It was a busy weekend. Actually it seems like it started on Thursday when Emma stayed home from school because her stomach was bothering her. She thought she had recuperated enough to go to school on Friday, but alas, especially for the bus driver, Mr. Hickson, and Alyssa our neighbor sitting next to her, she threw up on the bus upon arrival at school.

Saturday was her friend, Ember's birthday celebration. But first Dave and Ana found the perfect tree for us after an arduous hike in the morning. Then we went to lunch at a new deli in Castle Rock, and shopped, and then met Vanessa on the road, and Emma left to spend the night at Ember's.

Dave got the lights on the tree, and he and Ana and I had a great time checking out all the Sirius stations on our tv from Dish tv, which I think are just a promotion, I don't think we get to keep them, but if so, all right!!! It was hard to choose what to stay with, we started with Christmas, then went to trance, then chill electronica, to jam bands, alt rock, jazz (contemporary and classic), found a good Latin pop station, also checked out skool, rap, boombox, and on and on.

Sunday morning we met up with Ember's folks, together with Emma and Emily, and had a great bowling time with 99cent lanes provided to us by Ember's parents for her birthday. It was the first time Al, Van, and I got to check out our new bowling shoes that Vanessa convinced us we needed to save money bowling. The first game I came in last and the 2nd, first. It had biblical significance, "the last shall be first". I think I relaxed a little more for the second game, since someone snuck in some rum and pepsi in coffee mugs. The men couldn't drink that, because they had to drive.

Then it was on to Abe's Brewery Bar II for Mexican food. Abe's, the originator of Kosher Mexican food, started with a restaurant in a questionable neighborhood on Kalamath street, BBI. A lot of downtown workers in Denver go there for lunch because of their excellent chili rellenos. BBII is near an upscale shopping mall in the burbs, right by the bowling alley. Such a dichotomy, but the food was still inexpensive and good.

We still had some little errands to run and then came back home and decorated the tree with Emma too, and of course listened to some more Sirius. Then it was the regular Sunday stuff, like baths, getting the laundry for the school week done, a light supper, a walk to the bench down the road to get cell phone reception to see if my prepaid minutes were applied to the phone and I became a qualified discount user. We don't get cell reception at home (or television reception), but we do have satellite internet now which is so amazing. (We had to get a faster service because Douglas County requires attorneys to do all court filing by internet).

Because it's winter, my favorite station, kunc, is not coming in without a lot of static, so now I can listen to it on the computer at kunc.org. Which I am listening to right now-- a sax solo which just switched over to the piano solo on a jazz number.

It was snowing when we got up, but now the sky is blue and sun shining at 10:00 am, so time to get away from the computer and get on with it.