Adventures at altitude

While I was off playing in Colorado, my mean little flash fiction, “Knight of the Mother,” went up at Everyday Weirdness.

I like it, but it is not friendly.

What is friendly is a weekend up in the mountains. Dear friends recently moved to Denver from Austin, and though I hate that they’re far away now, I do love me some Denver. Back in 2000, I thought about moving there. It was cool to go back and realize how much I still like it. I don’t think I’d be like my friends there – living on steep properties in canyons where 4-wheel drive is necessary. I’d like to live in the flats, where the buses and restaurants are, and drive up into the mountains to barbecue.

My friend Meg nagged me to drink water all weekend, so I avoided feeling altitudinous until the last day. And I made up for several months of not eating. On Sunday and Monday it snowed 4+ inches.

On Sunday, on a long walk, holding hands with my Dingo, with mountains in the distance and snow-kisses on my face, I felt better than I had in months. Sorrow moved to the side, and there was room in my chest to breathe.

Mostly we just hung out and bummed around. That’s a nice thing about going to stay with friends – there’s no need to plan every second. I like a nice sedentary vacation with a few walks thrown in. Though I will say there are plans for indoor skydiving next time we’re there.

I predict screaming.

ANYhow, meal sources:

Mona’s: This is across the street from the cute apartment where our friends have been living in LoDo (lower downtown) – a neighborhood that just screams V-Appropriate! Mona’s is full of people with unnatural-colored hair eating eggs (I fit right in).

There was a place I swear is called the Wayside Grill (in Golden) that has no web site, mainly because it is a DIVE. I had a half a buffalo burger there. And lo, it was good. (Update: Wondervu Cafe.)

I rather put my foot down about the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse, because I figured Dingo should know what the teahouse in my mind looks like. I could just sit in that place all day long. Unfortunately, so could everyone else in Boulder. Also, why don’t they sell bags of their proprietary Celestial Seasonings blend? Still, I got me some yummy tea and food.

Paris Cafe: In which we learned all about our server’s tattoos, showed off our own, drank strange alcohols, and I ate a roast-beef and bleu cheese sandwich. Then, strangely, there was dessert. Again, I could spend some heavy duty time there.

House of Commons tea shop: I wish my tummy had not been full when we stopped in for Something Warm, because everything on the menu looks brilliant.

Sam’s No. 3 Diner: Rude, inattentive waitstaff, cold, filthy, revolting chai.

Snooze: Seriously, now. That is some BREAKFAST. Like breakfast in tights with a CAPE.

And the Saints won the Superbowl.

Grade for the weekend: A+