Colorado Triple Header Part ONE: Woodstock in Evergreen
It was an early morning. River and I woke up before the sun in Grand Junction so that we could make the trek to Evergreen in time for an 11:00 am Woodstock class. I allowed for traffic and for arriving plenty early, so that means I woke up at 4:15 and left the parking lot of the motel by 5:45.
The ride east on I-70 was more beautiful than I expected. It wound along next to the Colorado River and through the White River National Forest. Some spots were quite gorgeous. I took some video but it wasn't of the most spectacular sights. Just an example of the kind of ride it was.
I was drowsy as I drove, which I know is a bad idea. I kept waking myself up with a huff sound. River thought I was crazy for barking at nothing, but it kept me awake and us alive, so I continued to do it.
I got to Evergreen by about 9:45 so I had enough time to stop at Starbucks before heading to the studio.
I was expecting a suburb of Denver, but Evergreen is actually an upscale mountain town. Woodsy but precious.
I was in a place called Studio B. Which seemed to be part of a beauty salon/spa/yoga/body treatment center. I happened to arrive on the day that the owner of the building was present to observe the noise level as he was being sued by the tenant upstairs from the yoga studio over the weekly Nia class that I was stepping into. So I was asked to keep the music low. I enlisted the help of Sandi, my host, whose class it usually was, to be volume knob monitor.
I understand that they're not allowed to make martial arts "KYA!" sounds, either. I told them that I don't do that in this routine, but we do sing. It comes the very last part of the class, so I asked them to really go for it. I hope I didn't get the Nia class in trouble.
This group had the spirit! They came decked out in so much 60's bling and were absolutely 100% in the FreeDance the moment the music started. They were unflappable and ready for anything. They even sang with me. And this is the first group I've been in that responded so strongly to the little gesture I make where it looks like I'm passing the dutchie around. Usually folks titter a bit and a few people laugh, but this group actually starting taking it and passing it around too! Must be that Colorado air!
At the end, we circled up and we all felt pretty buzzed. I could feel the love and the peace and I talked a bit about that. Some were emotional and some said they had been transported to the 60s. Some even said they felt stoned (I think it must've been the joint I was passing around during Jefferson Airplane).
After class, Sandi and I got some Indian food and took it to a local park to eat it. I put River on his long leash and he explored a few trees, but mainly, while we ate, he stuck nearby. I had brought his blanket from the car and laid it by the table. That gave him an anchor on the ground near us.
Today is strangely cold. I was delighted to have to pull my disco hoodie out of the trunk. I guess it was hot here yesterday, but the heat never got going today. I think I brought it when yesterday, I had seen a cloudburst in the distance and wished that it would find me. So far, no cloudburst. No rain at all, really. But plenty of cloud.
And by the end of our lunch in the park, I was actually shivering a little bit. It seemed like it was getting hot and sunny after class, so I switched from my disco hoodie to my rainbow Alive! hoodie, which is much thinner.
I drove into Thornton and checked into my Motel 6 room. When I opened the door it seemed like I had stuck my nose into a bottle of bleach. Ouch. well, that would probably really really hurt. SO, I'm exaggerating, but trust me when I say that it smelled more like bleach than anyone would ever want. The maids must be noseblind to it. To top that off, none of the fans worked. I called maintenance to see if I could get a portable fan because as luck would have it, the window could open all the way and there was a screen in it.
I've been in the room for almost three hours now. Well, I did go out and walk River and I've made a few trips to the car, and to get ice, but other than that, in the room. And I think the smell is going away until I go out and come back in. It's gross. And now I think my throat is itchy, but I am probably just psyching myself into it. Or maybe it was that joint we passed around in Evergreen. :)
The ride east on I-70 was more beautiful than I expected. It wound along next to the Colorado River and through the White River National Forest. Some spots were quite gorgeous. I took some video but it wasn't of the most spectacular sights. Just an example of the kind of ride it was.
I was drowsy as I drove, which I know is a bad idea. I kept waking myself up with a huff sound. River thought I was crazy for barking at nothing, but it kept me awake and us alive, so I continued to do it.
I got to Evergreen by about 9:45 so I had enough time to stop at Starbucks before heading to the studio.
I was expecting a suburb of Denver, but Evergreen is actually an upscale mountain town. Woodsy but precious.
I was in a place called Studio B. Which seemed to be part of a beauty salon/spa/yoga/body treatment center. I happened to arrive on the day that the owner of the building was present to observe the noise level as he was being sued by the tenant upstairs from the yoga studio over the weekly Nia class that I was stepping into. So I was asked to keep the music low. I enlisted the help of Sandi, my host, whose class it usually was, to be volume knob monitor.
I understand that they're not allowed to make martial arts "KYA!" sounds, either. I told them that I don't do that in this routine, but we do sing. It comes the very last part of the class, so I asked them to really go for it. I hope I didn't get the Nia class in trouble.
This group had the spirit! They came decked out in so much 60's bling and were absolutely 100% in the FreeDance the moment the music started. They were unflappable and ready for anything. They even sang with me. And this is the first group I've been in that responded so strongly to the little gesture I make where it looks like I'm passing the dutchie around. Usually folks titter a bit and a few people laugh, but this group actually starting taking it and passing it around too! Must be that Colorado air!
At the end, we circled up and we all felt pretty buzzed. I could feel the love and the peace and I talked a bit about that. Some were emotional and some said they had been transported to the 60s. Some even said they felt stoned (I think it must've been the joint I was passing around during Jefferson Airplane).
After class, Sandi and I got some Indian food and took it to a local park to eat it. I put River on his long leash and he explored a few trees, but mainly, while we ate, he stuck nearby. I had brought his blanket from the car and laid it by the table. That gave him an anchor on the ground near us.
Today is strangely cold. I was delighted to have to pull my disco hoodie out of the trunk. I guess it was hot here yesterday, but the heat never got going today. I think I brought it when yesterday, I had seen a cloudburst in the distance and wished that it would find me. So far, no cloudburst. No rain at all, really. But plenty of cloud.
And by the end of our lunch in the park, I was actually shivering a little bit. It seemed like it was getting hot and sunny after class, so I switched from my disco hoodie to my rainbow Alive! hoodie, which is much thinner.
I drove into Thornton and checked into my Motel 6 room. When I opened the door it seemed like I had stuck my nose into a bottle of bleach. Ouch. well, that would probably really really hurt. SO, I'm exaggerating, but trust me when I say that it smelled more like bleach than anyone would ever want. The maids must be noseblind to it. To top that off, none of the fans worked. I called maintenance to see if I could get a portable fan because as luck would have it, the window could open all the way and there was a screen in it.
I've been in the room for almost three hours now. Well, I did go out and walk River and I've made a few trips to the car, and to get ice, but other than that, in the room. And I think the smell is going away until I go out and come back in. It's gross. And now I think my throat is itchy, but I am probably just psyching myself into it. Or maybe it was that joint we passed around in Evergreen. :)
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