From email to EWEB folks 7/18/13

Email to EWEB folks 7/18/13

Hi folks... Some of you I've been corresponding with regularly, either thru email or text (ie those for whom I have cell numbers); but for those of you I've recently added, particularly, I'd like to to bring you up to date on goings on since Elaine and I retired at end of June and almost immediately shipped out to to the greater Denver, Colorado area. 

After a mostly non-eventful 2 1/2 day journey, well, except for 1. the great olive oil caper in Burns, OR; 2. surviving as well the slowest McDonalds on the face of the Earth, also in Burns; and 3. spending our 2nd night on the road in the ugliest KOA park in the world in some forgettable place in SW Wyoming (details on all 3 available on request)... we arrived in Colorado on the 1st of July, eager to setup in our new "gypsy" life in our 5th wheel trailer, and especially eager to welcome first grandchild, Jonah Patrick Blass, into the outer world. 

Jonah was due on the 6th, but decided to be a 4th of July baby, which meant newly christened Grandpa and Grandma, were forced into early action, first babysitting the other "Blass Boys", Cockapoo Juneau, and Labradoodle Rocky, Wednesday night as Sara went into labor and she and Drew hung out at the hospital, and also Thursday nite after Jonah's arrival.  Before that second night snuggling with the boys, with both dogs parked on our our guest bed at Sara and Drew's the whole night craving affection, Jonah arrived of course at 2:25 in the afternoon on Thursday the 4th of July.  We got to the hospital in downtown Denver around 9 AM and waited along with a handful of other grandparents for the big word...  And our reward for being such dutiful grandparents was several precious hours with Sara, her husband Drew and Jonah before we returned to the affectionate other "boys" Thursday nite, skipping (and too tired for) any fireworks..  The rest of that weekend was a whirlwind, with little time to ourselves as newly retired folks, but we didn't mind.

Going on into the next week, Jonah's first on the "outside", we settled into a pattern of visiting the kids, or having them visit us about every other day, and trying in between to explore Colorado... We are parked (our first gypsy camp) for now in a lovely RV park in Golden, Colorado, home of Coors Beer, though I disdain the stuff as being below my "beer snobbery" quotient.  Jonah is starting to be more alert between the normal routine of eat, burp (or that other thing), sleep, and repeat.  Yesterday I held him for some time over at Sara and Drew's house (stealing him away from his accustomed shoulder, that would be Grandma Elaine's), and he just laid there in my arms giving me this wondering look... I think his eyes are gradually starting to focus a bit more every day... as if to say, "who is this old guy?"  and "why can't I have my grandma back?"

Anyhow, it's been good, and truth be told I haven't missed the EWEB work at all, though I do miss my good friends there, and those who have already left (Liz/Michelle) all of you included, of course.  I've attached 3 pics featuring our grandson, in order a professional pic taken on his second day in the world, with grandma and grandpa, another professional pic taken when he was a week old, and lastly, a decidedly non-professional pic showing Jonah, at nearly two weeks, perched on his second favorite shoulder (Grandma's)..

And, oh yeah... Might add that we finally got some time today (17th) to do some exploring of the beautiful Rocky Mountains that have literally been looming at our doorstep these past few weeks, spending the day in Vail, Colorado, only an hour and a half drive straight up from our RV Park..

Hope you all are doing well, and pardon for the repeat info, pics, for those who may have already seen/read some of this.