Too much fun. Not enough sleep. And a whole lotta Maloney Madness.
For the long Fourth of July weekend, Maureen and I decided to head to Denver to spend time with her family (two sisters, a brother, and assorted kids, in-laws, and significant others) there. We were supposed to fly out Thursday night, but the flight was oversold so we took a bump and got free tickets anywhere in the continental U.S. (most likely candidate: Des Moines for the Iowa State Fair in August). On Friday morning we got up at the crack of dawn, made our second trip to SFO in 12 hours, and jumped on a plane to Colorado.
Ann picked us up at the airport and, after a quick stop to pick up Mary Clare and scarf down her delicious egg salad sandwiches, we headed for the Coors brewery, where Julio had arranged a VIP tour. We learned about the beermaking process at the largest single-location brewery in the world, drank samples right out of the production line, and sweet-talked Julio into taking us to the employees-only sixth floor bar. (It wasn't until after we'd claimed a corner of the bar, sampled all of the hors d'oeuvres, and generally made a ruckus that we realized we'd crashed someone's going-away party!) Then it was into downtown Golden for pizza and more beer (just what we needed!), before heading back to the Da Silva house. We ended the night with a mojito at the nearby Coral Room, before heading home just as Denver's new smoking ban took effect at midnight!
Saturday morning came too early, but a tasty al fresco breakfast in Ann's backyard helped us gear up for the day. We went for a hike (even including a geocache), making sure to get back in time for the Royal Lipizzaner Stallion show at the Pepsi Center. Julio had scored us seats in the Coors luxury box, but apparently no one notified the folks responsible for the free food and drinks we'd been promised. We muddled through somehow.
Ann and Julio had scored a babysitter, so the evening was ours to misuse as we saw fit. We walked over to Sabor Latino, a restaurant in the Da Silva's neighborhood for yummy paella and even yummier red mojitos ("rojitos"). All of the fancy horses and dressage routines from the afternoon had Maureen and I feeling a bit snooty, so bowling seemed like the perfect way to get our balance back. We also discovered that Ann could probably snag a spot on the Pro Bowler's tour if she ever decided to pursue her dream. Maureen and I were still under the misconception that we could keep pace with twenty-somethings, so we let Ben and MC take us out to Forest Room 5 for a nightcap.
Sunday began with coffee and chaos. We loaded Rosa and Teresa into the wagon, leashed up the dogs, and strolled down to Peaberry's where we tied Henry and Sadie to a table, and went in for our breakfast. Suddenly there was a commotion outside the front door: Henry had mustered all of his might and pulled the table over onto himself and Sadie! The dogs were fine, but Maureen went out to chaperone them while we waited for our coffee and snacks.
After breakfast we piled into the minivan for a big excursion to the Cherry Creek Art Festival. The art was nice, as were the interactive activities for kids, but the real attraction was the food promenade! We scarfed down everything from gyros and pizza to wontons and gelato, then headed back to the Da Silva house for a nap. Just as we were drifting off to sleep, there was a frenzy of noise and activity from the front of the house. Had Henry decided to rearrange some more furniture? No, it was Kathy, Rachel, and Peter returning from their trip to Crested Butte.
Ann made a delicious fish taco dinner, which began in the back yard but quickly moved inside when a summer storm rolled in. Then it was time for Maureen's birthday cake and (after the rain stopped) a pinata, before we headed out to the Pearl Jam / Tom Petty concert (thanks to Pat for scoring us tickets!).
On Monday morning, Peter, Julio, and I (along with Julio's friend John) headed into the hills for a little mountain biking. Meanwhile, the girls went to Monkey Business, a giant indoor playground with bounce houses, slides, air hockey, and other germ-infested kiddie attractions. I discovered that, at altitude, I'm even more out of shape than I thought. I kept trying to break things on my borrowed bike (thanks Ralph!) just to slow the group down, but still wound up gasping for air and wishing for a chairlift.
After the ride, we grabbed burgers and beer at a local dive, then headed back into Denver to rest up for a big night out. First we took in a Rockies/Giants game at Coors Field, followed by fireworks. Then Julio led us on a wild goose chase to find a bar that served food, only to arrive just as the kitchen closed. But at least it was "happy hour," featuring buy-one-get-one-free drinks (always a good idea on an empty stomach). We made nuisances of ourselves there for a while, then made a late night detour to Wendy's on the way home.
Tuesday was Independence Day. We slept in a bit, then Kathy drove us to City Park for a little fresh air and some time on the biggest jungle gym I ever saw. I strolled around the park snapping photos of the monuments (this seemed appropriate for the Fourth), before we met up with Ann and took a road trip up to Boulder. We took in the scene on the pedi-mall, then caught the end of the Italy/Germany World Cup match over lunch at the Walnut Brewery.
Ann took us back to Kathy's house, where we barely had time to catch our breath before it was time to leave for the airport. I was hoping for a nice, relaxing flight in the exit row seats Maureen and I scored, but of course our flight was canceled and we had to go standby on the last flight out, crammed into middle seats in different parts of the plane. It was a hectic end to a hectic but fun five-day holiday weekend!
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