Denver Trip

I've been back for a while and I'm getting picked on because I both haven't updated my blog in a while and have neglected to write about my trip to Denver, so here we go ...

This past Saturday I tried to go to sleep sometime during the early evening, but of course I couldn't so instead of did illicit drugs and drank.  Later, we left for the Quad Cities International Airport in Moline, Illinois (they have a rather nice terminal, but I didn't notice any international flights).

We were on Highway 1 between Mount Vernon and Iowa City when I noticed that the small crack in Clif's windshield was growing.  At one point I did a sort of half-scream when as I saw the crack shoot over several inches.  I mean, it's scary when the piece of glass between you and the fast moving cold air is cracking, you know?  Anyway, it continued cracking, but slowly and then eventually stopped after about ten minutes--scary start.

There had been talk of stopping at Steak & Shake, but it was apparent we weren't going to have time for that so we stopped at the Huge I-80 Truckstop near Walcott where we waited some twenty minutes for our food--perhaps we should have gone to Steak & Shake anyway?

Now, mind you, I haven't slept since the morning before and upon arrival in Denver where Jerid picked me up, I had plans until late that night.  I was ridiculously and almost deliriously tried, but I was very excited for my little mini-vacation to get started.

At one point Jerid and I were driving around and we stopped by his work to pick up a book of mine he had borrowed and finished.  He worked in a building that, in a previous incarnation, had been a very fine department store, complete with ellipsing central staircase with a wrap-around after the second flight of stairs--very nice building to have offices in, really.

I took a very brief nap and then we headed off to the Washington Street Grill for drinks (Jerid and I had lunch there during my September trip from Phoenix to back to Iowa via Denver and thought it was nice).  There was an entire section of the restaurant we hadn't noticed before, off to the left.  It had cool, low tables with ottomans and benches and we waited for the dinner and drinks partners to arrive.

Akiko was first to arrive and soon after, Hilary and Geoff came.  Arnaud, a new friend was last to arrive--fashionably late?  At first, earlier in the day, when I talked to him on the phone about directions to Washington Street Grill, I was scared that I wouldn't be able to understand him through his thick accent, but I caught on pretty quickly.  Beyond that though, Arnaud was HILARIOUS.  Drinks were a nice warm-up.

We then headed out to Pasquini's for pizza where the owner and her best friend sat at the table in front of the door and direct people around upon entering.

The pizza was.. wow.  It was wonderful and everyone seemed to be having a lot of fun.  The whole night was really full of laughter and good conversation and while I had previously been concerned that Arno would be a little left out since all of the rest of people at dinner were from Cornell, he was getting in on most of the conversations and being very entertaining.

I think that Arno ranks right up there in people I've ever met from on-line.  I'll be sad when he goes back to Paris, but until then, maybe I'll get to see him again this summer on the way from the Midwest to wherever it is I end up living.

Well, that was my Sunday in Denver.  Soon, I'll cover the rest of the trip.  For now, I'm off to Sanctuary with Jeff and Ellen.  It'll be a good night.

Comments

[kim]

omg, pasquini's is my most favorite restaurant EVER. and i totally know the building you are talking about that used to be a department store. i used to live in that part of denver.

i'm sure you don't care, but i just had to comment because it's not often that people blog about my old neighborhood! ; )

[Clif]

Sanctuary without me... Thanks Addy.

[Addy]

Oh geez. First off, we offered to wait for you after the show, but you had a cast party you said. So, don't you try and make me feel like we should have just stayed home and done nothing when you know full well you were going to be doing something else anyway.

Weiner!

[Scott]

hey, i was just surfing and i came along your site...maybe we could chat sometime...you seem pretty cool! i'll ttyl i hope, my email is ColdDesires84@yahoo.com, hit me up!
==Scott==

[sarah]

meanie!