Denver Colorado Vacation!

Making lemons out of lemonade, I used the credits I had to plan this trip with my friend Stephanie from junior high/high school. Denver is where I could have gone to school this year, and is a place I've wanted to visit for a long time. I've flown through here, and I went as a kid (saw pink lightening)but not as an adult. I had also seen the awesome movie "Catch and Release" in 2006 in the threatre right as I was getting dismissed from law school and I fell in love with the place.

First day we took our sweet time getting going (flew in between 9am and 1030am and I was waiting at Stu's gate when she got off the plane so we could do the screamy, reunion thing!), stopped at Einstein bagels for breakfast/lunch and then drove through Boulder to Rocky Mountain National Park. There was apparently a huge flood in September and October and there were felled trees everywhere. The river was actually frozen but underneath the ice it must have been flowing somewhere because we could hear the water when we pulled over to look at it. When we got the south park entrance the road really wasn't drivable, but we were super happy with the pretty drive and we walked around for awhile and had a great time. We stopped in Boulder for dinner on the way to the hotel to check in and it was amazing. Best dinner ever!

Saturday we spent in Denver, walked the shops, had a great relaxing breakfast, found flower earrings for $1 on clearance (for a 6 pack!), went to a German Christkindlmarkt (German christmas fair), saw some live music and has some Gluhvein, (Free mug!!) and then had dinner at Brooklyn's before heading into our first NHL hockey game, the Colorado Avalanche v. Minnesota Wild. It was a really tight game, and went to a shoot out but we lost. Sad! But so fun! Then we walked across town to take the free bus the rest of the way to the Sheraton. The view from that hotel was great!

We had loved Boulder so much we decided to spend Sunday there. We toured the Celestial Seasonings factory, did a bunch of tastings and got really great goodies. Then we went back to our favorite restaurant PastaVino for lunch and then headed to the airport. We got there at 5pm, said our goodbyes, and headed to different terminals. And then we ran into each other again! My flight was supposed to be at 8:55pm, and I was bugged enough that I had to get there so early for Steph's flight. But guess what... bunch of delays later, we didn't take off until about 11:15pm MST. It sucked. Then, I got back into Portland after midnight (PST) and got straight on a bus to Eugene. A three hour bus ride. I had to change buses in Albany, and then they left me at a hotel in Eugene. But the nice bus driver called a cab ahead for me. Thankfully it took credit cards so I could pay. (I had planned on taking the free public bus, but the buses didn't open until 430am, and involved a 1.5 mile walk in the snow with my luggage in a neighborhood I didn't know.) The cabbie was very nice and took me right to my door and was very chatty.

Despite the drama, which was totally exhausting, I had a really great trip. This was the first real vacation I had taken since 2007, so I was thrilled.  I didn't even take my computer!

I love bows and arrows! I thought this was so neat looking.

 Sweet potato gelato

 Boulder Courthouse

 Oh! And we went ice skating too!

It was a great weekend! I can't wait to go on another adventure!

Car Wreck

My friend from high school, (actually, junior high school) and I met up in Denver the weekend after finals ended for a little vacation! :) The night I was supposed to leave was really awful. I was sitting in my car in the slushy snow and some punk kid was speeding down the street and smashed into me just as I was opening my door. I was really lucky I didn't get my legs chopped off as I had just barely pulled my extremities back in when I heard him accelerating and the snow splashing up on the car. I was bruised down my left side from the impact and I sprained my wrist from the door throwing me back inside. My car was filled with snow and the door taken off the hinges. It was really awful and scary.

It also caused a whole mess of drama since I was supposed to leave for the airport about 1am, and my car was now undrivable. The shuttles were sold out and the rental car place closed and there was no other way to get to the airport. Even my mother refused to help me. Two people in my cohort kindly volunteered to split the driving time and I was saved!

 However, after I returned from my trip, one of the ladies sent me a nasty email with an invoice for her services and a due date. I didn't have cash to pay her the night of the accident since we'd been snowed in for days, and my debit card had expired without me knowing. With one check left, I couldn't very well pay one or the other, and I of course knew they'd refuse anything I offered. (Or so I thought). I brought a couple of gifts with me and gave them each those and thanked them profusely, and thought I'd do another gift for each of them since they VOLUNTEERED and never asked for anything. Well, the second lady thought it was really obvious that she should have been paid in cash when she dropped me off, but all I had was the gift. (Again, she said nothing about her expectations before or during.) So I got this letter and I was just floored. She was unbelievably rude, especially considering we're in a conflict resolution program! She said she should be paid at least equal to what I would have spent on gas and boarding my car at the airport for 3 days. I was just shocked. Especially the bill with the due date. It's so easy to lay out expectations (I'd be happy to drive you, but I'd need to be reimbursed for gas- is that ok?) and she didn't. I thought we were great and asked her about 5 times if she was sure she wanted to do this. She said nothing about a cash payment. (Specifically cash, on the spot, not later).

I had already ordered her a gift, so I canceled that, explained why I didn't pay in cash and wrote her a check. She asked demanded $45 for her services. For perspective, she was driving a hybrid car. Also, it costs me about $8 each way to the airport. The gift I gave her was already worth $15. I'm broke. I haven't received a paycheck in months. She actually made money on this. Granted, it was a HUGE favor. It was late at night, and inconvenient. And I was happy to compensate her. I have absolutely no objection. I probably would have sent her $100, plus the gift once I got paid. (Fingers crossed for this week!) But her approach... no. I thought we were friends and I never would have taken (or demanded) compensation from a classmate. I took this trip because that bride screwed me and I had these reservations I could only get a credit for. My friend's mom paid our hotel room. I'm not rich. I was absolutely infuriated with this woman. Also, she's rich. She lives in a huge house, has multiple cars- new cars, and an antique convertible too. And she did that. I just don't think it's right. I don't really have anything at the moment and I would never take money from a classmate in that situation. (Car possibly totaled, stranded, about to lose even more money on this trip.) I sent her the check and a thank you card but I canceled her gift. My dad says I should send it, but honestly, I'm out of money. I couldn't buy christmas gifts for my family because of that check. (If I had driven and parked at the airport, I still wouldn't have spent $45 and I would have been able to CHARGE it, so it wouldn't have been due until late January, after I received my financial aid check. But no, I had to pay her in cash. )

So I was upset to say the least. I might send her a gift later but I'll never trust her.

The other girl who drove me her half of the way refused everything I offered her, and said the first girl's letter was insane. She said friends do favors for each other and it all works out. She did say she might take me up on my offer of a free photo shoot. (I did offer her cash for the record too.)

Another friend drove me an hour around town to get Charlie Brown from the boarders, and also refused everything I offered her. All I could get her to take was some sample pack of special tea I got at the Celestial Seasonings factory. (herbal tea, sugar cookie sleigh ride flavor! Amazing!)

After I got home, and this debacle, I found out that they hadn't towed my car for almost 24 hours after the wreck. The door was stuck open, so I was hugely upset, especially since they said it would take 90 minutes max. Then the kid who hit me wouldn't return calls from his agent. I called both companies, talked to numerous people and found out the other company could refuse the claim if the kid didn't respond within 30 days. Meaning they won't cover my expenses, but they also wouldn't protect him anymore. (aka a law suit could happen.) That would take a long time, and I couldn't afford my $1000 deductible, so I wrote a letter telling him the consequences of refusing to cooperate, and left it on his door. (He lives in my same complex.) Then he called the agent back the next day. Finally. So my car is finally getting fixed, and I got a rental car 6 days after the accident. Very frustrating.  Hoping to get the car back by New Year's, but who knows.

 The door would not open any wider, or close any more than this. Totally stuck.

 They drove so close to me they sprayed snow everywhere. Honestly, when I heard them accelerate, I thought that they were driving close to me in HOPES of spraying me with snow. This is why I hesitated before I swung my legs the rest of the way out. I do not believe he slid. I think it was intentional.