new year, new ambition!

Hello, friends in blogland!

Please excuse my month-long absence from my blog :) The holidays were both a busy and wonderful time for me. We traveled or I worked every weekend from November til last weekend! I have lots and lots to tell you :) But for my first blog of the new year, I should probably be cliche and start with my plans for 2011 :)

I will definitely be continuing along the road of health & fitness goals {especially since I'll be in a wedding this summer!!! --- more on that later} as well as being better with my budget and minimizing excess spending {since the hubs and I will be living off of loans come this summer...} but, my

main ambition for 2011 is

to spend more time with the people I love,

making memories and trying new things

It all started a few weeks ago at work when a coworker of mine found this website that outlines 101 Things Every Coloradan Should Try in 2011. It says that, "We live in the best state, it's time to enjoy it to the fullest." I was inspired by this website, and wrote down every thing on the list. If you're ready, I'll show you what the list looks like. I have it split up into 5 different categories...

First: Things I really really hope to accomplish in 2011 ---

1. Hike a 14er: use 14ers.com. Try Mt. Elbert or San Luis Peak first.

2.    Join in the fan club in the supporters’ terrace at a Rapid’s Game

3.    Ride on the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad --- Summer: Rails & Ales Festival

4.    Denver Food Trucks – Justice League of Street Food

5.    Take a tour of the Redstone Castle in Carbondale

6.    Tubing at Frisco’s Adventure Park

7.    Go Dog Sledding {$70}

8.    Race to the top of the Stanley Hotel {Estes Park}

9.    See a play at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival {Boulder in the summer}

10. Attend the Mile High Music Festival

11.  Taste of Colorado {Labor Day Weekend}

12.  Parade of Lights

13.  Banjo Billy’s Bus Tours {Denver and Boulder, Sats @ 2pm}

14.  Adventure Golf & Raceway {Westminster, bungee drag race!!!}

15.  Denver Gorilla Run --- run a 5K in a gorilla suit on Halloween!

16.  St. Patrick’s Day Parade

17.  Beau Jo’s in Idaho Springs {the first Beau Jo's}

18.  Comedy Works

19.  Alpine Slide at Heritage Square {shops, in Golden, $33 for 5 rides}

20. Tour Celestial Seasonings in Boulder

21.  Denver Zoo’s Brew at the Zoo

22. Halloween in LoDo

23.  Sled/ski the Great Sand Dunes

24.  X Games in Aspen

25.  Colorado Dragon Boat Festival {beer garden, vendors, July 30-31}

26.  Rent a red bike with Denver’s Bicycles

27. Light the Lights Celebration {Thanksgiving weekend}

28. Renaissance Festival {summer in Larkspur}

29. Buy a book at the Tattered Cover on Colfax

Things I would like to try--- 

30. Buy a record at Albums on the Hill

31.  Go to the first Chipotle on Evans

32.  Sunset @ Peaks Lounge {in Grand Hyatt Regency @ Denver Convention Center}

33.  Thanksgiving fries at Big Game

34.  Brewski @ Woodcellar Bar & Grill {Evergreen}

35.  Play roulette in Black Hawk

36.  Buffalo Bill’s Grave

37.  Make out on Lookout Mountain

38.  Paddle Boat in Wash Park

39.  Central City Opera House

40. Madame Lou Bunch days {brass beds, Central City}

41.  Add a dollar to Bonanza Casino’s ceiling {Central City}

42.  Fly from DIA to Durango {Durango brewing}

43.  Nuggets Game

44.  Outlaws Lacrosse

45.  Ms. Hooters Colorado Pageant {April 28, 2011 at Suite 200}

46.  Order a beer from Captain Earthman: beer vendor at Coors Field {Left Field}, Fillmore, Red Rocks, and Comfort Dental Ampitheatre. Cell: 720.371.4252

47.  Cherry Creek Sneak {Sunday, May 1^st}

48.  Ski opening day at A-Basin

49.  Tiny Town {summers}

50. Make homebrew

51.  Picture next to the big blue bear at the Convention Center

52.  Bike 66 miles along Highline Canal Trail

53.  Indoor Skydiving

54.  Play pinball in Lyons {and eat at Oskar Blues}

55.  James Peak Yurt & Poo Yeti {Blackhawk}12

56.  7-lb burrito at Jack-N-Grill {Westminster}

57.  Have a beer at San Luis Valley Brewing Company in Alamosa

58.  Wine in Grand Junction – American Spirit Tours

59.  Mountain Boarding

60. Ghost stories at Chautauqua Park

61.  Balloon rides in Boulder

62.  Mile High Pedicab

Things on the list I have already done --- 

63.  Eat at The Cherry Cricket

64.  Concert at Red Rocks

65.  Rock & Roll Marathon

66.  Road Trip on Independence Pass à Aspen

67.  White Water Raft {with the Adventure Company}

68.  Snowmobile in the backcountry

69.  Camping in a state park

70. RTD Lightrail

71.  Bottle Service at Suite 200

72. Aspens changing on Trail Ridge Road

73.  Water World – Voyage to the Center of the Earth

74.  Elitch’s – Tower of Doom

75.  Cave at Casa Bonita

76.  Denver Mint

77. Bohemian Nights {New West Fest}

78. Rocky Mountain Showdown {CU vs CSU}

79. Look for wildlife in Rocky Mountain National Park

80. Hot Springs pool

81.  Tailgate at a Denver Broncos game

82. Sundown Saloon in Boulder

83.  16^th Street Mall Ride

84.  Rockies Game

85.  Ziplining

86.  Garden of the Gods

87. 4 Corners, USA

88. Pole Dancing at Tease Studio

89. Hold breath in Eisenhower Tunnel

90. Jeep tour in Durango {Rhino in Moab}

91.  Paint by Wine {Canvas & Cocktails}

Things on the list I really don't feel like doing, this year or ever, for that matter --- 

92. Rocky Mountain Oysters at Buckhorn Exchange

93.  Eat Bison Tongue at the Fort

94.  Fly Fish in the Colorado River

95.  Zombie Crawl

96.  Ice Hut & Fish

97. Golf TEC

98. Lance Armstrong race Aug 22-28

99. Dive with the sharks at the Downtown Aquarium

Things I would like to do, but can't afford to --- 

100.              Stay in America’s Best Ski Hotel: Beaver Creek’s Westin River Front Hotel

101.               $550 Martini

102.               Steamboat Powercats Tour {$$$}

So there you have it! I'm not really sure how I got to 102 items since it's supposed to be a 101 item list...but whatever :) For all you Coloradans --- is there anything NOT on the list that you think is a "must-have experience" when you live here? I've decided that I have lived in this beautiful state for almost 25 years, and I really need to take advantage of the amazing experiences it holds for me!

So here's to a new year with hopefully plenty of new experiences with the people I care about :)

Cheers!

PS --- It feels good to be back :)