Its Been Sooooo Long...

I'm sorry its been so long since I've updated my blog. So many things have changed since July, and the best part of all they're GREAT changes! Before I fill you in on my new wonderful life, I'll recap the past five months.


With a long weekend ahead of us, J-Dawg and I were at a loss of what to do. We had been back and forth between our houses and to my folks in between for the past three months. Longing for something more exciting and out of the ordinary, I suggested we head north to Colorado. We calculated the route and things to do while there, and decided it was a go. He met me at my folks, and from there hit the road.

This was during the time of the horrible wild fires throughout New Mexico. As far as we knew, most of them were out so we figured our travel wouldn't be affected. Little did we know, all the hotels up north were sold out because it was full of firefighters. They were tending to a northern New Mexico town whose fire was still burning. Panicked, we took the last room available-- smoking. It smelled horrible, but knowing we had no other choice, we were grateful to not have to sleep in the car. The gentleman at the front desk was kind and gave us room deodorizer. Not even thinking, I sprayed the entire room, only to realize the smoke smelled better than this product. J-Dawg pulled his shirt over his nose and said, "This is bad." And he was right.

We woke up early the next morning (mostly because we wanted out of the room that smelled of burned and moldy strawberries- a scent created by cigar smoke and strawberry room deodorizer). We hopped back onto I-25 and headed north. We opted to stay in Colorado Springs, since we'd be going to Golden, Colorado to visit the Coors Brewery. Because of our prior dilemma with getting a hotel, we decided to book one right when we got into town. Once again, there were no rooms available anywhere in the area due to the fact that Colorado Springs was hosting the Women's PGA tour. 'You're kidding!' we thought, but not because the hotels were filled, but because people fled from all over the States to watch women play golf.

We called all around town, until we finally found one that was pretty expensive but would do. Our GPS took us to the location, where we quickly realized was the ghetto. "It's ok," I thought. "J-Dawg's with me. He'll protect us." The room we received stunk worse than the room from the previous night, so we asked for any other options. The man at the desk was hesitant to let us check the other room (they only had two left). We walked into it and it was very clean with no odor. Whoop whoop! I looked out the back window and realized we were overlooking a trailer park. "Let's just keep those closed," I heard J-Dawg mutter as he closed the curtains. We went to the front desk and swapped out the keys.

The next morning we headed to Golden for the Coors Brewery Tour. Just some advice: do not attend this tour on a weekend! The line was incredibly long and the sun was incredibly hot. Luckily, we had each other to help pass the time. We finally got on the tour bus, cruised around Golden, and then headed to the factory. We strolled through all the different levels and smelled the barley and hops. J-Dawg and I are very similar in that we don't care for crowds, and unfortunately, the entire place was packed.

We visited areas with the least amount of people and children, enjoying the 
elbow space.  I watched as J-Dawg's eyes continued to grow with astonishment as 
he watched as thousands of beer cans were boxed and moved through the all the 
processes on the conveyor belt.   

Next stop was the tasting area where each individual received three glasses of 
their choice of beer. After about 20 minutes of waiting in line for a beer, we 
received our samples and sipped on the delicious, fresh-brewed Blue Moon and 
Coors original. Unfortunately, with the stress of the amount of people, the 
waiting and the heat, we didn't enjoy this portion to the fullest. Neither of us 
finished our glasses and decided it'd be best to head to the gift shop. In there 
was all the Coors paraphernalia you could imagine. We opted for purchasing some 
pilsner glasses and a 6 pack collection of Coors specialty beers.  

After some difficulties of trying to check out, we grabbed our bags of souvenirs 
and headed back to the car. Ready for a night out on the town, we went into downtown Colorado Springs and 
checked out what it all had to offer. It began raining and we walked the 
streets, soaking up every drop. To the left was a sushi restaurant, and J-Dawg 
had asked if I was game. Just so you know, I don't believe I ever would have 
tried sushi if it weren't for him. 1) It looks funny 2) The name even sounds 
disgusting. But when I'm with him, I'm not afraid to do anything.

We walked in and even the atmosphere was cool. He suggested a couple to try, and 
being the sweetheart he is, ordered them without avocado, knowing I'm allergic 
(they still put avocado on them). I also ordered a smoked salmon and cream 
cheese one. We had wine to accompany our meal, and it was all delicious. I now 
love sushi. 

Although the sushi was delicious, we were still kinda hungry. While walking 
downtown, I spotted Melting Pot restaurant. Brother constantly raved about how 
delicious it is, so I asked J-Dawg how he felt about having some desert. Another 
thing to fill you in about J-dawg --- He LOVES chocolate! Like as much as a 
female! But if you've ever eaten Dutch or Belgian chocolate, this is 
understandable. Its absolutely delicious and like Pringles, you can't have just 
one. 

For our desert, we chose the ultimate option--- chocolate fondue with Bailey's. 
And to dip in it were marshmallows, rice crispy treats, brownies, strawberries, 
pound cake and some coconut deals. It was absolutely delicious and we enjoyed 
(ate) every single bite! Feeling fat, dumb and happy, we paid our check and 
headed back to the ghetto. 

The weather in Colorado was chilly and cloudy with drizzling rain. We grabbed a 
couple of beers, sat out on the balcony outside our room, and enjoyed the 
weather and one another's company. This was such a nice break from 110 degree 
weather. Not to mention, any time spent with J-Dawg is time well spent. 

The next morning we packed up and stopped for some complimentary breakfast at 
the hotel. There were some others there eating also. But this wasn't a quiet 
morning whispering over breakfast. This was a room full of women chirping 
enthusiastically about the Women's PGA tour and who was four under, and who had 
missed the easiest putt possible. J-Dawg and I had a hard time keeping a 
straight face, so we just kept eating. 

With only one day left for travel, we opted to head back to New Mexico and stop 
at the Rio Grande Gorge on the way home. This site truly proves God does exist, 
it is so beautiful. Although I'm not afraid of heights, being atop this bridge 
scared me. J-Dawg put his arms around me and squeezed tightly, warming me up and 
calming my nerves. Then and there, I looked up into New Mexico's bright blue sky 
and stared into the Heavens, thanking God for bringing us together.