2013 Rocky Mountain Village - We arrive!

2013 Easter Seals Camp!

So we’re back in Georgetown for Rocky Mountain Village. Michael is at camp; Grandpa and David and I are in a cabin rental.

We began prepping Michael about a month and a half ago, with a long checklist that included four statements, such as: “Is the plane here yet? NO. We wait quietly for the plane and the pilot.”

It has been an interesting journey getting here. First, Grandpa and I were in Eastern Europe for a volunteer activity we’ve participated in for – well, for him, 30 years and for me close to 25. The event was scheduled in St. Petersburg on July 3. We were supposed to have meetings on July 4, and our return was July 5. We got up at 1:30 a.m. St. Petersburg time (2:30 p.m. PDT on July 4) to catch at 3:00 a.m. shuttle to the airport (LED) so we could get our 6:00 a.m. flight. (Are you yawning yet?) Flew to Frankfurt, Germany. Five hour layover. Flew to Philadelphia, with just a little time to spare to catch our flight to LAX. Bottom line: We got into bed around 11:30 p.m. PDT on July 5.

We slept all night. We got up and started doing laundry (July 6) which continued until late in the evening; we switched suitcases and repacked (as clothes came out of the drier) for Georgetown. The boys came over around 6 p.m. for dinner, shaves, showers and the last minute packing we do for them. (Mom had packed all their clothes and toiletries; the camping stuff for Mikey – including the sleeping bag, sheets, towels, etc., is at our house.)

We got up early on July 7; we had ordered a shuttle to take us to LAX. He arrived around 8:30 and advised us that “LAX was packed because some of the overflow from the Asiana / SFO flight and related travel disruptions.” We gave Michael a chlonidine as we left.

Baggage check in and Security lines at United at LAX are *always* long; it’s only a question of HOW long. I have seen the lines so long that it wouldn’t matter if you show up early – they go through the line calling departure times and hustling you to the front – so if you are early, you wait ANYHOW. We were lucky – the lines were just “regular” long. So about ½ hour to check bags, and then security. We gave Michael another chlonidine in the airport, hoping that, between the drug and the prep, we could avoid last year’s near disaster of almost not getting allowed on the plane. I was really glad we went for two pills – the flight arrived in Denver and hour-and-a-half late.

We got our car, and opted to drive-through to get something to eat (I was really glad for all the snacks I’d packed), and got to camp – at dinner time! Spenser met us. We could not check in until the nurse was free – and she was doing the dinner-hour pill distribution. We opted to set Michael up in his room, and then go see if anyone wanted any dinner while we waited. Michael was anxious to go hiking!

Spenser has a helper this year - a young man named, "Michael," who told us he comes up one week a year to volunteer. He is a very skinny young man - I told him he was in trouble; that Spenser normally loses 10 lbs. chasing after Michael! At any rate I think the two of them are bunking in with Michael, so he is doubly protected.  

We had thunderstorms Sunday - great big, sky-lighting lightning etc. It threatened yesterday, but never actually happened. The last time I looked at weather, it showed little or no likelihood of rain the rest of the week. Today it is showing t-storms 30% on Wednesday and Friday. (The first year I was here, alone, with Michael, it rained EVERY day (not all day) and caused lots of flight delays on the way home.)

We are staying a bit farther (a couple of tenths of a mile) from Georgetown downtown (we are still in Georgetown proper). David was bemoaning the "fact" that we are too far from town for him to walk. Well, the DRIVING distance is farther than the WALKING distance. We drove downtown Monday, and Marc pointed out the walking path to David.

As usual, we separated in town; and David went off on his own. He was gone an unusually long time. We finally called him. He had, on his own, WALKED back to the house, then back to town. I think that is admirably independent of him.

We also drove up to a hiking area and hiked for about an hour. Then, after dinner, David and Marc took their evening stroll. I don't usually go with them on that; and, I have been especially tired - not sure why except that I'm getting older. And of course the long travel back from Russia, laundry, repacking, etc.

We plan to hike around Guanella Pass - the one that goes to 14K plus feet - tomorrow or Thursday. David asked to go (although Marc and I had already planned it). Interesting – because last year, he was actually afraid of the high climb in the car. This year, he is enjoying the views.

We did ask him if there were things he wanted to do here. He also wants to go back to the European Cafe - the one run by the Czech folks. We were there last year, and he didn't like it very much. When we expressed surprise at his request, he said, "Maybe my tastes have changed. I'd just like to try it again."