People, Precipitation, and the Portmanteau

a sweet spot at red rocks

a view from Coyote Hill

Here begins blog number one, ever. Take a moment... share this with me.. and, thanks. Now, this being the first since I a) was born, b) got done with a run in the snow, and c) moved to Denver, I feel like there is a lot to cover. However, I'll spare most details from the first 22.5 years of life and speak only of part C... perhaps B.

So, today is the first day of snow (this covers the precipitation portion of today's title). It's excellent, or was until it came at me in the form of a rock solid ball and subsequently covered me in coffee. But all is well - the coffee was much better post-impact for sure.

I just got back from a solid/slick run around the Colorado Heights Campus that I will call home for the next 9 or so months. It's a pretty cool place - plenty of trees, views, and coyotes. Rumor has it that a descent down "Coyote Hill" will certainly yield an attack from the latter. I can attest that this is not always true, especially when your coyote calls sound instead like gut-wrenching rooster sounds. We are located at the highest point in Denver and a mere 9 miles from downtown. This has been my first real long-term experience with public transportation, and reliance on it is quite strange (shout out to Snow White for providing me with transportation for the last 6 years, and to my main squeeze Molly for having to go without it for longer). That pretty much covers campus, although I'm sure things will come up in the future...

ignore the dude in front

the red rocks amphitheater

Now, to address the blog title - at one point in life, Mr. Joseph Ratterman referred to me as J. Rosenthal (a spin on the popular J. Rose, which has followed me all these years...). As I was sitting in today's safety/service learning meeting, soaking up the necessary information, I found myself thinking of the monthly email I promised to send out to update my folks and friends and family and fans on what I've been getting up to. I then found myself thinking that I lack necessary email addresses. I then found myself thinking how boring emails really are. I then found myself speaking in the front of the room and scrambling to replace these thoughts with ones dealing with team conflict resolution. I then found myself sitting in a chair, the epitome of team failure, and trying to come up with a name for a more exciting form of mass communication - and here we are, at the Rosenblog. Now, perhaps it is because my life lately has been full to the brim with the Portmanteau (the cramming of two words to create one extraordinary superword - examples lately include Amerilife, Amerifood, Amerifamily, Amerihair, Amerijuana [we just got drug tested], Ameribaby, and Amerisnow - it never gets old, I assure you), or perhaps it is because I am just foolish, but the Rosenblog simply rolled into my thoughts. Alongside methods that can help with an unruly team member, of course.

So, life in Denver is actually pretty great. We've gotten the chance to rock some pretty solid projects - trail building at the beautiful Washington Park, assisting at a Habitat for Humanity ReStore, and helping the Volunteers of America pass out disaster preparedness kits. Other teams got to do other cool stuff also. Wahoo. Recreational activities have been a part of training as well - a trip to Red Rocks, Boulder, Downtown (a few times), and the Rocky Mountain National Park. The mountains are wonderful, and there's nothing quite as romantic as describing a sunset descending below them over the phone by candlelight.

Additionally, I tried out for fire management (along with some of my Amerihomies), which is a fire mitigation squad that either controls, sets, or prevents fires in brush-filled areas - I think. The details will come later, and we're supposed to find out if we made the team either this week or next. Fingers crossed.

I feel like I'm letting insight slip... It's been two weeks to the day since we got here - it's one of those "get thrown into crazy new situations in which you find great friends and frantically wonder what you're doing with your life" scenarios (and that covers the People portion - check). But as I remember, I'll be sure to document. I'm sure the three people that will read this will be dying to know.

 Also, if you're ever interested in digging into someone's personality, throw them in a 15-passenger van with ten other people and put their iPod on shuffle. Some people, it seems, have normal states of mind. I, on the other hand, appear completely insane - Jeezy and Wayne (uncensored), followed by bluegrass and folk, followed by a high school scream-o act, followed by Say Anything's rendition of "Baby I Got Your Money" yield interesting looks. Also, it is important to keep said iPod updated if it will be used. (I remain unashamed)

And I think that's it for now. I'm off to down some bagged lunch items and head off to the afternoon meetings, which sound promising.

Do excuse the rushed typing. Any complaints and/or care packages can be sent to:

Jason Rose - Class 18
AmeriCorps NCCC
3001 S. Federal Blvd.
Walsh Hall, Room 136
Denver, CO 80236

(I haven't yet figured out photo layout. Yes I am incompetent. Also, I am a liar - I didn't actually run yet, for I have been spending that time trying to figure out photo layout.)