Settling In

Okay, so we still have no furniture, but our new place is starting to feel like home. Alan bought some largish throw pillows and we’ve been using those in lieu of a sofa when we watch movies on his laptop. And we got our internet hooked up (yay wireless!) so now I am once again connected to the world and feeling much less secluded and cut off. Unfortunately, I’m also feeling pretty hopeless when it comes to finding a job out here, but at the moment I’m not all that fussed.

Alan has a four-day weekend for Independence Day, so we’re going to do some more exploring. We have to get some stuff at the grocery store and I’d like to look at patio furniture for our little deck, but neither of those things will take very long. We’re also going to have a look at Garden of the Gods, one of the beautiful local places. There are lots of interesting attractions around here. I figure one a weekend will keep us pretty busy. Next weekend will be very busy with any luck, because our furniture should arrive on Thursday. Very exciting. And I’d like to hit the Renaissance Faire the weekend after that. That should at least give me time to finish my costume. And maybe by the third or fourth weekend in July I’ll be feeling up to a hike. Alan really wants to visit a ghost town about two hours from here, but it’s about a 6 mile hike round trip, and my body has yet to adjust to the elevation change. Apparently, it takes about 6 weeks. At the moment I can barely manage the stairs to our second-floor apartment and a walk around the block leaves me feeling like my chest is going to explode. And with the thinner air, once I start panting, it’s really hard to catch my breath again. I miss sea level.

It really is beautiful though. Just the view from the highway is spectacular with the mountains right there. We’ve had gorgeous weather for the most part. It’s rained a bit here and there, but only in short bursts. It’s weird to watch the lightning strike the mountains during thunderstorms because you can actually see the point of contact, something you don’t get with a crowded landscape. We had a really bad thunderstorm a few nights ago. It was right on top of us. Lightning and thunder simultaneous and it seemed like it must have struck the ground right outside our window. And it must have been pouring too because the run-off basin down the hill actually had water in it the next day. I am definitely enjoying the dryer climate though. The humidity really is the worst part of summer in Connecticut. Here I’m walking around in jeans and a t-shirt and it’s 93. There it could be 83 and I’d be sweltering in shorts and a tank top. Plus there always seems to be a breeze.

Our neighborhood is really pretty nice. Our place is in a gated community with a pool, fitness center, and clubhouse. It seems like there’s a few military personnel around and lots of families. Down the road is a shopping plaza with a grocery store, Petco, Ace Hardware, two dollar stores, Starbucks, liquor store, sports store, thrift store, Walgreen’s, and a gas station. Across the street from that are a natural foods grocer called Mountain Mama, a naturopath, a car wash, a yoga and massage studio, a garden center, local burger joint, and a 7-11… among other things. We’re also right in between Old Colorado City and Colorado College. A couple blocks and you’re on a road with nice shops and restaurants. There are also lots of tattoo shops in this town. It’s crazy, but it seems like every time we go out I notice a new one. And the thing of is, there’s enough clientele to support them all. Lots of college kids, two Air Force bases, the Air Force Academy, and Fort Carson. I’m willing to bet that the demographic of this city is pretty skewed toward the younger crowd. But that’s part of what makes it so interesting. And because of all the natural and man made attractions, there’s a lot of tourism as well. On my list of things to see: Cave of the Winds, Manitou Springs Cliff Dwellings, the Ghost Town, Royal Gorge, Seven Falls, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, and the Air  Force Academy. Things to do: Rafting down the Arkansas River, horseback riding at Garden of the Gods, biking on Pikes Peak, and climb the Incline when I’m in better shape. It apparently gains 2,000 ft in altitude over a mile. Unfortunately, climbing it is also technically illegal, as it’s private property and very clearly posted with "No Trespassing" signs. Everybody does it, though. So yeah, lots to do before winter hits. And then there’s all the winter activities too. I’m thinking of trying snowboarding again. I did it once and didn’t completely suck. Hopefully by the time the snow gets here I’ll have lost some more weight.

Oh! And in really good news, Alan has been assigned to a unit that only got back from deployment a few months ago, so it’s looking like he’ll be here for nearly two years before he gets deployed. Plus they’re talking about shortening deployments and lengthening the time in between to help the troops recover from their combat time better. So yay!

~Liz