The month of March has just flown by...

Wow! Here we are at the end of another month. In a way I am happy. Things are moving right along (as they should) and there are plenty of changes occurring. On the other hand, I am freaking out! I only have about a month to complete some very big projects for my classes- yikes!

For me, this month began with the wedding of one of my best friends from high school. Lance and I dated for a short time our freshman year of high school, and since then have remained close. He met Kristin shortly after we dated, and they have been together ever since! I think that makes 7-8 years. They are the cutest couple and I couldn't be happier for them. I loved dancing with my dad at the reception. I think thats where I get my dance skills- My mom was also burnin' up the floor (more than I had ever seen) ...to the bee gees of course!

My boyfriend Michael, my mom and dad attended both the wedding and the reception which had a black, white and red theme. The night was such a good little getaway. Throughout the years, I have realized weddings tend to do that- take your mind of anything and everything. The only thing that seems to be is the bride and the groom in all their happiness!

The second week of the month was pretty hectic as usual. I forgot to do my payroll (in IT we have to do our own payroll... I know, you're thinking, "Do your own payroll?" ...I agree- strange concept... I won't get started on this) so I was pretty broke this month. I have worked for MSCD IT for over a year now and still do not understand why each employee has to do their own payroll. I have never had a job like that. Every other job I have had you simply must clock in, and you will receive a paycheck. It's that simple! UGH Whatever.

So anyway, back to this month. St. Patricks Day was really nice. Michael, myself, my baby sister Brynn, her man Zach, my cousin Megan and her fiance Chris went over to my sister Pattie's house. Since we are on the topic of sisters, I'll just clear this up here and now. I have a total of four sisters... Yes that's right folks, my mom had five girls! Now, as you can imagine, this put my dad in an interesting position. I jokingly say to others when the topic comes up that even all the dogs in the house were female from time to time... This of course significantly contributes to the level of tolerance, understanding and patience my dad now has for not just women, but all the bitching, whining, crying, sassing, smart-mouthing things in the world.

Of course, we are all his angels, and if he reads this post he will say we (my sisters and I) are the love of his life and are not... to put it frankly... a royal pain in the rear anymore. What I am talking about here is the significant chunk of time we were in our pre-teen and teenage years- that is enough bitching, whining, crying, sassing and smart-mouthing (from 3 all at once) to really change a person... Its no wonder he really loves our significant others now... The give him an "out" so-to-speak. From time to time my dad will call up Michael and want to know if he would like to go with him to catch some jazz at Dazzle or get a beer at the local pub close to our house.

Easter was also really nice. Michael and I attended church at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception close to our house and then traveled out to southeast Aurora to have dinner with my family. We had baked potatoes and honey baked ham. MMMM... So good. I love my family. I am so happy we are so close in proximity to each other. Even my oldest sister and her family who live in Ft. Collins will be moving to Denver soon, which will put us all within a 30-40 mile radius of each other.

Though that might change when I graduate. I still have this desire to see what another city and state is like. I think the Pacific Northwest is beautiful. If I was offered a job there, I might take it and live there for a few years. Ultimately though, when it comes time to have kids, Michael and I have agreed that wherever we are, we would move back to Colorado to be close not only to my family, but to his as well (Michael's brother and mom live in Colorado Springs and his sister lives in Ft. Collins).

All of this talk about moving reminds me that another very cool thing happened this month. Our apartment building management staff called us up to let us know that a 5th floor apartment on the east side will be opening up. The people who live there currently will be out of their apartment by the end of April and we will be able to move in come early May! I was soooo excited! We have been on the waiting list to get up to floors 5-9 since September of last year. We currently live on the 2nd floor of our building and face the west side. We have a view of the alley and the brick sides of rowhomes directly to the west. We can also see the pool in the back, which is nice, but our apartment is not high enough to get enough light.

My cousin Meg and her fiance Chris moved to the 4th floor early summer of last year. They painted their apartment and get so much more light than ours currently does because they are higher. It really helps their place look so much "homier". My cousin and I are really into plants.
We found from our growing season last year that plants grow better on the east side because they get intense sun in the morning and then subtle, indirect light in the afternoon. I am so excited to move... I know this will help me feel better, as I am the kind of person that needs lots of natural light in a living space.

This week was spring break. It is already Saturday of break and we only have Sunday until we return to school. Even break has gone by fast! I thought break would be a nice long week of relaxation and rejuvenation... Not the case. I think spring break went by so fast this year not only because we (the 5280 Closers) were working through it to complete project #2, but also because my boyfriend Michael's good friend Sheila was visiting us from Ohio. Sheila was Michael's pen pal when he was serving our country in Afghanistan. She participated in the "Adopt-a-Soldier" program and began writing Michael about 3 months into his tour. They have remained close since then and has now become Michael's "2nd Mom". She is a wonderful woman.

Wednesday of this week I decided to get away with Sheila and Michael and the three of us went to Lookout Mountain and Buffalo Bill's Grave Site. We also had lunch in Georgetown. It was so nice to just enjoy each other and to be in the mountains. I really wish I could get up into the mountains more, as that is where I am happiest.

This month I was also able to go to my cousin Meg's wedding dress fitting. I am her maid of honor, and was happy to go with her and Chris's mom Laura to the bridal shop where she bought her dress. Meg wants to keep the dress a secret from as many people as possible so it is a surprise the day she walks down the aisle- which I think is really smart. We were also able to go pick out some potential brides maids dresses. I tried a couple on at David's Bridal, and have figured out I really need to loose some weight. I know I am not fat by any means, but I felt a little frumpy in such nice dresses. It is something I have been meaning to do for a while, but school, work and other activities have filled up my schedule so much that I truly don't have enough time to get on a regular schedule of working out. Hopefully I will have that time available this summer.

This summer I plan on only taking one class and working about 30 hours a week for IT. I wanted to complete my internship this summer, but might not have the time to get it set up this semester. I am thinking spring of 2009 will be a good time for that simply because if I graduate in spring, I might be able to stay on with whichever organization I choose to intern with. Many of the PR firms work their internships this way. They want someone who will be graduating so they can keep you and move you up into a permanent position.

Anyway, now that I have written a book I will sign off. I have enjoyed the month of March tremendously. So many changes, so many events... I am glad my life is moving right along. I feel I am growing and learning so much right now. I thank God every day for my life and they way things are progressing!

E

Winning is just so great!

Ahhh, winning. What a feeling. It really is nice to compete and end up at the top. It is such a re-assurance to me to know that our team's hard work is recognized and that all five of us work well together. We have an amazing team charisma and way of remaining honest with each other. We also have a great way of holding each other accountable. I have never been a part of a team like this to be honest! I am proud to be a "closer".

Our reward this Tuesday was so cool. I had never experienced a sports event from such a view. Box seats ROCK! I have always been a hockey fan, but have not had enough money to be able to enjoy the sport live, which in my opinion, is the only way to enjoy it. We had access to free food, drink and dessert. When I told Michael we could bring a guest and that I wanted him to come (This was on Friday after we presented) he was so excited. I think he was more excited than I was since it was his first Avs game! I was glad to be able to take him.

The tour of Altitude Sports was really interesting. Not many people get to go where we went unless you work for the Pepsi Center or Altitude. We got to see the cameramen as they were working, the sound guys and basically the whole production crew as they were producing a TV program! I'll remember that for a long time! I think my favorite thing to see was the camera guys that follow the puck throughout the game. They have the most fun- Its almost like playing a video game... They have joysticks and can zoom in and out for a better picture!

When I returned from my tour, Ginny suprised us again. With excitement in her voice, she announced, "At the end of the game, we have VIP passes for you all to meet the players and get thier autographs!" Oh, MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOD!!!!!! COOOLLLL!!!!!!! I really flipped out this time! I immediatly thought of getting Peter Forsberg and Joe Sakics signatures. I was like a kid on Christmas morning. I almost had tears in my eyes at the thought- I know, I know, its a little much and it sounds like I am being a little dramatic, but you have to understand that as a native who loves her Stanley-Cup winning team, I was thrilled!

The game was great- The Avalance won against Vancouver 2 to 1. It was also Peter Forsbergs' first night back to the Avs in three or four years from playing on other NHL teams. There was magic in the air. As the massive crowd of Avalanche fans began to leave the Pepsi Center, we slowly made our way through to the east entrance. We waited there for our beloved players. Although we didn't get pics with the "big shots" of the team, we did get about 10 signatures from other players on the team including Cody McCleod and Kurt Sauer!

The night was amazing. Ironically, as Michael and I left the Pepsi Center hand in hand, we passed a Denver's Road Home collection meter. As I put some change into the meter, I couldn't help but feel warm inside. Our team did a good thing for a good organization. The Disability Center for Independent Living helps those who are less fortunate stay off the Denver streets by providing an array of transitional services for personal independence and sustainability. Our team helped them reach a few short-term goals, and gave them a good head-start for a few long term goals. As I deposited the money into the meter, I knew that our team's help toward the big picture (helping to overcome the city-wide problem of homelessness) ...mattered.

-E

Project #2 Presentation

Last Friday my team (5280 Closers) and I presented to the judges all that we did in Project #2- The UMB Homeless Challenge! As before, we were given instructions from our friends at the alumni house regarding what were were to do that day. We were instructed to go to UMB Bank Downtown Denver to the third floor at 9:00 a.m. where the main bank headquarters are. I woke up somewhat rested, and was glad to live in close proximity to several coffee shops in the Capitol Hill area, as I was able to stop and get a life-saving cup of joe to start my morning.

I must say, I had never been in such a corporate environment before (UMB Bank Downtown). I got lost in the parking garage! I couldn't tell which level I was on or where the elevators were. As I attempted to find the elevator that would take me to the main lobby, I thought to myself that it would be nice to see how people dress and act in such a professional environment. When I got to the lobby, everyone I passed smelled of fresh perfume or cologne. The lobby itself was as clean and ready for the day as the professionals who walked through it.

Initially I didn't see anyone I recognized from the Apprentice Program, so I just got on an elevator. Little did I know the elevator I got on only went to floors 30-40 (or something like that). I realized this after the doors had closed and I was already sandwiched between two guys who were busy discussing their upcoming weekend trip to the slopes and another very well-dressed and poised blonde woman. I waited until everyone got off my elevator to return to the main lobby. I didn't panic, as I had left early in the day already preparing for some kind of usual morning disaster. I got off the wrong elevator and proceeded toward the Apprentice Challenge sign I had already seen in the lobby.

At this point I realized that UMB Bank had thier own set of elevators just for the first set of floors they were at. In the UMB elevators and then on the way to the room where I would meet up with my teammates, I couldn't help but think "Wow... I could soon be working in this kind of place- Lots of men and women dressed in suits, ties and heels." The thought excited me and gave me encouragement for the day.

Our team met in a small room on the 2nd floor, away from the other team. As I entered the room, I could sense the exhaustion from my teammates. "Did everyone get some coffee this morning?" ...The answer was a very unenthusiastic "No". I thought to myself "This is not good". I asked my teammates what time they finished our power point the night before. I'll just say it was a very, very late night for everyone. I had stayed at Noah's house with my team until 2 a.m. to help out- some of them were out longer. As we sat and reviewed our presentation slides, we waited to be called into the boardroom.

Soon the time came for us to go upstairs to meet up with the judges and the opposing team. I started to get a little nervous. I wondered how this presentation will differ from our last. Our SmartMeal Presentation was great! We were all enthusiastic going into the room and confident we were going to win. But this time things felt different for some reason. I couldn't really put my finger on it- perhaps it was the stress of the week and the stress of the project itself. As we entered the boardroom and sat at our designated seats along a very long rectangular table, I could sense the nerves in the room. Chris had come over from the A Team and shook our hands. "Good luck you guys" he said. I thought that was such a nice gesture- What a good sport! I wanted to do the same to the rest of his team, but everyone was already finding their seats and getting ready for introductions.

Soon after Josh from Alumni Relations introduced the judges and other officials in the room, we flipped a coin to see who would present first. The A-Team lost the toss up, and so our team decided to present second. We were told each team could choose two members who could "sit in" and watch the opposing team's presentation. I volunteered to watch along with my teammate Heidi. Our team left the room and soon, the A Team began their presentation. I was impressed with the work they did for their organization. The A Team worked with a non-profit called El Centro Humanitario (The Center for the Workers). They raised awareness in the Auraria Campus community through a Tool Drive. They spent their $500 well- They bought tools for the center that are usually not donated such as table saws, drills and other large equipment. I thought the work the A-Team put into the tool collection was amazing. They did such a great job organizing things! At the end of the presentation I was nervous. I had almost wished I hadn't watched their presentation because I knew we had to do better to win.

After watching their presentation, I thought for sure, they had the win. As we approached the front of the room though, I saw Heidi smile. "We got this... Don't worry" she said... I think she sensed I was nervous. Her warm smile and reassurance made me feel good. As our fearless leader Giedre stood up and introduced our team to the room, I began to feel a little bit better. After our presentation, I felt sooo relieved. I think I actually felt the pressure in my blood vessels release as we walked out of the boardroom. I took a big breath and smiled. We all knew we had done our best as a team and that if we were the winners, it would show in our question and answer session as well.

After a short break, we had our questions and answer session and spoke even more confidently than we had in our presentation. I have learned to love the question and answer session. It is a really great opportunity for the judges to ask us about why we did things a certain way. They can see throughout the session some of our team personality and uniqueness. I think a lot of our team cohesiveness comes out in the way we deliver our answers to the judges.

After the judges deliberated, the winner was announced. The President of UMB Bank announced the winner happily. "The winner of the UMB Homeless Challenge is..." I held my breath and crossed my fingers. "The 5280 Closers!" My eyes got big and I looked to my right at Noah. The look on his face was priceless! His eyes were big and he also looked amazed. We had won! YEAH!!!!! I was so happy ...and surprised. I thought both teams put the same amount of work in and it was hard to know the outcome. I now know that a surprise win feels so great and that I should never underestimate the power of my team to come together! My face lit up as I turned to look at my teammates on my left. We were all so happy.

Geri soon revealed our reward. We were all given Avalanche t-shirts and Altitude Sports ball caps. "Team 5280 Closers, on Tuesday night of next week, you will each get to invite a guest to join you to box seats for an Avalanche game at the Pepsi Center!" She said. Geri continued with "You will also receive a VIP behind-the-scenes tour of Altitude Sports media bus inside the Pepsi Center!" I flipped out! What a great reward! The last time I had been to an Avs game was about 8 or 9 years ago when the Avs were still playing in McNichols Sports arena. I had only been to the Pepsi Center for some Disney on Ice shows for the little ones in my family (actually, my dad wanted to go to Aladdin on ICE!~ lol... J/K!) Anyway, I was psyched! I couldn't wait to get home so I could tell Michael about our win and to tell him he was soon going with me to his first Avs game ever!

-E

Things are heating up!

We are now coming down the home stretch with project #2! We will be presenting this Friday and are excited to win again! My team is doing... (Pause) Oh, wait... Did I just say we were going to win? YES YES YES I DID!.... And to some people out there who don't know the elevation of Denver and think we are 2580 feet above sea level-Shame on you! Ugh... I guess not everyone is a true Colorado native!

Where was I- Oh yes, my team is doing a great job of wrapping up all we have done in the last two weeks for the Disability Center for Independent Living. I won't give away all our secrets just yet, but I can say we have done a lot for this grassroots organization.

(Sigh) Yes, its a dog-eat-dog world out there. Nothing is easy in this world... Just when you think you got the best idea out there, someone comes and pulls the rug out from underneath ya and always manages to do it better. If this challenge doesn't give everyone a crash course in business competition the way it is in the real world, I really don't know what will!

All I have to say for now is A Team, you better brace for impact- You're not gonna know what hit ya come FRIDAY! HA HA HA (smiling with an evil eye)

E

How things are going...

This week (although extremely busy) has been actually pretty good. I have been pretty productive. I have been working on homework, making contacts, holding meetings, making appointments, and writing lots of emails. I have made time for things this week.

I talked to my mentor for the first time on Monday. Wendy is such a great gal. She reminds me of my best friend Angela. Angela is a little older than me and I consider her one of my closest friends and mentors. She has a way of talking that just makes you feel comfortable whether it is over the phone, face-to-face or in an email. That's kinda how Wendy is! I noticed that although she is really busy, she will take the time out to REALLY listen to me talk about anything. The only thing I have to watch is how much I end up talking as compared to her! I can sometimes get carried away and forget to ask questions of the person I am talking to.

I am even getting into Goodyear this week to get my tires changed on my car! Thats a miracle! I thought for sure that would be something that would be put off until spring break. I tend to suprise myself everyday I think. I went in to talk to Janell (Apprentice Program Coordinator) the other day and was suprised at how good I felt when I came out of our meeting. I was just so comfortable during the meeting. I think it's her office~ She's got some good Feng Shui goin on in there!

Ahhh, yes... I love the Feng Shui! I am so in touch with spaces that feel comfortable and "homey". Take for example my house... We (Michael and I) have a fish tank, several plants, and warm colors we use for decoration. The fish tank is a 20-gallon tank that trickles lightly in the background and is located in the main room. Ahhh, just thinking of home makes me wanna get away from these flourescent lights at school and into my PJ's. Janells office always has nice lighting (incandescent), quiet music and is painted the most lovely green color (a soothing, natural color).

Ok, ok, so Im getting carried away here- But you get the picture- I have made time this week for things to get done, and time for relaxation and rejuvenation! Life is good!
Anyway, Ill sign off. I have an hour before I can close up the lab and get home to my comfy couches and tail-wagging boyfr... I mean dog!

E

I wish I could live like my dog...

Ok, so here I am again pouring my heart out to a machine. I feel as a student and a labtech in IT that I face the monitor of a computer more that I do the face of an actual person. So I have decided to "get real" with this whole blogging thing. I am not going to pretend that everything in my life right now is "peachy". Things are beginning to pick up and I am really starting to feel the stress... REALLY starting to feel it!

I am glad that I have so many people in my life right now that are supporting me. I am learning that this whole process of learning how to balance one's schedule is (at times) not so easy. I have never in my life been this busy. Sometimes I ask myself why I put myself through such "torture". I think the answer is because I come from a family who has always worked extremely hard.

My whole family has incredible work ethic. Take for example my dad. As a child, I remember my dad coming home from a full day's work just to cook dinner, help all three of his girls with homework, bathe us (when we were little), and get us all to bed. This does not mean my mom didn't do any work! She worked just at hard as my dad! When I was born, my parents were living in a trailer in Breckenridge and both worked 2-3 jobs just to pay the bills. Then, when my parents moved to Denver, she became a full-time, stay-at home mom! She worked to make sure us girls were fed, safe and cared for. That is a lot to do just one person and three girls all day long. Its a good thing school days lasted as long as they did to help her out a bit.

My mom was also a Girl Scout leader and helped out at our families church. I remember days when we would go with her to church to play in an open area while she helped decorate, wash windows, vacuum, etc. All the work she did was volunteer work. I look up to her for that... Now that we are working with a non-profit organization, I can see the value in volunteer work.

My grandpa, Norman Kasch was an architect. He graduated from Denver University, met my grandma, fell in love and had four kids! They too worked hard to ensure their family was safe, happy and well cared for. My grandma, like my mother was also a Girl Scout leader and a full-time mom. She takes such pride in the fact that she raised four kids and was active in helping them with their social development.

I know that is where I get it from... My hard-working family. I understand that nothing in this world is free, and if you want luxuries, you better be prepared to work for them! That doesn't mean that when times are tough and I am totally stressed out that I don't feel like totally shutting down. Lately, I have been experiencing strange thoughts... I find myself wishing I was my dog or a kid again. My dog Otis sleeps almost all day, gets to go to the dog park on the weekends, gets lots of love and attention from his humans, gets to play with his friend Oliver (who lives on the fourth floor) and he receives the occasional bacon treat from mom. Ahh, the life of a dog! So simple! To be a kid again would be even better! No responsibilities, summers last super long, yada yada yada.

OK, so there's my little "gripe session!" Be prepared to hear more (not too many more) as I wish to portray the good times (stress-less) and the not-so-good (stressful) times. Thats life right?

Peace,
E

A Life-Changing Job

We were just assigned our second project this last Friday, and we are so excited (You'll be able to tell from Noah's blog of course)! We will be working for an organization called The Disability Center for Independent Living. The center provides assistance to the disabled community who are transitioning into a self-sustaining lifestyle. Many of these men and women have been in places like nursing homes or jail and have nowhere to go once they are released from them. The center helps them with counseling, housing assistance, job placement and other services to prevent them from being homeless.

This next project means a lot to me. About 3 years ago, I found myself lost and unsure of what I was going to do with my life. I got myself into a lot of trouble and had a terrible semester at school. My dad told me I needed to work full-time to clear my head and figure out what I wanted to do with myself for the next couple of years. He encouraged to look at what I was good at and find a job that aligned with those talents. As a Christian, I prayed that God would help me find a job where my work was meaningful. I was led to a job in personal care.

I filled out an application for full-time work at an organization in Ft. Collins called Mosaic. Mosaic houses and provides care for adults with disabilities. When I first started working for Mosaic I was completely intimidated by the kind of work I was going to be doing. Looking back now, I can see that I was probably experiencing a bit of culture shock. Prior to working in the various group homes they had, I worked as an activity assistant at Ft. Collins Healthcare Center. I had become familiar with the nursing and personal care environment, but didn't have any idea what it was like to be a care provider (as an activities assistant, you don't really care for patients- you just do activities with them like Bingo!)

As I began my work at Mosaic, I realized I was gonna need to ask a lot of questions. Some of the behaviors of the clients I was working with were actually scary and made me feel afraid to approach them. Having no childhood exposure to the mentally and physically disabled community, I found I was lost and didn't even know where to start with my work (the adults we worked with in the group homes had a variety of disabilities ranging from mental retardation to bi-polar and schizophrenia). As time went on, I became more comfortable with my clients, and realized that although they are disabled, they can still love, laugh, be sad and afraid like me.

It was a life-changing experience to work with disabled adults. I became a more compassionate person from the work I did with them. I learned to have fun and laugh with people who are at times part of a population that can be ostracized and ignored. I also found out that I am a stronger person for my ability to see them for who they really are and my ability to handle tough, emergency situations. I created relationships with my clients and co-workers that changed my life forever.

The Disability Center for Independent Living- an organization whose mission is to provide aid to those who need it most- disabled adults who are either in jail or have come from nursing care and are transitioning into a self-sustaining life! What a great organization! I am so excited to be doing such humanitarian work! It makes me feel good that I can help others- I have that kind of personality. I am compassionate, loving and understanding. I have the gift of being a good listener and friend. I see the potential in people and strive to help them realize that potential (thus the reason I am the "Cheerleader" of the group).

One of my favorite populations to work with is children just because my personal qualities (I mostly provide encouragement and inspiration) help them realize their own potential. Four or five years ago I volunteered for Big Brothers Big Sisters and became a mentor. I worked with a beautiful young lady named Leah. Our relationship as mentor and mentee was what made me realize my gifts along with my work as a personal care provider.

All this talk brings me to my next point... This encouragement quality, ability to listen to the needs of others, and passion to make a difference will really help this organization! I only wish we had more time! I think my studies in Public Relations and Communications will really help this organization. I am excited to put my education to work and begin networking with people who have the same passion that I do -Helping their fellow man!

Blah, Blah, Blah- This was a really long one! Bear with me readers- I think I am beginning to really like this blogging stuff! Its a good thing I know how to type! I can see that blogging will soon become an essential part of this program. It will certainly help me get through things. I am one of those people who loves to talk, and when I don't have anyone to talk to, then I write. I am thankful for this semester- I am rapidly realizing that I have just enough time to write, read, do my homework, keep in touch with my family and friends (I saw my family this weekend) and work on Apprentice Team projects. I am budgeting my time better than I thought!

Thats it for tonight. As usual, I have reading to do and must do a quick sweep of the labs (I am at work). Until next time,

Erin