Job. Moab. Crutches.

And another update in the Willey-Goodson world. We had some great news a few weeks ago. I got hired with the University of the Rockies as an admissions counselor. Very very exciting. I just finished training and its going well. For those that follow along, you might have picked up that University of the Rockies is where Dani works as well. So commuting is a breeze, a quick scoot downtown and we're there. We work in the same department but different teams/areas. So we can hang out during breaks on the super cool young professional balcony over looking downtown Denver.
We moved  here exactly one year ago today. And it feels great to be really settling in.


Also for those who follow along with our haps (that's young people talk for "happenings" or "what's been going on"), you may know that we love road trips. Its been over 2 months since our last excursion, so we decided to take advantage of this holiday weekend (yeah, booyah, I get holidays AND weekends off now) and pack the car for Moab- one of our favorite places in the world. We were almost scared off by the weather report, but we decided that "Adventure is out there!" and went for it. It was indeed an adventure.

We got there around 1 in the morning and set up the tent in a adventurous freezing rain mixture. But once we got the tent up and piled on our four sleeping bags, the frightful weather outside was merely back ground noise for our cozy slumber. Luckily the weather did scare off most other people, so we were able to get our favorite camp site no problem and there was no one else around. We had Hal Canyon nearly all to ourselves. And during the day it was pleasant. Chilly in the shade and nice in the sun. We mainly just hung out in the campsite, watched the fire, listened to the mighty Colorado and drank hot-toddies.

We went into town for some supplies and found a lovely dog park for Munson make some friends. On the way back to the site, we got filthy gathering fire wood from a recent burn spot.  When the snow started in the evening we decided to get dinner in us in case we had to hunker down in the tent. Again more adventure. It came down pretty hard for a bit and of course lightened up after we finished our delicious soy-yaki chicken.


The next morning after warming up by the fire for a bit we headed into town to visit our favorite little cafe, the Love Muffin- fantastic baked goods and fresh delicious food. We had the Potatas Bravas, and it now resides in my top five breakfasts I've had the pleasure of driving into my face. We explored the town a little bit and found some new trails for the puppy. We wanted to keep the adventure going so we drove down the road to the Big Beng Boulders for a chilly sunny afternoon bouldering session.

The rock was good, the sun was warm and there weren't many climbers around but ultimately fate was not on our side. While finishing the top of a new problem, I cracked a hold and came down funky on my ankle. Hard funky.

That incident cut the adventure short. Not broken just sprained and ginormous. We (mainly Dani cause I was hopping and whining about) had to pack up camp early and head home. We met some nasty weather through the Rockies, but Wheelman Dani was a champ and navigated the snowy mountain roads like a pro. A fat purple sprained ankle from a bad fall bouldering is nothing new to me, just a bummer. But on a positive note, the current record for the amount of oreos eaten on a couch is about to shattered, just shattered... by yours truly. That is if Dani doesn't poison me because of my whining and bossing her about- "More kool-aid, dang-it!!!","I can't work the TV beacuse my silly puddy stuck to the remote."

Love and Miss You All.

D&T

PS- here's some more pics from the trip.

New Wheels.

Working downtown has its perks.  Great people watching, a gazillion lunch and happy hour options right at your fingertips, and of course the beauty of being a bike commuter.  Biking to work has been great.  A breeze down our highlands hill in a mere 10 minutes.  Going home back up the hill is another story.

With Tommy and I have similar schedules and the bike commuting becoming less enjoyable with the coming cold, we decided to make a new purchase.  We bought a scooter.  

We have greatly missed the feeling of the open road and our dear Francesca.  Nothing quite compares to the feeling you get when you're on a scooter.  Picture pure happiness.  Then double it.  That's a scooter feeling. 

Our new lady is named Biella, but we call her B for short.  She's a full two seater which is quite a change from our Hawaiian Francesca.  There's actual space to sit.  It's luxurious.  

We found her on craigslist from a guy who just couldn't handle the open road.  She's brand spanking new (practically) and has a mere 150 miles on her.  We love her.  

So far she's treated us well and we are happy to welcome her in to our home.  

the last hoorah.

September.  Summer is over and fall is officially here.  I mean technically I suppose it's not really fall until mid-September,.but when you wear flannels in the morning and sweatshirts at night because it's chilly...then you know it's here.  

Summer was amazing.  And the last week was a good way to end it all.  It was a crazy busy week but it couldn't have been any better.  

To start, I got a new job and began training.  I am now working at University of the Rockies as an admissions counselor.  U of R is a psychology based school for masters and doctorate programs.  I'm on the phone A LOT talking to potential students and getting them enrolled.  So far so good.  The people I work with are all young and really fun.  It's right downtown so I can ride my bike, and I have the most amazing view of the heart of the city and the mountains.  Not to mention the incredible benefits it has.  It's quite a change from all of my previous jobs but I think that this will be really good.  Fingers crossed. 

On Monday, my dad came in to town for a business trip.  We hit up a Rockies/Dodgers game, explored the city and had a delicious dinner of bison steaks, veggies and cheesecake.  Delicious.  The last time my dad came to visit Denver, I was living at the ranch.  So it was good for him to see us in our 'city life'.   It was a really good visit. 

On Wednesday we had our final red rocks show of the summer.  I had been waiting for this show pretty much since we moved back to the mainland.  Mumford & Sons.  At Red Rocks!  It was incredible.  One of the best shows I have ever seen.  Definitely top 3.  

We went straight from work with a cooler full of drinks, chips and burritos in hopes that we could do some tailgating.  We conveniently parked in the parking lot right next to a green VW van full of some awesome new friends.  We met up with some friends and headed in for some foot stompin, banjo playing London style bluegrass.  

The show was 'epic', for lack of a better word.  The crowd was so much fun and the band really gave it them all. We had an amazing time and it was a great close to the summer concert series.  

On Thursday, Chris and Mary Thomas came all the way from Iowa for a quick visit before they move to Abu Dabi.  We explored the city, gorged ourselves on A&E party dip and Yuenglings that they brought and savored the last few moments of summer.  

It was great to see Chris and Mary and we are so excited for their next adventure.  

Saturday was intended to be our re-cooperation day from the week.  It was one of the busiest weeks for us and we had plans to watch movies and relax all day.  We rode our bikes downtown with the intention of seeing a double feature movie and relaxing.  However, with the big CU vs. CSU game happening and it being the start of college football....our day to not go as planned.  

We started at the Pennsylvania bar and watched the PSU game with some cheesesteaks.  We then made it over to the Iowa bar to watch the UNI vs. Wisconsin game.  We had a blast reminiscing on college and giving the summer one last hoorah.  Video games, giant jenga and fight songs...it was a perfect Saturday.  

Monday is a holiday, and Wednesday Tommy welcomes his last 20's by turning 28.  We have another jam packed week and weekend ahead of us and can't wait. 

Although we are sad to say goodbye to summer we are welcoming fall with open arms.  I have already started collecting excessive recipes involving pumpkin, squash, and anything peppermint.  Bring it on.  

love and aloha

All American

With September creeping in quickly and me starting a new job on Monday (details to follow) we decided to take a week off and go on an All-American Roadtrip.  By All-American you may be thinking Texas with a dash of Dolly Parton thrown in now and again but no....we're talking deep fried everything, Milwaukee's best beer, junior ranger style All-American.

On Friday, my last day of work, we packed up the car and headed back to Des Moines.  Yes, we go to Iowa fairly frequently but this time was different.  This time was the mecca of all trips because it was the IOWA STATE FAIR.  For years I've been hearing about this phenomena.  I've heard tall tales of the butter cow, deep fried butter on a stick and the excruciating stomach ache that follows.  But now, I was going to see it for myself.

We got in to Iowa late Friday night/Saturday morning.  We hit the sack in anticipation of what was to come.  On Saturday we had a "typical" Des Moines day...farmers market in the morning, Tasty Tacos for lunch and just lounging and drinking with friends and family in the evening.   Saturday was great and it felt good to be back but it was just the appetizer of an amazing weekend.

Monday was the big day.  I woke up already with a stomach ache, not from the fried food (yet) but with pure excitement.  We packed up, made our game plan of things to do, see and eat and headed to the fair.

We took a shuttle from Altoona to the fair which conveniently let us out right outside the swine bar.  How convenient for a girl who is literally obsessed with pigs.  I was in hog heaven.  I quickly retreated back to my 7 year old state and zoned out to a hum of "awwww".  With the exception of the 1300 pound hog which reminded me why I cannot have pigs as pets.

We left the swine bar and started to eat, naturally.  We started off with local beer, cajun chicken on a stick and fried cheese curds.  This was only the beginning.

After a few hours of exploring solo we met up with the family.  We made our way to the infamous butter cow, visited some art booths, ate some more food.  We even managed to buy iphones in that time frame.  We are proud to say we are now members of the 21st Century.  Awesome.

After that, things really got intense.  We found the "baby animal" room.  Y'know, baby cows, baby goats, baby chickens, baby pigs that were born 4 hours ago...WHAT?!?!?! Baby pigs that were born 4 hours ago?!  This is when I start to hyperventilate with pure toddler excitement.  They were adorable.  Perhaps the cutest things I have ever seen. (sorry Munson)  They're little pink bodies and curly little tails, it was precious and extremely hard for me not to slip one in to my purse.  I was content.

After the pigs, we ate some more (surprise surprise) and decided to head home.  Our total count for the day food wise was: cajun chick on a stick, deep fried cheese curds, deep fried veggies including broccoli, green beans, mushrooms and cauliflower, battered and deep fried pineapple on a stick and our favorite, a deep fried pickle dog.  Which was a pickle dipped in spicy cream cheese wrapped in pastrami then deep fried, and put on a stick. Of course. Delicious.

We left the fair very happy campers and hopeful that we could make this a regular summer trip.  With days of fasting before hand.

Tuesday we were off for another adventure.  We packed up the car and headed back West, this time taking a different route through South Dakota.  We were planning on doing some camping and touring the country as we go.  Our plan for the first day was to make it to Badlands National Park.  However, before you can get to the Badlands you have to pass through Mitchell, South Dakota.  Home of the Corn Palace.  Literally, a palace made of corn.  Perhaps the "corniest" place I have ever been, but you just have to stop there.  We loaded up on post cards and belated wedding gifts for my dear friend Joanna Cobb.  You're welcome, Jo.

After corn palace, we made a stop to see the worlds largest prairie dog right as we entered the Badlands.  For those of you who know us, you know that we're pretty obsessed with Moab, Utah.  Badlands is not far off from the feelings we get in Moab.  It's a whole other world that looks and feels like outer space.  It's gorgeous.

We camped one night at a public campground in the park and decided to do some exploring in the morning.  Unfortunately, national parks have a pretty strict dog rule so hiking around wasn't really an option for us.  It was also the windiest day known to man so even if we did go hiking, Munson would have likely been blown away.

We went through another prairie dog town that was swarming with literally thousands of prairie dogs and hit the road again. This time our ultimate goal was Spearfish Canyon.  However, before we reach spearfish we had to go through Wall, South Dakota.  Home of the famous Wall Drug.  Tommy had never experienced Wall Drug before and with the 3 million billboards we saw on the way we just had to stop.

Wall Dug was an adventure.  Taxidermy animals of every kind, life size jackalopes, and every sort of crappy souvenir  you could ever imagine.  After a few photo shoots we left with a stuffed jackalope for Munson and an indian head dress.  Overall, a pretty successful trip.

We left Wall Drug and finally made it to our destination.  Spearfish Canyon was gorgeous.  Tucked in the woods of the black hills surrounded by waterfalls, streams and tall cliffs.  It was a picturesque setting.  We set up the tent and settled in to our home for the next 2 days.

We were feeling pretty 'loungey' and mostly just sat around playing card games, drinking and taking pictures.  Unfortunately, there was still a fire ban so we couldn't have a campfire but we managed to still have our jumbo s'mores.

After a chilly morning, we decided to explore the town.  We drove about 20 minutes in to Deadwood, South Dakota.  Based on our love of HBO and Tommy's love for Westerns, we had to stop.  The town was really cute with old-timey buildings and streets.  It reminded me a little bit of Harpers Ferry, where I used to live.  Just a lot more casinos in Deadwood.

We visited the cemetery to see Wild Bill's and Calamity Jane's grave and then tried our luck at a hand of Blackjack.

With one day left on our All American Adventure, we explored the canyon a bit more and found some beautiful waterfalls on our way out.  

We were on our way back to Denver in the morning when we decided to make one more pit-stop. We weren't sure when we'd be back out this way so thought we might as well drive a few more hours and check out Devil's Tower.  It was well worth the drive.

The rock is incredible and definitely got us wishing we did some more climbing in hopes that we could climb that some day. We did the mile loop around the tower and stood in awe of how amazing Devil's Tower really is.  Pictures do not do it justice.

With a final roadside stop in a sunflower field, we finally made our way back home to Denver.  The trip was amazing.  We realized that aside from our 3 week mainland/Disney adventure a few years ago, this was the first vacation we had that was longer than 4 days.  A full week to take in all that this beautiful country has to offer. An All American Roadtrip.

Everything was great.  The fair, the cheesy pit stops, camping, the woods, the national parks....we couldn't ask for anything more.

Back in Denver, we're thankful that the extreme heat has finally died off and we are ready for fall.  The summer was simply amazing.  We packed a lot in and still have 2 weeks left.  ADVENTURE IS OUT THERE!

As always, love and aloha,

Dani, Tommy and Miss Munson

Big Day

Hello friends, Tommy here. As the title hints, yesterday was a day larger than average in relation to events and proximity to famous people. Our good friend Tami Parker, who is now practically the President of the United States of America's best friend, got us tickets to see him speak while he was here in Denver. Dani couldn't go because of work so I flew solo to see President Barack Obama address a crowd of Coloradans on Women's Health Security. I still had to wait in line for awhile in the hot Denver sun, but it was well worth it... well worth it. Eventually I got into the conditioned air of the Auraria Events Center. A few senators spoke before Obama came out and the crowd was getting amped- lots of cheers and waves. There was an amazing energy around. And then he came out. It was awesome. Amazing. Whether you agree with or like or disagree  with or dislike the president, you have to admit, the man can work a crowd. It was an emotional speech with a climactic rally at the end. I felt so privileged to be part of it.

After seeing Obama speak, I took the only logical next step. I made pasta salad. We had to make some food for the other big event of the day -tailgating for and then attending Jack White at Red Rocks Amphitheater. Dani made several delicious batches of Sangria the night before. We were meeting some great folks from the best bar in the world for a pre-concert party featuring chicken sausages, fried sweet potatoes, avocado bacon pasta salad and a decent dose of booze. It was an interesting crowd getting ready for the rock and roll- hippies, families, hipsters, punk rockers and elderly.
Overall a great great feel. We missed the opener. But its my belief that if you make to the opening band, you're not trying hard enough.  After some brief run ins with security regarding our camera and my inability to hide it in my pants, we made it into the amphitheater. Not before a full on molestation from a Samoan bouncer of course. Our seats were twenty rows behind our friends' so right before the show started, we snuck down and hung out with them for the whole show. It was absolutely fantastic. PURE Rock and Roll. Jack White got soul. He had a band of 6 seriously B.A. women backing him up. Them babes could rock. He played some old stuff and some awesome new stuff. And yes Susan, he played "I Can Tell That We Are Gonna Be Friends" and we thought of you the whole time.


This morning was a little rough, but I absolutely cannot describe how fun my first Red Rocks show was. Thank you Dani for the present. I love you.

miss and love you all.

d&t