It started out with Allen asking the question, "Do you want to take a trip to the Mountains?" Well, anybody who knows me knows that I'll take a trip just about anywhere, anytime. Allen had found some race seats near Loveland, Colorado, that looked new and were selling cheap. Looking at the map, the place seemed to be at the base of the Rocky Mountains, just north of Denver.

It was supposed to be a kid-less trip, but since no babysitter wanted to watch our kids for 6 hours, (I can't imagine why not!) they came along with us. We loaded up in the Ford Friday when Eden got out of school, popped in a movie, and headed south. Seeing as we were going to pass right thorough Cheyenne, Wyoming, I thought we may as well stop and do some shopping on the way back, as well.

With only one rest area stop (it was the only rest area, too) to feed Elia, change diapers and run around the grass, we made it to Loveland in about 3.5 hours. Driving down the road, we were looking for the turn off and admiring the beautiful view of the Rocky Mountains.

"That was the road" Al said, as we drove by. I looked back and said, "What road? I didn't even see a road." That's because I wasn't looking under the overgrown tree that was covering the sign to the dirt path, which was apparently a road. We turned back and took the 'road', crossing a cattle guard and about losing our front end to a pot hole that any Michigander would be proud of. We drove up, looking for an address and finding none. Then we passed a junk yard and saw a nice house at the top of the next hill. I pointed onward and said, "I bet it's up there." Meanwhile, Allen was turning the car around saying, "I bet it's the one we just passed."

"Huh? No way."

Whipping out his cell phone, he called the guy. Sure enough, we had just passed it.

Mustering up some courage, we pulled in the driveway JUST enough to be off of the road. Thinking I may never see my husband again, my exact words to him were, "Give him the cash and whatever else he wants, grab the seats and let's get outta here!"

Eden and Lars were unbuckled by now, saying, "Can I go with Daddy??!!"

"NO" we both said in unison. I told Eden to stay in the car, as she was climbing out with Lars close behind her. "Wow", she said, "LOOK at all this cool stuff!" And off they bounded to play and explore.

The guy was a huge man, 6' 3" and at least 400 pounds, dressed in black and covered in tattoos, cigarette hanging out of his mouth, sitting on a deck below a sign that read, "Property under constant video surveillance. Any persons damaging property will be executed." I don't doubt that for a second. I grabbed the camera, trying desperately to get a picture of the sign and the guy w/o being noticed. (I failed, wrong lens). But did manage to take a few shots of the premise. Al thought I was trying to get us all shot.

After some, shall we say, pleasantries, Al was led to the back of a white truck (see photo) where the seats were. In the 10 minutes of what seemed like a long, drawn out evening, cash was exchanged and we were peeling out of there, praying that the tires would make it back to the town without further incident.

I said to Al, "What took so long!?" He said he was trying to be friendly and barter a bit. Good gravy, we're not in Mexico! They guy was all 'yup' or 'nope' and that was about it, until Al told him, "you have a beautiful view." Guy said, "yeah, nice to know I can step out of my house any time I want and take a p___."

Ok, time to go now....

We got out of there, laughing with good cause. Took the kids to Ruby Tuesday in Ft. Collins. Lars was visibly agitated and would not walk on the checkered floor, but had no outbursts and ate everything on his plate, so all was well.

We even got to stop at a couple stores in Cheyenne on the way back (I love buying new shoes!) and saw a shooting star from the interstate.

All in all, it was a good day out, and if nothing else, something to write home about!