In Memory of Janice Kuhn

10/5/23

Boulder, CO

(Note to reader: The title of this blog is referring to a memorial at the place we camped last night, and I was going to post a picture of it, but it's on my other camera and I'm too lazy to retrieve it. Some blogger I am.)

Around these parts we have ourselves a bit of a reputation. Of all the poor souls who park overnight in the awful parking lots and dry country roads adjacent to the interstates, when the morning comes, Beeby and their crew are always the last to leave.

Oh what a joy it is to wake up with the sun, and see the shy beams creep slowly in through the cracks between window covers, and feel the cold metal of the van’s interior slowly warm up. And oh what a joy it is indeed to venture out of a cramped, but perfectly compact, living quarters and into the brand new wonderland of the day.

I think often to 15 year-old Chetco, waking up to a similar scenario in his upstairs bedroom on Monroe Drive, in upstate New York. Imagine the joy he would find, being woken up by the birds outside his open window, combined with the freedom and adventure that the days present to me now, more than 10 years later. He had no idea how good it could get. So I pour one out and listen to early 2000s pop hits in his honor.

We got to Hannah’s friend Dean’s place around 5pm. I made food. Hannah spent about an hour deciding whether or not to go to Dean’s frat family’s taco and margarita dinner. I got distracted by Dean putting Adventure Time on in his room. Hannah and I ended up spending the whole night watching Adventure Time, and subsequently Fiona and Cake.

Fiona and Cake has layers. It's incredible. And a little fucked at times.

Then I went wandering down the street in search of a college house party that would give me free alcohol. There were several on the block, which surprised me for a Thursday. Trying to look as natural as possible, I managed to get through the door of three of them.

• The first one was no problem at all. I had two shots of vodka, met someone who thought I was their friend Cole from Jackson (which is funny because my name was almost Cole), and got a compliment on my jacket.

• At second one I got stopped at the door by a very drunk tenant of the house, who did not believe my real name was Chetco, and thus questioned everything I said. He eventually let me in and gave me a beer, which I brought home for Hannah.

• The third one I got in the door no problem. However, in asking for a cup for a drink I made myself known to the girl who lived there, and she asked me to leave.

So all in all, not bad. But, the best part was at the second house, when the tenant’s friend Ryan (or Kyle, I don’t remember) said that I was the most Colorado guy he’d ever meet. I've never been here before.