AtomJohnson Blog

I am completely exhausted.  Sadie, Wilson and I went up to Indian Peaks Wilderness today for a day hike.  Usually this means a few hours.  This really took all day.  We ended up hiking 12 miles over 6 and a half hours.  I am so ready for bed right now I can hardly stand it.  I have to wait for the dryer to finish though so that I can pack for VA tomorrow.  Enjoy some pics from today’s hike.

I’ve never been so happy after losing my wallet. Half an hour ago, I was on the phone with US Airways brainstorming with the customer service representative on how I could fly to VA without an ID. I have my birth certificate and auto insurance card, but no government issue ID. In the end, his best advice was to go to the police station and issue a report for a lost wallet. He didn’t sound 100% sure that this would work, but he said that it was the last resort option in his training manual. The idea of getting to the airport at 5am just to be turned away was not making me feel better.

So, after going online and filing on online police report, it suddenly occurred to me that I do in fact have a government issue ID. Through work, I was issued a CAC (Common Access Card) as a Departement of Defense contractor. It has my name, my picture, official government seals, a freakin’ microchip….I’m totally set!

I still hope to find my wallet. It had a healthy stack of cash, credit cards, receipts…and so many precious memories.

Tomorrow I am going to proceed as planned to the mountains. Sadie, Wilson and I are jumping in the car and heading out to Golden for breakfast and coffee. Next, we drive up to Boulder, proceed through Nederland, and arrive at Indian Peaks Wilderness area for a day of incredible mountain fun.

** I was a bit too upset earlier to post any pictures from the day, but now that I am no longer feeling like Mr. Poopy Pants, please enjoy a few pics. These are some shots of the condo that I’ll be renting starting next month.

** Here are some pics from the mountain bike ride today at Elk Meadows Open Space in Evergreen, Colorado

Today went from great to pretty freakin’ terrible in one instant. I ended up getting the condo that I posted about yesterday. The best part is that I managed to secure a month-to-month lease. Mike and I went to Evergreen, CO and had an amazing bike ride in the Elk Meadows Open Space. We got home and Ashley had made a feast fit for two guys who had just biked for three hours.

Then, I couldn’t find my wallet. This would normally just be par for the course, but the problem is that I’m due to fly out of here at 7am Sunday morning to close on my house on Monday. Does anyone know the protocal for flying without ID? If so, please feel free to call me and provide a clue. Because right now, I’m pretty stressed and bummed out.

This morning I stumbled upon two pretty great options for housing. The first is a sweet 2 bedroom modern condo around Washington Park. It is brand new…never had a tenant…I’m the first. It is on the second floor and has direct access to a huge party deck on the roof of the building. The living room and front bedroom both have sliding glass doors that open to a balcony. The building even has a small gym with an infrared sauna.

You can see pics of the place here.

The second option was in Golden, CO. Golden is a smallish town at the base of the mountains. Its about 15 miles west of Denver, 18 miles south of Boulder, and definitely the front of the traffic line on ski weekends. My office next door neighbor is from Golden as has been bragging on the area every day. She drops lines about the huge amount of protected Open Space, the smaller town feel, the proximity to ski slopes, the professionally design kayaking slalom course that run through the middle of town, and of course, the Coors Brewery. It is certainly the best option for after work biking, rock climbing, kayaking, skiing and trail running….all things that make me extremely happy.

The place for rent was advertised as a 2 bedroom lower unit that backs up to 1200 acres of Open Space. I can’t tell you how sweet that sounds to me. The family that lives upstairs are acupuncturist and massage therapists. That probably sounds pretty sweet to Nat. I was expecting to be blown away by the people and the place. So, I show up and the guy is not the friendliest. He definitely ushered me away from the upstairs portion of the house and directly into the basement. Forget about the ‘lower unit’, this is nothing more than his basement. Upon entering the ‘basement’, I was almost knocked over by a fresh cloud of reefer smoke…you know marijuana, mary jane, ganja (sp?). The guy who has just inhaled the substance, that I’m sure was medically prescribed, was in the process of throwing his bouldering pad on his back to go rock climbing. ‘We’re moving to Boulder’, he says. No surprise there. There was a pile of plywood on the other side of the room where they had just disassembled a homemade climbing wall. Perhaps if it was still assembled, I would have considered the place more seriously. The kitchen/laundry room was nothing more than an afterthought in a small room with no windows. The owner wants a 9 month minimum lease, first and last months rent, plus a security deposit. I’m pretty sure that he was also smoking pot…because you’ve got to be high to think your going to be able to make demands like that on your basement.

The town of Golden was really nice though. I did the Apex biking trail tonight, which is said to be some of the best urban-ish biking around Denver. I pulled up the parking lot and there were several people unloading their bikes from their Subarus. It definately looked like the place to be. The trail up the mountain proved to be extremely technical, extremely steep and extremely rocky. I spent alot of time ‘hiking’ with my bike. It was definitely gorgeous though. It did not feel like I had just pulled 15 minutes outside of the city for a ride. Halfway through the ride, I came upon and entire family of deer. Towards the top, it was starting to get dark and I turned around to head back down. A guy who was pulling up behind me advised me to keep going just a little while longer and turn left into the ‘enchanted forest’. ‘Its the best part of the ride’, he informed me. I’m so glad that this guy was there, because the enchanted forest was no doubt the best part of the ride. It was smooth, downhill singletrack through huge pines and rolling meadows. I stopped to take a photo and saw 2 of the largest, bluest blue birds I’ve ever seen. This later dropped me back onto the same trail that I had suffered up with an opportunity to suffer my way back down. A few episodes of ‘a$$ over handlebars’ and I was back at the car. All in all, it was a great ride.

One of the best parts of mountain biking is the guiltless meal that follows. You are so hungry that everything starts to look like a burrito. The obvious place to go is Chipotle. So, I headed over to the Chipotle on Evans Avenue in south Denver. I have never seen a smaller Chipotle. Normally you glance over the sneeze guard while instructing the burrito architects on what to throw into your food football. In this case, the counter is long enough for a cash register and a fork. ‘Wow, this is the smallest Chipotle I’ve ever seen’, I said to the tattoed cashier. ‘That is because it is the original’, he exclaimed. ‘For real?’, I said. ‘Yep, for real’, he said in closing.

You know its been a good day when you’ve had an incredible ride in the mountains after work and eaten at the original Chipotle.

Yesterday after work, I was all set for a great mountain bike ride. I had the bike, the helmet, tight pants…the works. Bryce and I got out there about 5pm and hit the trail. My lungs were feeling better, my fitness is definitely improving, and I’m feeling a ton more comfortable on the bike.

Well, about two miles into our ride we start noticing police cars flying into and around the park with sirens on, guns pulled, and very serious looks on their faces. The police helicopter that was flying around and dipping low into the park was a very nice touch to the whole effect. It was very Miami Vice meets Colorado Springs.

At this point, we had pulled into one of the parking areas with an amazing scenic lookout. As we are watching the activity below, a police car pulls into the lot where we currently are. Some worried teenagers kindly asked him “if it was alright if they smoked there?” His quick response assured them that it was fine, but that they may want to leave the park since there is an armed fugitive running through the park. He advised Bryce and I to take the road back to where we parked and to avoid a white male in a black tank top, jeans and a baseball cap. I usually avoid people that fit that description anyway, but his time I was serious about it. I was in serious avoidance mode…

I am heading out to Golden, CO today after work to try my hand and mountain biking again. If you happen to be home around 7pm EST, please look for me on COPS. I’m pretty sure it will be on your local FOX station.  I’ll be the guy on the bike looking totally annoyed that his after work ride was interrupted by an escaped fugitive for the second day in a row…what are the odds?

Have you ever been pulled over for going too slow? Me neither…until this morning.

I was on my way to Colorado Springs this morning, listening to the radio, eating a bagle, and cruising along at a steady 70mph in a 75mph zone. As I passed a cop on the side of the highway, I noticed he pulled out into the road and came up right behind me. Of course I start going down the checklist of every possible violation to ensure that I’m OK. I’m not speeding, my plates are up-to-date, all four tires are on the car, hair looks good, no open beer in my hand, clean shaven, etc…. Then I notice that he is on the walkie talkie…seemingly with purpose. So, I start getting a bit nervous…

Of course at this point, the last thing I want to do is speed, but I also want to stay near the speed limit so as not to look suspicious. I pulled up behind a semi that was going 60mph, so I pull into the left lane to pass him at 75mph. As I pull left, he speeds up to 75mph, so I’m basically riding along side him, not allowing anyone to pass. The only problem is that I’m in a Honda Civic, which tops out at about 75mph (especially uphill). So, I slow down and pull back behind the semi. Suddenly, lights are flashing and the cop and I are pulling over. He got me for ‘impeding traffic in the left lane’ and ‘trailing to close to semi’. I don’t even think these are real traffic violations, but thankfully he did not ticket me and give me the chance to find out in court.

He did inform me though that I only have 5 more months to get a CO license or its a $1,000 fine. If I could find a lease with the same terms as that grace period, I’d be pretty happy.

I feel like my lungs may have actually grown. After nursing sore legs for the past two days, I decided to try my hand at running again. After work today, I drove the dogs over the Washington Park to see whether my body could take the punishment of running a mile above sea level. I am happy to say, that it performed like a champion. I think all of the hiking and biking in the mountains may actually be paying off. The bad news in this scenario is that I no longer have an excuse for not running.

The housing hunt in and around Denver continues. I got a call back from the lady who dissed me on the house in Washington Park last night to tell me that it was available again if I wanted it. I told her that I had a place to look at last night at 5:30pm and I would get back to her after that. I called her at 6pm and left a message that I would take the place. She failed to return my call (no surprise). I called her Monday morning only to find out that she had changed her mind again.

Is it wrong to leave a flaming bag of dog poop on her front porch? You’re right. What about cat poop? Bear scat? Lion dung?

I am a firm believer that things happen for a reason. I was not meant to be in that ’sweet ass’ house for the next four months. I was not meant to have a crazy landlord. There is something sweeter out there waiting for me to find it. Is it on Craiglist? Is it in Golden? Is it a modern downtown loft with a hot tub and pool on the roof? Yes? That is it?!?! Sweet!

How about this one that was post tonight on Craigslist?

Barclay Tower at 16th Street Mall and Larimer
1 Bedroom, 1 and 1/2 Bath, with 1 secure underground parking space.

FURNISHED UNIT!

BUILDING AMENITIES: 24 Hour Concierge, Rooftop Lounge, Rooftop Pool, Sun Deck, Jacuzzi, Exercise Room, Sauna, Steam Room, Plaza, and Laundry Facility.

INCLUDES: Basic Cable, Heating, Air Conditioning, Water, Sewer, and Trash Removal.

Who knows? Maybe that is not the one for me…but I’m sure the perfect situation is out there. Too many choices and too few choices all at the same time.

After learning to distinguish between ‘boulevard’ and ‘parkway’ on the street signs, I finally found the Denver office this morning.  I got down here about 9am looking for 5299 DTC Blvd.  I searched furiously between 5300 and 5290 DTC Parkway for about half an hour.  I drove from one to the other and back again.  Finally I ran into 5300 to ask if I was in crazyland, or if I was somehow missing some important detail.  It was a detail…Parkway, Boulevard…not the same.

In any case, I’m settled into a desk in the Denver office for the day.  It is not nearly as nice as the Colorado Springs office, but it is 6 miles from my house as opposed to 70 miles.  It is incredibly quiet though and there are plenty of open desks.  My window looks out onto a strip mall and apartments as opposed to Pike’s Peak, but the commute is certainly much more worth it.

As I continue to try to decide which area to move, I thought that I had set myself up pretty well for the next 3 months in a Washington Park sublease.  I dropped my application by on Saturday morning, called her to ensure that everything was still a go, and was met by an overjoyed Carol on the phone who expressed that I was her favorite applicant and she was glad I had decided to take the place.  I got a call this morning from a different Carol who regrets that she has signed a lease with a couple who agreed to take the place for 4 months.  A phone call beforehand asking if I would sign for 4 months would have been nice…

So, it was not meant to be.  The hunt for temporary housing continues.  Stay tuned next time to find out what happenes after I look on Craigslist.

I was slated to work all day today, but I just couldn’t bear not getting out for at least a little hike. So, the dogs and I got up early this morning and drove up to Boulder for a quick’ish hike up to the top of the Flatirons. The Flatirons are the huge jagged rock formations that sit at an angle above Boulder. Supposedly they’re are sandstone. I also hear that they are very old…on the magnitude of 70 million years. So if you get a chance, come out to Colorado and stand next to the Flatirons…you are guaranteed to feel younger.

The hike was gorgeous. It was a bit crowded for my taste, but of course if I see one person while hiking, the hike was too crowded for my taste. It makes sense though that lots of people hit this trail. The park is right in the middle of downtown Boulder and butts directly up to houses and neighborhoods.

The hike up was decently strenuous. It was much like riding a Stairmaster…only with a view. Today is another hot one in Denver, so that didn’t help. It was supposed to be in the 80s, but once again, we should see 95. It is definitely nice to finally be in an air-conditioned house. Mike and Ashley’s old place did not have A/C. We would have been boiling today.

For me, the rest of the day is devoted to work. For the dogs, it is looking like another sleepy Sunday…

Full set of pics here…

I am in love with the Rocky Mountains! Mike and I met some friends of mine from work at Keystone Ski Resort this morning for a day of downhill mountain biking. For $15/each, you can rent space for yourself and your bike on the ski lifts. You can ride all day, or until your arms and hands feel like they’re going to fall off and your back feels as though it may never let you stand up straight again. For us, this is two times down the mountain. Plus, the grin on your face is so big that you risk your lips splitting your entire head in half, causing your brain to fall out, and then not remembering where you parked the car…because your brain is somewhere on the trail. Fortunatley, the only thing I left on the trail was a bit of skin and my water bottle. The sign that instructs you to remove your water bottle before they turn it upside down and hang it from the lifts really means it. Don’t follow my example….I am now waterbottleless.

More pics here…

In other news, I have decided on Denver (for now). After hesitating between Denver and Colorado Springs all week, I finally submitted my application for a 3 month sublease in the Washington Park house. A few things led to this decision. First, I found out that there is plenty of room in the Denver office, so I will try working out of there most of the week and heading down to CO Springs on Wednesdays to work and then mountain bike with Bryce and friends. Secondly, the owner of the property assured me that I could occupy the place on August 7th, which means that Nat and I can stay there for a few weeks after I get back from my ‘house closing trip’ to Virginia. I’m definitely excited to have made my first big decision on this whole journey. It will be a long journey towards being ’settled’, but isn’t it all about the journey?

Mike and Ashley are having a BBQ tonight at their house. Mike and I were ambitious on the way home and picked up a full keg of 90 Shilling Ale. This is alot of beer. It will be a long journey to get to the bottom, but I definitely brought my game face tonight. Tomorrow is all about work….no matter how bad the hangover….work, work, work.