Home

We are there, after 3000 miles of road under our wheels, and richer in furniture and 'stuff' from Mom's estate. I have things to deliver to the nephews up the road.  We have yet another piece of the "set" my dad made--this makes #4--and a cedar chest.  Those are the big things that are (probably) staying here, along with some (more) photos and papers and odds and ends.

The highlights (and a few lowlights) of the trip:

• I can strike Kansas from my list of "states I have never visited", and I'm pretty glad of that, though there was a great steak place in Salina....
• The Best Ever tortilla chips at a restaurant in Colorado Springs, along with what Beast describes as The Best Margarita Ever. The chips were so good we asked for a takeout order and snacked on them in the car the rest of the trip.
• Unfortunately, something else at that meal did not set well in my G.I. tract, so I spent that night inspecting porcelain rather more closely than I normally would do in a hotel room. I think I'm off rice and beans for quite awhile as a result. [We are pretty sure, however, that it was the sopapillas, since that's the only thing I ate that Beast didn't eat--and he had no problems at all.]
• The Beaumont in Ouray, as mentioned in the previous post. Stunning setting, but lacking couple of minor conveniences. However, the spa and massage, and the balcony martini bar all more than made up for the excruciatingly slow internet and inefficient breakfast service. I wish my dad had lived long enough to see the inside of this place....
• I want to live in Ouray...but only part of the year.
• The drive from Ouray to Ogallala is L - O - N - G, even if you sleep 3/4 of the way. And losing electricity and then hot water at the hotel is a sucky way to end a day like that. We never did get a hot shower there.  And the 'cuisine' we chose was less-than-fab as well.  Oh well.
• The only bad weather we had was unbelievable heat in Ogallala (over 100 when we pulled up in front of the hotel) and the big storm overnight in Des Moines last night, which I slept through.
• We saw a doe and her fawn in my sister's backyard. Just passing through. 
• I only broke one fingernail all week, and managed not to chew on any of them!  Woo hoo!
• The sandals I wore ... I never want to wear them again. I love them, but I'm really tired of them.
• I shouldn't check work email on the road. I just get cranky.
• I am no longer able to run around at high elevations without stopping every 3 minutes to breathe, i.e. pant. So ... outta ... shape ...! Crazy! Sux.
• Three vodka-tonics plus a Lemon Drop is probably too much alcohol for me in the 4 hours prior to bedtime. Especially at 8000 feet elevation.
• It has rained a LOT this spring in the Midwest! Everything was green and wet, rivers were overflowing and crops were flooded in some fields. Even Colorado was green(ish).

Having now taken a bath and finally started to wind down for the day (almost 10 hours after we arrived home), I think I'm going to head to bed.

A good trip, all in all. Single best thing: Beast's back was not injured this time, and he feels fine tonight.