Thursday evening, August 4, 2011

BORING day at work today. Lots of folks on vacation and today was one of those "watching the clock" days. Finally left at 5:30.

Tonight's quiet - we're both worn out, and Ken has already gone to bed. I was going to work on my sewing room some but really don't have the moxie to do that today.

Before I continue the trip to Colorado tale, I forgot to mention that late last year or early this year, can't remember which, Ken and I decided we wanted to host a really nice party for all of our friends. We were planning to pay for it, host it somewhere very nice if we could find a venue, have some beautiful various music, food, etc. We mentioned it to some of the people in our social organization, the After 5.0 Connection, and the next thing we knew we lost all control over it. It became their Valentine party. Althought it was held at Diamond Oaks Country Club, it was anything except what we had envisioned. We were wanting some wonderful country club type music - some soft, easy listening music, some great country music, a little old time rock and roll, etc. Its definitely not what we got. As it is, we attended anyway, smiled, danced once or twice, and excused ourselves to go home early. It actually worked out ok as I had just been discharged from the hospital from a pneumonia bout and didn't feel like being there anyway!!

I told about the trip to Fredericksburg in a previous post, but forgot to mention that twice on the trip we happened upon conversations in the main house and overheard "friends" discussing us and apparently they were all "making the best of" our being along with the gang. So, for the most part we stayed to ourselves during the trip, and we got up very early on the last day and came home. We probably won't go on another trip with the same group. In fact, these are the same After 5.0 folks mentioned in the above paragraph, so we have not done anything with the group since returning to Fort Worth. Fortunately we have other outlets for socializing.

Now, back to the trip to Colorado. We had breakfast at the Days Inn breakfast buffet then packed up and headed out. Instead of driving up to Dumas and on to Dalhart, we took a different road to cross over to 87/287 to head to Dalhart. Now anyone who is vaguely familiar with Ken knows that he freaks out if he doesn't know exactly where he is -- he is NOT an adventurer. I had it all mapped out on the map app on my phone, so I wasn't worried, but he was just about out of his mind. Top that with the fact that both of us suffer from digestive system problems and it was a 29 mile trip headed for disaster! It was a pleasant enough ride - not a bad road. But Ken was losing it big time, and my intestines were screaming and telling me they were not going to wait until we reached a McDonald's somewhere! We ended up having to pull off into the grass on the side of that country road, open the car doors for a bit of shelter for me so that I could drop my clothes and leave a deposit!!! This is NOT unusual for me - I try very hard not to eat if we are going to be on the road, because I fight this battle all the time. And always afterward I am nauseated for hours afterward, and the only thing that helps at all is a zero coke and crackers.

We were able to continue on and connect with the road to Dalhart where we stopped and I was able to get a zero coke and bugles. Then we set out on the most awful part of the trip to Colorado -- heading across the state line into New Mexico and the long drive to Raton, NM. Oh, gads, that drive is horrible. The road goes on and on and on and on, seems never ending, is bumper to bumper traffic, road construction is everywhere making it impossible to drive even 50. It is about a 6.5 hour drive from Amarillo to Colorado Springs on a good day, but it is about 6.5 hours from Amarillo to Raton, NM when the road is the way it currently is -- and there's not a THING between Amarillo and Raton!

We crossed into mountain time, and finally reached Raton where we stopped at a restaurant gift shop. We were ready for lunch - they were stll serving breakfast but they allowed us to order lunch. I ordered a chicken salad sandwich and couldn't eat it -- it was awful. I had some cottage cheese and fruit so ate that and drank some tea. Then we looked around a bit taking a break from the road, and then crawled back into the car to head north on I-25 toward Colorado Springs - a 2.5 hour drive.

The wild fires had swept through Raton Pass the week before, so we saw all the burned trees on the mountains. We passed Trinidad, and stopped at a station in Pueblo for gas and break. We finally made it to the Howard Johnson's off of Academy Drive at about 2. My daughter-in-law and granddaughter met us at the hotel. Since we couldn't check in they took us to the Air Force Academy to see the chapel. I had a difficult time getting around (altitude) but we got to see it as well as some young recruits being trained, going through their marching maneuvers. My son is AF and works at the Academy.

Since we were tired, Nicky took us back to the hotel to check in, helped us get all unloaded and to the room, and we were all done when Chris (son) arrived after work. It was so wonderful to see all of them. We went to Chili's for dinner (so nice and cool), and then went back to the hotel so we could rest. We decided we would get together the next morning.

The next morning we had breakfast at the hotel and were eating when we got a message from Nicky. they wanted us to check out of the hotel and come stay at the house instead. We didn't think we should do that because we didn't want to put anybody out of a bed. They insisted. So, we checked out of the hotel and finally found our way to their house (we had never been there before). Such a beautiful place and looks just like them...just so sweet and so neat/tidy. It was cute when we drove up because their two dogs came running out of the house. We had never met Lily before, but Bogie knew exactly who we were and came bounding out to greet us. He's been like another grandchild, and now Lily is, too.

After settling in a bit, we all decided we wanted to go to Estes Park, Colorado. that's about a 2.5 hour drive! So we loaded up and headed for the mountains. We went to the Stanley Hotel where we had a very nice lunch in their beautiful dining room, and then we caught the shuttle to go into the little mountain town to wander the stores. I thought I would be alright, but the altitude zapped me - I wasn't able to get around, had to sit at every bench and wall. We finally gave it up and caught the shuttle back to the hotel and started home. I ruined everybody's day with my inability to get around.

On Sunday the kids took us over to the mountain area around the Broadmoor Hotel where the ladies championship golf tournament was going to be. Part of the area was all blocked off but it was really neat seeing the area. The deer and elk come right into the yards and eat the shrubs, etc. And there was news on tv that night that a bear had been there as well as a mountain lion.

Chris also drove us up to old Gold Camp Road, the very narrow old road around the mountain where you're barely able to keep the entire car ON the road without falling over the cliff side. The views here are magnificent and we got lots of pictures. Mostly, I just enjoyed being with my kids. I miss all of them - even the two here - so very much. Not a day goes by that I don't think about each and every one of them. They are always in my heart and on my mind.

we had lots of fun, ate way too much -- restaurants, cooked out, enjoyed ourselves. We got to meet Courtney's friend Kolby as well as his mother and little sister. And we got to climb the stairs in the house up to the master bedroom they made us sleep while they piled into Courtney's room and put her on a mattress on the floor in the office. Exactly what we had not wanted them to do!!! That's why we had hotel reservations. But, they insisted.

Nicky had to go to work on Monday, and Chris was going to have to go back on Tuesday. Chris took us back to a quilt shop so I could get some fat quarters as souvenirs, and then took us to the gift shop back at the Academy. After that we begged to just go back home and rest - we knew we were going to have to head back to Texas the following morning.

To be continued next time.