This has been a busy couple of weeks.

Opening Day: It started on April 4th, with tickets to Opening Day. My friends Matthew and Spatz go to Opening Day every year, and when they can remember to get me a ticket, I sometimes get to join them. This year, Spatz remembered me, and since Opening Day fell during my Spring Break, it was a done deal all the way. The buzz around Coors Field was different from years past, since this year the Rockies were beginning the season as the National League Champs. Even though the Rockies lost, it was a good day nonetheless.

Professional Development: In an effort to try to acquire more credits so I can get a pay increase, I signed up for two classes offered through Diane Morrison Consulting. One course was called "Digital Photography" and the other "Writing with Focused Intent. The photography class was a good one, since it helped me learn how to use my digital camera, and become more familiar with its features. Here's a sample of using macros and focus points for a professional-looking result. To view more sample photos I took from this class, CLICK HERE.

Passover: Last weekend Leah and I hosted Passover Seder for 13 of our friends. The crowd consisted of mostly the St. Patty's Dinner folks, plus my friend Fred, Bonnie, and Shelby. Luckily, Fred is a fellow MOT ("member of the tribe") so I wasn't the only Jew in the house. Everyone contributed a kosher for Passover dish to the meal, and a good time was had by all. The wine was flowing, along with the matzoh ball soup, brisket, salad, potato pancakes, spinach-artichoke casserole, mushroom onion kugel, and more. For most of the attendees, this was their first Passover, so it was a new experience and exposure to Jewish tradition. Good times!

Phillies vs Rockies: The Phillies came to town two days later, their only appearance in Denver of the season. This was the first two-game series I can recall, since usually they play 3 or 4 games when a visiting team comes to town. But I was prepared, and made sure I got tickets to both games, even though it meant missing my second week in a row of softball (I was teaching a class for CCSD the week before). Monday night's game I went with Matthew and sat 7 rows behind home plate, thanks to Brian from softball, who manages to save me one of his season tickets for the Phillies, since he knows I want to see them every time they come to Denver. The second night I went with my Dad and Jake, and we sat in Club Level. I got these seats from StubHub, since April weather tends to be cold, and I wanted to make sure Jakey could have a shelter close by if needed. I was so proud riding the train with my son, as we wore matching Phillies jerseys (thanks, Matthew!). It was also a momentous occasion because this was the first time that three generations of Solomons attended a Phillies game together. 
Once the game started, Jake couldn't sit still, and I wound up walking him up and down the stairs from the Club Mezzanine and back to the seats again and again. We left after singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" after Jake wore me out! The good news, though, is that the Phillies came from behind to beat the Rockies in the 9th inning, making it a nice little 2-game sweep.

Kraftwerk: The day after the Phillies series, Leah and I met up with Matthew and Spatz at the Filmore Auditiorium downtown to see one of my favorite bands from the 80's: Kraftwerk. Being the nerd that I am, I bought tickets to this show the day they went on sale, even though it was only 3/4 sold out the night of the show, and Matthew and Spatz wound up getting free tickets while I paid almost $100 for ours. Oh well, it was worth it, especially when considering that Kraftwerk is only playing FOUR dates in the United States. Check out their website, it's pretty cool.

FOR SALE: Finally, the biggest news of the month is that our house is now officially for sale. We signed the papers on Friday, and have had four showings over the weekend. We have been working hard to keep the house looking "show-ready" at all times. We've taken down all personal photos, painted, and moved out a bunch of furniture into storage, which really makes the house look nice. CLICK HERE to view the official listing or take a VIRTUAL TOUR. With a little power of positive thinking and visualization of ideal circumstances, we hope to be in a new house by the 4th of July.