mountian wedding
at
11,444 feet
Keystone, Colorado
in 48 hours.

standby flights
and
airport food
and
boys named
turkey club
that want to
draw something
and
watch basketball
and
go to Utah to visit
bros.

catfish
had his feet all over the plane
while the guy from Qatar
only gets to see his newborn son
every few months
and the flight attendants
have all
let themselves go.

midnight rental car pick-up
in a roller rink
with the grumps
that work the night shift.

2 hour drive through
the dark mountains
with steep grades
and
pop music
and
static.

looking for our hotel
after google maps
lead us astray.

arapahoe inn.
late night check in.
broken door locks
and glue sticks.
gift wrapping
hand knit goods.

cheddar cheese
and coffee
continental breakfast.
hair curling for hours
and
last minute dress swaps.
the cat whisperer's
bizarre beard patterns
and
cascading french braids.

4 lane open roads
and
a shuttle bus to take us a
quarter mile.

two gondolas
to the top
and
sliding through
snow
in a
party dress.

changing into my
favorite gold heels
and
drinking for 7 hours
straight
at
high altitudes.

gasping for oxygen
while jumping up
and
down
on the dance floor
with small children
breakdancing the worm.

a snowboarding
bride and groom.
and
baileys in my coffee.

change of clothes
and a pitch black
gondola ride
through the jungle forest.

9280
apps and beers
and
a round of shots
for the after partiers.

making a run for the door
and walking through the
dark
to the first bar.

$5 covers
and DJ calls in a favor
and
who meets a bunch of
scientists in the mountains?

three pitchers
and
one wedding waiter
and
one cowboy hat
wearing cover band.

a beaver bridge
waterfall
and
the stars
and
chateau du mountain lions.

waterproof uno
and
spaghetti sandwiches
and
sharing one beer between the
five of us.

having fun
just being
yourself.

4am bedtime
and
8:20 am wake up
from phone calls
from foreign countries.

checkout cheddar cheese
and
hangover sweats.

the haywood brunch
bloody marys
and
americo eats alone.

humongous pups
named luca
and
flip phones
and
missed conferences.

a send off.

down the highway to
loveland pass
the continental divide.
30 degree temperature drop.

idaho springs
and
bracelets and rings.

shark teeth and tomahawks.

mountain pizza
and
trying not to puke
from a lack of sleep
and
all the booze, still in
your belly.

visiting chris in Denver.
art show and record store
and a pedestrian mall
full of meth heads that
want the time
and
our souls.

poetry slam
alone
alone
alone.
poor guy.

rental car drop offs.
and
fear of not making our flight
and
stress
anxiety
sleepiness
and
texts.

sleeping through take off
and landing
wearing a mask
and catfish is on the
return flight.

taxis home
and
half hour power nap
and
straight to work.

i want to re-live it.
all of it.
every single part.