Beginning my 8th Decade

I started my 8th Decade at the same place I started my 7th, 6th and 5th, in Colorado Springs. The difference is that I was only visiting for this one and I was living here for the others. I actually came here this time to meet my daughter and her family to celebrate my 70th Birthday. To say that it was a great time would be a serious understatement. I knew I would be celebrating with Stacie,Tom,Chase and Haley I had no idea that Stacie organized a surprise party and it truly wa a surprise.

My first run after starting the new Decade was at a place I return to whenever I’m in the Springs, Monument Valley Park the place I started coaching in Colorado Springs with The University of Colorado Springs and then Sierra High School. I have many great memories of being there.

One of the things I enjoy every time I return to the Springs is getting back on the trails that are all over the area.

In previous blogs I’ve often talked about Erin the young lady Clarence and I refer to as “our bartender” in Cocoa Beach. We met her several years ago and always made a point to see her when we visited Florida. She wasn’t there the last time we visited because she’s moved to Colorado to go to school. We met at a Starbucks in Monument and before we met I went to Palmer Lake to get on the trail there. While we miss her as our bartender I was happy to see her doing well in Colorado.

The next day started out back in Monument where I met the kids and Jen and one of her sons at Rosie’s Diner for breakfast and a visit before we all went our separate ways. The girls were going for tattoos with three other friends and I was going to the VA to get some more BP medicine. I was really impressed with the new VA clinic in the Springs. That afternoon I went to visit them at Jen and Brent’s to see Kristen and Nicole. I hadn’t seen either of them since Stacie’s wedding in 2005. Except for briefly running into Nicole at a tire shop. We played horseshoes and drank a little wine. (I drank a little, can’t speak for anyone else they were celebrating a reunion).