as part of our ongoing vegetarian adventure. I used this recipe for the crust, then we topped it with caramelized onions, fresh tomatoes, and basil. The pizza was very, very tasty but we were a little disappointed that the crust was tough. I'm guessing the problem was that I didn't let the dough rest long enough. We'll definitely be making this again. The sauce was also homemade: mix together crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, onion, garlic, bay leaf, and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. It makes enough sauce for two pizzas, so I put the other half in the freezer for another day.

MIL's Birthday

I have been trying to find an old-fashioned metal watering can for my MIL for over a year. Most places sell those crap-tastic plastic ones, and they're not cute at all. I recently discovered O'Toole's Garden Center and fell in love. Not only did they have the old school metal watering cans, they had them in a wide variety of colors! I may have to go back and get myself a sassy red one...

Wildlife

Top to bottom: Parrot in the lobby of our hotel in Hawaii (we had a lay0ver); penguin in Bicheno, Tasmania--very trick little buggers to photograph; wallaby at Freycinet National Park, Tasmania; unknown bird in Sydney; unknown flower in the Hunter Valley; unknown bird in the Hunter Valley; kangaroos in the Hunter Valley.

Roadblock

On March 30th I sat down at my computer to register for my first class toward my doctoral degree. The fall schedule opened that day and I wanted to jump right in. Picked my class, went to register, found out there was a registration hold. Already?!? I haven't even started yet! Turned out I needed to submit proof that I'd had an MMR immunization before I could register.

OK. I know I was probably young when I had this shot, so the first course of action is to call my mom. Her response: "You're 35 years old, the pediatrician died 20 years ago, I have no idea where your immunization records are! Who would have guessed you'd need proof NOW?" Good point, Mom. It does feel a little strange to be asking the question.

Long story short...no one knows when I had my MMR, but it had to have been done because they were required when I started kindergarten. My insurance provider can draw blood and submit a letter that I have the immunity to those diseases, therefore I must have had the shot. The University of Wyoming will accept this as good enough. I'm already cheating on grad school!