It's Frontier Days!

And I have been so busy I haven't been able to post!

Here is my haphazard collection of photos so far.

Want to know why there a) aren't many photos, and b) I'm not posting frequently...?  It's because my coworkers and I are running all over the park managing the CFD facebook page!  We're getting TONS of great video and photos to share with fans.  Consequently, that's been occupying all my computer time!  Check it out...!

Ok - quick catch up:

KISS played on Friday night for the first concert of the week to an absolutely ROARING crowd.  I got to see them (albeit through a window) behind stage!  They did walk in front of me to the vans they ride in to the stage.  That was cool...

Stage set-up for KISS's show...

These two horses just cracked me up fighting over that dish...

Some country dancin' at the Buckin' A Saloon in the Midway...

Horses from the Wild Horse Race zooming past in the back stretch...

What the first Pancake Breakfast of the week always looks like for me.  I have to be there by 4:30 a.m. with my news crew, which has been Channel 4 of Denver for the past two years...

The Depot Plaza pre-dawn with the news cameras set up...

A few more folks...and a little more light.  There were over 8,700 folks fed today...

Cody Sosbee, the CFD rodeo clown...

I not only went behind the chutes for this shot but underneath the stands...

Just some cool pics of a ride...

Same ride...

More of that ride...

The last bit of that ride...

Cowboys behind the chutes...

After a bull ride...

I'll have a lot more to share, but after being up before dawn with my news crew I'm too tired to load right now.  Stay tuned!

Todd's a hater too

A couple weeks ago we pulled the stupid Fabulous 400 out so Todd could see if he could figure out why the big oven went kaput.

In moving it, we figured out where the 400 comes from – it easily weighs 4,000 pounds.

Replacing this thing is such a kitchen conundrum.  See the cabinets that are under the Fab...?

Those will have to come out with a different stove.  And I’ve already mentioned the fact that the 400 is 40-inches wide means either a) we spend about a million dollars on a new 40-inch stove (that size is considered professional or commercial grade), or b) we get a 30 or 36-inch stove (normal sizes) and have a corresponding 10 or 4-inch gap to fill between the stove and the other cabinets.

We’ve brainstormed that the gap could make a good cookie sheet cabinet, but then there’s the countertop that would be short… ARGH!!!

Do you see where my deep-seated hatred for the Fabulous 400 stems from??

After tinkering with it to no avail then hoisting it back…Todd’s a hater now too.

Mr. and Mrs. Clean

Yesterday was maybe one of the happiest days of my life:

Our washer and dryer arrived!

Ok, it might be a little dramatic to say it was one of the happiest days...but it's right up there.

We've been without a washer and dryer since May 28 when we closed on the new house.  As you can imagine, we've amassed quite the mountain of laundry.  We did do a few emergency loads at the Cheyenne house on one of our trips down to get stuff, but that didn't really make a dent.

We ordered the new appliances about three weeks ago and have been awaiting their arrival with as much excitement as a kid looking forward to Christmas.

The big delivery stork with our exciting arrival...

We debated for months about what set to get.  Do we drop big bucks on the front loading kind?  We were hesitant...but it saves money over time with water and electric efficiency.  You don't know the back and forth we had!  We finally decided on a sale price front loader...

Up and running!  But we almost weren't.  Before we could get going we discovered they delivered an unmatched set!  The washer was correct, but the dryer was not what we bought.  We called Sears to check, and as it would happen the sales lady ordered the wrong dryer.  I nearly had a coronary.  She told us we could keep the wrong dryer - and use it - until our new one came in and we could make the exchange.  Lucky for her she offered that solution...I was ready to drive to the store and raise hell!  We were NOT going to wait any longer for clean clothes (I know you're thinking what's wrong with the laundry mat?  Aside from the obvious 'lots of things' it was down right expensive!  We tried going this route and walked out.  I'm fine with paying a couple bucks to clean my clothes, but $5 or more??  I think not.)

The funny thing about these?  They play what I call a Pied Piper tune as you're unloading.  It's funny and annoying all at the same time.  But I'll put up with it for clean clothes.

Happy belated 4th

I know this is several days past due, but now is the time that I have time to wish America happy birthday!

For the Fourth I spent Saturday and Sunday at Alcova lake with friends.  A couple I went to college with has a cabin there and they very graciously invited me and several others to come hang out.  Todd had to work the lake most of the time, but was able to meet up here and there to say hi.

Jonna's dad Wayne became our Lady Liberty when the boat light snapped off.  He diligently held the light until we found a fix...

This was our fix.  Medical tape.  Worked like a dream...

There were two boats of us that went out on the water for the fireworks show Sunday night.  Notice the dark boat pulled along the white one?  That's Todd pulling over one of our fleet.  Just a simple life jacket check...nothing to see here...

Jonna and her fiance Eric.  How romantic...!

Fireworks on the water!  Happy belated 4th!

Todd Cousteau

Todd is a highly credentialed diver!

I knew this, and knew about his easily half-ton scuba trunk with all his gear packed inside, but I had never seen him dive.

Until last week.

He volunteered to help the (water) ski club at Alcova look for a cable used to tether their slalom course, which had been cut by vandals and was resting somewhere on the lake bottom.

Getting geared up...

He's under - somewhere around that flag.  It initially made me a little nervous to watch because I wouldn't want to be down there, but also I was worried he might drown. He didn't, of course...

Todd Cousteau...!

He didn't find the cable, which was fine.  But we did get brats and kraut with one of the members and his wife  at their camper!