The Endorsement: Cabin Porn

The photo is mine, the site is for all to enjoy over a daily, afternoon, and reflective break.

Go here to see more: Free Cabin Porn

The Endorsement: First Snowfall

I never appreciated snow until I moved to Colorado. The anticipation of a foot of freshy over the next two days is almost too much for me to handle. In honor of ski season, and the first snowfall of the year....

“There is nothing in the world like going out onto an untouched, open, virgin mountain slope drenched under a thick blanket of new powder snow. It gives a supreme feeling of freedom, mobility. A great sense of flying, moving anywhere in a great white paradise.” - Hans Gmoser, September 1974

The Endorsement: Steve Jobs

People die every day. No one can avoid it, and who can say that one person is more important than another. Can anyone actually say that a president is more important than a father who worked his life away in a coal mine to provide a better life for his family?

That said, I do think we can learn from high profile people as we reflect on their lives. Steve Jobs created amazing things for the human race. Then he took those things and reinvented them by making them understandable and attractive to the masses. He pushed limits. He pushed his employees to create new ideas, and then make those ideas attractive and understandable. He paid amazing attention to detail. And on top of it all he was an iconic showman. He died way too young...there’s a lot we can learn from a guy like Steve Jobs. Carpe diem, people.

The Endorsement: "I Hope Your Day Gets Better"

Someone once told me about the long-lasting impact negative encounters can have on people. You cut someone off accidentally and they yell at you, you have a bad encounter at work, whatever. It sticks with you, you retell the story and your blood pressure goes back up, etc. Well, I'm done with negativity.

While walking my dog the other day, I saw a biker get into it with a pedestrian. The biker was miffed and thought that he was "cut off" by the ped. The ped clearly meant no harm and as the biker was yelling choice words at the pedestrian while he pedaled off, the pedestrian politely yelled back:

"I hope your day gets better!"

Brilliant. Typically the yelling leads to more yelling and increased anger...and for whatever reason people gravitate toward the negative. But in six simple words this guy managed to make the biker feel bad for being so angry, actually said something nice in return, and didn't perpetuate the negativity. Far too often we're impatient, angry, wanting to pass blame, or just generally in a bad mood (myself included). My new goal is to never be negative again. Life's not that bad, in fact, its pretty short and sweet. I choose to enjoy it more.

Along those lines, I hope your day gets better!

The Endorsement: Be a Gentleman

Most of the content I put out on The Goat is original...but every once in a while I read something that combines great photos with nostalgia and a solid message. Which is why this deserves a couple minutes of your time:

The Polished Man: A few tips to make your life a bit more gentlemanly

The Endorsement: Say Something Nice

I saw this, loved it, and thought it needed to be shared on a Tuesday. I need one of these in the park by my place, and if there were one there, I'm pretty sure I'd just set up camp for the day and just listen. Saying something nice isn't difficult, and it usually results in a smile.

By the way, did I tell you that you look nice today?

The Endorsement: Random Compliments

Walking home from work one day this past week, a woman was leaving my building with a friend as I was entering. It happened to be one of the not-so-frequent days when I was dressed up a little more than normal. The woman (who I've never met) stopped, looked at me and said, "You look really put together today. That shirt looks great on you." And then she continued the conversation with her friend and went on her way.

I don't think I'm a person who needs positive reinforcement all of the time, but I'm also not immune to walking a little taller and smiling a little wider after someone provides a random compliment. It doesn't take much to compliment someone - their shirt, hair, shoes, watch, or even their smile - and the result is that you've probably made someone feel a little better, and a little more confident.

My goal this week is to find one person to compliment each day - something little, something nice, and something that will hopefully make someone's day. If you're reading this, give it a shot this week and let me know what type of reaction you receive. It feels good to be genuinely nice to people...

The Endorsement: Ft. Collins, CO

It's a fact, there's a lot to do in Colorado. Camping, hiking, fishing, skiing, biking, eating, drinking, kayaking...it's one of the only places I know of that has prairie, mountains, urban areas and desert all in one place. The problem is there are so many things to do, so many places to see that I tend to forget about a few tried and true areas that never disappoint - like Ft. Collins.

Sixty-six miles north of Denver and tucked between I-25 and the Roosevelt National Forrest, Ft. Collins is a highly underrated city for a number of reasons - but let's talk about what makes it great.

Its a college town. And with that comes young people, smart people, active people, entrepreneurial-minded people, attractive people and people who want to be with those aforementioned people. It creates lively sections of town - like Old Town and University Park - and it gives people something to universally root for (Colorado State) and something to universally root against (The Buffs).

People bicycle everywhere. And its not just bikes, people are generally active in Ft. Collins, but they literally bike EVERYWHERE. There are a lot of places in Colorado known for their active lifestyle and environmentally-minded nature...Ft. Collins is both and doesn't brag about it. Towns in Italy are really the only thing I can draw a comparison to (from my somewhat limited experience) when it comes to the number of people using pedals to get from point A to point B. Very cool.

Beer. Denver has a lot of microbrews, true. But Ft. Collins has a lot of really, really good and fun-to-tour breweries. Odell, Ft. Collins Brewing Company, Funkwerks, CooperSmith's and, of course, New Belgium Brewing. The great part is that you can tour all of these via a cruiser bike in one afternoon. Be prepared to meet some genuinely nice, somewhat hipster-ish (in a good way) and definitely knowledgeable taproom workers whose job is most likely cooler than yours. Grab a taste test or two, a growler and some schwag...you won't be disappointed.

Cache la Poudre Valley (and Mishawaka). Denver has I-70 and the gateway to Summit County, Vail, Frisco, etc. But if you want a really true, non-resort mountain experience, head west from Ft. Collins on Highway 14 and follow the Cache la Poudre River. The scenery is amazing, you can find a drive-in camp site fairly easily, there's very little traffic and the river is great for fishing, paddling or just falling asleep to the sound of in a tent. If you're into big resorts, spas, furry boots and hot tubs, it probably won't be for you. And that's a good thing. Oh, and I really need to give Mishawaka its own post because there's just so much good about it...but I'll just say that its a bar/amphitheater a few miles from Ft. Collins, on the river, that is a one-of-a-kind experience. Plan a trip around a concert...its the type of place that makes you appreciate life.

I could go on, but let me just offer up my perfect 48 hours in the Ft. Collins area:

Friday night - Drive to campsite along the Cache la Poudre River, set up camp, grill your dinner, start a fire and open a few beers/wine/Strannahan's with friends, fall asleep to the sound of the river flowing outside of your tent.

Saturday - Eggs, bacon and coffee over the camp stove; wake up a little by grabbing a quick hike or just read a little; venture into Ft. Collins with your bikes; tour 2-5 breweries; make some friends; grab a bite to eat in Old Towne Ft. Collins. Make your way back up Highway 14 to Mishawaka, tailgate a little before the concert, enjoy some live music in the mountains and along the river. Drive back to campsite, start a fire, discuss who brews the best beer in Ft. Collins with friends. Fall asleep to the sound of a river flowing by.

Sunday - Eggs, chorizo, peppers and onion scramble over the camp stove, with coffee; relive Mishawaka concert memories with friends; fish or hike for a few hours; pack up camp and head home.

The Endorsement: Spontaneity

Rewind to a couple of Fridays ago: I was set to meet six friends for a low key happy hour, The Ale House was the decided-upon locale. Here is the somewhat accurate rundown of events that followed (names have been changed to protect the innocent):

6:05 - Meet Joe at the Ale House, Chris shows up about 10 minutes later

6:15 - Chris makes the comment "Hey, there's cheap flights to Vegas, who wants to go?" Sarah shows up shortly thereafter.

6:25 - Vegas discussion continues. Sarah doesn't have her kids this weekend and had a long week at the law offices. Seems extremely excited about the Vegas idea. Gets her iPad out to search flights.

6:45 - Second round of drinks ordered. Vegas discussion continues, five tickets are found via iPad for a United flight later that night. Joe goes to call wife and attempt to obtain an unprecedented hall pass. I check on the other two happy hour attendees who have yet to show up.

7:00 - Joe amazingly gets a "sounds like fun, go for it" from what is obviously the coolest wife on the planet. I confirm, our sixth friend is out, but Rachel replies "Vegas? Yeah, cool. I'm in." Original Vegas flight option is no longer available...Sarah continues searching for options.

7:20 - A 9:30 United flight is identified. Five tickets - including a leg room upgrade from Chris (he's taller than me). Group relays their full names and dates of birth to Sarah who is booking the flight on Travelocity via her iPad. Rachel is unsuccessfully looking for a parking spot at the Ale House. Factual note: Chris is the oldest in the group.

7:45 - All we need to do is hit the "confirm purchase" button when Chris chimes in, "We're about ready to drop quite a bit of money on a flight to spend 11 hours in Vegas. We could go up to Blackhawk and tear it up for that amount of money. Should we think about this?" Which is extremely ironic considering Chris goes to Vegas an average of 10 times per year. Group laughs mockingly at Chris while each orders another round. Flight confirmed. Chris calls Planet Hollywood to obtain comped room, "just in case" and orders a limo to pick us up (yes, that's how often he is there).

8:00 - Quick stop at home to let the dog out, quick call to friend to ask to let dog out in the morning. Carpool with the two sober members of the group driving to DIA while listening to a montage of Frank Sinatra, Motley Crue and Lil Wayne (we were a bit giddy by now and "making it rain" as best we could).

8:30 - Arrive at DIA with nothing but the shirts on our backs, IDs and ATM cards. Quick race to see if Chris' Clear card is actually quicker than going through the short security line. It wasn't. Hop the train for the B Gates, while 3 members stopped by McDonald's and Steak Escape for a horrifically awful meal. Rachel and I opted out of the cuisine.

9:30 - Wheels up. Due to extended legroom, group decides to have a "sitting flutter kick" contest to see who can go the longest without stopping. Chris orders drinks from flight attendant - two per person. Flight attendant loves our story, provides 10 drinks for $25. First big win of the night.

9:45 - Important pact is made: If you win what your flight cost, you get to keep it. Anything above that is split amongst the group equally. Sort of like socialism without all of the oppression.

10:15 (MST) - Rachel wins flutter kick contest.

10:30 (PST) - Wheels down. Several "Hangover" and "Swingers" quotes thrown out, limo guy with a sign with Chris' name on it briefly attempts to run the other way.

10:50 - Arrive at Planet Hollywood. Scope out the scene, get "free" bracelets to comp cover charge at a club that was opening that night. Go to said club for overpriced drinks, watch funny people dance and obtain bottle service while techno music plays. Gambling itch sets in...

11:15 - Joe and Chris are not hungry so they head straight to the blackjack table with Sarah. Rachel and Jim head to P.F. Chang's for a superior meal to McDonald's or Steak Escape.

Midnight - Jim meets up with Chris and Joe at blackjack table. Chris and Joe started out slowly, but were beginning to win a little. Jim takes Third Base at the table. Sarah comes back with cigars.

12:05 - 4:00 - Group is up - particularly Chris and Joe, but I was a few hundred up as well. Free drinks, funny comments including waving "buh-bye" to the dealer every time she had to hit a 12-16, splits, double downs...we were on a roll. Rachel sits down after a while and wins a few hands. Seriously, this never happens in Vegas.

4:00 - Chris is up BIG, but Joe is up even bigger. I was up pretty big, but ended on a flat note and am now just up "well." Rachel decides to "check out" the hotel room for a 30 minute nap. I make an ill-advised trip to the craps table to try to get back to "pretty big" before cashing out. End up dropping a third of my winnings. Lesson: Kenny Rogers is always right.

4:30 - Group cashes out. Jim sees a yellow chip for the first time. All totaled we were able to pay for everything but essentially one flight. No kidding: four flights, the limo, the legroom (bad choice, if you ask me) and breakfast for everyone at the Bellagio.

5:30 - Head to McCarran Airport with full stomaches and happy, but exhausted faces. Lots of laughs about dealers, bad bets, funny characters and no sleep. Group crashes hard on the plane.

9:30 - Wheels down, 15.5 hours after we met for an innocent happy hour in Denver. Jim, Chris, Sarah and Rachel all head home to sleep. Joe goes to coach his daughter's soccer game. Hats off to Joe.

Moral of the story: Do something spontaneous...it might just be a ton of fun. Or in the words of Yoda, "Do or do not. There is no try."

The Endorsement: Open-Ended Travel

I had the amazing opportunity to take two weeks and travel abroad recently, and I'm sure I will be posting multiple thoughts and photos from the trip in the coming weeks. Put simply, here is a recommendation for anyone looking for a way to truly enjoy a slice of life if you are able: book an open-ended, multi-destination trip somewhere abroad. Make sure your train reservations are transferrable and your hotels have a 24-hour cancellation policy, and just go.

The most memorable moments of my trip involved busses when I thought I had tickets for trains, figuring out a Slovakian public transportation system at 9:30 p.m. without a translation book, ordering off a menu written entirely in Italian from a waiter who didn't speak a lick of English, the option of spending an extra night anywhere I ended up, walking 30 blocks with luggage from a train station to a poorly marked hotel and spending an extra 30 minutes at a cafe to enjoy another glass of wine and just watch people because I didn't have any place to be at any particular time.

These are the types of experiences that will make you feel a little less significant and empowered at the same time. The world is a big place, and if you don't take the time to let go, be okay with whatever comes your way and just enjoy the moment every once in a while, you'll miss most of what the world has to offer.

The Endorsement: Brad Stevens and Butler

Yes, they shot terribly in the NCAA Championship game. And yes, at times they looked completely overmatched against UConn. But I still love the way Butler goes about its business. Here are some of the arguments/comments I heard against/about Butler throughout the tournament this year:

• Who is going to be this year's "Butler?"
• Looks like the underdog did it again.
• Brad Stevens is amazing at making a second-tiered team look better than they really are.
• Matt Howard just always seems to be in the right place at the right time.
• I can't believe Butler keeps taking down these powerhouses.

Frustrating. I'm no basketball expert but here is what I've seen: Butler is a team comprised of top-level talent that were passed up by the Indiana's and the Michigan's of the world. Brad Stevens is an intelligent guy who appears to focus on fundamentals and hustle. Matt Howard was in the right place at the right time because he's a smarter player than most, and he works harder than pretty much everyone on the court. And Butler kept taking down the "powerhouses" because they played better basketball on that given day. They didn't play better than UConn on Monday night, so they got beat. That's how the game works.

If we quit trying to "assess" teams like Butler and start paying attention to how they play the game, we could all learn a lot - about basketball and otherwise. Learn about your game (whatever it is), play smarter than your opponent, work hard and hustle. Butler was this year's "Butler," and they will be again next year, regardless of their record.

The Endorsement: A-Basin Ski Resort

Each year thousands of people avoid the frat party beaches that are Spring Break and make their way west to Summit or Eagle County for a week on the slopes. For Coloradans, that typically means long lift lines and dodging the "Texan Wide Turn" on nearly every run. The hard part is, March is one of the best months to be on the hill, but also the busiest. For those of us who are constantly debating the shortest-lift-line-best-time-to-leave-to-avoid-traffic-don't-want-to-run-over-a-kid-or-get-mauled-by-a-gaper strategy, its easy to forget about a Colorado Classic: Arapahoe Basin.

The Basin is small (105 runs, 7 lifts), but it was one of the original Rocky Mountain ski resorts (opened in the 1940's) and its history and anything-but-pretentious nature is what makes it worth the trip. People go to The Basin to ski. Period. Don't be surprised if you run into some 65-year-old dude named "Eddie" (or similar) who could ski (and drink) you and your crew under the table. And the fact that it stays open until June and has a tailgating section of the parking lot called "The Beach" makes it that much better.

My hat's off to A-Basin for skipping the outdoor fire pits, kiddie snow castles, and any places that sell furry boots - and sticking with short lift lines, crazy amazing mountain views, some steep terrain, and for taking the "resort" out of "ski resort." If you go, don't forget to bring a PBR or two to make friends with Eddie at The Beach for apres...

"Whatever you're thinking, think bigger."

One of the biggest reasons I love skiing and snowboarding so much is because you always have the opportunity push yourself to do something you've never done. Unlike other sports where you might be limited by the competition, the playing field or just limited physically (at 5'8" tall, basketball just wasn't in the cards for me), you can always try something new on a snowboard or skis. Maybe you've gotten good enough to ski black runs, so how about trying to master the bumps? Or maybe you can push yourself to learn how to navigate through the trees? There's always a way to think bigger when you're on the hill, and its awesome to watch people try something new and really push themselves for really no other reason than just getting better at a hobby.

"Whatever you're thinking, think bigger" came from Zappos co-founder Tony Hsieh. I'm typically not big on motivational sayings, but this one really connected with me. There will always be barriers in our way, but if we're not thinking big, if we're not dreaming a little and stretching or pushing harder, we're doing ourselves a disservice. There is always a way to get better, smarter, or work harder to accomplish what you thought was impossible. Solutions to problems are out there, maybe we're just not thinking big enough. That holds true for hobbies, work, social issues, family and pretty much anything in life.

My goal for the ski season was to be able to do a 180 on my snowboard - which is absolutely nothing compared to the 12-year-olds who are doing three times as much in their sleep. But by late January I accomplished what I set out to do, and yesterday I finally landed it consistently using my opposite foot. By no means is it even close to a "big" deal to land a switch 180, but it was bigger than what I set out to do originally. And now I'm wondering if I can land a 360 by season's end...whatever you're thinking, think bigger. Even if its something small.