To Stay Inspired

It’s been a while. Life is good, and that’s the understatement of a lifetime. I looked back over my blogs… all of them… and the only thing that popped into me head from it all was “MY GOD! Did I complain a lot!” But it all inspired me to start writing again anyway. I’m considering a weekly blog or something, mostly just for a record of my goings-on in my travels. It’s amazing how much more you remember once you’ve written about it.
My name is Joan and I live in Golden, Colorado. It’s one of the most fantastic places I’ve ever lived and I can’t see myself wanting to leave. Then again, Virginia Beach was amazingly great as well… and I had to leave in the end anyway. But we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. Right now it’s around ten and I’m at a local Starbucks, Applewood, using their heat and internet for the hour until it’s time to be thrown out (forcibly). I’m drinking a Decaf Tall Pike and eyeing my Granny Smith apple with the hunger of a thousand starved children. I get shy eating in public sometimes for the simple fact that I’m afraid I’ll annoy the people around me with my chewing. You know when that person sits RIGHT next to you and starts smacking loud enough to wake the dead, seemingly oblivious to any discomfort they may be causing you. I don’t want to be that person. So I can wait to eat the apple ‘til later. Maybe my drive back to the parking lot.
There’s another fun tid bit we may get to shortly. But first.
I moved to Golden just less than two weeks ago following an incredible two week cross country road trip vacation extravaganza. I may write about the trip in a later post if I have nothing else incredibly new and exciting. For now there is too much and far too little time. My new Starbucks is on the corner of 13th and Washington, right in the middle of Historic Downtown. The street looks like it could have been in one of those old western movies once upon a time, with a dirt road instead of the pavement, and a crook in black up against the sheriff in white and gold, twenty paces apart and yelling “Draw!” I sometimes imagine all the bikers (and there are a LOT of bikers) on horseback instead, clacking into my store in cowboy boots and wranglers instead of their pedal shoes and spandex. There are bike-posts everywhere for people to chain their rides to, and I like to imagine Stallions tied there instead, whinnying in the cool spring breeze as their owners stride in for their Frappuccinos. Ha!
If you look out of the front windows of my new store you’ll see Look-Out Mountain. It has a giant white M on the top that lights up at night. In the early morning, when the mountain is the same black as the sky, it looks like a giant levitating letter in the sky, as if God’s last name was Martin or something, and he was wearing the initial, emblazoned on his jacket’s front left pocket. Look-Out Mountain is looking out over Golden, a little valley nestled between itself and another, unforgettable landmark. It’s called Table Mountain, so called because it has an un-centered cylindrical peak which appears completely flat on top, not unlike most tables tend to be. If you stood on Look-Out Mountain and look out on Table Mountain, to your left would be an arcing mountain range, connecting you to the adjacent protrusion, and hiding another Starbucks a few blocks from my own. It’s called Golden #2 (because it’s the second Starbucks in Golden) or just G2 for abbreviation’s sake. If you gazed to your right you’d see a break in the mountain chain, and Highway 6 snaking it’s way around and behind Table Mountain toward Denver which lies only a few minutes away, just barely obscured from sight. In the early evening, Table Mountain sometimes seem to glow with the aura of artificial light, emitted by the city it obscures from view.
I love walking in Golden. People say hello when you pass by. There’s so much nature all around. There are parks every few blocks, especially near the river. Oh! I haven’t mentioned the river, yet! How could I have skipped it over… it’s my favorite part! It lies just to the left of Look-Out Mountain (if you’re looking out on Table, mind you) and is composed of lots of its run-off, I’m sure. It snakes its way through the town, rushes past the Coors factory, and disappears from view just to the left of Table Mountain in the distance. It’s my main landmark while I’m driving, walking, and just generally exploring my new little town. It’s never quiet there. I’m not just talking about the rushing of the waters, either. There are always people by the water, even when it’s snowing. People are walking, jogging, biking, sitting, kayaking, and soon will be swimming, by the steadily flowing currents. I followed the water to the Police Station, the town Library, a trailer park, a water treatment plant, and a hiking trail. In the other direction, past the main street and it’s restaurants, hotels, and shops on the water, I found apartments, empty lots, the factory, and trails into the mountains. If you follow it further, you end up in Denver. Past that I’m not sure, but it connects everything, and everything depends on it. It inspires me. I love it.
I walk to work from the parking lot a few blocks away. It started with me wanting to save on gas, but now, it’s just so beautiful, I really look forward to my walks, and feel sad if I have to go somewhere outside of a comfortable walking distance. As always, since my trip to San Diego those long years ago, each step is comforting. I love the feel of my feet rhythmically hitting the pavement, one in front of the other, over and over again. I stand with my head held high, shoulders back, a little smile on my face. I’m ready to say hello or good morning to people that pass by. I savor the breeze on my cheeks and the sun on my back. I try to take in the view, like taking a video in my mind to play again and again on low days or long nights. I’m happy, truly happy, and I have been for such a long time. It’s all that matters to me now. It’s along the lines of “Who cares? I’m happy.” You should try it sometime.
It’s getting late now. I want to post this before I leave for the parking lot. I should wrap it up for the night. Let’s remember today, just for posterity’s sake. I woke up on the couch at my friend and co-worker, Heather’s house. She and her husband were in California for a few days and I stayed at her house and watched her rat, Sweetie, and her fish, Gus Gills, while they were away. I woke around 9:20 and got ready lazily. I ate a biscuit I had made and took one for the road as I collected my apron and phone and made sure for the third or fourth time that I did indeed have the keys before I set out into the morning and the walk to work. I clocked in and hopped onto the floor with Lisa Betty, a sweet and grumbly, heavily happy-pilled, wonderful woman, and Christine, a California style blonde, tan and very smiley girl, once described to me as jovial. It fits her perfectly. John was there as well, I believe. He’s in a band, The Gromet, and gave me a copy of their first CD (they’re nearly ready to release their second and I intend to see their shows starting in June). We passed the morning nicely. As the day wore into the afternoon we passed the time with regulars like the boys from the mountaineering shop down the road who misread my name on the schedule once and tend to refer to me as Juan, and Aaron, with his Iced Quad Espresso. We talked and complained about the new Frappuccinos. We laughed and sang. It was a pretty great shift. Christine, Lisa, and John were replaced by Tiffany, a pessimistic sweetheart, and Brie, a talkative and utterly loveable walking disaster. I was feeling lazy, but was rather productive in spite of it. In my last half hour I ended up doing three or four loads of dishes, the bathrooms, and one espresso bar. I also did the condiment bar, stocked the whole bean coffee, and ate an apple fritter. : )
After work I got an estimate for the tattoo touch up and expansion I’ve been considering ($120… not bad) and switched a bunch of shifts to help out some co-workers. I headed to Heather’s, ate some food, read my blogs, and picked up my stuff since she’s back in town as of 6:30 tonight. I put my things and Lily in the car after checking and re-checking that I had everything before locking her keys in her house, and headed out looking for some internet. Now it’s time for bed. I’ll be posting more soon, hopefully within the week. If I don’t… bug me about it. I want to stay inspired.
I love you.
Joan