Updates, Changes, and Lessons Learned

Going less than a year between blog posts. I used to be hopeful to get one out every month, but since school started, I think one every 10-11 months is a reasonable goal.

I suppose I should start at the beginning. Fall semester came and went quickly. Nicholas had started his job as a recruiter with the Bradsby

Group, and I was spending my days nannying and my nights (and sometimes on into the early morning) at school.

We managed to have a little bit of fun in between all of this:

Nick's 31st Birthday/Labor Day Fest

Vampire Weekend @ Red Rocks

Rockies Game!

Rockies Fireworks Game (apparently the thing to do in Denver)

Oktoberfest (Denver style, sadly there wasn't time for a quick trip to Germany)

Football Sundays (sans Sports Books, it can still be fun!)

Halloween with Justin and Leah (4 Waldos + Open Bar = TONS of Fun)

Thanksgiving in California (Highlight was Baxter participating in the Family Scrabble Game)

Needless to say, before I knew it, I was holed up in study rooms with my school pals, memorizing the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code in preparation for final exams. Nick and I both survived and despite coming down with the Flu From Hell, we were able to enjoy the holidays/my birthday with family and our friends.

Bradsby Group Christmas Party

Christmas Eve PJs!

New Years Eve

The Spring has been just as much of a whirlwind of activity. After a beautiful and relaxing (all except the running 13 miles part) weekend in Scottsdale, AZ to run the Phoenix Half Marathon, I jumped into the summer clerkship hunt. Lots of suits, lots of networking, and lots of interviews. I'm sure I complained at the time, but in retrospect, it was a wonderful experience and I was lucky enough to land a great job at White and Steele, a firm in downtown Denver. I start May 23rd, and on top of getting the opportunity to do work that I'd like to do in real life, I'll be just a couple blocks from Nick's office, and a short 16th Street Shuttle ride over to Coors Field. Not a bad gig for the summer time, not bad at all!

Other highlights of the Spring/early Summer:

Half Marathon # 2 with Tiffany, Nick and Danielle

(only training was Yoga, and I still managed to clock in at a decent time - yay!)


My First Nuggets Game!

I can officially become a Colorado resident because I now own a Subaru.

Law Prom! (Official Name = Barristers Ball, but essentially, Prom for grownups!)

Nick thinking my denim jacket was the perfect touch for his outfit @ Justin's birthday party. Considering the debacle that Justin's birthday was last year (vegas + bottles + not in law school), this may or may not have been the first time.

Now on to some exciting updates!

On top of the new job, we'll be moving into our own apartment this June! We're taking a quick trip to Las Vegas to collect furniture, and best of all, Jill Pants! Kudos to Nicholas for not letting me go too crazy while on the hunt for the perfect home. We'll be living in the Uptown neighborhood of Denver, which is less than a mile from both of our offices, and filled with great bars, restaurants, etc. Most importantly, we are walking distance from just about everything that is necessary. We can't wait to have all of our fabulous friends and family come visit - and now, no hotel room necessary!

Front entrance to the condo building, interior photos to come in June!

Finally, pending an agreement on how to sort out this whole "how do we split up $9 Billion," the Patriots will be playing the Broncos on 12/18/2011. I would LOVE to have as many Pats fans as possible in town for this momentous occasion. Tickets are scheduled to go on sale July 10th, so mark your calendars and be on the look out for more details from moi! First to respond gets dibs on the guest room at Casa De Nick and Rachel :)

Lessons Learned this Year:

- Nicholas does NOT enjoy the snow (unless he is safely indoors, or in the mountains, on a snowboard)

- Yoga is in fact excellent exercise that I enjoy. Weird.

- Always follow the parking meter time limits AND instructions for WHERE to park in Denver.

- 27 is old enough to be called "Mom" by classmates. Super.

- 27 is TOO old to pull all nighters successfully.

- Denver drivers are overly cautious UNLESS there is bad/dangerous weather.

- Making new friends is pretty great

- Rear Wheel Drive + Snow + Ice = Most likely stuck wherever your car is.

- DIA is too far from the city.

- Joining school activities/clubs does NOT stop at Undergrad...

That is all for now. We are looking forward to an exciting Summer. On tap so far:

- Moving/turning Jill into an Uptown Puppy

- Playing in a volleyball league

- Watching Justin and Leah get married!

- LOTS of Rockies games

- Hitting up all of the great local breweries

- Golfing

- Visitors

- Great weather (the awesome thing about Denver is...)

May Day, May Day!

A quick wrap up of MAY!

With the hectic Spring coming to an end, Nick and I managed to escape for a few days to sunny (hot, humid,sticky) Florida to visit his Dad. We flew in to Ft. Lauderdale and had a relaxing few days of bike riding, beach visits and quality time with family. It was my first visit to the Sunshine State (Not to be confused with Denver, Luke Wilson) and Nick hadn't been in a few years. The beaches are beautiful, but the humidity, traffic and humidity make it a "vacation only" place on the map.

Loved the Inter Coastal draw bridges!

The rest of May was pretty uneventful. We spent the month entertaining visitors, going to boot camp, job hunting and really just enjoying life. I am hoping I had my last bout with the flu/bronchitis for the year (ever would be amazing too) because it really takes a girl off her A-Game!

One of our favorite parts of this summer has definitely been getting to know our Boot Camp friends a little better. We spend 5-6 hours a week with a great group of people, and it's been wonderful getting to know them NOT in plank position, or huffing and puffing through a desert warm up run. We expected to get our butts whipped into shape when we started this little adventure, but we most certainly were not expecting to make so many great friends! We're going to miss all of you guys, LOTS! Say it with me now...Boot Camp is the New Happy Hour!

Campers hanging in the cabana!

*Jim, Kathryn, Julie, Me, Nick*

Memorial Day came and went so quickly, I can't believe it's already June. My "big sis" Tricia was in town over the holiday weekend and I think we did our best to show her and her actual sister and friend a fabulous Vegas style night on the town. We did such a good job in fact, I needed an entire day to recover from the festivities. They made it back to Boston and New Jersey safely, and hopefully with some good (but fuzzy) memories.

Looks like I've made it to present time. Celebrated Mom's 61st birthday over the weekend! It wasn't quite the same level of celebration as last years 60th Bash, but I think she still had a lovely little birthday. We had a quiet family brunch at Brio (if you have one nearby, GO, it's delicious), then scooted over to Nordstrom to have her fancy new watch (good job, Dad) sized. Nick and I bought her a new Heart Rate Monitor (yea, we're fitness geeks, we know) to help her in the gym on on her walks. All in all, it was a great day for celebrating a great mom.

I am really going to make an effort to update this more frequently. With so much transition about to happen, it might be the only way to keep all the events/memories straight in my mind. Coming up in the next few weeks....

- A trip to Banner Elk, NC for Hillary and Brian's wedding

- Tracie's Bachelorette Party/Tracie and John's wedding

- GREASE! Sing-a-long at the Hollywood Bowl

- Packing/Moving plans

- 4th of July with Ellen!

- And lots of venting about the 100+ degree Las Vegas summer. I'll try not to, but won't make any promises!

Much Belated April Happenings...

This should have been posted 2 months ago, but to be honest, I simply got lazy. Making up for lost time now...

I should probably back up, April was far busier than anticipated and so much has gone on that I just realized our trip to Florida is exactly one week away. How did that happen? Boot Camp still reigns life, Monday-Friday. And sometimes Saturday. We both continue to make progress, meet new friends and gain confidence in our abilities. This past Saturday was our first opportunity to

participate in an "Extreme Challenge" - Boot Camp lingo for a field trip/race/adventure that all campers are invited to participate in. April's challenge was held at Turtle Head Peak in Red Rock Canyon.

It was a pretty intimidating peak, especially for me, since I'm more of a nature walker than a hiker. None the less, we both finished. Nick's time was slightly more impressive than mine...ok who am I kidding?? He is an official BAD ASS! Congratulations must be given, he finished 3rd out of 39 people and was the FIRST non-instructor up to the top of the peak. Job well done, love.

I made my way up to claim a somewhat respectable 14th place, and also a new found respect for rock climbers. There isn't exactly a trail all the way up Turtle Head Peak, so the group I was climbing with decided to take the steeper, but shorter route. Bad decision, us. One of the instructors was in our group, and ended up with a pretty nasty head wound due to some loose rock in a blind slot (yes, this is a new to me rock climbing term). Aside from that scare, it was an amazing hike and I am proud of me, Nick and our awesome 6pm fellow campers for making a solid showing at the event.

*6pm Mission Hills Class*

From left: Eva, Debbie, Darcell, Julie, Alyssa, Rachel, Nick

As always, we've been so lucky to have some great visitors this month. The fabulous Tracie and John were out for the annual APEX Show (still not exactly sure what goes on there, but lots of technology and lots of nerdy people who were super excited for the IPad Debut to be sure) and we obviously met up with them at Nine Fine Irishmen (John's favorite LV bar) for a few rooftop cocktails, catching up on each others lives, and singing a few Irish Drinking Songs. Good times had by all, and guys, just THREE MONTHS till the big day! We can't wait!

Also in town, the infamous Justin Gorbet! We caught up with him on the tail end of a bachelor party on a Sunday afternoon. Note to self: Boys recovering from bachelor parties are different than girls recovering from bachelorette parties. Girls want to lay by the pool, gossip about the preceding festivities and upcoming wedding, and essentially CHILL out. Boys just want to drink. Oops. Lesson learned the hard way. Lunch turned into beers and snacks, and more beers. Needless to say Monday was a rough day at work. But it was well worth good times spent with a fabulous friend.

We had another great weekend of pool time, sunshine and relaxation when Justin and Leah made another appearance in Las Vegas. Friday night Happy Hour at Ra, drinks on the roof of the Palms at Ghost Bar, Saturday at the pool at the Wynn, Saturday night at Christian Audigier and of course Sunday recovery at Town Square. Epic, classic, perfection.

As our time in Las Vegas dwindles, I can really begin to appreciate all this town has had to offer. You truly cannot hate living in a town that attracts vacationers from all over the world, including some of your very best friends. Over the years, the distances between Las Vegas and Boston/Denver/Ohio/Seattle/California, etc have seemed a little less daunting, thanks to the pull of Sin City. I can say without a doubt that is one of the truly unique things I will miss about this place..

The Wait is OVER!

It has been a long 6 months. The kind of long that makes you stop sleeping, bite your nails, and develop aversions to foods you once loved. Yea. A long 6 months. I knew it would be worth it in the end though. Here is the final tally:

University of Nevada, Las Vegas...Accepted...No money (yet) but the promise of something around April 15th. Got a phone call from the Dean, but he wasn't much help. Not impressed.

Chicago-Kent (Illinois Institute of Technology)....accepted w/ a good scholarship and loans. Can't turn our noses up at Chicago, it is an amazing city with a far superior job market to Las Vegas.

St. John's University...FULL Tuition, but a huge deposit due WAY too early. Also, Yankees fans...enough said. I decided to do the right thing and withdraw from consideration. New York is just not in my heart, and not right for me or Nick. I hope some other lucky potential 1L enjoys the scholarship to the fullest. I know I wouldn't have been able to.

DePaul....decision letter mailed on 3/15/10. Decision received on 3/19. IN! They're offering me some money, but not enough to outweigh it's roots with the Catholic Church. And my other Chicago option is far more enticing.

Drexel University...last minute application. 3/12 application was complete. 3/19 ACCEPTANCE. WITH a great scholarship! As much as I'd love to experience a new city as vibrant and "gritty" as Philly, Drexel is a very new school and is not yet fully accredited. The co-op feature is tempting, but ultimately not the right choice. Will withdraw this week but am honored to have been given such a great opportunity.

University of Denver. 7 weeks and counting. I've been tortured over this one since it's my first choice. Nick's family is in Denver, we BOTH love the city and would give anything to live there. I'm convinced they saw that I lived in Boston and were punishing me for the 2007 World Series. Thank goodness, today I got the best email of my life...an acceptance WITH a scholarship from The University of Denver Sturm College of Law. My tuition deposit and a few other formalities will make it official, but for all intents and purposes, I am a member of the 2014 Class of the Sturm College of Law.

I must give a HUGE thank you to my family and friends. This has been a long time (26ish years) coming and I couldn't have done it without your support. And another HUGE thank you to my other (better, but we won't feed his ego) half. Your strength, humor and patience has meant the world to me and I know those qualities will prove to be even more essential over the next few years. I can't wait to call this beautiful city our home!

This weekend will be filled with fun, celebrating and maybe a few glasses of champagne? Justin and Leah are coming to visit for Justin's birthday, so we've got a full itinerary of activities planned. I should mention Justin was also accepted to DU Sturm College of Law for the Fall, so it's a triple celebration weekend of sorts. Dinner @ Vintner Grill on Friday night, followed by line dancing and mini bowling @ Stoneys. Champagne Brunch on Saturday afternoon, table service @ Christian Audigier on Saturday night. Chillaxing, basketball, general merriment and convincing Tom to move back to the 303 too for any downtime in between all of that.

A post and pictures to follow...but can we just let out one more relaxed, relieved and happy SIGH!

Boot Camp Tough...Sort Of...Getting There?

One week of Boot Camp...mission accomplished! A couple years ago, I found a website for Boot Camp Las Vegas (www.bootcamplasvegas.com) - a military style boot camp for civilians designed to get people into the best shape of their lives. I was interested, but scared. Getting to the gym a few times a week was struggle enough for me back then. Flash forward to Christmas, 2009. I had mentioned joining BCLV a few times over the last year to Nick. His roommate/best friend Tom has been doing it for awhile, and since we've been getting in better shape this year, it seemed like something we could do...eventually. Well, imagine my surprise when I opened my last present on Christmas Morning and it was a certificate for a weeks worth of classes with BCLV! I was thrilled, terrified, but READY to start the fitness adventure of my life. Nick promised he would do the classes with me, and we would start once our Half Marathon training was done.

This past Monday, March 1st, 2010 was our first class. After work we drove out to Mission Hills Park in Henderson (Hendertucky...joy)to meet our fate. About 10 other people, all at varying levels of fitness and age were assembled in the corner of a park. We introduced ourselves to the group as newbies, met our instructor (Julie - 118 lbs of blind fury) and got to work. A BCLV trailer sits in the park's parking lot. It's contents? Instruments of torture. But the fun, in shape making kind of torture. I won't bore you with the details of every exercise but I will tell you our first task was to run a mile around the park, dragging a semi-truck sized tire on a rope. Later that class we used 9lb sledge hammers to drive a similar sized tire across a field, alternating crawling in plank position. The week has gone on in this same manner...arrive at the park, sore and nervous about what the day's workout will bring. Do the workout much to my shock and awe. Leave the workout feeling exhilarated and exhausted at the same time. Repeat. If you were on the verge of throwing up at any point of the workout, consider it a success.

All through college I had very inconsistent and obviously ineffective workout habits. I would "forget" to bring shoes, socks, my iPod, or anything else that would give me good justification for skipping a trip to the gym. Weekends were for bars, the library, and other activities. My health wasn't a priority. At 26, I am at a point in my life where I clearly see the direction those habits were taking me, and am proud to say I have more motivation than ever to stick with this program and work harder than I ever have before. Sure, a new swim suit, and once too tight jeans being baggy are a nice bonus, but the real prize is knowing the good I am doing for my body and for my future.

This weekend, Nick and I got in some much needed R&R. BCLV has a Saturday class, but after 5 days of grueling torture and sore muscles, we opted to be proud of our 5 days and let our bodies heal. Friday night was a very special treat. After class, we rushed home to shower/change and meet up with my very dear old friend (since 4th grade - yikes), Nathan. He and some of his friends from college were in town for the weekend, so it was a perfect excuse to meet up for dinner. The location? Where else but Firefly - our favorite tapas place around. They just opened a location overlooking Fremont Street in Downtown LV.



The food is ALMOST as good as the Paradise Road location, and the view is mesmerizing. As much as people love to hate on downtown, it is prime for people/spectacle watching, admit it!

Saturday and Sunday were equally as enjoyable. Spent a couple hours at the outlets (running low on work and workout clothes that fit!) and then met up with some of my work friends for dinner. Where did we go? Oh right, Firefly again. This time, the Paradise location. Same great food, and good company. I managed to venture away from my standard menu selections and tried the Spicy Shrimp and the Baby Back Ribs. Both AMAZING!

Sunday was the Oscar Party at Nick and Tom's. It was perfect and low key, just the three of us, Jenny and Steve, and of course Jill (she was rooting for Up. I think she has a crush on that annoying dog). I was a bad hostess and neglected to take any photos, but please note that both Tom and Nick rocked their tuxedo shirts for the occasion.

The week has started again, and it actually feels good to be back in the routine of work/boot camp/eat/sleep. I'm still slightly terrified for the half hour before each class, and the mile warm up always feels like 10 (especially when I see Nick cruising in to finish a few minutes ahead of me!) But, I see signs of improvement in both of us every day and that reminds me that the pain is well worth it.

Waiting...Planning...More Waiting.

It's been quite the year in the lives of Nick and Rachel. Neither of us were expecting 2009 to be filled with new family, friends and life plans. I was absolutely not expecting to start golfing and I'm almost certain Nick didn't have plans to give up regular soda or start tolerating Patriots/Red Sox fans, but I suppose it's worked out for the best! It's been a little over a year since our first meeting, and we've been so lucky to have the support of our families and friends to turn a chance encounter into a strong and happy relationship.

2010 promises to be filled with just as much, if not, more excitement. Since August, I've been working through the process (and what a "process" it has been) of applying to law schools. With a couple years of post-college wit about me, and Nick to keep me focused and confident I've *almost* made it though without any major emotional breakdowns. So far I've received two acceptances, and am waiting on three more schools to determine my value to the future of the legal profession. To say this is a stressful and tense waiting period is to put it VERY lightly. Having work, fun and our never ending quest to "get fit" to focus on has been helpful, but I still find myself checking up on my application statuses almost daily.

Speaking of our "get fit" mission, Nick and I just completed our very first Half Marathon a couple of weeks ago. Not only was it on Superbowl Sunday, but also our One Year Anniversary. Fun, rewarding, exhilarating? Yes! Typical? Not so much. But then again, we're not your typical couple. We finished in fine style (see below) in 2:11:52. I have to admit I didn't quite see the point of running 13.1 miles with 20,000 other people when we first signed up for the race. But a few months of training, injuries, blisters and FINALLY a running play list for my IPod and I'm hooked.

Our friends Justin and Leah (Justin and Nick went to CU together) came down from Denver to run it with us (by "with" I mean about 15 minutes ahead of us) so we of course made a fabulous weekend out of it including a day at Disneyland, time with old friends (Tracie, John - thanks for housing us for a couple nights! Lauren, Maggie, Nathan, Ashley AND Erin - Thanks for coming to lunch guys!!), an evening in Newport and of course, recovering with the Superbowl and great food in Manhattan Beach.

The beginning of 2010 has also included:

- A trip to Boston to celebrate my 26th/visit with all of my awesome friends/introduce Nick to the greatest (and "drinkiest") city ever.

- FINALLY getting to see Jersey Boys!

- A great local New Years Eve with friends

- Colds/Flus :(

- A beautiful stay at Lake Las Vegas

There is so much more to come in the next few months. Weddings, birthdays, more races, visitors from all over the country, traveling and hopefully some decisions to be made about where we're going to live for the next few years. Stay tuned for more...