Friends Found

I stayed in Loveland, Co for 5 days. Every evening, in the garage, Don and I drank box-wine and smoked cigars and talked intensely. I have never so much enjoyed talking to one person at such length.











During the day I made a “sight-seeing” excursion to the Benson Sculpture Park

I call this one "Josh and Dock"

Love-land and beer

A couple from Milwaukee came to visit Mike. I was able to get a ride to Denver with them. We were all delirious making our way down the mountain at 9am. Paul, who was driving, and I laughed the entire three hour trip. The rental Chevy Impala kept applying the ABS on account of braking on such a grade. So, as Paul drove, his upper body was engulfed by the shaking of the wheel.

At Denver International I waited two hours for an hour long Super Shuttle ride to Loveland, CO; getting in 3 more This American Life episodes. My Dad’s oldest and best friend Don lives on a lake there. He welcomed me with a hug and a beer. (I immediately decided to stay an extra day or two)

Down the street, we had dinner at Fred and Debbie’s, who are Don and his wife’s best friends. It was just an average home.

I drank New Belgium Mighty Arrow from the kegerator, played the blues on a 1967 Gibson and with some rather fluffy dogs. Golf Monday at The Olde Course and maybe take out the boat. Tuesday we are heading to visit the New Belgium Brewery.

Boating the Boat

Hit a local bar last night. Mike immediately ran into some girl he was dating. She is about 4’ 11”. We watched the band for a minute and had a few beers. Having a few beers in this elevation is like drinking from the bottle. The tiny girl, mike and I made our way back in the cold to his place. I begged the girl to participate in A Christmas Carol reenactment, where I would be Cratchit and she would be Tiny Tim. This is the scene where Tim is carried on his father’s shoulder on home on Christmas Eve. She agreed and moments letter we both did a face plant into the street.


Today I rode down about 3000’ of elevation on some Frankenstein mountain bike. The trail switched back and forth along a mountain spring and let into the town below. After the ride about 7 of us hopped in a raft and rafted the Yampa river. Because I am fat (really fat compared to all these skinnies out here) I was up front. This enabled me to get the wettest and act as a self esteem booster for all on board. The float was great and the water was fast and cold from all the snow melt feeding it. We passed by the town on our right and mountain peaks to our left. Maybe do the exact same thing tomorrow.

Duplicity

My childhood neighbor Mike now lives in Steamboat Springs, CO. I put my bag in his WRX at noon. The four of us (two Labs in the back) had a 24 hour road trip from Atlanta ahead.

The going away party enabled me to sleep all the way to St. Louis. After smelling what was probably some delicious local hot dog joint, we stopped, had a bite, and I took the wheel. We didn’t speak more than a few words; This American Life played the entire way. I wonder what I could do to catch the attention of Ira Glass.

I remarked to Mike how clean the air must be in Missouri. I could smell the local hot dog stands in St. Louis even outside the city. I could taste the smell on the sides of my tongue. After night fall in Kansas we stopped for gas and looked for a hot dog in the station. All we could talk about was how much we loved hot dogs (and thus America). In waves the smell came as did memories of hot dogs -- baseball games, cook outs, turkey v. pork v. beef, historical names of hot dogs.

At Topeka, about 12 hours away from our destination one of the dogs in the back audibly passed gas. Remarkable to hear in-and-of itself, most remarkable was the rich, fresh hot dog smell which filled the cabin. The following 12 hours I attempted to reconcile the prior 12.

Flat Kansas, led to green vast tree-less acres, then foot hills and finally the Rockies. Snow fell as we drove; the rivers crested their banks from the melt. We arrived in the “Boat” around noon Eastern Time, inside and surrounded by the peaks.

June 1 - June 19

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I will be traveling the states until June 18. Driving to Steamboat, then a ride to Denver to stay with a friend. Taking Amtrak to San Fran (36 hrs), flight to Florida. I depart for Malaysia June 20; the trip takes 10 weeks. Not quite sure what happens after that.

June 1 I am leaving. I have sold or given away all my possessions. It isn't cathartic.