Susie and Stephanie's Big Adventure

Breakfast at Tiffanys

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OK. Not breakfast exactly. Nor any meal to be honest. But we did go to Tiffany’s (briefly) with Susie chatting up the “minder” by the door.

After we’d checked into the hotel in Denver, we decided to go for a shopping experience and the Cherry Creek Shopping Center wasn’t very far away. Plenty of parking and what’s more, it was free (parked at the Oracle anyone?).

We had a wander round and had a brief look at clothes in Macy’s (just like Debenhams as far as I can see) but really, it was a ubiquitous, anonymous shopping centre which could have been anywhere in the world.

We did have a look round Tiffany’s. I think Susie wanted to be able to tell her mother that she’d been in the store. Obviously, the first thing we noticed was a complete lack of pricing. Oh well! Perhaps another day.

We also called into a shop called “Buckle” as Susie thought they might sell belt buckles. But no, it was your usual jeans boutique.

Quite unusually for a holiday, I haven’t bought myself any earrings – or a scarf. Just a pair of golf shoes and a golfing belt. Still, there’s still half a day and a lot of waiting around at the airport to go yet.

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Oxygen

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And now for the continuation of the story of Linda and what happened when she ran out of oxygen.

We gave Linda a call on the Friday afternoon whilst at the Garden of the Gods to suggest we called by to say goodbye in person before heading back off to Denver. She said she’d be delighted to see us.

Well, once we got there, we heard the full story of what happened after Mike and Lynda spirited her away from the restaurant on Thursday evening.

As her oxygen cylinder was pretty much out, Mike and Lynda took her to the nearest fire station. Apparently the firefighters were about to set off to put out a trash fire but they decided her problem was more interesting and that another unit could deal with the call out!

As she can’t walk too far and didn’t have her mobility scooter with her, the firemen dragged out a wheeled office chair, sat her on that and then pushed her into the station. They gave her some oxygen while Mike took the car and dashed back to her apartment to collect a spare canister. It sounded like she quite enjoyed her visit with the firefighters – we teased her that it was a deliberate ploy just to be fussed over by a bunch of young men in uniform.

While we were there, we had a brief chat about our mutual parent and I learned something new. According to Linda, Cliff had had a girlfriend he never married, and that there was a son from that union. This means that I have (or had) a half brother somewhere! It seems that there is no way of tracking him down but it’s just another interesting little facet of the whole story.

We didn’t stay for long as she was still a little shaky from the events of the previous day. It just gave me a chance to say goodbye face to face.

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Yesterday

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Yesterday was our last day in Colorado Springs (I’m writing this Saturday morning).

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Sunrise on the Rockies

We woke up with the dawn and a glimpse out of our window showed the sun really lighting up the Rockies. This prompted us to throw on some clothes, leap in the car and drive to the shopping centre car park opposite as this gave an uninterrupted view for some picture taking.  The cloud base was pretty low but the sun in the east behind us gave the mountains a beautiful golden glow.

With the help of all her medicines, Susie was feeling a bit better and able to do a few things (although needed top up doses once they wore off). We arranged a late checkout from the hotel and headed out for a drive.

First up was a drive through Old Colorado Springs as this is where I had eaten with Linda, Mike and Lynda the night before and I wanted to see a little more of the area than the white lines on the road! We followed the road through Old Colorado Springs and ended up in Manitou Springs which was a really scenic spot. We drove up to where the cog railway starts on its journey up to the top of Pikes Peak (summit 14,114 feet). I’m sure this is a great thing to do and would be absolutely superb for photo opportunities but felt that as we had a bit of an issue with the altitude at Colorado Springs (more like 7,000 feet), this may not be the wisest thing to do.

We then went back to the hotel and finished packing the car and completed the checkout process.  We were now homeless until arrival at Denver!

We remembered that Nurse Carrie in the ER had recommended the Whole Foods Market (of which more later) for cornbread so we decided to pay a visit.  It was brilliant and furnished us with a slice of maple bacon, apple and garlic pizza to take away for a bite of lunch.

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Entrance to Garden of the Gods

As the sun was out – it was still fairly cool out though – we headed back to Garden of the Gods so we could see it in good daylight, rather than the fading light of a few days previously.  It seemed like a good place to munch our piece of pizza too.

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There is a driving loop round the park, most of which is one way, with a 20 mph speed limit.  There are some designated “pull off” areas plus a parking area but for the most part you cannot just stop to take photos when you want to.  This means that we’ve taken quite a few photos on the move, through the windscreen, side windows along with several where the camera was stuck out of the open window and the shutter depressed without any idea of what the camera had in its viewfinder!  Some have turned out pretty good, some disastrous and some our personal reminders of the scenery but not really good enough for sharing.

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Us in the Garden of the Gods

The car park was really busy but we managed to secure the last spot. After polishing off our pizza we went for a walk down the path which we hadn’t had a chance to investigate on our previous visit. It lead down behind the “Kissing Camels” and provided some photo opportunities.  We finally remembered to take our first “selfie”, something we’d been meaning to do all visit!

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Last Night

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Thursday night was our last night in Colorado Springs.

We had arranged to go out to dinner with Linda – we were to pick her up and she would guide us to the Mason Jar. Linda suggested the meet time of 16:45 which was a little earlier than we would eat normally (more late lunch really) but as my body clock is still a bit confused, we thought that would be just fine.

MasonJarWith Susie not feeling too grand, we decided I would go on my own. As I had not yet driven over here, this was a scary prospect! I had a practice drive to the Urgent Care Center (see previous post). I have only ever driven an automatic once before and that was at least 25 years ago and I have never driven a left hand drive car before.  Once I had stopped trying to put the clutch in and could keep my left hand on the steering wheel, it wasn’t too bad.  I concentrated really well on keeping in the middle of the lane otherwise there was a tendency to drive too close to the right hand lane edge.

I arrived at Linda’s 10 minutes early so decided to wait in the car.  I had managed to park in a prime spot just outside the front door so Linda wouldn’t have too far to walk.  A few minutes later I saw Chris arrive and he called over to say he was just going to help her downstairs.

Once Linda was installed in the car we set off with her providing the driving instructions. Luckily it was pretty straightforward.

On arrival at the Mason Jar, we were greeted by Linda’s eldest son, Mike, and his wife, Lynda and so we made a party of four.  We had a good time, with lots of chat flowing and I learned a lot about American menus!

Along with Mike and Linda I had the steak and a “fully loaded” baked potato and managed to eat most of it.  This was really my first proper meal since the preceding Friday so I didn’t want to push it too far.  Linda ate hardly anything in spite of Mike’s coaxing (she’s supposed to eat 2,000 calories a day to regain some weight) but decided to have the leftovers boxed up to take home.

We had just about finished eating when Linda suddenly announced that she was nearly out of oxygen!  Lynda fetched their car immediately and they took Linda off home to try and get there as soon as they could before she ran out.  We all said a hurried but heartfelt goodbye and then I was left to find my own way back to the hotel…

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We Are Family

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After our trip out to see the mountains and the aspen fall colours, we were invited round to Linda’s apartment for coffee.

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Stephanie and Linda

We made a side trip to our new favourite supermarket, King Sooper’s to see what they had in the line of cakes or buns to take with us.  Susie sought the opinion of a member of staff who recommended the cheesecake.  They did, indeed, look rather yummy.  The only downside was that they were all in the freezer cabinet and I didn’t think that we should pitch up with frozen cake!

They certainly seem to be big cinnamon fans here.  There were cinnamon buns of every description and I’ve noticed that there have been cinnamon bagels as part of the breakfast offering each day.  In the end we found a chiller cabinet containing portions of different cakes so we bought a selection of three (including some cheesecake!) to take with us.

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Linda and Bugsy

We made our way to Linda’s and were warmly greeted by both her and Bugsy. Susie opted to try some iced tea for the first time and I chose my usual hot, black tea. While we were there, Linda received a text from one of her sons who was going to call by with some bread for her. She didn’t let him know we were there, saying that he’d have a surprise when he arrived.

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Stephanie, Linda and Chris

And so this is how I got to meet one of my four American nephews. Chris seemed a little taken aback when he opened the door to find Susie and I there but he soon settled down and chatted with us. We then had a photo session as you can see.

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Rocky Mountain High

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Yesterday (Wednesday) we decided to go for a drive up the mountains. My medicine was working and so I felt generally better although quite weak and headachy from lack of food (breakfast half a bagel for example). Walking up 1 flight of stairs made me all dizzy!

I spoke with Linda on the phone and arranged to meet at her apartment for coffee in the afternoon. I asked her advice about where best to head to see the aspens changing colour and she pointed us in the direction of Interstate 24.

Essentially, this took us due west of Colorado Springs in the first instance and then we started to climb. I took quite a few photos through the car window and although they are not David Bailey quality, they will at least remind us of our jaunt.

There were several signs warning of risk of flooding – which really seems weird when you are halfway up a mountain – but talking to Chris, Linda’s son later on, we found out that there had been horrendous floods and mudslides last year.

We travelled for quite a few miles up through the mountain pass until we reached a placed called “Divide” (elevation 9,165 ft above sea level) where we decided to turn back. On the way we passed several areas of habitation and saw our first “Guns ‘n Ammo” shop. If we get a chance later, I’d kind of like to have a look in the western outfitters there.

It looks to me like the trees have only just started turning and I bet they will be spectacular in a week or so. We’ve put some of the pictures in the slideshow above to give a flavour of the views.

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Golf Girl

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This post is slightly out of sync.  I started it a few days ago and it’s sat in “draft” until now due to events somewhat overtaking it.  It refers to events on Sunday.

Well, we managed a trip out to the golf shop as I was feeling a little better. Unlike the shops in the vicinity of Reading, this one actually has a section for women’s clothes – and they go up to “cuddly” sizes.

Susie was in her element and pretty much every part of the store was investigated. There was a huge range of just about everything. We spotted some very funky women’s clubs and had a go with them on the computerised range.

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Susie in her new finery

There was a (for Susie) marathon trying on session and she ended up with a pair of trousers (in the sale: only about £15), 3 tops, 2 belts and a pair of golf shoes. I managed to find a pair of shoes which seemed comfy and I also bought a reversible belt which has a magnetic ball marker as part of the belt buckle.

Luckily for us, there was a special deal on and we saved quite a lot on our little haul. Although, there is always the sales tax on top. Unlike the UK, the prices shown are net of tax and you need to remember they’ll end up 15% higher than you first think you’re going to be paying.

By the time we left Golfsmith, the sky had really clouded over and we both thought we’d like something to eat.  I didn’t want too much and after some deliberation decided to go to AppleBee’s which was next door to the golf shop.  We both had the lunch combo: Susie the “mac ‘n cheese” plus a club sandwich and I had a turkey, bacon and avocado sandwich with a small portion of French Onion soup.  It was lovely but I couldn’t manage it all.

While we were having lunch, the heavens opened.  Honestly, I expected to see some felines and canines all over the road.  There was thunder and lightening and a jet black sky.  In the distance, on the horizon we could see a rainbow.  Weirdly, it was the top arc of the rainbow, almost as if we were level with it!

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Emergency Room

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As you might guess from the post title, we’ve had a little trip to the Emergency Room.

My tummy problems haven’t gone away. I took some Imodium on Sunday evening and so didn’t feel too bad on Monday morning. Hence our visit to the golf shop and stop off at AppleBee’s for lunch.

During the afternoon, I realised that the Imodium had worn off and so was becoming a friend of the bathroom again! I managed to feel settled enough for a drive out early evening to the Garden of the Gods but didn’t really want anything much to eat. So another foray to King Soopers for some tatties to bake in the microwave and then back to the room.

We spent the evening looking at the photos taken at the Garden of the Gods and then I read my kindle while Susie played with the photos to set up a slide show on the website. I munched a few crisps to help my salt levels and by the time we got round to eating the tatties, felt a bit queasy. I managed the insides of one half of a potato and then started to feel rather nauseous, with a spot of the old D and V ensuing.

By then, it was 3 days since my little problem had started and Susie was getting very concerned that it was getting worse and I was getting dehydrated. She wanted to call a doctor so she phoned my insurance company (Direct Line) but they said they will only cover the costs if I go to hospital. Which is challenging given the nature of the problem.

After much consulting with the hotel reception, medical websites, the insurers and her Mum, she decided to make a foray to find the nearest hospital and ask them for their opinion. They said I should probably come in, that there was zero waiting time and that they see a lot of similar cases due to the altitude.

I wasn’t quite so sure, as I’d have preferred to stay near the bathroom!

So 2:00 am saw us whizzing up the road to the hospital. Fortunately it was only about a mile away and indeed, there was no waiting time whatsoever. A big relief after the 4 hour wait last time I went to A&E in Reading.

I was dealt with very efficiently. Blood was taken to check to see if I had any major infections (I didn’t – the white cell count was fine) and I was given 2 litres of I/V saline plus anti-nausea and anti-cramping drugs. They said that I either have a bug or altitude sickness – it’s difficult to distinguish in terms of symptoms.

By the time we got back to the hotel and to bed, it was around 5:30 in the morning so we’re both knackered from lack of sleep. Susie more so than me as she carried on with trying to sort out the insurance company after I had gone to bed. She’s been brilliant in sorting things out and in looking after me and I’m truly grateful.

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Souper Trooper

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Panorama of the Rockies from King Sooper’s Car Park

Our first couple of days in Colorado Springs have been quite quiet.  Mainly due to the fact that neither of us have felt particularly well, with me winning in terms of feeling the most rubbish.

Saturday morning saw us taking advantage of the free hot breakfast available in the hotel.  There’s a mix of bread, pastries, cereal, fruit and a choice of hot items such as sausages and potato rosti.  And there’s a waffle iron and pre-made waffle mix for making your own waffles.  Bet you can’t guess who got stuck in there?

After we got back to the suite, I found I was feeling a little strange: kind of disorientated, unfocussed and not really able to walk in a straight line.  And before you jump to the wrong conclusions, the only alcohol I’ve had all trip was the mini white wine on the plane over.  As usual Google was our friend and these are all symptoms of mild altitude sickness.  Here at Colorado Springs we are around 1.5 times the height of Ben Nevis.

We decided that the best plan was to take it easy and drink plenty of water as per the website recommendations so we had a take-out lunch from the Italian restaurant over the way.  We had a gentle pootle out in the afternoon to the golf shop but I in particular started to feel jolly strange in the tummy department and came over in that kind of cold sweat that tells you to return to your hotel forthwith.  So we did.

We’re not sure if it was something we’d both eaten (can’t think of anything which might have been “dodgy”) or a bug or a reaction to the altitude but we’ve both had unhappy tummies with mine having been seriously unhappy.  To the point I’ve been tied to the hotel room.  Dinner was a plain biscuit and I didn’t even manage to eat a whole one.

By Sunday I started feeling a bit better – although the tummy was still playing up – so we managed a quick trip to the supermarket to buy something for lunch.  Linda had recommended chicken noodle soup with crackers and that’s exactly what we had.  A tub of homemade chicken and vegetable noodle soup with saltines.  It was lovely but I had to eat my bowl of soup in two goes.  I must have been pretty off colour to be off my food!

It has been really handy having the kitchenette as this meant we could buy soup for reheating without having to venture out into a restaurant.  Susie was allowed to drive by herself in the evening (I did offer to accompany her) to go to King Soopers to buy a couple of potatoes so we could microwave them and have with cheese for supper.  She did superbly and only missed the turning back to the hotel once!

It’s now Monday morning and I’m feeling a lot better.  Quite floppy and tiring easily but I think that’s due to hardly having eaten over the last 48 hours.  We’ve had some breakfast and are now having tea and coffee back in the suite prior to planning the day.

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The Final Countdown

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Okaay. We’re on the final countdown to the meet.

For some reason, I had it in mind that we’d potter on down to Colorado Springs today, book into the hotel and arrange a meet on Saturday. But no. As the body clocks aren’t reset yet, we were awake and chatting at 4:00 am this morning. Just as I was starting to settle back into a snooze, Susie decides to log on and check her email. And there was an email from Linda. Inviting us to lunch at her apartment tomorrow – which of course is today, Friday. OMG! That woke me up rather!

So we have emailed back to say, yes, we’d love to and now I’m chewing my fingernails (metaphorically at least).

I think that’s actually a really brave thing to do. To invite 2 strangers into your home when you’re on your own takes a bit of nerve. And I don’t know if I could do it myself.
I won’t pretend that I’m not just a bit nervous. Because I am. Not scared, not wishing I had never had the idea to come to visit, but there are definitely a few butterflies and I think they’ll be in full flight the nearer we get to 2 pm.

We’ll be checking out of the Holiday Inn very soon and hitting the highway. Colorado Springs is even higher in altitude than Denver and it’s another jolly warm day outside. So my next post will be after the meet. Wish us luck.

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