Wedding Weekend

Last weekend I joined roommates Patric and Erin in Winter Park, CO to witness their vows to each other. I took a flight to Denver after work on Friday and was fortunate enough to catch a ride with another friend of the couple going to the wedding. I saved half of what I would have had pay the shuttle service. We made it to the rehearsal dinner at Azteca about 30 minutes late, but were welcomed with open arms. It was good to see friends from the University of Dubuque and meet some new acquaintances. I stayed in a hotel room with Aaron Soenksen (my former flight instructor) and his wife Shannon and Neil Weston (a former UD instructor) and his wife Molly (a former classmate at UD).
Saturday morning I slept in as best I could. As you know circadian rhythm is hard to break. I took some pictures around the lodge and borrowed Aaron's laptop to stay current with what was going on in the Facebook world. I hung out with the groomsman and ushers before the ceremony. We had some sandwiches for lunch and I took a few more pictures of the mountains out the window.
The ceremony began around 3:15. It was fairly short and sweet. The backdrop of the mountains was beautiful but definitely something that had to be experienced firsthand. A cocktail hour followed the wedding ceremony while the wedding party took pictures. We had Italian buffet for dinner. I had chicken and penne noodles, vegetables, bread sticks and salad. After dinner the dance party got underway. I was the recipient of the garter. If anyone is keeping track, this is the 4th garter I've caught from the last 5 weddings I've been to. Not sure that that says anything though.
On Sunday morning we hit the road at about 8:30. I rode back to the airport with Nick Sieberg (a UD alum, pilot for Mesaba and "crashpadder" at the Leuschke house), his wife Brianne and their son Landen (the ring bearer). Landen got altitude sickness overnight even though they had been there since Wednesday or Thursday. He was spitting up, so we hurried to get him off the mountain. Once we got to the airport he was much better and he was back to himself by the time we got to Minneapolis. The flight from Denver to Minne was full so we were all slightly worried about getting a seat. We made it without incident and I was home by 7pm after giving a ride to some other friends who took the flight after us.
After the fun-filled weekend I still had Monday off from work to recoup and get some chores done. I picked up Jackson and Sam from the boarders and they were really excited to see me. It was another cold week at work, but the prospects of next week are looking better. This weekend my plan is to get my tax returns filed. It might also be a good opportunity to make something in the crock pot. I don't think it's been used lately except for smokies at New Years.

Still Searching for Lake Wobegon

Well, it’s been a quiet week in Eagan, MN my new town, on the edge of Minneapolis. The holiday travel season has just about come to a close. Many a passenger sat and waited for their flight, hoping that the inclement weather had not forced the flight to cancel. The ramp agents didn’t seem to mind too much. Bag loads increased slightly and the snow made it difficult to push the carts around and more shoveling had to be done, but there were less flights to load so it all worked out. Even in the brief moments of chaos, co-workers pulled together to get the job done. In a way it brought everyone a little closer for the holidays, even if they couldn’t get home to see their families on Christmas day.
I was one of the fortunate ones who had to work on Christmas day and Christmas Eve day. Knowing that the holiday flight schedule would be less demanding than normal and the weather may leave me with almost nothing to do, I brought my laptop and a few of my favorite holiday classics to watch. On Christmas Eve, our break room enjoyed three movies through the course of our 10 hour day. Not too shabby if you ask me. Christmas day played out in similar fashion. It’s unfortunate for the people traveling, but such is the nature of the beast.
After the storm had passed, I did make it home to Mom and Dad’s house on Saturday afternoon. I left Eagan at about 10:45 and arrived in Pella at 3:30. The roads were fair, but I did count about 8 vehicles in the ditch along I-35 and 2 resting on their roof near Ankeny. We opened gifts shortly after I got home and later that evening we went bowling with Darel and Jacob. I bowled a 123, 100, 171 series. All over the board, but you get to drop your two lowest scores, right?
On Monday, Jacob helped me change the oil in my car and rotate the tires before I headed back to Minnesota. We ate lunch at Pizza Ranch because I had been craving it for so long. I grabbed a valance from Dad’s office for my bedroom window which I hung when I got home. I think it sets the room off nicely and the theme fits with the locale.
As promised from my last post, I would be happy to share my new address if you don’t already have it. However, I prefer that you email me and ask for it rather than post it on the internet for everyone to see. I’ll try to keep up with this news medium/ creative outlet more this year. Thanks again for your patience.
That’s the news from Eagan, MN where there’s not a Hy-Vee to be found, a casserole is called a hot dish, and you just pray your car starts at quarter after 4 in the morning.