East of Rockies

I haven't blogged since the end of last summer. I also hadn't had a PTO day since last summer. Michael and I have been in Denver for a basketball tournament since Thursday, seeing my dad and stepmom who came in from Chicago, and also spending time with siblings. After three cold days, the weather was beautiful today. We fly back in the morning, but after the wintry redux, the pleasant evening seemed the perfect reason to write a blog post. I'm sitting in my sister's backyard, typing away until I get tired enough and confident enough that when I go to bed early, I won't wake up in an hour, my body thinking it was just a nap.

Bad weather notwithstanding, we enjoyed the weekend. Michael's team went only 1-4 in the tournament -- they have a long way to go, but he played hard in the tourney and impressed his grandparents. I didn't worry so much about what I ate and will resume the healthier eating (I lost about 12 pounds so far in lent after giving up bread and bagels), but I wasn't that much out of control. Plus, today, I probably walked for 90 minutes at least -- a half-hour before Michael's last game that started way late, and an hour with the family in City Park.

I'm off Monday but get back to the grind Tuesday. The week will be busy as I catch up, but this little trip was meant as a transition a little bit as I emerge from a really crazy few weeks. The improving weather should improve my outlook, and vice versa.

I'm yawning now, so I might call it a night. I'm waking up in six hours. But at this moment, "Light My Fire" by the Doors came up on my iTunes. It's in a playlist called City 70s -- songs that remind me of living and being in the car in Chicago during the 1970s. The funny thing about "Light My Fire": It's from before I was born. I have a distinct memory of being in the car as a little kid, driving under a viaduct somewhere near Bucktown (where we lived for a year, maybe two, when I was little) and hearing this song. Time, place, and associations -- that's what memory is about. And feelings, too. From this trip, I'll remember:
  • Detroit-style pizza
  • Salted Oreo ice cream
  • A tired Michael trying to get his coach's attention that he was exhausted and in pain, but his coach never saw the signal and Michael fought through the fatigue
  • Chick-fil-A's drive-through 15 minutes before it closed
  • The Wings Over the Rockies Museum and its X-wing and B-52
  • Yeti
  • Seeing the pride and enthusiasm in my father's eyes as he watched his grandson play basketball
Time to call it a night. Maybe I'll blog again tomorrow.

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