Zen and the Art of Beverage Maintenance

Three beers go to your head quickly when you're living at an elevation of 8,200 and some odd feet. It's true, when you're at a higher altitude, you don't get as much oxygen in your blood stream, therefore beers go to your head about twice as fast. And that's why it's 8:30 at night and instead of rallying and heading back to Vail Village for more beers with some locals I just met, I have opted to relax and call it a night.

But I had a busy day, so I will use that as an excuse. When I woke up this morning my calves were still causing me to walk much like a lumbering Big Bird, so I took the day off skiing and headed to yoga instead. We got about a foot of snow overnight again, so the roads were pretty horrible. Thank God for the all-wheel-drive Audi! My yoga class was in Avon about 8 miles down I70, near Beaver Creek resort and since there was only one other person in my class, I got a lot of personal attention and was able to connect with my inner zen and my muscles.

After yoga, I discovered a great cafe called Loaded Joe's. I grabbed a coffee, caught up on email, read the local Vail Daily newspaper and prolonged my stay long enough to order up lunch. Following my zenful morning in Avon, I ran back to get the dog for a trip to the dog park just down the street. And let me tell you, dog parks are significantly different in these parts because there are no fences. Damn, these people are laid back! And if you have a dog that minds as well as Gunther, this is a bit alarming. But I armed myself with treats in my pocket, practiced a few recall commands and felt confident enough as we headed into a snowy meadow with 2 feet of fresh powder and a handful of local dogs romping. I met some great new people, all of whom had quit their "real" jobs and moved out here to work at liquor stores, restaurants or in other esteemed professions. I was inspired.

After our dog park adventure, Gunther and I continued our date together and drove into Vail, where parking is free after 3pm. We walked around town and then ventured into the one dog-friendly bar in the village, called Bart and Yeti's. Even though walking in with Gunther is like walking in with a hot wingman, it's still a bit intimidating to walk in to a crowded bar and to try to find room at the bar for your dog and yourself. But it was a cool bar, loaded with locals and walls covered with cheeky bumper stickers. It was small, eclectic and again, a place where everyone was genuinely open to saying hello. By the end of the night, I ended up meeting another great group of locals who I may ski with tomorrow and somehow didn't end up paying for even one of my beers. Now I don't know if people out here genuinely are more friendly than in Chicago or if I am just more open to it, but honestly I have met the most amazing, friendly people in the past three days. If this place continues to be this welcoming, I better be careful because I won't be able to remember why living in Chicago is such a fab choice!