Denver (is AWESOME)

So Denver is awesome. What a cool town. I've had nothing but positive experiences since I got here. I'm leaving today, which saddens me a bit because Denver is a great place. I absolutely intend on spending some time here in my lifetime.

Picking up where I left off - I left Barnes and Noble to grab that beer at the Breckenridge Brewery, and really enjoyed the walk/mass transit ride to the brewery. It was snowing outside, and I would've loved to have walked the whole way in the snow, but I wanted to experience the Denver mass transit system. Other than Seattle's, this is the best I have seen. The whole city is an infrastructure of free shuttles, trams, buses, and lightrails. Very cool stuff. I enjoy the community aspect of mass transit, and I am a firm believer that you should never take any mass transit anywhere without striking up a conversation with a complete stranger. It will pay enormous dividends on your life, and you never know who you might meet. I (on this particular occasion) happen to meet a lovely girl named Chassidy (forgive me if I misspelled your name, dear) who happened to work at the very brewery I was headed to. So we walked for the rest of the way, and discussed the awesome coincidence of an October snowstorm and my arrival to Colorado. It's befitting, I think. I wanted snow, and I got it.

When you want something with all of your heart, the whole universe conspires to help you achieve it. - Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

We arrive at the Brewery and momentarily part ways - she has to go work and I have to get that beer. So I got to the bar, and ask for a recommendation. I got three (see attached photo). I commit to clearly the pick of the litter, the 471 IPA. It's hoppy, delicious libation, and I enjoy it thoroughly. Upon chatting with the bartender about my desire to go riding tomorrow. she points me over to the other side of the bar, where sits her manager and a fellow 471 fanatic and snowboarder, Rob. Those similarities being relevant to the situation, I feel inclined to go over and introduce myself, which I do. He's excited to meet someone with a love of his choice beer and snowboarding (which I still feel should be a more common occurrence, us being in Denver and all), and we celebrate with some Irish whiskey. As with most potent beer/Irish whiskey stories, we ended up hanging out there for a bit and talking very loudly (attributed to our enthusiasm for the subject matter and desire to offend most of his coworkers, not to the alcoholic content of our IPAs) about how we're going snowboarding tomorrow. It's October 29th, mind you. This went on for a while, and Rob agreed that we should go up together tomorrow, and that his couch would serve me better than the front seat of my T-Bird. Although I have to agree with him, after a few 471s I'm pretty sure I can sleep well just about anywhere. But his hospitality is appreciated, and I take him up on the offer. We part ways, and I pay my tab, say goodnight to my new friends at the Breck Brewery, and throw in the headphones. I'm excited to wander Denver for a bit - I choose Nada Surf's "Let Go" for the occasion. It's perfect.

Update: Due to Rob's general benevolence and hospitality, my shopping plans get scratched. I'll look into boots somewhere else along the way... or just drink a few 471s if my toes get cold again this winter. I assure you that it'll take care of the problem.