So, what else have I been up to?

The next few weeks (2/11 - 2/22) were a total blur. They were filled with all that comes with starting a new job and exploring a new home.

The hunt for a good grocery
In Vermont, we had it easy. We lived about 1 mile from two really good grocery stores. Great produce, decent meat, large selection of dry goods. Nothing spectacular, but more than adequate, and it definitely met our needs. I guess it never dawned on me that this would not be the case everywhere. The first grocery store I walked into was a shock. Not much for produce, and what they did have wasn't exactly appealing. Dito for the meat. As for dry goods, the selection was far from what I was used to. Sure, I wouldn't starve, but I wasn't exactly inspired by it's bounty (or lack of ...). The next grocery I went into was even worse.

A colleague told me about Whole Foods, but warned me to pay attention because it is referred to by some as "Whole Paycheck". Sure enough, it was an amazing store. Lots of fresh produce, fabulous meats, and a good variety of organic dry goods. The prices were high, but for quality organic food, no problem. Then I looked into baking basics such as refined sugar, flour, baking powder, etc - wow, super pricey. I now understand what she meant when she says that she doesn't do all of her groceries from one store (produce & meats from one store, dry goods from another)

Boxes
The moving van arrived on Thursday Feb 14th, and filled my new home with boxes. Lots and lots of boxes. To date, I've only unpacked 10% of them. Shame on me.

An introduction to a great fabric store
One of my colleagues from work is really into sewing - even more than I am. On one of the Saturday afternoons she took me to Elfriede's Fine Fabrics, which was having a sale. They currently share the shop with a Bernina Studio that has lots of great classes, so that's pretty cool as well. Of course, I went there just to look, and came back with fabric for three blouses. They were georgous, and they were on sale. Who knows when I'll have time to actually make the blouses.

Skiing
I got out skiing at Keystone on one of the Sundays. My friend from college, Jana, lives in Denver has a condo in Silverthorne. She invited me out, and I got to ski with a friend of hers. I would have loved to ski with Jana, but she was 8 months pregnant. It was really great to see her and also to make a new friend.

Volleyball
I went to the community Women's Volleyball league. I got to play a little, but for the most part, none of the teams are looking for players mid-season. Someone did tell me about some of the pick-up nights. I haven't gone yet, but intend to go. It will be a great way to start meeting new people.

Altitude
I can't believe how strange it is adjusting to the altitude. I spent a few weeks really tired, and found myself getting winded after going up a flight of stairs. This will take some getting used to.

A trip back to Vermont (2/22 - 2/25)
I've made one trip back to Vermont to visit Isaac already. The original plan was to do a back country ski at Avalanche Pass in the Adirondacs, but they didn't have any fresh snow and Isaac thought it would be too icy. Instead, we had one last hair appointment with Piero, got the house ready for the open house, and ran a bunch of errands (Lake Champlain Chocolates, etc). I feel a little bad that I didn't contact anyone to make plans while I was in town, but I was there for only a short time and wanted to maximize my time with Isaac. It's been a little rough having him so far away, but hopefully the house will sell soon so he can join me in Colorado.