Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Denver...like a handprint on my heart

I'm a planner.  I NEED to plan ahead for trips and outings and whatnot.  It's just a part of my personality...like list making.  I had this trip planned for months because I had purchased WICKED tickets for Calvin's birthday.  I got an email from Denver Center Attractions about the tickets and the next day the Bronco Schedule was coming out so I was able to coordinate both activities!  I love when a plan comes together!
So Thursday, I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off getting packed and ready because I waited until the last minute...so unlike me.  In the middle of all of this, the yard guy showed up to winterize our yard.  I told him about Bobbi's dog's staying with us and they barked at him from the window.  He left and I let the doggies outside to play.  Several hours go by, the kids are taking a much needed nap and I open the garage door to pack the car and there is TAYLOR.  Crap.  The yard guy left the gate open and BUCK is gone.  I'm freaking out because we are leaving in ONE HOUR.  And I'm scared to call BOBBI. Luckily...Buck has been picked up by the NOPD and Calvin bailed him out of jail on his way home.  YAY!


Our trips to Denver normally include many of our favorite restaurants.  But this time we decided to try some new places.  Friday night we went to Pasquini's Pizza in Highlands.  If you are ever driving through Denver on your way to somewhere else....you have to stop here! It is easy to get to from I-25.  I'm going to try to put this in a nutshell since I will be posting more about it (and the other great food we had) on my food blog this week.  Awesome Sangria, they bring the kids pizza dough to play with, Awesome Pizza! Great prices and fabulous desserts!



Saturday we woke to ice and snow.  We ran a bunch of little errands (office max and Michael's).  I waited in line so long at the crap store that the woman standing in front of me in line started knitting with the yarn she wanted to buy.  We walked around our favorite neighborhood...Belmar.  We stopped into mark and isabella's for lunch.  Such a fabulous meal!  The best chicken strips for the kids and I was in love with my Chicken Parmesan Sandwich with a glass of Merlot.


We rushed home to drop off the kids and we went to see WICKED!  We've seen WICKED before...but we can't agree on when.  I think it was 3 years ago...Calvin thinks it was 4 or more.  The good news for me is that it's been long enough that I don't remember everything from the show and there's an excellent chance I was tipsy when I saw it, so it's like seeing it for the first time.  Except that I own the soundtrack and know all of the songs!


It was cold in Denver.  Real cold and I don't like to walk around much when I'm freezing my tush off but walked we did.  We love downtown Denver so much that I soon forgot that I was cold and just enjoyed being with my favorite guy, in my favorite town.  We found ourselves standing outside of our favorite little russian restaurant which is responsible for both of our children being conceived.  I've told you that story right?  It was not open yet...so we walked a few feet further and found a gem that we'd never seen before.

The sign outside of Crepes N Crepes said that it was happy hour and wine and crepes were $4.  SOLD! We walked into this darling little restaurant with yellow walls and little wooden tables.  There was french music playing and soon the wonderful smell of crepes cooking and cheese melting would fill the air. We had a couple glasses of wine and tried three different crepes that were all so wonderful.  If you live in Denver you MUST try this place.  They have happy hour Wednesday- Saturday, 3-6pm.


The Red Square Bistro was finally open so we stopped in for a drink, the cheese and fruit plate and to see my boyfriend. All of the years that we've been coming here (and conceiving babies when we get home) Pascha has always been there.  He is the sweetest older man and remembers us every time.  This time I got a hug from him!

Then we went back to my in-laws to tuck in the kids and slip into a food coma!

Sunday, I went to the giant Whole Foods store in Belmar...all by myself.  I try not to visit this store every time because it makes me mad at Utah.  I get upset seeing all of this amazing food and ingredients that I can't get back home.  Walking past the seafood counter sends me over the edge...I avoid the back of the store completely.  This time...I got some forbidden rice (it's black), hazelnuts (I want to make biscotti), a delicata squash, baba ghanoush and pita chips!


The Bronco Game was awesome!  They won in overtime...and Calvin had a great time with Alan.  We are so excited that they are 5-0!  WOOT!  Did you see the old style uniforms from 50 years ago?  Those socks were crazy!  Mallory had her finger's crossed that they would get the field goal.


I took complete advantage of STARBUCKS being 3 blocks away.

 EDITED: Calvin just sent me a text...he said that the first US tour of WICKED was in 2005. He's right....dang it.

13 comments:

  1. So.... do you think the Russian place will do its magic again? LOL.

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  2. That was a great game, and I'm sure it was a million times better in person. That sounds like a really fun trip.

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  3. Oh That sounds like a fun trip! My daughter saw Wicked a few weeks ago and got the cd for her birthday last week. I feel like I've seen it too with all she's told me about it. It's really made me rethink all I thought I knew from Wizard of Oz.

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  4. My in-laws live and work in Belmar. I really like it there. Sounds like you had fun. I saw Wicked years ago on Broadway and I would love to see it again.

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  5. What a great weekend! I am a little jealous of all the great food and wine....oh only a few more weeks ;) This is hard for me to say because your Bronco's beat our Pats but I am glad you enjoyed the game as well and that they won for Calvin :) I loved the uniforms...so fun!

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  6. Such a fun time!! Football and theater? My husband could handle that for sure! ;-) We loved Wicked too!! Or I did.

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  7. So when will we get the announcement on the next baby?

    I want to see Wicked so dang bad!

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  8. Sounds like an awesome adventure!

    I so love Wicked! I saw it in St. Louis a few years ago, and will try to see it when it returns this winter!

    Great post!

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  9. What a fun trip Connie. I haven't been to Denver in so long. Makes me want to visit. It sounds like they have wonderful food - yum. I love crepes!

    And Wicked -- love that too!

    XOXO
    jen

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  10. Almost ANY Whole Foods market in the Denver area is like a religious experience for me. I understand.

    Glad you had a fun and full trip!

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  11. Sounds like you're hoping for number 3 there Connie! :-) (wink, wink).

    I would love to visit that crepes place. You made Denver sound absolutely wonderful.

    Glad you had a fun trip!

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  12. Sounds like an absolute dream of a trip (except for the ice & snow part, bbrrr - I'm a Florida girl and we still have weather in the 90s).
    In about 5 weeks, I expect to see a picture of a stick with two pink lines in it!! :-)
    I'm so glad everything went so wonderful for you!

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  13. It looks like your trip to Denver was AH-MAZING!!! We seriously had the BEST time there this past summer and look forward to many return trips. I'll definitely need to make a list next time w/ Crepes and Crepes at the top! I'm like you, I thrive on lists. I think I over-planned a little too much though for this past trip. Michael reminded me that it was vacation and at some point we were supposed to rest...right right...when we get home! There is just sooooo much to do! One thing I really wanted to do, but didn't get to (darn it!) was going to some super fab bookstore I heard about...something like the Tattered Cover bookstore. Anyway, loved the pictures and loved hearing about all the wonderful eating spots...and as always LOVE Wicked!

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I love you. You are my best friend! Your hair looks fantastic today!