Day 46: Climbing Mt. Washington

We've taken on a few ambitious tasks in the last month and a half, but none was more physically taxing than yesterday's challenge: a climb to the highest mountain peak in New England and the most prominent peak east of the Mississippi. Mt Washington is a part of the Presidential Peaks and is home to some very intense weather patterns. After weeks of watching, we finally found a day without 50 MPH winds or thunderstorms and decided this would be our day.

The day started off with a 4:30 AM alarm as the peak is more than a few hours away. We stopped off to pick up some breakfast/lunch and were ready to tackle the mountain at 10:44. Not two minutes into the hike, Ellaine nearly "lost her life" trying to cross a "river". Check out the video below to see her harrowing experience (you'll have to forgive my laughing, Mini found a stick bigger than her and was playing with it while Ellaine was crossing).

After that, we climbed a pretty uneventful, albeit beautiful, 3 miles through forest. We laughed as we told stories and fought through the elevation, about 800 feet up each mile. Eventually the trees cleared and we were presented with some amazing views. While we did take breaks for lunch and hydration as we climbed, we made pretty good time finishing the first 3.7 miles in 3.5 hours.

Here's where it all went a little sideways. We were expecting the peak to be at this 3.7 mile mark. The mistake was entirely mine, but we both had to own it as we were still 900' elevation and 1.4 miles from the actual peak (I don't know how to read hiking guides). Akin to finding your paycheck $800 lighter than expected, we had to figure out how to summon the energy to finish the last push.

Worse than the extra distance was the venom that was flowing through Ellaine at this point. She was not a happy camper and made sure that I was well aware of it.

-C: Honey, we're almost there. You're doing great!
-E: You keep saying that. We're not almost there. I hate this.

-or-

-E: I hope you know you're buying me something expensive tomorrow. Like really expensive. I'm not kidding.
-C: Of course babe. What are you thinking? Like a purse or something?
-E: No. I have enough purses. Jewelry.
-C: Sure, something white gold?
-E: No, silver.
-C: Ok... something that's like a fine mesh chain?
-E: No, thick band (she had David Yurman in mind).
-C: Ok, let's go look tomorrow.
-E: Oh, we will. I hate this. This sucks. 

I know why she was so cranky too. The trail was no longer a trail. It was a collection of boulders that had been chewed up by some giant and littered across the trail. We were constantly trekking past hikers going the other way telling us, "almost there, just a mile to go!" (Seriously, dude, not helping here.)

It took us a little over an hour to get the first half mile in with the terrible landscape and constant shuffling around the other hikers. We made the most of the trail where it finally opened up and got another half mile in about 20 minutes. We could finally see the peak just ahead of us and had one final push to get to the top.

What we found was well worth the trek. We could see for miles in any direction. We watched as huge clouds would blow in out of no where and disappear almost as quickly as they formed. With a little food and being able to refill our water bottles, we were again at ease with the world. Mini who made it every step of the hike with us was officially tired and would lay down every chance she got. The rocks were a little rough on her, so we were able to smuggle her on the cog railroad down (officially dogs were not allowed) and we were able to shortcut the return trip.

I'm super proud of my wife, and us in general, for completing the hike. It was harder than any hike I've ever been on before, and I grew up in Colorado. Despite our struggles up the mountain, we never gave up and pushed each other to keep fighting.

Day 45: Othello, My Fellow

Cole and I were invited to watch our cousin, Alex, in the Shakespearian tragedy Othello this past Friday and were so proud to see him in it!

We met up with the Tarnowicz family to see our very first Shakespeare play in the park at St. Joseph's University. Jona, Jim, Michaela, and Danielle provided delicious snacks, and we provided the wine. It was so great to catch up with our family.

Alex did an in incredible job as both an Attendant and Montano. (Spoiler Alert: After Montano was stabbed by Cassio, I thought he was dead. But when Montano later returned, I excitedly exclaimed, "Alex is still alive!") In fact, the entire cast did an incredible job. We were so proud of Alex and the rest of the cast!

Day 44: "Newlywed" Recipe

In all of the excitement of our firsts, we have significantly departed from our traditional nightly routine, cooking tasty things. Continuing this week's wedding theme, we decided to use a cookbook that had been gifted to us to make up something delicious.

It should be no surprise to anyone who knows us, we love to eat. As long as it fits into the delicious category for me, or the meat and potatoes category for Ellaine, we're a fan. So we went through the nearly 1500 recipes in the Betty Crocker Newlywed Cookbook gifted by Ellaine's former grad student, Maria, and picked out a complete meal. The only rule was it had to be in the cookbook.

Our first course was a French Onion Soup that I have always wanted to try as it's one of my favorites. It was rich and complex and surprisingly easy to make. The main event though was the chicken piccata, a dish I have never eaten before, let alone cooked. It was a quick breading and skillet fry (props to Ellaine for figuring out how to get breading to stick without an egg). We finished it up with some buttery noodles and parsley.


We paired the meal with a summer cocktail with thyme, lemon, and cranberry juice. We didn't actually drink any of it as we were too tired, but it did taste delicious from the sip we took.

It was a very satisfying meal and one we will repeat again. It was great to cook together and enjoy the quiet time of sitting together and catching up on the day's activities.

Day 43: Wedding Video

If we hadn't done our photos in nearly a year, it's not a stretch to imagine that we hadn't edited our wedding video either. So to continue our wedding week theme, we went on another dive down memory lane and took notes on the nearly 150 minutes of footage provided by The Pros to find our favorite 5-10 minutes.

This was even harder than the photos, but again led us to relive our favorite memories of the day. We saw family toasts, cried again during our vows, and grinned at the advice everyone offered. Hearing the music, reliving the meals and appetizers, and seeing the joy on our faces had us all sorts of nostalgic.

In the year since our wedding, I have had multiple people ask me how everything has been going. And every time, I tell them how things have never been better and we have only gotten stronger. Sitting and watching the video, it is no surprise that we are where we are. The Pros caught footage where there is no doubt of the love between us.

I love that we will have the footage to show our kids and reminisce on for years to come. Despite being against it when Ellaine first brought it up, I am so happy we have it.  Thank you to my wife and thank you to The Pros for their great work.

Day 42: Paparazzi

After attending the wedding of our brother and sister, we were inspired to finally sit down and order our wedding photos from nearly a year ago.

We met our photographer, Lindsay Shaw, in September 2013 at the DeMello wedding (Sarah DeMello, being our matchmaker). I liked her immediately, mostly because she took lots of great pictures of me that day. Our paths crossed again when Lindsay served as the photographer for the Montovani wedding in July 2014 (Andrea Montovani, my best friend who allowed us to babysit her daughter, Lucy). When Cole and I became engaged in June 2014, we went on the hunt for our wedding photographer and I'm glad we didn't have to look very far. Being familiar with Lindsay's great work, we immediately booked her.

The day of our wedding came and went faster than we could have ever imagined. It was our happiest day, and having Lindsay capture some of our most favorite moments is priceless. The day after our wedding, Lindsay posted her Sunday Morning Blog, a sneak peak at our joyous day. We were so pleased with the work that she had done and eagerly anticipated ordering these photos to hang around our home. But with our busy schedules and an ever increasing list of things to get done, we never did get around to actually ordering our pictures.

So here we are, 49 weeks after our wedding day, ordering our wedding photos. It is quite the year that Cole and I have had, which makes it hard to believe that it's been nearly a year since our wedding. As we go through the 1,983 photos that Lindsay took, it's hard to select our top 200 to create our ultimate photo album. We love each and every single one she took that day, and will cherish these moments every single day for the rest of our lives.

The photos here are a sample of our absolute favorites.  With so many great pictures representing but a fraction of our great memories, these are by no means a complete representation of how great that day really was.

Day 41: Start! Walking

Start

Finish

After a fun-filled weekend of eating out for every meal and drinking in Denver, Cole and I decided that we needed to do something to feel a little more fit and healthy.

During our four hour layover in Minnesota yesterday, we grabbed dinner while our phones and computers charged. After some quick research, we learned about the Start! Walking campaign: the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport teamed up with the American Heart Association to give travelers the opportunity to keep fit, by walking a 1.4 mile path through Terminal 1.

Although this walk wasn't nearly as long (or colorful) as our first 5k just over a month ago, we had a blast touring the airport and snapping pictures throughout the terminal!

Day 40: We Got a Sister!!!

It was such a wonderful day when my family joined together with Ellaine's, and an only child got her very first brothers. Yesterday, we got to experience the joy of finally having a sister: Grant married his beautiful bride on an equally beautiful Colorado day.

We showed up to The Barn at Raccoon Creek and were met with a wide open area, which would serve as the aisle Megan would eventually walk down to share her vows with Grant. After some pictures and horsing around, it was time for the big moment. Megan looked radiant in her dress and Grant was positively beaming. Luckily enough for me, I was provided a handkerchief prior to the ceremony, because Grant's vows brought me to tears.  



We followed the ceremony with a cocktail hour and catching up with friends and family alike that we have not seen in far too long. Dinner had a "home-cooked feel" with a mac and cheese bar and mashed potato bar.

We all pulled out our handkerchiefs again as we went though the toasts (I was about as nervous as karaoke night to deliver mine). But this would be the last of the tears for the night as we launched into dancing, more catching up, and general jubilation.  

It was a great night, and brought back many fond memories of our own special day. We love you Grant. We love you Megan. We are so lucky to finally have a sister, and we are so happy with the one we got. We wish you both many happy years to come.

Day 39: Hipster's Paradise

Ellaine and I have never prided ourselves with being trendy people. We will claim being adventurous, but not trendy. As it turns out, we found a very hip place and our friends gave us kudos on what a neat location we settled on... one that happened to be new and different for all nine of us.

The Recess Beer Garden is smack dab in the middle LoHi, a recently gentrified neighborhood just outside of Denver proper. As the name would imply, it has a good selection of beer and a wide open area to enjoy it in. Ellaine and I showed up first and snagged a table for us all to sit at. Together we indulged in people watching and enjoyed the hipsters, 20-somethings with way too much makeup on, puppies (there were three of them there), and new couples at the outdoor countertops feeling each other out for the first time.

Shortly thereafter, we were soon joined by Chris and Holly, Dave (Chris's brother), Joel and Sarah, and Andy and Chelsea. I was fortunate to have Chris, Joel, and Andy stand by my side when I married Ellaine last August. We enjoyed our beers, while our ladies opted for Mini Bota Boxes of wine. Our stories flowed as easily as the beer; it was as if we had never spent any time apart. An early evening shower sent us running for cover, but as quickly as it popped up, it passed on by and we were able to return to our table.  

We got to hear all about the kids and status updates on where we all found ourselves in the world. It was great to see and share in everyone's happiness and joy we have all been blessed with. Ellaine and I are truly fortunate to have such wonderful people in our lives. Thank you all for coming on out and helping us explore the hot new place to be.

Day 38: A Summer Day in Winter Park

For quite some time, Cole has been excited to take me back to Winter Park during the summer months, so that we could go down the Alpine Slide together. You sit in a yellow sled, controlled by a handle you push to either slow down or accelerate, and go down a long and winding concrete slide.

Cole was first introduced to the slide at four months of age, when his mom took him down it. The family made several trips to the park over the years, including one where Cole’s dad flew out of the slide and wound up scraping a few freckles off his arm. Sounds exciting, right?

Together with Cole’s mom (Sharon), brother (Brett), Brett’s girlfriend (Kate), and Uncle Mike and Aunt Polly from Missouri, we ventured to Winter Park… and I was shaking in my Toms. I was not excited about the prospect of certain death that was awaiting me with this. We waited in line for about 30 minutes and went to the top of the slide on a ski lift, and watched as kids and adults flew down the slide. I was reminded of Tim’s mishap years ago, and feared for my life.

After posing for some pictures, I was given the option to go down the “slow” or “fast” lane. I, of course, opted for the slow lane. With Aunt Polly in front of me, and Kate behind me, I felt some comfort in knowing I would be taken care of just in case. As I ventured down the slide, people from the chair lifts yelled, “Go faster!!!” to which I responded, “I’m going to die!” Thankfully, I kept my slow and steady pace, and was ok… and so were the eight people immediately behind me at the finish line.

Since Cole had done the Alpine Slide before, we looked for something new and different for him… and found bungee cord jumping! We were attached to a harness and bungee cords, and allowed to jump on trampolines. Although we were given two minutes for the activity, I lasted all of one minute because of the dizziness that overcame me during my front flips. Cole, on the other hand, went all the way to the very end, jumping up and down like a happy little kid.

The views were spectacular all day.  I had actually seen them before in the winter, but being in the mountains in the summer is a very different experience entirely. It was a wonderful day, and we are so appreciative of the family who helped us to make this day happen. We love you!

Day 37: Filipino Food Truck

Growing up with my mom's side of the family no more than one state away, family get togethers have always been big, and the tables are always full of Filipino food.

Despite having 75 or so relatives in Connecticut, and dozens of close family friends, I've only ever had family-made Filipino food, and the same goes for Cole. There's a small Filipino restaurant in Connecticut that I still haven't made my way to, and the next nearest one I know is just outside of Boston. So, in looking for something new and different to do in Denver (because Cole has probably done a lot already), I looked up "Filipino" on Yelp. Through Yelp, I found A Taste of the Philippines, a Filipino food truck in the heart of Civic Center Park in Denver!

Cole and I invited Cole's parents, Sharon and Tim to join us for lunch, and they happily agreed! After Sharon picked us up at the airport, we met with Tim at the park, where food trucks lined the area. The smallest of them all was A Taste of the Philippines. 


Kathy, the owner of the food truck, warmly greeted us all upon arriving. She told us that she was born in the Philippines and moved to the US as a child. After years in the business sector, she took her mother's recipes and opened this food truck. Many of the dishes were already sold out by the time we arrived. Cole and Tim indulged in Manok sa Gata, ​chicken simmered in coconut milk with ginger, garlic, bamboo shoots. Sharon and I enjoyed Tapa, caramelized pork with garlic and onions. Kathy gave us half a dozen lumpia with dipping sauce to enjoy, too.

The food was delicious, so it wasn't hard to see why the food truck sold out of most of their food by the time we arrived. And Kathy was so friendly, that it was the icing on the cake.

Day 36: Chef Cole

Cole and I have been blessed with amazing parents. At the risk of sounding arrogant, I think that Cole and I are the people we are today because of our wonderful upbringing: our parents raised us to be kind, loving and generous, and have always encouraged us to give 110% in everything that we do. We hope that we are blessed with children someday, and that we are able to be the parents that Ruby, Rudy, Sharon, and Tim are to us.

During this busy summer, my parents have offered to watch Mini during our long weekends away, so that we don't have to put her in the kennel. We have recently joked that Mini seems to enjoy her time with "Lolo" and "Lola" a little too much... she has been reluctant to get in the car every time we've come to pick her up. It's clear that Mini loves my parents and that they love her... and it probably has a lot to do with how much they spoil her with belly rubs, dog treats, trips to the park, new tennis balls, and lumpia.

In our four years together, Cole has single-handedly cooked about 90% of our meals, we've cooked 9% together, and I have cooked a whopping 1%. My parents have told me repeatedly how lucky I am to have Cole, and I love that they adore him so much. But, in all that time, Cole has never cooked a meal for them (and neither have I). As a "thank you" to my parents for taking Mini during these trips, Cole and I made dinner for them last night: we picked up four lobsters and threw them on the grill, and made my Mom's version of lumpia. They loved the meal, and the effort we put forth in making it. This is definitely one of those "new things" we look forward to doing again in the future.

We truly enjoy the family time that we get with them, and are fortunate that they are only a short drive away. And as sad as we are to be away from our pup this weekend, we are so excited that we'll be getting in family time in Denver this weekend with Cole's side of the family.
 

Day 35: Buck Moon

In all of our years, we have certainly seen plenty of full moons. We've even seen plenty of full moons in July. On Tuesday, we learned that the full moon in July is referred to as the Buck Moon: this marks the time of year that male deer (bucks) begin to grow antlers.

Cole and I wanted to see if the moon looked any different than the dozens of full moons we've seen together in years past. After taking Mini on her evening walk around the block, we put down a blanket in the backyard and looked up at the moon. As bright and beautiful as it was on Tuesday night (and it was bright), it didn't look particularly different. 

We're happy that we learned something new that day, though, because this journey is all about learning and growing together, no matter how big or small that may be.

Day 34: Dancing in the Rain

Monday was supposed to be a great day. Cole and I brought back "Monthly Happy Hour" at Salute: in the midst of planning our wedding last year, we found ourselves so busy that we couldn't get together with friends as much as we'd wanted to. So we set aside one day a month to do happy hour with friends. We did this for nearly a year each month in the months before and after our wedding. After a brief hiatus, happy hour was back!

Cole called one of the managers at Salute to let them know we had a group of 20 friends coming to happy hour; they planned on blocking off a spot for us on the back patio... but it rained. Down poured. We were still able to enjoy food and drinks with friends inside the bar, and are happy for that.

But the rain allowed Cole and I to get a little cheesy. In an ode to my attempt at Singing in the Rain a few years ago, Cole and I slow danced in the rain for the first time, to our wedding song: John Legend's All of Me. So, yeah, it was still a great day!

Sorry, folks, no pictures of this one.

Day 33: Food Delivery for the Sick Patient

We all know that being sick is no fun. Poor Ellaine has come down with something and wasn't much help today with yard work, house work, or much of anything for that matter, as she needed to devote all her energy to getting better. 

In an effort to make sure we got something new in, while allowing Ellaine to catch up on sleep, I found an Afghanistan restaurant around us because we have never tried this type of food before. We got some Pakawra (battered and fried potatoes), Bowlani (flatbread stuffed with potatoes), and an order of Mantoo (Afghan Meat Dumplings) with Iced Afghanistan Tea.  

Ellaine was asleep as I placed the order, so I tried keep things in the "meat and potatoes" category that she told me about on our very first date. Overall, the food was delicious. From reading up on some of the recipes, we might try them again with slightly different executions, but overall I'm very happy that we got some new foods to throw into our rotation.

Day 32: A Whale of a Good Time

After a night of good sleep, Ellaine and I were up early for our next adventure. Roughly 40 minutes north of Boston is the town of Gloucester, Massachusetts, home to the famous statue that Gorton's fish sticks designed their logo from.

Settled prior to both Boston and Salem, Gloucester has long been an important fishing harbor. Over time, whaling became a less and less important part of the fishing industry, and as of today, has been replaced with tourism around the whales.

So we set sail with around 100 others and waited to see our see our first whale. We went out in the direction of the Grand Banks. We were specifically looking for the area where underwater plateaus force up nutrients from the bottom, creating rich algae blooms, which serve as the basis of the food chain the whales take advantage of (some whales inhale over 1,000,000 calories a day).

This was how every picture of a dolphin
turned out for us.  They were cool none the less.

At the 50 minute mark we saw our first Minke Whale break the surface. Garnering many gasps from the crowd, the captain hardly slowed down for us to ogle. What we didn't know was they knew about a pod of dolphins playing up ahead. We circled for them multiple times so that they could play in our wake and we even watched a few jump in the air excitedly.

Soon after, they found two humpback whales. We watched "Cantilever" and "Fulcrum" surface and dive multiple times. They would take two or three breaths at a time before diving deep to go on feeding runs, where they would disappear for 5-8 minutes at a time. 

Fulcrum taking a deep breath

It was a super cool day all around. My little kid mode was on over drive the whole time and I managed to avoid a serious sunburn, so all in all, a very good day. Thanks Ellaine for finding this and thank you Captain Bill's for taking us out.