the only one

Alrighty, I've finally found time to blog about this weekend. I had a FABULOUS weekend. I would highly recommend that anyone (except maybe small children for whom it would be dangerous to raft or fly alone) have a weekend like the one I just had. Besides the thrill of seeing a new place and being carried by strong currents and floating under gorgeous skies, there is something I noticed...I was the only one to do a lot of things on this trip. Let's explore.

I was the only one to arrive in Denver at 7:35.
Everyone else got there at around 10:30. So, that gave me a blissful 3 hours of solitude in the lovely, almost new, Denver airport. What would you do with 3 hours of alone time? I chose to listen to Brian Regan (people don't sleep on their own fold out couches), finish my reading of The Alchemist (a very good recommendation by my fabulous little sister), and that brings me to the next one...

I was the only one to exercise in the airport.
I mean, come on, 3 hours? I got a little antsy, and it turns out that Denver airport has quite the perfect little alcove to work off the lethargy should you so need it. So, down at the end of baggage, behind the elevators, I did lunges, push-ups and dips against the empty chairs, squats, and a modified version of V-ups. I loved it! And it got me to thinking...maybe the next time I am waiting in an airport for a while and I want to get moving I will, and will invite others to join me. I wonder if I could get anyone else to do push-ups with me...I'm pretty sure others get as bored as I do.

I was the only one to get an already wet wetsuit.
The river guide outfit provided black wetsuits, blue kayaking jackets, and yellow helmets and life vests so that as we boarded the buses we looked like a family of wasps escaping the elements to the safety of their hive. My wetsuit, had evidently been on the river earlier since it was sopping wet and so gave me some misgivings about putting it on. Don't worry, though, once I got it on it was quite bearable and I was very grateful for it for the rest of the trip. Especially given the next "I was the only one."

I was THE ONLY ONE TO FALL IN THE RIVER!
Can you believe it? I totally fell in. Funny thing, balance, you think you've got it, you're pretty sure, you're holding on, and then, "Whoops!", out of the boat and into the river. Gratefully I knew exactly what to do since they'd given us a safety schpeal on our way there. I immediately turned around, grabbed the boat and did my best to keep my feet off the bottom of the river. It was pretty funny, I'll admit, but I sure wished the guy next to me would stop laughing long enough to get me back into the boat. He did eventually gain composure enough to pull me into the boat...then everyone laughed...all at me. Ok, fine, I laughed too, as I well should have knowing that I'd have laughed if anyone else had fallen in. However, in my defense I was in the front, a very bouncy position on a raft. And I guess that's all the defense I have.:)

At least we didn't totally tip over.

I'd say I was the only one to get in the river at all, only it isn't true. My dear friend who planned this outing acted like she'd like to swim the last little bit of our trip and since I'd already been in, what's once more? I told her I'd go too and we both swam in. We were very very cold on the way back, but hey, no toes lost, and we swam in the river. What can I say: Pain is Temporary, Glory is Forever.

I was the only one to tour Budweiser.
I stayed a day longer than most my comrades to see some cousins in Fort Collins who happen to live within minutes of this huge Budweiser factory. So we took a tour and it was kind of interesting, smelly but interesting. And we got to see some of the Clydesdale horses. They are HUGE. Their hooves are like dinner plates, it's amazing. And don't worry, we didn't partake of the free samples at the end.

I was the only one to go kayaking.
So, have I mentioned yet that I love Colorado and want to live there? Well I do, and one huge reason is the easy accessibility to small lakes on which it is heaven to kayak around. I just love that. Even if my traps did get really sore.

Like I said, it was a great weekend. Here's to Colorado.