Independence Day

June 30-July 5 – Day 29-Day34

We fly out Southwest. For some reason there are just tons of delays, the airport is so busy it puts me into excruciating anxiety. I don’t want to…I mean I can’t be around these people! It’s killing me. Our flight delays from 7:55 until 9:15 before we even leave the Vail Valley. Oh shit it’s going to be a long evening. For the most part the drive is good as we are in a light traffic stream going against the ungodly backups of the westbound migration from Denver to the mountains for the Independence Day weekend.

We make a quick stop at Cherry Creek. For some reason I just don’t like Cherry Creek as much as I used to. I feel like it used to be this very clean, prestigious shopping center with a store list that allowed me to only window shop. A real treat. What I think of now is just how busy it is going to be. Just over-run with Jordan sneakers, designer bags, and incredibly long nails. It’s too approachable. I’m a Park Meadows guy now. Free parking, good food, great selection of stores. It's kinda my spot.

We park and walk in and honestly, it’s not as bad as I built it up to be in my head. We stroll right over to Sephora and Zara for Megs to make her returns and get right back in the Jeep to cruise. I admire the way that my Megs can put her mind on the task of making two returns at a busy shopping center. From the way that she plans her parking proximity to the stores, to the way that she can just walk straight to the establishments that she needs to utilize without even thinking about stopping to window shop or grab a snack. It’s a great quality in Megs; One of my favorite qualities for sure. It’s not me. I could never stop to make returns on the way to DIA. I would be wasting time at convenience stores harboring drinks and other crap and lose the time I needed to complete my task. So instead I just don’t and cherish the times I do with Megs.

When we pull up to Pikes Peak it is FULL! I have never seen this before. The signs easily re-route us to another parking area called Longs Peak. I’ve never been to this lot as it is on the other side of Peña Blvd. We quickly park with Megs making a last-minute move to get the car under the light for safety. Respectable move. We get on the shuttle and depart for the terminal. The shuttle is semi-full but everyone seems seated and comfortable. I’m hoping that “seated and comfortable” will be the common theme for this trip.

It's busy in the terminal. The lines for South security wrap all the way around the airline desk area and pretty much snakes the outer proximity of the entire terminal. THANK GOD I have pre-check. Well actually I just thank Megs. After our first flights together she told me that she, “will always leave me at security and will never wait for me until the gate areas”. Thanks Megs. So being the saint that she scheduled me for a TSA appointment during the weekend her friend Maggie got married in Denver. Truly incredible move. We now breeze through security together, kind of. The pre-check at DIA is always busy now. I mean not as busy as regular security but it’s busy. Probably takes us 10-12 minutes to get through. Once we are through we have plenty of time and head to our gate where dinner is awaiting.

Terminal C doesn’t have Shake Shack or Chic-Fil-A, but it does have Root Down. Usually not our spot, but tonight is different. Tonight, we have time. Tonight, we don’t have a goddamn place to be. We split the lamb sliders. Bacon, Tillamook Cheddar, mint-garlic slaw, Harissa Aioli. And a side of sweet potato fries. It’s good but not great. It’s just a little rich for my palette. Upon completion we tip our server and head for dessert. Our time is dwindling towards our flight but Little Man Ice Cream is calling. We make a quick pit stop near our gate to pick up this World famous treat and continue on. Our plane is delayed. I mean I knew it was delayed but then it was pushed up to 8:40p but I am pretty sure at this point that nobody is getting on this plane until at least 9:15. It’s busy!

We are boarding group C. That’s the equivalent of going to the Boston Garden and sitting in the 300 sections. Your there but you’re pretty sure your seat is going to suck. Big come up, our seats don’t suck at all. As we’re walking down the aisle the flight attendant is trying to guide people but in the process is standing in row 13 blocking two perfectly good seats next to each other. We ask the flight attendant if we can sit there and he excitedly complies. Incredible. We sit for a while as they tell us they are having “technical difficulties”. Realistically Southwest is just short staffed on the ground and must wait to get the crew to get our bags on the plane. It’s all good. Our flight is anti-climactic with just a little bit of very scary turbulence. John picks us up at 12:15a after we wait about 35 minutes for our bags and we head for South Brookings Court. He stayed back from the lake because he was finishing smoking some pork butt as well as he had to go shopping for last minute items. Most of the items are loaded and ready for the drive. John moves over to let megs drive. As soon as megs gets in the car she notices a value sized squeeze bottle of Hellman’s mayonnaise in the driver door. It’s so John. When asked he just replies that if he forgot it for tomorrow he might as well not go to the lake because his head will be on a stake. It’s been a good day but I am ready for sleep.

We wake and plan our trip to the lake. I am tired, a little frustrated, but ready for a weekend getaway. I love the lake. I love Megs family. I am just not full strength and am overly bummed that I will not be able to go in the lake with my port. It's all good. TG I brought some weed. I feel like I am on the verge of a breakdown, with no reason to pin it on. I just don't feel . I don't want to . I want to be fed when I want to be fed. Selfishly I just want my babë to take care of me. it feels like these are the last few days we have together, when in reality she will be by my side, my little barnacle, for the next few weeks. I love her. I can take a deep breath and get through this. Not just get through this, but enjoy this. My megs means so much to me and this time with her family means so much to her. I can pull it together. I can be fun. I don't want to, but this trip brings normalcy, and normalcy is what we truly need.

We spend the afternoon just unpacking and relaxing, kind of. It's hard to ever really relax. No matter where I turn there is no privacy. The bathroom brings a little but that is kind of it. It's all good, I have the energy to mingle. Ring toss is the hot new game this summer but I want nothing to do with it. I don't like to be put in the spotlight. I need to practice in peace and get my stroke before bringing it to the public eye. I bring a chair to the dock. It's nice to hang in the shade. everyone is on tubes and hanging close by. I feel included. Even more I feel a sigh of relief. Each of these people finds this lake to meet them with a sense of calm, a sense of relaxation. It's not all about me. It's about getting a sense of the group and reacting appropriately. These people are relaxed, even if I may not inherently be. It's about taking a step back and getting on the page of the group. I can drop my shoulders. I can take a deep breath. I can get on lake time.

We take a quick trip to the Foxy Bobcat to check out the specialty ice cream flavors. This place is a dump. I'm sorry but grow the fuck up and take pride in your store. I get that it's like a 3 month operation but it has way more potential than is being shown. Shelves? Food display? Necessities laid out in a logical fashion. These things drive me crazy. Like update your operation. It's all good I get my soft serve and it soothes me. It's not my problem. I just need to be conscious to bring/ suggest everything needed prior to traveling to the lake. Which we have; I have nothing but compliments with the way that Dena, Danielle and Trey run the lake house. Constantly cozy, well fed, and good conversation. I love them all so much. But I am tired.

Me and Tyler take the boat for a quick cruise before the fireworks. It's good to get in the same series as Tyler. I will never be on the same page or even same book as Tyler, but at this moment I feel like we are at least in the same solar system. It's not easy to connect with everyone. Selfishly I'm envious that he can have kids and have observed him not always giving the utmost attention to these kids at the lake. As I admit it is a selfish

jealously. I don't have kids and do not know what

it is like to unwind and divide your time to allow for

self-love. Megs and Trey are freaking out. We must

go back and load everyone up. It's fireworks time.