Colorado Rocky Mountain High

My tickets are booked, my itinerary sent to those who might need it, and the appropriate people are excited about me coming to see them. Yep that’s right; I’m going down to Denver again. Initially I’d hoped (many months ago) that this visit would take me to Cheyenne but with Dad still going through medical problems and still living with Brenda, Mark and their two girls in Westminster my travels will take me to Colorado. Not that I mind. Over the past 7-8 years I’ve probably spent more time in Denver with my sister and her family than anywhere. Whether I’m sleeping on the hida-bed in her living room or down in what I call “my room” in the basement, going to Brenda’s is always a good time. Even when I was there for a month in Feb/March under pretty horrible circumstances I still had the comfort of being with close family and being in a familiar setting after spending hours in the hospital during the day.

I’m a little nervous about this trip. Not the traveling or anything like that, but not being sure how Dad is going to be feeling. The last time I was down there I knew he was going to be pretty miserable after surgery and I was better prepared for some long emotionally challenging days, though there were some things that I’m not sure I could ever have been prepared for if they had happened, but we won’t dwell on that today. With Dad starting radiation on Monday, and continuing that 5 days a week for the next 6 weeks, and still being on oral chemo treatments during that whole ordeal I’m not sure what kind of condition he’s going to be in. And that alone worries me. I just know that I wanted to make sure I got down to see him and my Mom before the snow starts flying up here and I’m not able to get out. Even flying in October may be a little tricky since its predicted that we are going to have an early and very hard winter here in Northwest Montana. I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that I’ll be able to fly out of Missoula on the 7th.

But for good reason I’m also excited about the trip. I love spending time with my family. Anytime we get together great memories are both shared and created. Brenda told me she is running out of meal time ideas so in my spare time I’ll try and find some cheap, easy ideas that I can take down there and help out in the kitchen. Dinner usually revolves around some sort of chicken or ground beef as the main protein so I can understand how that can get repetitive after a while. I have the same problem here at home. If nothing else I can make pancakes from scratch on Saturday mornings and through so chocolate chips in there for Mark and the girls. The last time I was down there I made a few loaves of lowfat banana bread that got scarffed down pretty fast. I’m sure I can make some more or some coffee cake that Rachel and Becca love.

Marks football team is doing great so far this season and I’m hoping to be able to go up to Bailey at least once and see the boys play. I lived down there for 4 summers and while Mark always told me how his two a day practices were doing I only was able to stay long enough in the season to see a scrimmage. So it would be a real treat to see an actual game. Mom and Dad have been going up and rooting with the family since its kind of reminiscent of the small high school football scene at Seton Catholic where my brother and sister went to high school. There is a special feeling when it comes to rooting for the underdog because they always seem to come out on top even though they don’t have the numbers in their population that the big time high schools do. I can scream my lungs out with the best of them. Heck I haven’t been to a football game since my last year at U OF M… I need a little sport in my life!

Anyway… I’m rambling now so I’ll stop for now. Hope everyone is having a great weekend. God Bless and GO GRIZ!!!!!