Pumpkin carving and Broncos football

This weekend started like any other. A party with friends!  Our friends Brandon and Ashley were having their annual pumpkin carving party, and they also had just brewed some pumpkin ale that we were to drink.  Costumes were optional, but Matt decided to dress up like a banana thanks to a friends costume they weren't using.  He should have won for best costume, but there wasn't a contest.  

The Pumpkin Ale was not very pumpkin-y, so it was actually really good.  Pumpkin carving was successful, and Matt was proud of his Chicago Bears logo pumpkin, especially in light of the fact that Brandon and Ashley are staunch Packers fans.  It was left on their front doorstep, likely never to be seen or heard from again.  Karla made a really cool ghost pumpkin, but given it was a party with alot of architects, our design skills didn't match up.

Saturday we went down to Parker to watch the Iowa - Northwestern game with Doug & Jamie.  They appreciated the company, and we had some good tailgating food.  Plus Iowa won!  one more and they are bowl eligible, which Karla didn't think would happen early in the season.  Since our friends Clint and Stacy moved down to Parker recently, we decided to stop and see them on the way home.  Granted they moved halfway to Mexico, so just getting home took 50 minutes.  Don't envy that commute during rush hour!

Since Baylor played Kansas, Matt watched the game at the bar for a bit but it wasn't a game.  Go Bears!

Sunday was funday as Matt and Karla got to go to their first Broncos game!  tickets provided by Matt's parent's for his birthday, and since we didn't own any Broncos gear, a stop by sports authority to get some shirts was in order.  We biked to REI and then walked to the stadium.  It was gorgeous weather, if anything on the warm side at close to 70 degrees.  We got to the stadium in time to walk around.  If there's one thing you can say about denver sports stadiums, its that they have really good beer.

Matt had a conundrum this game, since the  Broncos were playing the Washington Redskins & RGIII, who while is a Baylor alum, is also on Matt's fantasy team, along with Washington's running back.  So basically he was rooting for both offenses.  

Our seats were facing west, so we got great views of the field and the mountains.  Very cool.  RG3 didn't have his best game, but the Broncos won and so did Matt's fantasy team.  Karla's favorite was when the opposing team missed a pass, the whole stadium yells "IN-COM-PLETE!"

A great day!

Beer, fishing and football

After the insanity that was Chicago, we thought the best way to get over alot of beer and booze was to go to a happy hour with our volleyball peeps!  Since we won the mid season tournament, we got a $200 gift card to a cool bar called Bull & Bush, an english style pub that makes its own beer(probably redundant in Denver to say that, but still...).  We had our PDD(pregnant designated driver) thanks to Naomi, but we really only wanted to go for a few beers.  Our friend Kristina showed up a bit late, and she wanted to catch up by doing tequila shots.  There went that plan.  Also our friend Garrett decided to end the night with Jaeger bombs.  Or was it that the Jaeger bombs ended our night...?  either way, Matt was cursing Garrett's name all day Saturday.  Still a good time with good friends.

Saturday Matt was a bit sluggish, but we did manage to go to Red Rocks for an hour hike.  Karla was impressed Matt could even get in the car.  The rest of the day was watching college football, and feeling bad for Iowa State as Baylor beat them pretty good(sorry Lowell!)

Sunday Matt & Clint got up early to go fishing in Deckers.  It was a chilly morning, and we only fished till noonish, but it was a good time.  We tried a new spot on Cheesman Canyon, which you had to hike to, but was a bit more secluded and we saw lots more fish.  Saw, not caught.  The trout of colorado still elude our keen trapping devices.  Next time its dynamite.  A house party at Naomi & Ryan's wrapped up our nice semi relaxing weekend.

Weekend in Chicago

On a bit of a whim, we decided to go to Chicago for the weekend to take advantage of Matt's bank holiday on Columbus Day.  The Bears were playing Thursday night football, so Karla flew in Wednesday night and went to the game sans Matt.  He was delighted that Karla was able to watch the Bears without him.  Matt flew in Thursday night and took Friday off.  Since Karla was working, Matt went on a tourists day.  A 4 mile run along the lakefront, lunch at costello's with Scott Kalmus, frozen custard at Scooters, and a walk through the Lincoln Park Zoo.  Karla was delighted that Matt played while she worked all day.

Friday night Matt, Kristin, Kristen and Karla went out for tapas, which was delicious.  Saturday we were able to get to the farmers market for Wisconsin cheese curds, a staple that Matt has been missing in his diet since moving.  We were able to see some old friends, and then it was off to Lockport to stay with Jeannie and Patrick and watch the Baylor game against K-State.  It was closer than usual, but the Bears pulled it out in the end.

That night our old soccer crew went out to eat and it was officially Bowtie Night!  The guys donned their bowties and looked dapper as always.  Hilarity ensued at the restaurant, and the night ended with the guys going to the casino in Joliet, and making a few dollars of dinner back.  Yay for Craps!

Sunday was pretty chill, the marathon was happening in Chicago, so we watched a bit of that.  Matt had dinner with his cousin Adam at Bad Apple in Lincoln Square, one of our all time favorites.  What was supposed to be a casual dinner turned into a night of bar hopping and karaoke with Adam, Matt and Raf.  Closing down a bar on a Sunday night is always fun!

A casual Monday with old friends and Karla's work friends and we hopped an afternoon flight back to Denver.  Quite the fun 4 day weekend!