Our first real weekend.

Drake and I finally feel like we had our real, first Denver weekend. All the weekends thus far have been planned in full and usually didn't include relaxation.

Friday we had a great at-home dinner/movie night with some new friends and hit a couple bars downtown afterward. Saturday we spent the afternoon watching rental movies then roamed around REI for a couple hours. Sunday we had brunch downtown and ended our day with a stroll in the park, basking in the sun and taking in the mountain air. Ahhh, this weekend was a great reminder of why we moved here. Forecast is in the 70s this week.

One of my favorite things about Denver is all the delicious food; every restaurant we've visited has been excellent. Our free time allowed us to visit a couple restaurants downtown this weekend (we live about 10-15 minutes outside the city-action). The first was Tommy's Thai which was recommend to us when we were here in April but weren't able to make. Our lunch dishes were priced under $6 and were super yummy! The second restaurant is the one to write home about. Bump and Grind is located downtown and was obviously a Sunday favorite for locals. The decor is kitschy with neon paint designing the walls and plastic, geometrical mobiles hanging from fake tree tables. Menus were taped to the backs of retro record albums and included such items as Dr. Seuss, The Jackoff and The Shady Rest. All waiters (waitresses) were dressed in drag and put on a great show. In fact, though the food was excellent, I'm sure that was just an added extra because the waitresses were so much fun. Full makeup and hair, fishnet stockings, gel-boob inserts, and heels that I would never attempt to walk in helped make B and G what it is. At one point, one of the waitresses was refilling someone's water and then started pouring it on her chest as if she were in some slow-mo clip for late-night ads. Later she strutted around the restaurant with her dress jacked-up showing her frilly skivvies. Here I'll just mention that none of the waitresses had gone so far as to actually wax ANY of their hair, leading me to believe that when they're not working they lead regular man-lives. I love the idea of dressing in drag for work. And you have to respect a man who can walk, and work, in 5-inch heels.

The REI in Denver is amazing, and huge. I actually think I found a new section this time - "Oh, this is where the women's athletic clothes are". Upon entering patrons are greeted with a three-story rock-climbing wall. And the shoe section has mock-terrain to help buyers gauge if the shoe is the right fit for the trail. So awesome. Every time I visit I'm flooded with the feeling to get rugged and become one with nature. And Drake and I have actually considered the idea of camping since moving here. Before we would say, "No plumbing, no way". Now we're discussing buying tents and hiking packs. It's amazing what this land can do to you.

We finally watched Little Miss Sunshine! For those of you who have seen it you know how awesome it is. For those of you who haven't, go rent it now. In their own way, you love each character no matter how flawed they are. It really is a feel-good movie. And Drake and I can't help but to keep joking about Greg Kinner's winner/loser philosophy and applying it to our own lives when we need a laugh.