This would be our super cozy little room. They had heated floors and a wood-burning fireplace. The fireplace caused HDHusband some issues. I had that damn song by Prodigy in my head for the rest of the trip ("I'm the firestarter, you're the twisted firestarter").



What else would be condusive to a romantic getaway? A bottle of champagne in the room? Check! Or ... a hot tub IN the room!? With a great little candle and a funky statue with circles for boobies on the girl. I mean, come on ... it just screams good tub sex, right? Um, not really. Because HDToddler gave us his cold and we were both addicted to Zicam and the hot bath for other reasons. Meh.

We had a fantastic time, no matter. We made it to breakfast with the group every morning and met some interesting folks. My favorite being the couple originally from Germany, now living in Michigan. They'd been married 19 years, and he told me, "It's too short for us". He doted on her and took care of her. It was very, very sweet to witness.

We also went shopping. I got harassed by a creepy dude and only knew how to yell, "Your wife is fat and ugly!" (thanks ElJefe) in Spanish; instead, I walked back into the shop until he went away to creep someone else out.

We had great dinners, bickered, started napkins at the dinner table on fire, all sorts of incredibly dumbass things. We had coffee at a great little shop, and the bathroom cleaning checklist on the wall for employees had been hijacked by a customer. They had written, "What is this? Chevron? Your boss is a Nazi!" - and I cracked up. HDHusband didn't go skiing on this trip because he felt like such ass, but we hear it was the optimal time to do so. Lots of new snow. And snow is EXACTLY what I don't want ANYMORE of ... you hear me, Snow Fairies?

We left early this morning (Saturday) around 8:30. We went back the way we came (north out of town into southwestern Colorado, connecting with La Veta Pass, to I-25 at Walsenburg, then north to Denver. I obsessed (read: made HDH pissy) last night over the road maps and the internet update of road conditions.

Once we determined La Veta Pass was open (but roads weren't 'great', and really, check out that link - it's GORGEOUS), we headed out. We stumbled across this sign in the middle of vast nothingness between Unkwown Town 1 and Unknown Town 2 adevertising: "Lake Front Lots". I'm sure there is a lake .... uh ... somewhere, but ... uh .... where??

We hit La Veta Pass, and this is what HDHusband drove in bare-knuckled for about 40 minutes (see pic below). Maybe more. Certainly felt like a helluva lot more. These giant wind gusts would pick up and you couldn't see the car in front of you, the side of the road, if you were supposed to turn or not with the road. Thank God for listening to Marc Cohn's Burning the Daze. Great traveling tunes and kept the heart rate, well, kinda down ....

So ... we make it through La Veta Pass and into Walsenburg. We stop so I can use the little girl's room. I think that we'll hit the interestate and it'll be better. HA HA HA. JOKES ON ME. We sit on the interestate, at road marker 60 (right outside of Walsenburg, you know, exit Huerfano!!), with everyone else (once) headed northbound.

Turns out, really bad accidents on both north and south bound, so we are stuck on the interstate, car running, in another white out, waiting for them to get stuff figured out so we can go. We watched a guy in front of us get out of his truck and his hat blew off. He got it, but I laughed.

And we wait.

And we wait some more.

I kick the laptop on (yay wireless) and find out about the avalanche that had happened on Hwy. 40. Felt a little luckier after that. And then ... god help me ... I had to pee. BAAAAAAAAAD. I am considering a trip to the Pepsi can in the backseat. I wasn't about to stumble out onto the highway during a white out blizzard-like conditions to pee. My ass would have been seriously wind chapped!!

And we waited some more.

And a while after that.

After about two hours, we all started moving. And of course, people had to stop and gawk and check out all the accidents. Like this one:

That line-up of cars went on and on for miles. I threw a bunch of the photos up on Flickr if you're interested. But once you've seen one semi jacknifed you've seen them all ... (not really).

And see that car on our side of the road? The one right in the corner of the picture? He was the rubbernecker. HE was the one that almost caused another accident because he had to keep looking over. THE ROADS WERE A SHEET OF ICE AND SNOWPACK. I took a picture so HDH could look LATER. And I can tell you this, had that man caused another accident, I would have gotten out and punched him in the neck. DO NOT DOUBT ME. I told HDH this later and he said, "Absolutely, but you would have had to get in line behind me". I hope he ran out of window washer fluid early. So there.

I made it to Colorado Springs before the bathroom break, by the way. We were trying to make up time (on dry roads) and get the Bug from daycare before she closed up shop at 5:00 - and we skirted into her driveway at 4:15.

I can tell you this .... at the end of the bastard day, all that matters is this family of mine. We are all here, we are all safe. It could have ended a lot differently. HDH lamented that half the time he didn't know if we were slipping on ice or if the wind was moving us, or both.

And now .... I'm going to go to bed, taking something to make me sleep (as if I'll really need that help) and pass out until tomorrow morning, knowing we're all safe and sound.