Reunited...

...and it feels so good!

I spent a glorious weekend in Colorado Springs. The reason for the trip was threefold: 1) To hang out with my awesome bro-in-law Steve and my best friends from college, 2) To take advantage of some of our favorite hiking spots and restaurants, and 3) To be a spectator at Senior Weekend for two of the girls who I played softball with. My friends and I decided we should probably make it to a game while we still actually know some players on the team! (It should also be known that this made me feel incredibly old this weekend...even though I only graduated two years ago!)

My friend Jamey flew into Denver from Portland on Friday morning, and together we shared our first car renting experience. I'm pretty sure the worker picked up on our naivete because she was trying to nickle and dime us for every little thing: Did we want additional insurance? How about a gps? Did we want to upgrade the size of our car? She finally wore us down and we paid for gas so that we could return the car without gas in it, which I'm not really sure if we were cheated or not, but after all the paperwork was signed, we were handed the keys to a delightful little ride, a Nissan Versa. Or Velma, as we took to calling her as the weekend progressed.

So we're driving, giddy with excitement for the weekend ahead, when we realize that it's snowing. Hard. I know what you're thinking: "Really? Snow? It is almost May!" I love Colorado for many things, but her unpredictable weather is not one of them. We met up with a friend of mine from high school, Miss Britta, in Denver for some lunch and then received a text from a friend in the Springs who informed us that the highway was closed! So what did we do? Shop of course! We went to Kohl's for a few hours, tried on both normal outfits and ridiculous ones (denim rompers & one-piece slinky pantsuits), picked up a heavenly slice of cheesecake, and were finally able to continue the trek to the Springs. (The cheesecake was for if we got stranded again, honest!)

Look at that snow! I think you will now agree that the cheesecake was a necessity!

Unfortunately the snow foiled our hiking plans for the afternoon, but we did a workout tape at my brother-in-law's house and then went out for pizza with Steve (my brother from another mother) and Lindsay (our wonderful friend and also a softball Alum!). A special thanks to Steve for housing Jamey & myself...we had an awesome time!

The night culminated with a visit with some of the also-retired soccer guys and some beverages. Of course, there was a LOT of "Remember the time when..." and laughing. You gotta love that!

Saturday the weather was still super cold and windy, so no hiking again, but at least the snow was mostly melted. Jamey and I spent the morning driving around reminiscing. (We also made a quick stop at the UCCS Bookstore to purchase some cold-weather gear for the games...it was freezing!) Gosh, I miss Colorado Springs! I truly love that town. It's where I was on my own for the first time, met Mike, got engaged, and created wonderful friendships. I love the people, the scenery, and the ability to do so much outdoors! It is probably my favorite place ever.

Saturday afternoon, bundled in our newly purchased sweatshirts, Jamey, Lindsay, our friend Bri, and myself sat huddled under blankets at the softball games. It was so great to see our former teammates and their families! When you're accustomed to seeing the girls at practice or games every day and their parents every weekend, to see them again was like a big family reunion, especially for an out of state kiddo like me whose parent's couldn't be at every game. It was awesome!

Following the games, the four best friends went out to dinner with seniors Stacy & Julie, as well as a couple other past teammates. Again, there was a LOT of reminiscing and laughing! Not to mention amazing Mexican food at one of my favorite places: Salsa Brava! Yum, Portobello & Spinach Enchiladas with a nice Sangria Margarita? Your mouth is watering, don't even lie.

Sunday was an early morning. Jamey, Linz, Bri, & I woke up early in order to do one of our favorite hikes: the Incline. The Incline is basically a staircase of railroad ties going up the side of Pike's Peak. It's super intense, but leaves you with such a great feeling of accomplishment when you finally make it to the top! (Today, I am oh so sore...but it hurts so good!) The Incline is the bare vertical trail you see with Pike's Peak in the background.

At the top!

Of course, once hiking up the beast and jogging four miles to get back to the bottom, you are pretty hungry, and therefore, inevitably you will consume all the calories you just burned off at our favorite breakfast spot, the Omelette Parlor. It's a tradition: we couldn't NOT go!!!

The weekend ended at Mountain Lion Field with more games and senior presentations. Basically, at the last home games of the year, the seniors are honored for their four years of blood, sweat, and tears! It's an emotional time because for most of us, it marks the end of our time as an athlete. I can't believe that Stacy & Julie, the two girls I played with, are seniors! I'm so proud of them.

I got home last night, and though I'm sore today from the Incline, I feel as though my batteries have been recharged. There is nothing like getting together with great friends. Long post, I know, but I couldn't pick my favorite events from the weekend and narrow it down. Overall, an awesome weekend that went by way too fast!