HIGHS & LOWS..

That's what Day 2 of the Fitness and Health Bloggers Conference was like for me.

I started on a very HIGH note with a Kangoo class courtesy of Wendy at Body Dynamics in Boulder. Never heard of Kangoo?? I hadn’t either. Then I watched this video… and I thought, “What the h%*l is that?” followed closely by, “It could be fun…” and since the Conference was offering the class for free I then thought, “Why not?”

Here I am in my Kangoo Jumps (The pic is a little blurry, because it is almost impossible to stand still on those things):

Pretty H-O-T right?

I can honestly say that it was the most fun I have ever had in an exercise class! I am seriously considering buying a pair, although I am not sure if it would have the same affect if it were just me in my living room & would probably freak out my cat...

In a group we all looked crazy together, so in turn no one looked crazy. Plus you can’t help but feed off the smiles of the other jumpers around you. I dare you to try this without smiling the whole time… and if you can do it, you better send me a video, because I don’t believe you! Check the video Anne of fANNEtastic food made here. I am in the back corner and mostly hidden, but I assure you I am there...

In addition to the joy and fun factor, there’s the health and fitness factor (oh yeah, I forgot… we were exercising too). Since the shoes are on springs, there is no impact or stress on the joints, so people with injuries or a few extra pounds to carry can get an amazing cardiovascular workout without the stress on the body. It allows for more dynamic movement than may not otherwise be possible and burns more calories- 25% more to be exact! Kangoo also helps to improve balance and coordination. I’m definitely going to get to some Kangoo in NYC! Apparently this is the guy to see.

So riding my Kangoo High I got showered and changed at Body Dynamics before the first seminar, which I was really looking forward to. Since I was staying with my family who lives nearby, I had taken the car to the conference (Kangoo was at 7am and no one seemed to keen on dropping me off at that hour & I don’t blame them). I went to drop some stuff in the trunk that I didn’t want to lug around all day before I headed out in search of coffee in breakfast. I had budgeted my time perfectly and had 30 min to find them. That’s when it happened… One simple thought changed my state from highest high to lowest low. It went something like this:

“I don’t need to take my whole bad and computer to go find coffee. I’ll just leave it in the car.” With the keys in it… Yup.

In the slam of a Honda trunk I was suddenly plunged into the depths of helplessness, AKA locking the keys in the car. So, naturally, the first thing I did was call my dad to come to my rescue… and naturally he said he'd be right there. He’s good like that. I would like to point out that I did NOT cry… which if you know me well is pretty huge. I tend to freak out over things like this that throw a wrench in my life. I calmly asked the front desk at the hotel for the number of a locksmith, called and explained my troubles. Then, I went to the Hotel Starbucks and got some Coffee and Granola (remember I had Kangoo’d earlier and still hadn’t eaten) and had breakfast with myself on the trunk of the car and waited for Isaac the locksmith.

Breakfast of people who lock themselves out of their car.

Long story only slightly shorter, he came and saved the day!

He was pretty easy on the eyes too, which didn’t hurt. He was also very understanding when I told him that it was necessary for me to document this as I was attending a bloggers conference. (wink)

Even better, I was only about 15 minutes late for the session and still got to hear Toni speak... plus I had a good story!

The “low” was very temporary, which is a good thing to keep in mind, I suppose.

*In the interest of full disclosure, I should tell you that my dad did pay for my blunder, so here is my very public THANK YOU, DADDY!

**In other news, I have decided to become a locksmith, because that is apparently where the money is.

Have you ever had a roller coaster day like this??

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH...

COLORADO!

The Fitness & Health Bloggers conference is days away and I arrived in Colorado last night. I have to say there is something to amazing and comforting about flying into Denver the the Mountains in the background... It's a view I never get tired of.


The sun was about to set behind them, but I promise you they are there!

I have been moving at a million miles an hour these days... I even gave up my day off for a few weeks- NOT A GOOD IDEA! Needless to say I need some down time. Thankfully I took an extra couple of days here to hang with my family and relax in the Mountain air. It's only been 18 hours and I am already so chilled out and refreshed. There are days when I wonder how I could have left Colorado for New York, but whenever I seriously have thoughts about leaving the Big Apple, my chest gets tight. So, for now I will relish in the fact that I have family and roots in the most beautiful state in the country- in my humble opinion anyway- and can visit any time I want!

After i arrived my folks and I enjoyed an amazing dinner at "new" restaurant in the Denver Tech Center called Chinook Tavern.


The restaurant has actually been around for a while but closed and has now reopened in a new location & new menu. As you may recall... my dad is a bit of a rock star, so the minute we walked in we were greeted by one of the owners & general manager Clemens, professing his gratitude for all the help my dad gave them in getting the restaurant open (which was just the day before). It was pretty cool!

Chinook Tavern is a family run establishment- which I am always a sucker for- run by two brothers, Clemens Georg & Markus Georg (who is the Executive Chef) and designed by their architect father Manfred. Originally from Germany, the family has called Colorado home for many years. They are very in tune with Colorado cuisine and esthetic, but keep to their European roots.
If you live or are are visiting Denver you MUST go to this restaurant! I never had the pleasure of dining at the old Cherry Creek location, but I feel super lucky to have gotten in to this one before the major buzz hits and it's impossible to get a table. It's the perfect combo of atmosphere and amazing food. Obviously we should talk food first:

The menu had me at Mache Salad...


As you can see I was so excited to dig in to it that I forgot to snap a pic until I had devoured almost all of it. It had watermelon radishes, pickled red onions, pomegranate seeds and goat cheese fritters. Have you ever had a watermelon radish?? They are awesome. Not sure where one finds them, but when I do I will let you know.

For my entree I had Colorado Rack of Lamb. Just like if you are in Maine you get the lobster or Maryland you get the crab, when you are in Colorado you get the meat- lamb, beef, bison. This particular dish did my homeland proud!


The lamb was marinated in mint and then topped with grilled cipollini onions and a rosemary merlot sauce.

On the side were grit cakes and tomato gremalade. Perfection!

My mom enjoyed the beef tenderloin.


And Dad had the house signature dish Jaeger Schnitzel.


Both were fantastic!

For dessert we all shared a Creme Brulee. No pic of that... between my mom and I that sugar was cracked in 2.5 seconds. :)

Now on to atmosphere:

The restaurant is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!



A fondu room!


Perhaps my favorite thing is in addition to the actual bar, there is a giant community table in the center and other larger tables all around.


Clemens told me that he considers every table in the lounge a community table. He loves sitting at the bar because everyone coexists together, and often times you find yourself having interesting conversations with those around you. His idea is "Why only have that feeling sitting belly up to the bar? Why can't tables be the same?" I for one love the ideas of community tables, but then again I would always rather sit at the bar than a table. Maybe that comes from having worked behind one for 6 years. Jay and I love interacting with meeting new and interesting people while we are out.

Also, there is going to be a European style coffee bar open in the mornings just off of the bar. I am bummed I won't be able to sample that before I go... it opens the day after I leave.


It's no secret that I love restaurants, and living in NYC I get to eat at some of the best of the best. I would certainly put Chinook Tavern on that list!

Day 1 in Colorado was very special and I can't wait to see what the rest of this trip holds. Planning lots of family time, hiking, learning, networking, writing and basking in the mountain sun (wearing SPF of course!)

*In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that because my dad is such a rockstar we were treated to dinner on the house... which BTW was completely unexpected! For the record, that in no way influenced my opinions & I would have written the same blog post either way. The dinner was to say thank you to my dad, I just happened to be lucky enough to have been dining with him...

SERACUSE PARK...

Yes, you read that correctly, but I'm not the particular Seracuse for which this park is named.


This particular park is named for my DAD! Today is his 78th Birthday (which by the way you would NEVER guess) and I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to brag about him a little. I mean how many people do you know that have their own PARK? I only know one:

Jerome Mario Seracuse FAIA (those fancy letters stand for Fellow of the American Institute of Architects)

Because my dad is not only an amazing Architect with fancy letters after his name, but also an amazing man, he was given this little pocket park in the middle of the Denver Technological Center, a complex he helped create and continues to preserve as a member of the Architectural Control Committee.



Not by coincidence the park looks directly at one of his buildings!



We took a little trip to the park when Jay & I were home in CO for Christmas, which is why all the trees are a little bare. I can't wait to go back in a few weeks when I am there for the Fitness & Health Bloggers Conference, so I can take some pictures with everything in bloom!




Here is a close up of the placard:

This site is dedicated in recognition of
Jerome M. Seracuse's service to the Denver
Technological Center. As a member of the
DTC's Architectural Control Committee he was
instrumental in the planning and development of this
entire area, including the extensive network of parks
and landscaping throughout DTC.

Pretty cool huh? If you know my dad you know how special he is, and also how deserving he is of this recognition of his talents & efforts to preserve the beauty of nature in all of his projects. If you don't, then you'll just have to take this totally biased Daddy's GIrl's word for it. ;) I really could not be more proud! Happy Birthday Daddy! I love you!