Denver. Its like home. Sorta.

Here we are in Denver!

Denver is lovely. I really really quite like it.  Things are spread out more here like they are in New Mexico.  There's brown intermixed with the green.  There are mountains!  There's the looming threat of snow, dry air, clear blue skies, and laid back people.  I think I like the west.  I never realized just how much I did until I hadn't been here for a while.  Congratulations, America, you're tremendously diverse & I love you for it!

But I digress.

So Brie & I got in to Denver on Thursday, got our military visitor passes to get onto the base (I'm still mad that I look like a linebacker in mine), and came over to Dani & Phil's.  It's absolutely fabulous to see Dani.  It's been a little too long.  I'm not sure I like it when my friends move away; it makes me feel old.  Dani had dinner ready for us already, super tasty pot roast (she's a pressure cooker fiend!), and we all feasted like kings!  After that it was talking, catching up, being silly and generally relaxing.  There was no point in doing anything too crazy, as the next two days would be fun filled, so we got some frozen yogurt (um. yummy!), I went into a used music store and nearly purchased a mandolin, and then we came back to watch a movie.

Dani and I got very distracted playing Hydro Thunder on the xbox (because girls don't play Halo unless they have to to impress their boyfriends), and then we all tried to agree on a movie.  The verdict was Gone With The Wind.  Why? Cause I've never seen it! What?!  True story.  And it's REALLY FREAKING LONG.   But I'm gonna run off on a bunny trail here.  I promise it'll be short.

First, Gone With The Wind is a beautiful movie.  For being made in the 30's, there's a lot of innovation there.  Gorgeous shots, some beautiful acting (on one or two accounts), stunning costumes, and heart wrenching character development.  Yes, the story is ridiculous.  I wanted to slap Scarlet O'Hara silly, but I couldn't help but get emotionally involved in the (very twisted) relationship she finds herself in.  We only made it through 3 of the 4 hours the first night (we had to finish it the following night because it was midnight & none of us could stay awake), but I gotta say it felt more like the complete first season of a TV show rather than a movie.  I suppose film has evolved, but it was so much more episodic than linear.  And then it just ended!  Out of the blue!  It was over!  I think that may have been my only complaint.  But I have no rational argument as to why.  I just didn't like it!

Ok, I'm back.

The next morning, we were in no rush.  Woke up a little late, I tried to write that last humongous blog post, took showers, Dani made us these cool smoothies, and then Brie, Dani & I headed downtown to the 16th Street Mall.  In the middle of downtown Denver, there is a street of shops that is blocked off to all traffic except the bus.  Its just a ton of shops: coffee shops, souvenir shops, clothing shops, chocolate shops, etc.  And in the middle, there are pianos!  Painted pianos!  Apparently it's some sort of art display, but they are just upright wooden pianos that have been painted that are exposed to the elements and are there for you to look at and play.  I tried, but the poor piano was so out of tune (and I don't know how to play the piano... which is totally a problem).  We also got some coffee from some random little shop (mine was yummy; Dani's wasn't; I don't know about Brie's), and then had a blast looking at all the random Colorado souvenir crap that the world had to offer in this delightful little shop called "Only In Colorado".  Highlights included animal shaped hats and "beer bread in a bottle - just add beer!"

painted pianos in middle of downtown

this is my "piano face"

me, dani, & brie at our best

Then it was off to more shopping.  We spend a good amount of time in Forever 21 (half of their clothes are great; the other half, not so much), and we met up with one of our other friends.  More shopping, more walking, and more observation in Denver was on the agenda.  We walked around to another little shopping center called Larimer Square, but we couldn't afford anything on that side, but we had a blast looking around.
  

how do i look in a stetson?

And then, we went to Coors Field.  I've wanted to go to Coors Field forever.  I don't know why, but this was an actual childhood dream.  I love baseball, and I haven't had a chance to see many major league games, so to go to Coors Field and see the Rockies play was absolutely awesome.  Even if the Reds did beat them pretty good because of some little league-esque errors.  We got our hot dogs and beers and had a good ol' American time.  And the Rockies have a kid from Albuquerque on the team now!  He got to bat once, and grounded out to short.  But still.  Represent, ABQ!  Coors Field is beautiful, by the way.  Attendance for the game was just over 40,000 people.  Holy Crap. That night, it was the rest of Gone With The Wind and then back to bed.

coors field

pretty!

'merica!

This morning, we had a bit more of an agenda.  We had decided that today we were going to go to Castle Rock which is south, between Denver and Colorado Springs.  In Castle Rock there is an outlet mall and Castle Rock itself has a quaint little downtown with a pastry shop and an antique store (among others) that Dani wanted to visit.  So we all loaded up in my car (cause its the biggest) and set off.  By this time we had acquired another companion.  Phillip's college roommate had come to Denver for the weekend also.  The five of us jammed into my car and we were off.  45 minutes later, there we were, shopping in Castle Rock.  The economy hasn't been so kind to the poor Castle Rock mall.  The last time I was there, I remember it being quite busy and quite the place to be.  Now there are empty store fronts and the amount of people shopping seems to have diminished.  Sad day.

friends

Then we went to that pastry shop.  The name escapes me (Dream Pastries, was it?), but the food was delightful and the atmosphere homey and inviting.  Then it was on to antique shops.  Antiquing is strange to me.  I don't mind looking at the stuff, most of it really is quite neat, but what on earth am I going to do with it? I can understand if you've already kinda got a theme going on, but I have no theme.  So I let my eyes feast, not my wallet, and that made for an enjoyable afternoon.  Well, that and the gelatto!

this is how (most) girls enjoy baseball

When we got back to the house (Castle Rock was about 40 minutes away), Brie, Dani, and I went off to get my oil changed (this is my 2nd oil change for the trip; I'm up to 6,000 miles!), and then to find the movie for tonight.  We wanted to watch X-Men: First Class, but it came out on video yesterday so redbox didn't have it.  We had to find a Blockbuster Express, and success!  Back for dinner; the master of the crock pot struck again, and we had some lovely chicken.  And a lovely dinner chat.  And a lovely movie.

All in all, it's been a very good night.  And Denver has been a very very good leg of the trip.  Tomorrow, Brie and I head out to Utah.  We're off to my cousin's restaurant in Boulder, Utah.  Check out her restaurant here:  http://www.hellsbackbonegrill.com/ The drive is about 500 miles.  Yeeeeeeeeehaw!

You'll hear from me eventually!

um... sometimes we get silly. no alcohol was involved.