Saturday, April 10, 2010

Monday, August 11, 2008 - Denver

I have been in Denver since Friday night when Katie and I drove out from Glenwood Springs, and it has been a blast thus far. Staying with my Aunt Karen is so much fun and we have certainly been busy. Yesterday we went for pizza, listened to music at the Denver Blues and Brews Festival, and finished out the day watching the Rockies get it handed to them by the San Diego Padres. Today we went to breakfast with Karen's friend (which was tasty and hilarious...bacon anyone?) and then I met my friend Sarah downtown. Sarah and I went to college together, and it was good to see her as well as catch up and see the Batman movie again.

During my first morning here, I went running. There is a lake with a two-mile trail around it which my aunt pointed me to, and it lies about one mile from her house. While in Portland, I ran twice around the high school track near Megan and Sarah's house. Starting up here, I forgot that they call it the Mile High City for a reason, while Portland sits near sea level. As I have not broken too many sweats this trip to start with, I should have paced myself a bit more. It was hot with humidity creeping higher and higher, and as I started around the lake I stopped to take my already damp shirt off. The moment I stopped the altitude hit me, and there was definitely a moment where I thought I was going to throw up. But then I remembered if I run each day that I'm here my lungs will be kickin' butt when I get back to Sioux Falls to run, so it isn't all bad.

There is one other story I must tell. I'm staying in my aunt's basement, and the door to my room has a door knob on the outside in the hallway, but there isn't one on the side of the door which is inside the bedroom. Being one to always sleep with my door shut, as well as not knowing that the door knob didn't actually exist on my side of the door, I just shut it. Then I thought "Scott, you should use the bathroom before going to bed." When I reached for the door knob, all I came up with was air. A bit dumbfounded, I looked down at the door and started to play with the little nub which the handle would have fit on, but only managed to somehow work a spring out of the opening mechanism (which I did get put back).

Figuring that I could make it until morning, I just went to sleep. When I woke up at 8 the next morning, I got on my cell phone and called my aunt. I heard her phone ring outside my window and she picked up a bit confused as to why I would be calling her.

"Hello" she said, again wondering why on earth I was calling.

"Hi. So, I shut the door last night to my room, and there is no handle on my side. I really need to use the bathroom. Would you mind coming down and letting me out of your basement?"

There was laughter on both ends, and she immediately came down. The next problem came when she tried to let me out. "Scottie, the door is locked." You have got to be kidding me! I must have locked it while trying to get it to open the previous night.

"I'm going to go get a screwdriver and see what we can do." Karen stated. "We better be able to do something" I thought, "because if this doesn't work, I'm either going to have to kick in the screen to the window and escape that way, or use the bucket to the Shop Vac as a bedpan."

With luck on our side, the door clicked open, and we stood there looking at each other and laughing again. A mistake I am sure I will not be making again.

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