I really need to learn how to change a tire

I just got back from a work trip to Keystone, CO.  The picture above is the view from my hotel room.  Yes, I was paid to spend several days in the Rocky Mountains where free food and booze were flowing.  It was a good trip, but a long trip.  At this conference it is my job to network with state GIS coordinators (I hate corporate words like network... really I just talk with people and see if there is anything I can help with).  I don’t mind talking with people, but when you have to be friendly and nice from 7 am until 9 pm it gets exhausting!  Overall it was a good trip until...

I got a flat tire on my way home!  I hit some silver tool thing and it put a hole in my tire about an inch big.  I immediately panic - I don’t know how to change a tire, I’m in the middle of the mountains, and I don’t know anyone.  (I really need to learn how to change a tire.)  I call Kyle, crying, and he reminds me that I have roadside assistance - hooray!  I call and they say it will be an hour before someone can come rescue me.  Ahhh!  So, while waiting I search for a tire dealership since I still have to drive 80 miles home.  Kyle helped and I ended up finding one a couple miles away.  Finally, a nice Norwegian guy comes and changes my tire.  He drove 57 miles through the mountains to do this!  (I really need to learn how to change a tire.)  Once he is done, I find my way to the tire dealership only to find that they don’t carry my tires.  Apparently, the tire places in the mountains only carry tires for SUVs and Subaru’s.  So, I decide to drive home, on the freeway, down the mountains, on my donut that only allows speeds up to 50 mph.   Amazingly, I only had one person honk at me - an American’s Furniture Warehouse 18-wheeler - and he honked behind me, while he was passing me, and still when we got in front on me - so not necessary.  I was hoping to get home at 4:00, I didn’t get home until 6:30, but now I have four working tires and I plan to learn how to change a tire very soon.

Glenwood Springs, Colorado

Kyle and I decided to have a weekend away (and use up some hotel points) by heading to Glenwood Springs, CO for the weekend.  We left early Saturday morning and drove almost three hours through the mountains.  Our first stop was the Hanging Lake Trail.  It was a very tough but fun hike.  It is basically straight up, climbing on rocks for a little over a mile, but the view at the top is worth it.  The way down isn’t much easier, my legs were shaking by the time we got to the bottom.  Luckily it was only about two miles round trip and the weather was still cool, which made the whole experience much nicer.  

I am always amazed when I see families on a hike.  This was a difficult hike, but we still saw plenty of kids.  I do not know how the kids do it or how the parents do it when I see they have to carry their kids the rest of the way through.  I think this just further proves my theory that it is easier to learn scary things when you are a kid because you just are not as scared as you should be.

After, we went to the hot springs pool.  This was amazing!!  I am definitely adding hot springs to my list of favorite things (a list that right now only includes Ice-ees and chocolate covered strawberries).  The warm mineral water is very relaxing.  There were two pools - one large pool set at 90 degrees and one smaller pool set at over 100 degrees.  There is nothing like a giant hot tub with a diving board.

Next, we went to Aspen for dinner and shopping.  Aspen is very pretty and has some great shopping, but also (in my opinion) just oozes money.  I felt a little out of place at dinner next to the old folks with their sweaters wrapped around their necks, their fancy leather loafers on, and their discussions about how to properly say “thank you” in Italian.  Although, when Kyle left the present we bought for Sean’s birthday at the table when we left, they were nice enough to let us know!

We had a great weekend away and I would love to go back to hot springs in the winter!  I will leave you with this lovely shot from the pool - ‘man with no shorts’.