Denver 2018 day 17 Rocky Mountain Bye Bye

August 12, 2018

You know, after over two weeks in this environment, one would think we’d have stopped having headaches every day…

But one'd be wrong.

At least I finally made eggs that got a “pretty!” stamp of approval from our Food Network expert.

The delay shift meant we needed to attend church on vacation again…with most of our belongings sealed in suitcases.  I'm very glad I provided a moment of excitement for the little boy in the bow tie who happily freaked out over the Marvel Comics shirt I had been using as a pajama top.  The other option, my Ash Vs. Evil Dead shirt, probably wouldn’t have gone over as well with the morning mass crowd.

In a two tiered coincidence, it was the twenty fifth anniversary of the Pope visiting Denver, and the family we had a dinner and a barbecue with on our first and second visits to Denver seven and six years before were sitting in front of us.

Neither had any effect on the day, but the notes are extra vague after the flight cancellation, and I'm filling space.

Returning home, we walked across the street near the “Hiding Attendant” Subway to Señor Sol. This was the local Mexican place that easily dethroned 3 Margaritas after their quality drop. Abuelita got a last order of her favorite shrimp tacos and the rest of the table was covered with highly awesome, even by Denver standards, tacos and enchiladas.

Anabelle and I walked back together watching the purebred Peruvians in our group continue to say “phooey” to crosswalks.

She then wanted to play one more round of vacation Doctor Who Uno for “the Championship.” She was back at full capability and made a bunch of “tastes like victory” jokes.

Uncle Roy and Titi Luzma were still going to drive Abuelita to the airport to say goodbye, but to fit all our stuff we hired a shuttle.  In a staggering turn of events, our traveler’s insurance actually covered it and the extra meals without requiring a thesis level explanation signed by weather deities of at least four pantheons.

The seriousness with which the area treats the medicinal value of the local herbs was apparent as we passed the “Rocky Mountain High” medical dispensary, along with a giant growing “factory” offering tours and samples.

Once more, ghosts of past vacations appeared as we drove by a building that looked like the A-Frame of the Contemporary Resort, and a clone of the Big Orange Sissy.  In a cup is half full moment, we got a picture of the giant blue Bronco on the way to the airport that we blew the day before.

The shuttle dropped us off where Uncle Roy had picked us up yesterday. This was odd as that’s labeled as  “Arrivals.”  Some sort of secret anti traffic code I guess.

Fellow license plate hunters can enjoy this summary, the rest of the normal readers, please amuse yourselves elsewhere momentarily.

In a testament to Colorado’s vacation status and transient population- the final count after just short of three weeks was we’d only missed three states (Vermont, Mississippi and Hawaii) and saw twelve Idahos and four Alaskas.

We all said our goodbyes and weighed our hastily unpacked, rearranged and repacked bags. Colorado’s embracing of both “relaxed and groovy” and "algebra" allowed us to get on without a problem since the bags' average weight was acceptable.

Wheelchair security was once again swift and brief, leading to the mutual Monty Python and Marvel Comics T-shirt appreciation society I formed with a fellow traveler on line ending quickly.

We got split up for a bit when Rosa was stopped to review something in her carry on.

Was it Abuelita’s highly realistic looking, weighing and sized baby doll stuffed into a duffle bag?

No of course not, it was a blessed candle from the shrine.

Apparently airplanes also have metaphysical weight limits.

I bid a sad farewell to the fossils on the bathroom floor, and contemplated redecorating at home.  

After yesterday’s fiasco, we were the first ones there, beating the plane to the gate.

Every attempt to find the outstanding jerky collections at Buffalo Bill's, Garden of the Gods and other places met with failure shaped like game meat blended with cow. A kiosk near our gate featured Climax Jerky, all 100% of whatever weird animal they slayed and dried out. However, being in an airport they were about an order of magnitude pricier that if I just waited until I got home and drove to the place behind the bowling alley.

Instead I wandered around trying to get rid of a plastic bottle. Colorado had a weird mix of some places having infinitely separable trash into garbage, recycling, compost and “stuff we’ll dust off and sell again,” and other places having single giant bins to toss all manner of trash and any felony evidence or victims that need disposal.

Rosa sent Anabelle and me to buy Abuelita McDonald’s chicken nuggets for a meal on the plane.  I tried one beforehand for the first time in many cardiac affected years.  

Good gravy! 

How can a collection of chicken nethers and ground up feathers taste so good? 

Following a few moments of temptation to get my own order, I decided a bag of overpriced Elk Jerky was a much healthier dinner selection.

Due to traveling with Abuelita we got to be the first people boarding the plane. I am totally considering putting Grandma in a wheelchair for the next Disney trip.

I transitioned from Norse Myths to an old fashioned Gardner James Bond book while Anabelle finished the mystery she started at the airport the day before.

That’s my girl!

Most planes don't have screens now; you download the App and watch movies on your phone.

Weird.

As I focused on my bizarre aversion to technology while the drinks cart came, Anabelle focused on her unhealthy obsession with apple juice.  That flight attendant, and all of the other ones repeatedly stopped by to thank her for the chocolate bars.

Once again, good idea Auntie Kim!

We landed in Newark and waited forever for a wheelchair; because every flight was overbooked due to the storms. This is in contrast to any other time anyone is in the airport and the flights are overbooked due to other storms, equipment, available crews, or that the airline stopped caring sometime in the Eighties.

Anabelle needed water for her post flight Dramamine, but the insanely complex orders at Dunkin Donuts, a chain which went from being impossible to have a complex order at to guaranteeing one, meant I was forced to seek elsewhere.  Many thanks to the woman closing up the bar that paused long enough to hand me a cup full.

Many thanks also to Auntie Kim for picking us up in a vehicle large enough to fit us and the luggage, plus having the foresight to bring a step stool to get Abuelita into said vehicle. 

The wee hours of the night greeted us with a house that all the various waterproofing over the years held up against the constant thunderstorms while we were away. Hooray!

An extra day off was scheduled to take care of everything we would have done if the flight wasn't cancelled. And we collapsed in the more humid, but less headache causing air of our home state.



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