Some Highlights of '08

Well, 2008 is over and it was a busy work year. However, there was a some time for travel and fun. Below are just a few highlights of last year.

Fly Fishing in Utah

Backpacking The Great Sand Dunes with Dad

Swimming With Sea Turtles in Hawaii

Denver Botanic Gardens with Mom

The Project is Finished!

Well, after a years worth of effort and management, I have completed the big job. It was a race to the finish with many trades working overtime to make the scheduled completion. Overall, the job was brought in 20 days early and under budget. Additionally, we won a Gold Hard Hat Award from Colorado Constructor Magazine. The project was a seven-story mixed-use facility including: retail space, parking garage and affordable rental housing. It's not every year that I will be involved with such a great project. So, I will remember this one for a long time. Woo hoo!

Kauaii, Hawaii

Here are a few pics from my trip to Hawaii with Nicole. We spent most of the week relaxing and enjoying the scenery. However, we did mix in a few adventure items as you can see in the pictures above. I would have to say that the heli flight around the island was awesome! Nothing like being strapped in to a helicopter with no doors. The landing spot in the photo was at the base of a remote waterfall. We got to swim in the pool below the falls and have lunch before heading back to the heliport. It was a wondrful trip and I would love to go back again someday.

Some Pics of My Big Job

Sorry this construction related post took so long. I thought I'd finally get some pictures up of my largest project. This is near downtown Denver. This project is a seven story concrete post-tensioned frame structure. It is what is considered a mixed-use property since it will have retail, parking and residential space. Enjoy the photos and feel free to ask any questions. Cheers!

Denver's Crazy Weather Changes

Here's a little juxtaposition of Denver's weather. Yesterday I went for a bicycle ride. It was 72 degrees and completely clear. Today its 27 and sleeting. Gotta love it.

Aldo Releases Music Video!

Last weekend, Aldo Leopardi released the music video 'Always Be' at a release party in Denver. It was great party and an even more amazing video. Cheers to Aldo for his tenacity in accomplishing the things he has always dreamed of. Check out the video at the following link http://aldoleopardimusic.com/alwaysbe/ and here are a few photos of our time at the party.

Super Secret Downtown Project.........Haha

One of my projects gets a little face time on the local news. Not the best idea to put this specific story on the airwaves, but coverage none the less. Check out the video link for the full story.

http://www.myfoxcolorado.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail;jsessionid=8FC6B02136D050CFDF0A225406855777?contentId=4385484&version=3&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1&sflg=1

Backpacking Summit County Wilderness

On Labor Day weekend I went backpacking with my neighbors, Shawn & Michelle. It had been a few years since I had done any remote backpacking. So, needless to say, it kicked my ass pretty good. However, It's hard to replace the feeling you get after you have hiked 16 miles into a wilderness area at 10,800 feet. Check out these photos.

New Wheels!!

So, I finally downsized vehicles. The awesome yet monstrous Tahoe was consuming ethanol faster than corn grows. So, thought I'd change it up a little. It wasn't a hard choice, but was still sad to see the big rig go. So now I get six more miles per gallon and still get to drive a very capable SUV. That's still only 16mpg, but hey it's green (ha ha). As you can see I didn't hesitate to get it off road right away! Go Disco!

I'm Back

In more ways than one. I moved back to Denver about six months ago and have been really slack on keeping my blog updated. Sorry. I really do want to keep more current information on here. I've got a lot going on with my new job. So, it's kind of hard to come home and sit in front of the computer when I have been doing that all day. However, I will make a better effort to update more often.

As many of you know, I was looking to move back to Denver and get back in to some bigger construction projects. After twelve interviews and a lot of consideration I chose a mid-sized strong company to go to work for. I struggled between two offers but can honestly say that I made the right decision. I couldn't be happier. I'm working with good people and have been given many exciting projects to work on. I will post some pictures and describe them in detail in the coming days.

I'm also happy to be back in my own home, after traveling for almost two years. It definitely feels good to have a home base again. However, I cannot discount my experience in South Carolina. I met a lot of good people and had some great opportunities there as well. Sometimes I do miss the laid back nature of coastal SC. Well, I suppose I can always visit. ;)