First the snow report---what snow? After an epic January snowfall we have had epic warm weather. After my day of near naked skiing 2+ weeks ago I have not bothered to venture back to the slopes. I am sure there are moments where there are pretty good spring conditions but I am not ready for spring and honestly have had some trouble timing the good spring corn at 11-1 pm with my life and my head cold. So no skiing in almost 3 weeks. Call me a snow snob.
My daughter had a hockey tournament in Colorado Springs this past weekend. We drove there by way of Breckenridge, Hartsel and Florissant. The goal being to miss Denver traffic at 5pm. Succeeded in that but got held up by traffic in Breck. I have never been by the base of Breckenridge --wow it looks huge but I guess 10% less skiable acres than Snowmass--but it looks huge, and it has traffic. Go figure.
Anyhow after making my way through Breckenridge traffic, I got to drive through some small high plains towns. And I mean small. And old school. Maybe one upgrade to the town since Clint Eastwood's high plains drifter era movies. I could see where to by my guns, ammo and hard tack and really what else do you need? Also heads up around Hartsel for you fast drivers, the cops drive cars whose tail lights look a lot like an Astro van. I rolled up on the back of one going pretty quick only to barely manage not getting a speeding ticket. He was kind enough to escort me to the border of his county.
We arrived at Cheyenne mountain resort around 7pm. After checking in (and my daughter complaining about our room that hasn't been updated since it was the cat's meow in 1973) we went to Romano's for pasta. Wait. Let me take a big step back. Living in NYC and Chicago the amount of times we went to chain family restaurants (TGI Fridays etc) could be counted on one hand. And the amount of big box chain stores in my life are near zero. I think I found the epicenter of chains and it is Colorado Springs.
So how was the food at Romano's---basically inedible. And the place was HUGE. And it was mostly empty except for a HUGE table next to us. Remember the TV show 8 is Enough? Well the real life version was sitting right next to us. 8 under the age of 9 and 6 under the age of 6. Holy birth control, batman or maybe the lack thereof. It was a remarried couple each bringing 4 to the team family unit. Wow. My daughter had many questions about what I would do in such a situation to which I could only say it would never ever under any circumstances happen.
Her first hockey game was slated for 9:30 at the olympic training center.
Cool right?
But first we had to get there. Sitting at a red light to turn left from HWY 155 onto Cheyenne meadows we got run into from behind by a Kia going about 40 mph (witness estimate of her speed).
First off thank goodness it was a Kia and not a Ford Explore (remember force=mass*acceleration). Next off thank goodness for 4 locked up disk brakes on our porsche to prevent rolling into the intersection.
Dan checklist: Confirm daughter ok. Confirm self is ok. Check for gas leak--no leak. Call 911 (at 8:22 am). Per 911 exit intersection and pull over on cross street where it becomes clear my car is not drivable--rear bumper and exhaust is bent into tire. Call coach to pick up Sylvie for game (cause I am betting I won't make it). Call insurance company. Thank two witnesses who give me dash cam (over the road trucker) and wait for police (who take 30 min to show up). Listen to contrite Kia driver confess to cop with HUGE lip of Skole that she couldn't depress brake pedal because there was a gatorade bottle under her foot.
Breath and hitchhike to game. I was able to catch the last two periods of her game (loss number 29 on their way to a perfect 0-32 season).
After grabbing a rental car which will not do well in mountain conditions I went to game number two at Colorado college rink, where my daughter was told that the girls were not allowed in the locker rooms to change while the boys were changing to protect the girls. Instead she was told to change in either the (super nasty and small) women's bathroom or outside of the locker room. My daughter never being afraid of a little naked changed outside of the locker room. WTF, protect the girls?
I know what you are thinking --with that much Jaromir Jagr hair how did they not win every game. Well hockey is a team sport and among the boys there was not a mullet to be found. I am sure with a bit more hair they could have won half their games. After game two and a quick dip in the pool we went to Zanes (another chain restaurant )for pizza and beer. Kind of a weird place but there was plenty of room for the team to sit together, the pizza was good and while the beer was light and tasted just like the stuff they served at the View on $3 buck pitchers tuesday it was only $8 bucks for a pitcher (no tip expected either). Finally a place you could get drunk for under $20 bucks. Heaven.
Then we went to watch Colorado College play UM Duluth. Wow great hockey. Fast and furious. Trinity College hockey alums your game wasn't quite that fast, but they did lack the Bates boys cheer which was always good fun.
The next day brought a game in Pueblo CO. Pueblo is home of some of the best mexican joints but I couldn't figure out how to eat mex safely with a 1:30 game so we skipped it. However, one of our players didn't. Midway through the first period he was looking as green as my daughter's shirt and I asked what was up. All he got out was BIG LUNCH.
Saturday night brought another chain restaurant but again with huge open seating so it was easy for the team to arrive whenever and still sit together. Tip of the cap to team manger for those selections. And the que was good (Ruby's BBQ for those of you curious).
Sunday brought an early morning game against the Houston Hurricanes which was either an 18-1 or 22-1 loss. Not sure which and honestly couldn't care. Then a quick drive home (well 4 1/2 hours) trying to beat a storm at Vail pass because I didn't want to wind up like this guy. And I will say the Ford Fusion rental (no snow tires, no 4 wheel drive) put me at risk.
Next up? Taking the dogs for a walk and finding my daughters soccer cleats.
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