I am trying to be tech-y with this addition to my blog.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Aspen in Winter
We have come to Aspen for a meeting. This is an old meeting, but new to us. Lucky for us, we have friends with a gorgeous home here where we are staying.
Flying in yesterday, we left the 60 degree sun at home and flew to Denver, which was also sunny and beautiful. Denver to Aspen was smooth, sunny and a much better flight than you experience in the summer.
We were greeted at the airport by Mark and Steve and their golden retriever Mazy. It took no time at all for Mazy to have everyone waiting for luggage trying to pet her. I imagine today she will be sore from all the hands on her.
Aspen is a beautiful little mountain city. Dripping with wealth, it has attempted to retain charm and quaintness. The last time we were here it was summer, with cool nights, warm days, running rivers, aspen trees ruffling in the wind and bears.
The first night we went to dinner, we parked about 4 blocks from the restaurant. Walking back to the car, amidst the stories of bears ransacking houses throughout the town, a bear jumped out from behind a large shrub. We were about 15 feet from him. I jumped and yelped "it's a bear!", which scared the bear even more than our appearance near him. He ran across the street, up onto a porch of a house. I've tried to imagine the people in the house, hearing the commotion on their porch, looking out the window into the face of this bear.
But in the dead of winter, the bears are asleep, so another bear story will not be a part of this trip.
Of course, ski slopes are the life of Colorado in winter and Aspen is no different. Lucky and I will not ski this year due to his great recovery in the neck and back pain department and my healing broken toe.
Aspen is the home of the "funny money" investments. The pillar of leveraged buying, this town is anchored on every corner by homes acquired during the fat times. On our last trip, a fire-sale house had just come on the market, worth $8 million, it was being sold for $5 million. Amid the beauty of the place, it was almost tempting to imagine we could buy it. Fast forward to 2008-2009, what a disaster that could have been had we convinced ourselves that we could buy, flip and come out ahead.
We will be out today and get some glamor shots for this post.
A little about the dinner last night. We were included in a dinner party for 16 at the home of Steve and Cindy. Mark had been assigned scalloped potatoes (for 16!), while Steve prepared a beef tenderloin. When the potatoes took a little longer than planned, Steve put the tenderloin on hold. When it was served it was perfect, making my desire to cook one of those mini-monsters even more strong. Charred on the outside, perfectly medium rare from the crust to the middle. Perfect. Add mushrooms in a wine reduction (hello butter), scalloped potatoes, green salad, bread and enjoy.
Flying in yesterday, we left the 60 degree sun at home and flew to Denver, which was also sunny and beautiful. Denver to Aspen was smooth, sunny and a much better flight than you experience in the summer.
We were greeted at the airport by Mark and Steve and their golden retriever Mazy. It took no time at all for Mazy to have everyone waiting for luggage trying to pet her. I imagine today she will be sore from all the hands on her.
Aspen is a beautiful little mountain city. Dripping with wealth, it has attempted to retain charm and quaintness. The last time we were here it was summer, with cool nights, warm days, running rivers, aspen trees ruffling in the wind and bears.
The first night we went to dinner, we parked about 4 blocks from the restaurant. Walking back to the car, amidst the stories of bears ransacking houses throughout the town, a bear jumped out from behind a large shrub. We were about 15 feet from him. I jumped and yelped "it's a bear!", which scared the bear even more than our appearance near him. He ran across the street, up onto a porch of a house. I've tried to imagine the people in the house, hearing the commotion on their porch, looking out the window into the face of this bear.
But in the dead of winter, the bears are asleep, so another bear story will not be a part of this trip.
Of course, ski slopes are the life of Colorado in winter and Aspen is no different. Lucky and I will not ski this year due to his great recovery in the neck and back pain department and my healing broken toe.
Aspen is the home of the "funny money" investments. The pillar of leveraged buying, this town is anchored on every corner by homes acquired during the fat times. On our last trip, a fire-sale house had just come on the market, worth $8 million, it was being sold for $5 million. Amid the beauty of the place, it was almost tempting to imagine we could buy it. Fast forward to 2008-2009, what a disaster that could have been had we convinced ourselves that we could buy, flip and come out ahead.
We will be out today and get some glamor shots for this post.
A little about the dinner last night. We were included in a dinner party for 16 at the home of Steve and Cindy. Mark had been assigned scalloped potatoes (for 16!), while Steve prepared a beef tenderloin. When the potatoes took a little longer than planned, Steve put the tenderloin on hold. When it was served it was perfect, making my desire to cook one of those mini-monsters even more strong. Charred on the outside, perfectly medium rare from the crust to the middle. Perfect. Add mushrooms in a wine reduction (hello butter), scalloped potatoes, green salad, bread and enjoy.
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