I am whipped - just returned from a very long day. I spent the day at Elitch Gardens with a bunch of co-workers. We do about two "offsites" a year, and today was all about eating and playing. We started the day at Dixons Downtown Grill for breakfast, then headed over to Elitch Gardens. We were broken up into groups of four, and you stayed with that small group at the amusement park. It was blisteringly hot (about 104 degrees), so of course we hit all the water rides first. My favorite ride was "Half Pipe", but my favorite thing that I did at Elitch was that I got to fly! They have a ride called XLR8R, where they strap you into a body harness, hook a cable to your back, and then hoist you what seems like 10 stories into the air. Then, you pull the cable and FLY! It was absolutely amazing, after the first few feet where you just free-fall - then the cable catches you and you swing through the air. I had my arms out like a bird's wings, soaring over the park. Awesome. Definitely worth the extra $15 you pay to do it.

After Elitch, we dragged our wet, exhausted selves down to Cherry Creek, for a chi-chi lunch (for which we were all SO underdressed) at Fourth Story, the restaurant on the top floor of the Tattered Cover bookstore building. Lunch was great, lots of good food and wine, but truthfully, I was too exhausted to enjoy myself.

There was the long drive back to the office, and then I headed home, threw on my bathing suit, and walked up to the Elks Lodge, where Friday afternoon is our neighborhood swimming party. J was there, watching the twins because M was sick, so I sat in the kiddie pool and played with Matthew and Jordan while their mom & dad relaxed and chatted w/ friends. We had dinner there (hot dogs and fruit salad, with Cheetos!), then headed home and almost immediately passed out on the couch for an hour. Long enough day, ya think?