Firecracker 5k Race

Running is my worst enemy.

I have tried to battle this fierce competitor. Sometimes I go as far as to get my workout clothes on and walk down the street to the park. Then I stand and I stare. I stare my enemy down. I give it the squinting eye like it is high noon and we are about to show down. The heat from the sun pounds down on my face. Drops of sweat start to trickle down my forehead. When the moment of truth arrives, I always seem to find myself a little slow on the draw because I lose every time. I’ll do a few stretches for appearances sake. I’ll bend down to “tie” my shoe mostly to keep myself from passing out at the thought of what I am about to do. Just as I am about to take that first step… I remember that something urgent needs my attention! My stoves burner was left on. I must leave before my home goes up into flames. Uh oh, I forgot to roll up my car windows and it looks like it is about to rain. Oh no, I left the water running from when I took a bath earlier. I don’t want the house to flood that would just be so inconvenient. So I turn around and go home, but not before I stop at the “Daily Scoop” for some ice cream. Comfort food is always needed after this experience.

Although laziness plays somewhat of a roll in my dislike, don’t mistake my entire hatred for running on my casual workout attitude. This dislike for running actually started in High School when my best friend who was star of the track team decided she wanted to quit. The more the coach begged her to stay, the more she begged me to join the team. All she wanted was someone to hang out with. I eventually caved. Let me tell you, I was pathetic! I was beaten by everyone! People would finish and then 10 minutes later I would come along and be only half way done. It didn't matter how much I practiced. I was so slow! Now, the real humiliation came when I was assigned to run the 400 meter during a meet. Somehow my shoe fell off during the race. I panicked but kept running, if you could call it that. It was more like hobbling along. I came in last, way last! Like I said, I was pathetic!

Now I have successfully avoided running for most of my adult life. I also found myself pretty busy these past ten months with school, so not only have I not run but I haven't even got in a workout in a while. So when my wonderful sister-in-laws thought it would be fun to run a 5k, I will admit that I panicked a little. I figured since I'm not in high school anymore that it was about time to face my enemy. So I put on a brave face and tagged along. I did not prepare for this at all because in case you forgot, running and I don’t exactly get along. So the fact that I even survived and finished in under an hour is pretty amazing. Thanks everyone for cheering me on! I actually had a good time. I think running and I might become friends someday.

Check out our efforts. (And you can take about two minutes off of our times since we didn’t cross the staring line right away.)

July 4, 2009

And we're off...



Rebecca- 32:25

Katherine- 32:46

Victoria- 32:52

Christina- 36:43

Honey and Angela- 39:43

We Did it!

The kids even got a little taste of the action!

Hey Everybody... Aaron is Awesome!

Wednesday, Aaron turned 29!!! We spent a lovely evening at his parents' home - he and his Dad share their birthday (Happy Birthday Steve!) - complete with family in town, nieces and nephews a-plenty, savory dinner (thanks Victoria) and 2 huge delicious cakes (hats off to Rebecca and Honey and anyone else who had a hand in the evening). We celebrated at our house too...

Birthday celebrations always seem to involve candy strewn about the house and scavenger hunts.

This year Aaron's scavenger hunt led him to Mustard's Last Stand (review coming soon) for a Chicago style hot dog, and then to REI where he was able to shop away for all his bike needs. Arm warmers (which he loved so much that he refused to take off all night... even while on a trip to King Soopers), rain jacket, bike bag, tire tubes, bike pump, and other things. I didn't dare try to pick any of that out for him.

Even with all of those gifts. Still his favorite gift of all was his hot dog shirt!

Hey Everybody... I AM AWESOME!

He proudly wore it around all night. He loved the shirt so much that even he put it at the end of the bed so that it would be the first thing that he saw when he woke up in the morning. Don't worry I seriously question his age at times too ;)

We topped off the birthday celebration with cupcakes by Big Fat Cupcake... Delicious!

Happy Birthday Aaron!

Steve's Snappin' Dogs

I apologize for getting behind on my hot dog reviewing. We really have been to more hot dog joints than the blog has let on. I seem to find myself a little busy this summer. I blame this on U.S. foreign relations. See I am currently taking a class on the history of U.S. foreign policy and it is taking up more of my time than I wish to admit. So hot dog blogging has been put on the back burner. Since today I am procrastinating writing an essay on the evolution of foreign policy from Washington to Truman, I think now would be a great time to get you a little more informed about where to get your hot dogs around here.

Last weekend, Aaron and I were able to eat at Steve’s Snappin Dogs. Actually we ended up eating there on both Friday and Saturday nights! It was the combination of these two nights that has put Steve’s way into the lead. (I am tempted to give them five weenies, but that is reserved for the winner. So if Steve’s can’t be beat than I reserve the right to adjust their score once the summer is over.)

Before I get into the judging I have to let you in on a new fact. I have officially come to the conclusion that my love for hot dogs only exists if the hot dog is ALL BEEF! I am not sure why that was left undiscovered until this point in my life. Maybe because I had only ever had all beef dogs. I was finding myself a little disappointed in some of the hot dog establishments. I couldn’t put my finger on why until I realized I had been eating some half pork/half beef dogs. So in order for this girl to be satisfied I need beef. Just know that from this point on if I am judging a hot dog you can assume it is 100% beef. Otherwise you will definitely hear about it!

Judging time:

Value- Price was just right. I paid 11 and some change for two hot dogs, two chips, and two drinks. $11 seems to be the magic number for that combination of food. They are right on track with price. Not at all too expensive. My Chicago Dog cost $3.65. Aaron's Memphis Dog cost $3.65.

Preparation- These were grilled. You can see your dog being cooked right there in front of you.

Presentation- This was AMAZING! Check out the dogs below. I had the Chicago Dog. Aaron had the Memphis Dog. On night 2 I had the Jersey dog.

Chicago Dog- green relish, spicy mustard, red onions, celery salt, sliced tomato, dill pickle spear, and sport peppers.

Memphis Dog- BBQ sauce, grilled red onions, bacon, and coleslaw

Jersey Dog- green relish, spicy mustard, caraway sauerkraut, red onions and bacon. (Sorry no picture. Just imagine the Chicago dog minus the pickle but add tons of sauerkraut)

They looked delicious! The toppings were piled on. I am from Chicago and I grew up on hot dogs with endless toppings. This was ideal for me!

Ambiance- Near perfection! The only downfall might be that it is located on Colfax. Since we live so close we decided to walk on over there and in the three minutes that it took us to walk, we did get hit up for money by a homeless guy. But everything else about this place was great. This hot dog joint reminded me of a fun summer afternoon barbecue. That is the exact feeling I have been looking for. Steve's was set up with picnic tables and even though I am a strict believer that dogs and hot dogs should have nothing to do with each other they do offer convenient seating for your dog if you want to walk him or her on over to eat with you. Great atmosphere!

Taste- Again near perfection! This is where the combination of the two nights and my "all beef" rantings come in.

Night # 1. I got the Chicago dog. It was delicious. The combination of topping was delectable. The bun was nicely toasted. I actually enjoyed the bun and I am very picky about my hot dog buns. I was also introduced to my new favorite topping… Spicy Mustard! Everything tasted divine except for the dog itself. It definitely snapped in you mouth like they promised. It was flavorless and disappointing.

Night #2. I didn’t have a hard time deciding what to get because the night before I debated whether to get the Chicago or the Jersey. So Jersey it was. I just wasn’t looking forward to the actual dog itself. That is when I noticed that they offered hot dog options! I didn’t have to get their special Thumanns brand. I could get an all beef Kosher dog. So I did and I loved it! I didn’t love the combination of toppings of the jersey dog as much as I did the Chicago. There was a little too much sauerkraut and not enough spicy mustard for my liking. But when I go back to Steve’s I will get the Chicago dog with an all beef hot dog. It will be prefect!

Now to wash down your dog, they give you cans of pop. I really loved that it gave it more of the at home barbeque feel.

There you have it! Go to Steve’s. I promise you will love it even if you are not a hot dog lover. My sister-in-law was able to order a Philly cheese steak sandwich. I forgot to ask if she enjoyed it. It did look good. They also have some fun sides like fried green beans which thank to our friends we were able to sample, they were delicious. If you want to go all out you can even get you hot dog deep fried!

Overall rating: Steve’s Snappin Dogs receives 4 weenies.

ONE of the EIGHT MILLION things that we LOVE about DENVER...

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Movies in the Park!

We discoverd these last year and we went to plenty of them. Friday, we attended our first one of the 2009 summer. The featured movie was Princess Bride. We were able to enjoy this splendid movie in Cheesemen Park.

Thank you Denver! We love you and all of your free Summer entertainment!

Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Regional Competition!

Aaron and I had seriously been contemplating heading to New York this summer for the 94th annual National Hot Dog Eating Competition. We were hoping to catch a glimpse of the six-time champion Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi and defending champion Joey Chestnut, who tied last year with 59 hot dogs eaten in ten minutes. We figured it would be a great way to end our Summer of hot dogs. Lucky for us we got to save some money on airfare because one of the regional competitions took place right here in our own town. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to attend. So Saturday we headed to Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Regional Competition!

They held numerous competitions. The first few competitions were just for fun. They consisted of a few random audience members. The highest number of hot dogs eaten in ten minutes, by the average joe, without having any practice was 7 1/2! Which is decent seeing how I eat two in twenty minutes and feel nauseous.

For the final competition, for the real competition, for the competition that could win you a spot to the final in New York City, the number of hot dogs consumed was much higher! It was a tough race. The two top competitors were Pretty Boy Pete and Mongo Marquez. They seemed to have their technique down. Each were dipping their hot dogs in an unknown red substance, believed to be Gatorade, before devouring the dog sometimes whole. Pretty Boy Pete came in a close second with a total of 29 hot dogs eaten in ten minutes. It wasn't quite enough because Mongo Marquez won it with a whopping 30 hot dogs!

Now I know you all wish that you were there so I made sure to tape it for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Check out the awards ceremony! Mongo is the first Coloradan to ever make it to the finals!

This guy wins the award for coolest hat of the day!

Here is the aftermath. Can you believe that they were giving away the left over hot dogs! We chose to pass.

Home Sweet (soon to be) Home!

So I have been asked a few questions about this whole house buying business. Sorry to leave you all hanging. I am still in shock about it! I am also still a little hesitant to say anything since it is not officially ours until July 6. But I figure it wont hurt to at least answer a few of the questions that I have been asked.

Did you seriously buy a house?

Yes, it is true! Aaron and I are going to be home owners in about a month. That's if everything goes as planned. And speaking of plans, I did not actually think we would be buying a house this soon. Aaron and I have loved looking at houses all around Denver. Neither of was too serious about buying just yet. But when we walked into this house, we fell in love! The fact that my husband put in an offer right away without having to sit down and weigh the pros and cons and figure out some deal he could get, and the fact that somehow we beat out a higher offer for the home means that this is meant to be. (Ok, I am just cheesy and think everything is meant to be.)

Where is this house located?

Right here in Denver, of course. It is just a few blocks west of City Park. We love the city. Someday we will move out to the suburbs and we will love it there too. We just aren't ready quite yet.

Will you still be in the Capitol Hill ward?

Yes, we will be in the Capitol Hill ward for a while now. Aaron and I are excited about this because we are big fans of the members in this ward!

And last but not least, what does your house look like?

Well let me show you. Below is a visual tour of the home. Obviously none of the furniture is ours, although I wish it was. The video isn't the best quality but it will give you an idea until you can come over to visit!

Bernie's Hot Dog Co.

Maybe it was the cold, rainy day. Maybe it was the sad dog pictures that we were surrounded by that were subliminally saying, "Don't eat me!"

But whatever the reason we did not get a good start to our summer of Hot Dogs. Last week, my brother and I went to Bernies Hot Dog Co. It is located on the corner of Lucent and Highlands Ranch Parkway in Highlands Ranch.

It was pretty lame to say the least. I ordered the cleverly named "Colfax Dog." While my brother ordered the "8 Mile Dog." Apparently they name their hot dogs after famous streets. We could have chosen from the Michigan Avenue Dog or even the Pacific Coast Highway Dog.

Anyway, here is what these dogs looked like:

Colfax Dog- green chili, cheddar cheese, and tomatoes



8 Mile Dog- chili, onions and mustard



Now let's jump right in to the judging so that you can understand my disappointment.

Value- These were decently priced. My Colfax Dog was $3.99. Jeff's 8 Mile Dog was $3.29. The total which included fries, chips and two drinks cost around $11. So not too bad.



Presentation- They looked very well put together. As you can see above they were not too sloppy. They were actually very nice to look at. But don't be fooled by presentation. Looks can be deceiving.

Preparation- These were broiled. We saw them come out of the oven. We were fortunate to get fresh ones. I can't say that will always be the case. They did have some sitting under a heat lamp. I can't imagine what those tasted like.

Ambiance- It was nestled nicely between Corner Bakery and Noodles and Company. It was cute. It was clean. It was Highlands Ranch. I don't think things are allowed to be dirty or gross in Highlands Ranch. And although I was creeped out and a little confused by the dog pictures, I would have to say that the ambiance was very nice. The place even had some good mountain views.



Taste- Now I bet you are thinking, "This place doesn't sound too bad. What is Angela upset about?" Well taste is the part that matters the most because seriously who cares what the joint looks likes or what the cost is. As long as it tastes good, I am happy. The place will get 5 stars or in this case 5 weenies from me. At first my taste buds were in heaven! The combination of the green chili, cheddar cheese and tomatoes was delicious! Then I chomped down on the dog. All of my excitement was gone. The actual hot dog was awful. It had rubbery skin that I was forced to gnaw my way through just to get to an awkwardly chewy inside. Yuck! I also have to mention that the bun was lame. It was totally bought from King Soopers. Nothing special.

So there you have it. My brother said he is willing to give Bernies 3 more tries before he gives up on it. I would suggest saving your money. You are better off just going to the grocery store and buying your own pack of hot dogs.


Overall rating: Bernies Hot Dog Co. recieves 2 weenies.

How Do We Spend Our Summer Nights?

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BIKE RIDES TO CITY PARK