Jan 21, 20238 min read

Day 28. Too thurty.

Sunday February 5, 2023

I had root canal done just before I left home figuring it best to have that all done before I hit the road. Well, for the last week it's been bothering me in that area again and then this morning it was more than a bother! I couldn't put any pressure in that area at all. So I made several fruitless Sunday morning phone calls and no one answered at all. Suprise! I left one message with what looked like a decent office close by and sat on the edge of the bed to rethink my plans:

Originally I wanted to head to Moab by later today.

I could use a massage : )

And a new tooth.

The bartenders at Trail Head brewery had really stoked up these hot Springs down in Ouray.

The tooth is pretty painful.

My best chances for a dentist are here in Grand Junction.

Probably not a good idea to go camp out in the Moab Desert with a bum tooth.

What time should I go to the dentist? Tooth hurty. Ha!

I stewed for a bit and didn't get anywhere mentally with a decision so I did what any blogger with a tooth ache would do. Went for a latte!

I searched out another coffee shop and headed to Mountain Air Roasters on the other end of downtown. I decided to cruise past Colorado Mesa University to lay my eyes on the campus where the daughter of one of our local riders will be attending. She totally got into Mountain bike riding after their family relocated to Vermont from NY City when Covid hit. Blows me away that schools have mountain bike teams...I love it. Not something we have on Long Island for sure!

She apparently found her groove with cycling and both her family and all the Liberty Riders couldn't be more proud of her. Good luck Lucy!

The coffee shop was bright and airy with a little girl selling Girl Scout cookies out front.

Five minutes later, with an Oat Milk Snickerdoodle Iced latte by my side, I was typing away in the coffee shop. I really kind of like this vibe.

As I'm working I notice that the word Liberty is strewn all around the place, even on their t-shirts for sale. I asked the two Barista's (I love that word) (or maybe just what they do)(no definitely the word) (think I'll name my dog that if I ever get one)(or Latte, that might be a good dog name) (definitely not snickerdoodle though, to long)(unless it was a poodle?)(then you could name it snickerpoodle!) about the Liberty stuff and it turns out the owner is ex-military and still owns that patriotic spirit by incorporating it into his shop. I'd like to say the name of our local cycling group back home (The Liberty Riders) was founded on military service, or duty, or anything honorable actually but it just happens that we meet every morning at the corner of Liberty and Mill in town lol. Kind of let down after all that "thank you for your service" stuff right? But! In our defense, we have since added "Flags In" rides to Calverton National Cemetery on Memorial Day and July fourth rides where we all wear "stars and stripes" cycling jerseys that just look super cool. To see fifteen or so riders wearing red, white and blue USA cycling jerseys flying down the road is pretty impressive. Not us I mean. We're not impressive. We're just a bunch old dudes in tight spandex. But the unity of all of us displaying the flag...it becomes so powerful that cars will stop to acknowledge the moment and even honk in support. I think it's support anyway. Or maybe it's because Bob just flies through red lights without looking. Either way it looks really neat.

Packed up my laptop and before I left I stopped to buy some some of those Girl Scout cookies from Luna and her mom Mira (not sure how to spell that or if I heard it right!)(sorry mom if I messed it up!). What nice people killing a few hours for a good cause. Gave me some tips on where to go and what they've seen on their vacations. Beautiful family!

Luna was a great saleswoman also...she gave a pitch that I couldn't refuse so I walked away with a few cookies for the road. Thank you both!

I decided to take off for Ouray and soak my muscles in the hot springs but thought I might head back to Grand Junction for the night to be close to the dentists Monday morning. Ouray is also called little Switzerland and it does have that sort of look as you pull in. The mountains just stand stall, flanking the lil' town, with snow mixed amongst the tall pines and firs. Majestic looking for sure.

I stopped into the Spa area, which is kind of set up like a bunch of little pools but they are all fed by natural hot springs. I literally stood for a second near the pools edge, 50/50 on whether I would stay or not. I just felt a little cold and super tired. Some times it just catches up with you. But I said hey...When in Switzerland do as the Switzerlanders do right!? Ha!

I changed into my suit and found a pool to relax into. I literally dozed for one of those 30 second power naps while chilling in there. Well warming in there I guess. Chilling while I was warming? Chilling while I was in warm water. That works. After a bit I felt the urge to try another pool. People here were just involved in their own conversations and I was hoping to chat a little bit anyway.

I found another pool a little higher up and instantly this pool felt warmer and livelier! I think because both Kimberley and Shelby added to the warmth with their personalities. Two incredible women that I don't think anyone could not hit it off with. The two of them just giggling and having a blast, Kimberley even at one point challenged herself by jumping into the 45 degree pool just to give the body (and lymphatic system as she said!) a jolt! So good. You could see the lively color in her face when she got back to our pool too. Well it was red, almost blue, like frozen, but still a color. I got to chatting with them and a few others in the pool too and I was so glad this duck decided to stay in town and go for a swim. I still hadn't decided where I was staying the night! Its gotta be 6:00 ish and they're both telling me where they are staying and things to do around here. They grabbed this little rustic cabin just up the road right on the river along side the mountain that they said was super cool. I should book one there too!

Sold!

I grabbed myself one of little cabins alongside the river and wow! When I stepped down to it I was amazed! Look at the photos below because it is one of the tiniest, yet warmest, cutest places I've ever hunkered down in! The wood design, the icicle lights hanging, the snow all around, the ice strewn river sounds filling the air, the majestic mountain towering on the other side...absolutely stunning. A bed, heat, a small fridge...all you need!!!

We also decided to grab dinner all together so I met them up at the Red Mountain Brewing Restaurant downtown. Pistachio encrusted Salmon dinners and delicious appetizers were not what I expected in this small town but both the service and food were spectacular.

It was so cool that we could share laughs and deeper more insightful conversation having known each other for only a few hours. That's definitely an insight to both Kim and Shelby, such well rounded, thoughtful and fun people.

I can't thank you both enough for sharing you...with me.

Pinching myself that I almost turned around and didn't stay here and now I'm hanging with two beautiful peoples that welcomed me into their weekend getaway with open arms. Open arms and an open wine bottle. Two actually. My tooth was feeling a lot better too. If it wasn't being outside in 20 degrees wearing a bathing suit that numbed the jaw it was probably the wine.

So after dinner we headed back to the cabins and decided to crack open those bottles of wine around the fire pit outside and so we did!

I have no idea what time we decided to pack it in for the night and neither of us were concerned.

Perfect!

Inside

I think it just fascinating how God can place people in the right spot and meet up, or how we can attract similar peoples into our lives when we ourselves are comfortable with who we are ("Know thyself" Kims quote not mine) (but sounds just like me lol) and open to the receiving of them. All three of us literally chatted like we had known each other since college. All three of us vibrated so similarly along so many lines of conversation it gave us the chills. And that was next to the fireplace in the restaurant not the pool lol! I have found that its not to often that I can talk with people about what I've been calling my "inner journey", what I've studied or read or learned over the years. Actually to not only have others persons interested and understand it, but feed me back more of their own similar wisdom. Kimberley works in the therapy end of healing people and has tremendous knowledge and insights and Shelby (whatever happened to that car by the way?) has wisdom and insights that took me a lot longer to figure out. If there is a commonality amongst us it was that we all three decided - and that's a huge word here - to take the challenges life brought us (most would call them problems or hardships or just plain 'ol cat) and use them for growth. Lots of peoples will hold onto the crap that happens in their lives and complain about it. If you can become aware enough that these issues thrown at you are actually for you and not against you ...the whole world changes around you and things begin to happen exponentially for you in your life, like an up-level in a video game as Shelby said. A whole bunch of new opportunities present themselves when you do...luv it.

Outside

Will I never not be astounded by a new view!? The Swiss Alps right here, as I sit in a hot spa along side them? Really?

Grateful is not a big enough word.

Upside

Meeting people. Kimberley and Shelby and even the other 'supporting cast' that chatted in the pools and restaurants make a trip what it is. Sharing stories and your lives with me, yeah you two lol, so good!

downside

Toothache. Really!? Now lol?

See what we can do tomorrow.

Every which way but east

Headed back to Grand Junction Colorado to get this tooth looked at tomorrow. Wish me luck on grabbing an appointment last minute and getting some answers. I'll take a prayer if ya got one too!