Fun with Friends

Friends and Family,

Summer is quickly coming to an end; however, we plan to get as much out of what's left, as we can. There is never enough time to get everything done. We've done a lot this summer and yet there is so much more we want to do. This past week brought us fun with friends.

We played pool with friends Matt and Tracy twice during the week.

The girls (Tracy and Vicki) and I have decided to put together a scrapbook with only us. Our book is called the "Outrageous Adventures of the Rum Rum Girls". It's just something fun for us to reminisce over. We are each making pages to contribute, as we do things together. Once finished, I will share with you. Our first scrap booking meeting was last week. We each finished a page to get us started and there are more in the works. Fun Times!

Friday evening we met up with a large group of friends for happy hour drinks in Superior. After wards some of us went to Tobey's house, where we played pool and danced. It was the most awesome time. I attached a picture of us four girls.

Saturday was the Cole's annual cabana day at Water World. It was a day to kick back in the lazy river, scream while being flushed down the toilet drain, and race for the win on the slides. I took my camera capturing some video and still pictures.

Here is a link to the video and a picture.

Mom and Dad slept over Saturday night, as they were passing through. We went for breakfast and coffee the next morning and then they headed back home to Nebraska. They are doing well.

Jimi is still selling. Some of his eBay auctions ended on Sunday and to his surprise, he doubled his profit on those items. He has not sold either motorcycle yet, but plans to take his time for just the right buyer.

Jennifer began her classes on Thursday and I am beginning mine today. I believe it is going to be a super busy semester for both of us.

Jimi and I sent our passports off to Washington DC this past week to get our visas for Vietnam. That was expensive, but will be worth it.

Today, August 24th, is Jeff's (Jimis brother) birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEFF!!!

Tomorrow, August 25th, is Karen's (Jeff's wife) birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAREN!!!

That's it for now. All is well here and life is good!

Love Everybody,

Lorie & Jimi

Fun with Friends

Friends and Family,

Summer is quickly coming to an end; however, we plan to get as much out of what's left, as we can. There is never enough time to get everything done. We've done a lot this summer and yet there is so much more we want to do. This past week brought us fun with friends.

We played pool with friends Matt and Tracy twice during the week.

The girls (Tracy and Vicki) and I have decided to put together a scrapbook with only us. Our book is called the "Outrageous Adventures of the Rum Rum Girls". It's just something fun for us to reminisce over. We are each making pages to contribute, as we do things together. Once finished, I will share with you. Our first scrap booking meeting was last week. We each finished a page to get us started and there are more in the works. Fun Times!

Friday evening we met up with a large group of friends for happy hour drinks in Superior. After wards some of us went to Tobey's house, where we played pool and danced. It was the most awesome time. I attached a picture of us four girls.

Saturday was the Cole's annual cabana day at Water World. It was a day to kick back in the lazy river, scream while being flushed down the toilet drain, and race for the win on the slides. I took my camera capturing some video and still pictures.

Here is a link to the video and a picture.

Mom and Dad slept over Saturday night, as they were passing through. We went for breakfast and coffee the next morning and then they headed back home to Nebraska. They are doing well.

Jimi is still selling. Some of his eBay auctions ended on Sunday and to his surprise, he doubled his profit on those items. He has not sold either motorcycle yet, but plans to take his time for just the right buyer.

Jennifer began her classes on Thursday and I am beginning mine today. I believe it is going to be a super busy semester for both of us.

Jimi and I sent our passports off to Washington DC this past week to get our visas for Vietnam. That was expensive, but will be worth it.

Today, August 24th, is Jeff's (Jimis brother) birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEFF!!!

Tomorrow, August 25th, is Karen's (Jeff's wife) birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAREN!!!

That's it for now. All is well here and life is good!

Love Everybody,

Lorie & Jimi

First time for everything

Dear Friends and Family,

All is well as we still plug away, while new and old things develop around us every week.

We played our usual pool on Monday night with friends Matt and Tracy. Tuesday, Jimi was busy working on his various projects and I was bored out of my mind. I had things to do, but really wanted to spend time with Jimi. In any case I got through it and he made up for it. Wednesday night we loaded our sleeping bags into the truck and took off for the mountains. We cooked brats over the fire pit and laid there watching the stars and the meteor shower in the sky late into the night. We got up early enough the next morning to head back home, so I could get to work on time. Friday night our friends Matt and Tracy came over. We sat around the fire pit until about 11pm before retiring for the night.

I like to say that Saturday broke my records of firsts. It was the first time I did so badly at a yard sale. I earned $3. Yes, I said three dollars. While I wasn't there for most of it, I guess we were hit with some severe rain/thunder storms and Tammy packed everything up. It was the first time I rode my bike outside Longmont by myself. Jimi came up later in the morning and we rode up to Fort Collins so I could take my test and I passed the first time. Yes, it's official. I have my motorcycle license now. I got a 100% on 5 of the 6 tests. The portion of the test I failed was the sharp right U turn and the only one of the tests that I was worried about. Jimi and I headed back to Mead; however, we took the interstate and it was my first time on I-25 driving my bike, in addition it rained on us, which would be myfirst time riding in the rain. Well I thought it was rain, but Jimi said we can hardly consider that rain, but more of a sprinkle. Jimi and I finally fixed the dishwasher at my house in Mead, chopped down a dead tree, and fixed the hot tub. After all that Jimi went home while I went back to Tammy's to help clean up the yard sale. After a few hours, I got on my bike and headed home and on the way, and for thefirst time, I crashed my bike. Yes, I did it. I didn't turn sharp enough and ended up on the side of the road. The bike is scratched up a little on the right side, my knees are a little bruised, and I broke the key off in the ignition probably with my hand or something. But all is fine and I got back on the bike and rode rest of the way home. Jimi was not happy at first, but the next day we talked about it and he told me that if I keep misbehaving on my bike he will have to ground me from it. Lol Otherwise life goes on as usual he said. That evening we watched the movie "Water World", well, Jimi watched it. I watched the first half before falling asleep.

Sunday was the day for laundry and grocery shopping. We took the boat out for a few hours. We had some really good winds for it; 11 mph and therefore had to take our jib down and only sail with the main sail. It was a great weekend.

I enrolled in a creative writing class at Front Range Community College, which begins August 24^th. I am really excited about being in school again. It is an on line class, which is also preferred.

Jennifer is ready to begin her senior year. We’ve got her senior pictures done and will be sending them out shortly and we’ve got all her classes scheduled. Now I have the daunting task of making sure she goes to her classes’ everyday and passes them. Jimi has the daunting task of making sure I keep up on her. Lol

With the chosen path Jimi is taking for work, we are finding that he is working most hours during the day and evening. Weather he is working in the garage on a restoration, searching for bargains on Craig’s List, or placing ads on eBay, he must stay on top of it all; especially when hunting a deal he cannot pass up. He checks Craig’s List at least five different times each day and must be ready on a seconds notice to snatch something up. He bought another motorcycle last Friday. Fortunately this Virago is in mint condition and he doesn’t need to do a thing to it. Both motorcycles are ready to be listed now. Other bargains he scored were a camera lens and a top of the line bicycle frame. Jimi is enjoying what he is doing and he is darn good at it.

Here is a picture we took a few weeks ago that I thought you might like.

Our thoughts are with you.

Love Everyone,

Lorie & Jimi

All is well.....

Friends and Family,
 
Even though you will read that it seems we did a lot this week, we had a lot of down time – which on one had was a nice change, but on the other we like to stay busy.
 
We watched a lot of movies through out the week. Normally averaging one or possibly two movies in a week, this week we watched several. Together we saw Jurassic Park and The Right Stuff. Jimi watched The Wrestler, and I watched Divine Secretes of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Alien vs Predator, and Ace Ventura When Nature Calls. All were good.
 
For the past few weeks, I have been working on a scrap book for my great niece, Brittany. I wanted to give her something special to remember the things we did during her visits here. I uploaded the pictures and published the book to our blog if you would like to see it. Click here.
 
Jimi found a Virago motorcycle on Craig’s list for $250 and bought it. He’s chopping it out and hoping to resell it for as much as $2000. It runs great, so all he’s doing before selling it is some design work. Currently he is waiting on some parts he ordered. I will try to get you a picture before he sells it.
He also got a wood burning stove for free. I am trying to talk him in to putting it in the house, as it is already set up for one or he may paint and sell it. That thing is super heavy.
 
We rode both our motorcycles to Fort Collins Sunday morning where I practiced the driving test on the actual course. Jimi is confident I will pass; however, I’m not so sure. Typically I do not do well the first time I do the course on my own, but ace it every time after that. You may think that sounds ok, except when taking the real test there are no practices allowed. You are given one shot at it per day costing $30 each. This could get expensive. Lol
 
More good news for Jimi’s work. He was selected to display 16 to 20 framed photography prints in a high class beauty salon in downtown Boulder between October 1 and November 30. He will price his pieces between $65 and $85 each. The location is prime, which will give him a lot of exposure. We are excited about it.
 
Again, we played pool on Monday evening with friends Matt and Tracy. Fun times!
 
We are told that Jennifer and Daniel will have a new little brother or sister in March 2010. Yes, you are reading correctly. Their stepmother is pregnant.
 
Crocs had a big meeting for us on Friday and served us breakfast.  They announced that despite what the media says, things are really going well. All their debt is paid off and sales are slowly picking up. They are still working on restructuring, etc. and I don’t think they have money to burn; however, the news thus far is really good.
 
Friday night we went to a free concert at the Boulder County fair grounds with friends, Matt, Tracy, and Kay. We were only out until 11 or so, but had a fabulous time. And then on Saturday night we went to the Cheesecake Factory in Denver for my girlfriend Vicki’s birthday. There was nine of us: Jamie, Stacey, Eric, Vicki, Toby, Matt, Tracy, Jimi, & I. We had dinner, but Matt, Tracy, Jimi and I went home afterwards, while the rest went to the clubs dancing. 
 
That sums up our week. All is well, as another week begins.
 
Love Everybody,
Lorie & Jimi

Sails Up

Hello Friends and Family,

Our usual routines involved working for Cencorp and Crocs, and doing housework, and yard work this week In addition- Jimi took Jennifer's and Tyler's Senior pictures.I have not seen the finished products yet, but a few of the raw pictures I saw are really good. Jimi has been answering freelance work from Craig's List. There is a lot of stuff out there, but also are a lot of responses to the ads. He is hopeful. I had dinner with my girlfriend, Brenda on Wednesday. She lives in Greeley and it's not often that we are able to get together. Our visits are few and far between. I signed up for a creative writing class at the college, which begins towards the end of August. I am looking forward to that.

We took a nice loop on the motorcycles from SW Longmont, to NE Boulder, to SE Lyons, to NW Longmont, and back home to SW Longmont; the trip took us an hour. It was the longest and farthest I have ridden my new bike; it was awesome - I loved it. There was some traffic out - not a whole lot; however, I think I did pretty well and I felt comfortable with the ride.

We went to the Ocean Minded/Crocs 2010 launch party. We only stayed long enough to glance around at the shoes, ate a few appetizers, and had a drink. Jimi found some shoes he may like and I will keep my eyes open for their release.

Our good friend and Jimi's long time friend, Matt, moved from Michigan to Colorado this week. We are happy to have him around again. We will have fun times hanging out together for sure.

Friday morning we took our little sailboat to Granby, Colorado. We camped for two nights and three days. Our plan was to sail for the three days also; however, the first day we had light storms. We got some really good sailing in on Saturday though. The waters were really rough and the wind was really blowing. The boat was doing nearly 7mph, which is relatively fast for a sailboat. I particularly learned a lot and for the first time was able to understand some of what I've read and put it to use. While I still need Jimi's direction - the light bulb got a little brighter. We started out with a full main sail and full jibb. WOW - we were flying and had to be on top of every little thing: the wakes, the wind change and even our placement in the boat. We stopped at the first island to walk around and get a bite to eat, at which time Jimi decided to take down the jibb all together and reef the sail. Reefing the sail means to only use a portion of it during sailing. We had never done that before and it proved to be the right thing to do. Once we set out again, we learned that we could go just as fast, with half the main sail and no jibb, and yet the boat was easier to handle and not as unstable. We took Miller with us on the boat and as usual he did fabulous. He was a little uneasy at first, but it only took him about ten minutes to get comfortable and it was like he's been doing it all his life. We woke up Sunday to calm waters. Waiting around for a few hours, we were hoping the winds would pick up and we could sail again before heading home, but mother nature sent us home.

Two movies we watched this week were "i, Robot" with Will Smith (well, Jimi watched and I slept through it) and an old Alfred Hitchcock movie "The Birds". Both movies were good.

No more news on buyers for my house. I'm still receiving calls, but I have not received an offer yet.

That's all for this week folks! We trust all is well with you.

Love Everybody,
Lorie & Jimi