october catch-up

well, i promised a blog post before the end of the month - so i guess i'm getting it in just in time!  it's been a crazy month, with finishing up one weekend class, starting a new weekend class, celebrating PI's birthday, and dealing with something new i am not at liberty to discuss just yet...

blowing out 28 candles

for PI's birthday, i booked a weekend getaway at the stanley hotel up in estes park.  it was perfect - from the halloween-esque atmosphere of the hotel.  it was the only weekend i had off between my two classes, so it was the perfect time for a little mountain escape.

it was such a relaxing time, and with fall the colors changing were gorgeous.  we got some pretty good pictures too.

 

elk just in front of the hotel our first afternoon

my shadow and the elk - soooo close!

maybe one of my favorite pictures of PI ever

evening at the state's biggest whiskey bar at the stanley

driving through the mountains on the way home

mountain goats in the way home

 

stopped for pumpkins on our way home

it was a lovely weekend.  i'll post some pics of our halloween costume tomorrow, and this weekend we are headed BACK up to the mountains to visit some friends of ours.

hope you are enjoying your fall as much as i am, and stay tuned friends...!

48 more days

til graduation! 

xoxo

well hello there.

hi there.

yes, i'm still here.  i haven't gone missing, i haven't abandoned my lovely little blog.  the truth is, october has been insane.  before my first weekend class finished, we got the syllabus for our 2nd weekend class of the semester.  and let me tell you folks, it is b-r-u-t-a-l.  it looks like it could be my most demanding class so far, so i'm going out with a bang.  but just as i was stressing over the syllabus, i had a comforting thought:

it was the last syllabus i was going to read.

so it seemed a little bit more manageable after that.  it may be the most difficult class yet - but it is my VERY. LAST. ONE.

but besides school, there have definitely been other things keeping me very busy, and i am very happy to say that soon there will be some big changes to announce, i have a feeling!  one of which is a new blog i will be writing for - can't wait to share the details!  but it isn't time quite yet, so stay tuned.

oh, and just to update the countdown... 

54 more days

until my last assignment for my last class is due.  so it could actually be less than that.    

that, and i will be back to blogging regularly very soon.  

and if not, see you in 54 days. 

kidding :)

fall friday blanks.

 

 so today is friday, which is normally awesome.  especially because i don't have school tomorrow and just have to work half a day.  but thanks to my stupid flu shot yesterday, i am actually sick with the flu today.  nothing like the flu hitting on a friday afternoon, right?  boo.  but at the same time it's a good excuse for a night in with my bestest husband.

1.  the last thing i ate was a honeycrisp apple with organic, all natural creamy peanut butter.  i was too sick to eat my whole lunch so that's what i've had today.

2.  the last time i went to the beach was when PI and i took a spontaneous - and much needed - trip to jamaica during my maycation.  it was amazing.  all we did was make out and lay on the beach.  :) 

3.  my last vacation was to new york just about 10 days ago.  i never really know if visiting family counts as a vacation or not, because we spend our entire trip running around to see all the people we love and don't get to see often enough.  but it was an awesome trip.

4.  the last place i drove was home from work.  i love leaving work!

5.  the last song i listened to was perhaps one of the greatest songs ever [but not better than U2] - 'awake my soul' by mumford & sons on pandora.

6.  the last thing i watched on tv was last night's season premiere of 30 rock.  i thought the kenneth-hazel-tracy storyline was super weird and not funny, but i am always loving jack and liz's shenanigans.  especially because jack donaghy is like my dad.  but we are about to turn on a twilight zone marathon - perfect way to spend a cold colorado october night. 

7.  the last time i said 'i love you' was to PI about 4 minutes ago.  he finished unloading the dishwasher for me because he knows i feel like a walking ghost.

have a happy friday everyone!  til next time...

high high #24

today was another amazing high of all highs.

that's right, president obama [again].  it was just last october that the first snow fell on the eve of obama's visit to my school, which was one of my highest of all highs.  my gf and i had front row seats standing spots and it was the most awesome thing ever to see a sitting president give a policy speech. 

well, he did it again.  the volunteers in northwest denver - which i have been a part of since july of last year - have been so amazing that the president came right to our very own sloan's lake to give a rally this morning after the debate.  and guess who got to volunteer?

 

helping direct traffic at 6am

yelling 'fired up, ready to go!' at supporters at 5am will wake you up!

 it was an awesome day, and i was so happy that philip came out to volunteer with me.  i had to convince him a little, but in the end he had a great time too.  some more pics of the day below.

the line right before the gates opened at 7:30am. we were still letting people in at 9:30.

 

 

gorgeous colors for the president!

ok, not a great shot.

turns out volunteers don't get the good spots.  but that's ok :)

freezing, tired, hungry, having to pee - but so happy to support our president.

i have to say, there were so many awesome things about this morning.  one of the things i loved most was seeing people in my community i knew as i took their tickets and helped them get in the doors.  i saw people from school, friends i volunteer with, and even my house rep [who greeted me with a hug and knew my name!].  it makes me so proud to be a part of my community - the work i have done over the past year with OFA has made us part of a community i didn't know before.  that's an amazing feeling to me.

i was so proud to have obama right here in our backyard.  i know how hard our supporters in this area have worked, and it was so fantastic to see how excited people in our neighborhood were to see him.  i think we represented the highlands well, and i like to think that he'll come back again sometime :)

but in true alaina fashion, here was my day:

• volunteer for four hours at obama's rally
• go to class
• go to work
• get my flu shot
• get my hair cut
• come home and cook dinner

all in a day's work.  but you know what?  i wouldn't change it for anything.  love love love my life right now, especially today.

til next time... :)