Snope Out the Truth

One of the biggest boons and issues I have found with the handy forward option in emails and texts is the possibility of finding out about information I may never of heard about otherwise. Denzel Washington donated a substantial amount to the Fisher House Foundation - a organization who like the Ronald McDonald house only for military families? Who knew? Not me until I was forwarded an email about it.

But for as many great new things I'm hearing about, I'm also hearing about a ton of things that really amount to only B.S. And FYI - No, Starbucks did not deny sending coffee to Marines fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan or any other place in the Middle East. So whats a girl to do when bombarded with tons of information, both fact and fictional? How am I supposed to know what is accurate or not? It's called Snopes.com and I'm constantly surprised by how may people haven't heard of it yet. (It is no where near a new phenomenon.)

Before I ever forward on an email that I find stuffed with interesting or startling facts I hit up Snopes and check out what the people there have to say about. Saves me from looking like an idiot by sending on false information. I encourage everyone to try to be more responsible source of info rather than just hitting the forward button.

A Valentine Flash Back - Fast Flying Hearts

Since the holiday of love is upon us I feel the need to share one of my favorite Valentine's Day flash back memories. Sorry to the sappy of heart, but this one isn't for you. It's no secret that if something can go comically wrong it's more than likely going to happen to me.

A couple of years ago I decided to try and do something cute for my Valentine. I bought 20 red and pink balloons and wrote 20 little "Why I Love You" notes. I rolled the notes up, stuffed them into the balloons, blew those suckers up, and filled the bedroom with them. Cute right?

As a sucker for sweets I felt the need to add a little candy treat to each of the balloons. For V-day and love notes what would go better than candy hearts? Nothing! So I stuffed between 4-10 in each balloon. Sure they made fun rattly sounds when the balloon moves around, however the only way to get the stuff back out is to pop the balloons. Here is where my adorable idea went all wrong.

Apparently when you pop balloons hard little objects such as candy hearts turn into projectile missiles! After several attempts at popping the balloons, a small dent in the wall and few heart shaped welts on our bodies, the man and I found that throwing a blanket over the balloon and stabbing it through it was the safest option.

While sentimental gestures seem like the best idea, it is sometimes the funny ones that stick in our heads. Happy Valentine's Day!

Mountain Days & Snowboarding Dreams

For snowboarders and skiers there is nothing like a great weekend on the mountain. Last weekend I had the pleasure of spending 3 glorious days in Steamboat Springs, CO aka Ski Town USA! I've wanted to go there for years and loved almost every minute of it. I was surprised at how affordable condos were. Here are some of the cool places I found and things we did.

Nightlife

If you are into live bands then Ghost Ranch Saloon is a must. The staff is great, the drinks are stiff and the music is always bumping. Shake your thing up front on the dance floor, enjoy from one of the back tables, or scope the scene from one of two balconies.

Runs to Ride

Blue - Buddy's Run - is an awesome ride for intermediates. Steep enough to get you into your turns but not enough to have you on one edge or your face half of the run. Hop on the Storm Peak Express or Bar-U lift and enjoy the ride down.

Blue/Black - Flying Z Gulch & Longhorn - Situated on the far North side of the mountain you can catch these runs off the Pony Express lift. These runs aren't groomed as often and are perfect if your ready to step up your technique in some powder or soft moguls. 

Shops to Stop by

Epilogue Book Company - If you love to read check out this independent bookstore filled with antiquarian books.

All That Jazz - This place carries a ton of funky items aside from the traditional CDs. Find sassy t-shirts, earrings, jewelry, hilarious cards, vanity products and tons more!

Sweet Potato Lingerie - Spice things up with a trip to this store. A little pricey but some incredibly sexy and tasteful items.

Place to Pass On

One night we ended up at the 8th Street Steakhouse. While the food is good, they take the "Grilling Experience" concept a little too far. Unless you get seafood or prime rib your cooking your own meet on the grill. Some of the ala carte sides are also grill yourself. The price is steep considering you do everything yourself. After a long day on the mountain or in the shops, I'd recommend passing on this place for one of Steamboat's many sit down restaurants.

As a snowboard enthusiast and a mountain town junkie, I think Steamboat officially makes my top 5 list. Maybe it has a little to do with this beautiful morning scene from my first day out? Nothing beats being above the clouds your first run of the day. See you at the bottom!