Marathon Weekend - first half

Twenty-six hours - twenty-two friends and five shopping stops... oh yeah, and a measly six hours of sleep! I paid the price Monday morning, when it took several pieces of Halloween candy to revive me, but it was all great fun. I woke up early-ish on Saturday and was on the road at ten after eight. Too late for the Bob & Tom Show, but I enjoyed the increasing numbers of radio stations and variety as I drove north from small town to bigger and bigger cities. (Then I realized how many commercials I miss out on...not so bad!)

My first stop was Great Northern in the DTC to meet up with two girlfriends - Minerva and Anna Belle. We had a delicious lunch and talked for a couple of hours. It was a lot of fun to see them both and way to long since our last lunch date!

The fashionable Minerva and Anna Belle - I, not so fashionable, but rather comfortable in my sit-in-a-car-for-four-hours comfy clothes! I was only slightly aware of being under-dressed as I waited for my friends and a whole wedding party came parading through in their fanciest duds.

My next stop was recycling - the back seat and trunk were full of two large black trash bags stuffed with recycling and three large boxes of paper. I collect at home and work - paper, paper, and more paper, plastic, tin, cardboard, and glass. Of these, #1 & 2 plastic and cardboard can be recycled in Cimarron, so the rest kind of piles up - especially beer bottles.

Near the recycling stop, I chanced a visit with friends who were, unfortunately, out. I knew it would be a close call, but even worse, I wasn't able to stop by again. I was able to meet up with my friend Deb, who just happened to have a free day pass to the Botanic Gardens, so we walked and talked among the plants.

The new greenhouse was up with a lovely glassed in walk about. We peered in and found many photogenic plants.

From here I raced back towards Castle Rock for family dinner...the impetus for getting me to Denver in the first place. Ahna & Oren were hosting, but it was also a last chance to get everyone together before Jennifer takes off for five weeks of volunteer work in Haiti. I brought some rocks from home and stopped to visit little Liam's grave. It was nice to get to do that. I also made my first shopping stop for supplies for work at a craft shop. Then...on to visit! Ezra, pre-astronaut stage, invited me to dance with him before everyone had showed up. It was very sweet. Pretty much everyone was there - Ahna, Oren, Ezra, Gabe, Char, Jennifer, Mary, Sarah, and Heather...of course, Thomas was notably missing. Six hours later we reluctantly and tiredly said our good-byes.

Ezra showed off his costume and then proceeded to ask all of us to try on the "helmet". This after conducting us to sleep, wake up from our nap, close our eyes, and so forth. He was entertaining and easily entertained.