Dublin

I have a list of places I've always wanted to go. I got the chance to spend the past 10 days in one of those places...Dublin.! We had a sales conference for work which needed extra people, and I was happy to oblige.

I was able to spend the weekend seeing the sites, like touring the Guinness Storehouse, the Temple bar area with it's Viking influence, and many of the beautiful parks Dublin has to offer.

Here are some of the beautiful sites I was able to get photos of:

Race for the Cure 2009

For the second year in a row Angie, Sidney, and I participated in the Denver Race for the Cure. Angie has a couple aunts that have been affected by breast cancer so there is a personal connection for her. Again, this year, Sid's friend Rachel came with us and this time she even brought her mom Jodi. We really had a good time doing this even if we have to get up early on a Sunday morning.

Oktoberfest

A few years back I started a tradition in our community where we hold BBQs on the major summer holidays. These have been so well received we've gotten requests for additional events throughout the year. Last year we added a Halloween Party, which we'll likely continue this year. This year we added an Oktoberfest event.

We had traditional Oktoberfest brats and everyone brought a variety of German brew to enjoy. Once again there was a great turnout and we all had a good time. Maybe this is another one we will have to keep on the schedule for next year.

Later in the day I got a call from a good friend of mine, Jon. Him and I talk fairly frequently via IM and email, but haven't gotten together for some time. In fact the last time I may have seen him may have been Angie and my wedding celebration. Anyway, we decided to meet up at a local pub to enjoy a couple beers and play some pool. It's been so long since we've done that, hopefully we won't wait so long next time.

Date With Sidney

Sidney had been having some difficult time with some of her classes in school so Angie and I helped her study for a couple tests by quizzing her and making sure she knew her stuff. Sometimes I think Sid gets overwhelmed with the changes of middle school, but as I tell her, that's part of what you're learning, how to get organized and prepared for high school and beyond. We were happy to see Sidney's efforts pay off with an A on the tests she was studying for.

In celebration, I took Sid out on a date to dinner and bowling. She of course chose one of our favorite all time places to eat, Los Dos Potrillos, where she had her usual enchiladas.

After dinner, we went to AMF Lanes to bowl a few games. I haven't bowled in so long, I think i forgot how. We ended up bowling 2 games, with each of us winning one.