Arrival

The drive up to Estes Park yesterday was nostalgic. The mountains were creased with snow and gleaming in the clear air. The main street was full of tourists with their tie-dyed and Hawaiian print shirts, sandals, hats, visors, fanny packs and shorts wandering from shop to shop with their baby carriers, backpacks and strollers. Tourist season is open and flourishing. Even the elk are completely unruffled by the invasion, quietly munching grass and enjoying the parade. The elk also have right of way here.

I drove past The Stanley hotel -- twice -- but only once while looking for the resort condo. I haven't been inside yet but I'll get there. The rivers are cold and rushing down to the lower elevations with plenty of white water rushing above the banks. Groups of people were tubing and drifting down with the river and I saw a herd of scooters that I think are for rent. I may take a walk down there tomorrow morning and see if I can rent a scooter or maybe I'll just go for a walk and leave it at that to keep from polluting this wonderful clear air that doesn't bite back when I inhale.

There's a lot of construction going on that slows traffic, and keeps us from using the pool at the condo, but the were cleaning it this morning as we left so I have hopes of being able to swim at some point. All in all, so far it has been a lovely relaxing trip. The way I feel now, if I could find a way, I'd keep relaxing and vacationing the rest of my life, but that would probably get old, too, and I'd need a vacation from my vacation.

One good thing is that I haven't had a major hot flash since I left yesterday morning but I'm sure driving in a freezing air conditioned car had something to do with that, and the herbal fix I purchased at Mountain Mama's before I left town. I did have some trouble sleeping, but that was because I was wearing a nightgown, something I don't wear at home but felt would be a necessity since I'm with other people who might be offended by my naturally natural state.

The other people were a bit of a shock to me this morning because they spoke. I don't speak in the morning unless someone calls and wakes me from sleep, which is seldom and usually Beanie -- or my mother with news of someone else mangled or dead. Eyes half open and clutching my clothes to my chest, I stumbled to the bathroom while my friends talked to me. It took me a while (once I was on the toilet and draining) to realize I hadn't spoken and that they expected me to be bright and cheerful -- and talkative -- first thing in the morning. Living alone has eroded my social skills a bit but I'll be better tomorrow morning -- I hope.

Once I was washed and dressed and my teeth felt less like filmy grit (shouldn't have used my eyebrow brush to brush my teeth last night but I didn't have anything else and I forgot my toothbrush -- I remembered the toothpaste). At least now I know what old mascara and eyebrow pencil tastes like. On the up side, my eyebrow brush is now clean. On the down side, the inside of my lips are perforated and scratched by the eyelash comb that juts out from the other side of he eyebrow brush. Luckily, my friends had a complimentary toothbrush and travel tube of toothpaste and that was helpful this morning. It was either that or a wash cloth loaded with toothpaste. I wasn't that drowsy this morning and I didn't want to lacerate my lips any more or spend the rest of the day tasting eyebrow detritus.

At least here at the cafe I have wireless access and can finally check my email. I can't go cold turkey from email and my journal and it just isn't the same writing in my private journal. I don't need to entertain myself; I am already entertained by life.