Rocky Mountain High Is My Kind Of Mile

We spent Saturday night, Sunday night and part of Monday with Niki's family. Heather stays at Niki's house every weekend, so they tell me. So often this happens, that she gets Zoe's room, and Zoe has a mattress in the boys' room. Thank you to Heather for volunteering to sleep in the living room on the couch, so that a couple of weary travelers could have Zoe's bed. We had the cheap insurance with us. We had borrowed dad's air mattress and the stilts to make it taller than the floor. We never once had to sleep on the floor. Everyone we stayed with had a spare bed to share. We were (are) so blessed.

We went to the Journey with the family on Sunday. Church services with a band and communion with the option of wine as well as grape juice. I didn't go in with my baggage. I heaved it off with a conscious effort and left it in the car. I went in knowing that God was in the place. I had a great experience. I know that, as a drummer, DH was listening to the band. We didn't know many of the songs. I recognized two of them, because of Christian radio on my digital cable. I listened with an unapologetic openness that I don't often allow out of the box. See? Niki stretches my sensibilities. Benny said that he would feel totally comfortable bringing their Street Kids to the Journey. You can't say that about all churches. This is Abi, Niki and Heather, on Sunday. I had to get on my knees and beg Heather to be in this picture. You all should feel the honor of this.

On Sunday afternoon, we ate the wonderful lunch that Benny and Heather had worked so hard for on Saturday evening. Yum, Potato and Bacon Soup. We had all been laughing and sharing and getting to know each other. Crock pots are wonderful things, and those liners you can get are awesome, too.

I wanted to see more people. I had to meet as many Blog Buddies as I could manage. Niki was awesome, setting up a meeting for us. Niki, Heather, DH, Paula and I drove to a distant (across a big city distant, not across the state far) Starbucks to visit with Jan. Here are all the Bloggy Babes. Left to right: Paula, Niki, Heather, Jan, Chelf.

For those of you who don't read some of the other blogs... I have stories to share from that day. Mind you, I am now more than two weeks removed from this experience. We sat in the sun, but under umbrellas, around two circular tables. A couple of the girls were worried that my fair skin (they were so nice to not point out that I am rivaling the shade of paper!) in the high altitude would burn. I got to sit in the shade. I also gave some of the sunshine to Paula, who was cold. Notice she was in the throw blanket. Someone (I think it was Heather, but I can't be certain. Anyone want to correct me?) said their next tattoo would be that butterfly from my shirt. I love that shirt. Turns out to be my Blog Buddy Meeting Shirt.

We made all the introductions, and DH even said "I am the DH." It was cute. Here he is, looking very Men In Black for us.

We talked about everything. DH fared pretty well. He had a few things to say. We didn't just leave him out. He reads this thing, too. Jan brought the chocolate. I don't get the joke with the purse, but free chocolate is the best thing that could happen on a vacation.

We talked about the current term for a lady who cuts and designs hair. Niki told Jan that "hairdresser" made her sound old, and she might as well say "beautician". We decided that the term should be "hair stylist". I went inside, to use the restroom (laughing makes that important, girls) and to get a coffee confection. While I was in line, I was approached by a woman I had seen outside. She had made a bit of a production out of tying up her little dog on a chair near us, trying to listen in. I hadn't really thought about it, though. We were too busy laughing at ourselves and our conversation. She was shorter than me (takes a bit to be noticeably shorter than my 5 foot 2 stature), and was wearing comfortable layers, and red Crocs. "I learned something today." I said, "Oh, what was that?" I was thinking that it was a strange way to start the conversation, and wondering why this stranger was speaking to me like we were in the middle of a discussion. "I learned that the proper term is 'stylist'." I laughed out loud, trying not to be as loud as I was outside. I think she said it would make a good story, because I told her I was going to share that with the rest of the girls, and that it would get out there, since we are all writers. We did get a good laugh about it. Tickles me to think of it now. I love Jan's laugh. It is contagious. A little note for those readers and writers of Christian fiction: I was in the middle of reading Kristin Billerbeck's Split Ends. A book about a stylist (she used the word "hairdresser" in the book!) who makes a new start. We were all sad to leave, but we had to get Paula back to her family by a certain time. Here is me, trying not to look too sarcastic. I prefer to be behind the camera, truth be told.

On Sunday evening, Niki and Heather took DH and me to see Downtown Denver. We rode a bus that reminded me of the trains in St. Louis. We stopped at one of the 16 Starbucks in the 6 or 8 blocks of the district. We got to see all sorts of stores. This one is for Suezque.

Oklahoma City doesn't have that kind of shopping in our downtown. We have Bricktown, but that is mostly bars and restaurants. These were stores like one would see in the local mall. I didn't get many good pictures from the bus. We drove around more, and got to see the Convention Center.

We got to see areas around the art museum (Niki calls these the Naked Aliens).

We got to see the outside of the Library. Yes, that is a horse on a huge chair. All I could think of was the old bit on TV, with Gilda Radner sitting in the big chair, and saying “and that's the Truth-thththth!”

We went to the Capitol Building. DH had been there many years ago, and remembered there was a step that said “One Mile Above Sea Level”.

He wanted to get a picture of us sitting on that step.

I got a picture of this plaque. Keep in mind it was dark, and I had a camera with a flash. I thought this was a neat thing to have posted on the building. If you click on the picture, you can probably read every word, including the author's signature at the bottom right corner. On a column on the other side, was a plaque showing the order that instituted Memorial Day, I think. That picture didn't turn out so well.

I took this picture for my Dad, the collector of arms.

I liked this little wrought iron decorative fence. The best picture was backwards... but this one looked really good, too. Yep, we took the picture, and then noticed the C in the Colorado Flag on the thing. I felt really silly for not noticing sooner.

Sunday night, Niki and I stayed up way too late. Early? We didn't even bother to go to bed until about 3:45 am. We “..spoke of many things, fools and kings...” I don't know that we resolved any of the world's problems, but we certainly have a better understanding of each other, and we were cultivating our friendship. I really like having someone close to my age, that has such a mature outlook. I don't know if it comes from the experience in life, or from motherhood, or just from God's touch. Maybe a bit of each of those. I truly respect her.

My body had been on Oklahoma time the whole vacation, and Monday morning was no exception. I was awake at 7 am. That's right, I only got three hours of sleep that night. I was awake before Niki was.

On Monday...

I think I shall save that story for the next post.