No. 4: Performance at Red Rocks

No.4: Performance at Red Rocks

Imagine. In spite of the pandemic, I managed to make it to Red Rocks Amphitheatre for a performance.

For those not in Colorado, maybe Red Rocks needs an introduction. It is a natural open air amphitheater outside of Denver. An amazing setting tucked amongst some enormous red rocks (hence the name)  with naturally occurring perfect acoustics. Many artists consider it their favorite place to perform.  If you want to know more, click here. The theater seats almost 10,000 people.

The view from the top entrance to the theater.

The Colorado Symphony has been experimenting with small sections of the symphony playing to a limited number of performers. Tickets were procured for the weekday performance of the brass and percussion sections. Maximum number of tickets sold: 175.  Which means we pretty much had the place to ourselves. I counted. Somewhere between 150 and 170 people were there the same night we were. 

From the top, looking down on the seating and stage. 

Pretty amazing set up.

Of course, we needed refreshments and I had my first White Claw which I suspect pretty much makes me a 20something, doesn't it?  Only one concession stand was open and our choices were limited- beer, wine, coolers, soft drinks, pretzels and chips. So much for dinner.

My first foray into the land of hard seltzers. 

Turns out it was pretty yummy.

Here was the set up for the symphony sections:

17 performers more or less and one conductor

The music obviously could not be full on classical with such a limited orchestra so there was an assortment. Some classical, some Star Wars, a march, it was a nice combination. And the best part? It was all acoustic, NO amplifiers. (Well, the conductor had his amp so we could hear his voice. The instruments needed no amplification.) 

The conductor, Christopher Dragon (what a GREAT name) made the evening. There is a reason he is so thin. He never stopped moving, dancing, jumping the entire performance.  He even played the drums at one point. 

 Goodness, he was having fun.

While I don't feel I got the full experience...parking was convenient and just a few steps from the entrance, no crowds hence no combined anticipation of a large group waiting for something to begin...it was very special. And now, I've been.

Me and Friend, appropriately masked, at the end of the night. 

And just in case the musical aspect of a Red Rocks performance did not qualify, a second trip to Red Rocks that same week cemented my completion of No.4.

We went to the Drive-In! Film on the Rocks, presented by the Denver Film group, has movies in the parking lot of the amphitheater.  Admission is one set price per car and includes two Coke products, popcorn, and two boxes of candy. (Twizzlers and M&Ms!) Every show day except Sunday they also offer the pre-purchase of a ChickFilA sandwich and waffle chips. We saw Clueless. It was perfect except we needed to do a little better planning. Cars are too smart these days. The sound comes through your radio but few cars allow you to turn the car off and leave the radio on. At least not long enough for a two hour movie. Once the radio cut off, the car had to be restarted which meant the lights came on and then the parking lot attendants came over to tell us to turn the lights off. And so went the night. A portable FM radio solved that problem when we went again last night to see Field of Dreams.

While waiting for the movie to start they have entertainment.

So, No. 4 is done. I followed up with adding to No. 65: Travel to new states and repeating No.77: Continuing Education: Take a class.  Technically I completed No. 77 last year with my silver working class but more education is ALWAYS a good thing.

Stay tuned.

Also, wash your hands, wear your mask and VOTE. (Register, request your mail in ballot, whatever you need to do.)

Heads Up!

Heads Up!


Sometimes you just need a little project.
One that is physical, that requires some effort. Not just the dainty sit at my sewing machine or ,obviously, considering my frequent absences, type at the computer type of project.  A get down and dirty project.

Since Belle and Bunny have both moved out, their rooms are getting the remove, refresh and renew treatment. 

I started in Belle's room which has a bed, a desk, side table, her "tofu" and a cabinet.  (That cabinet needs to find another home...)  The futon has a cheetah print cover, the desk is black and the bedding was nonexistent. Her walls are my favorite shade of ballet pink.  

So I needed bedding. A trip to Home Goods solved that problem. This Indian print bedspread seemed to tie things together enough to make it passable. I could even use her old hot pink sheets.

Boring with a capital B

But ugh....boring, boring with no headboard.  She's never had one although at one point she had a gorgeous painted fence and garden "headboard".  Killed me when she insisted I paint over it.

Probably my most favorite painting project ever done in this house.

And it got painted over.

Wahhhhhhh.

But, but..... there was a headboard. Procured at a garage sale many years ago and stored across the street in the parent's garage.

Sadly I did not get a pic before the spindles were removed. 

See those ugly calla lilies? 

Except. It had rust. And the brass was terribly tarnished. And the paint was oxidized it was so old. 

Originally I hoped to just sand a bit and spray paint over but once I dragged it out of the garage I knew that wasn't going to work. Stripping was going to be required. And not the Victoria's Secret/ brass pole kind of stripping....  The chemical kind. Ugh. 

The hubs and I took a trip to Home Depot where he grabbed a can of Citristrip, the safe and easy stripper. Ha! That man has never stripped anything in his life. I have. I was not going to mess around.  We walked out the door with the professional level, heavy duty, kill the environment, chemical cornucopia stripper. 

Give me the PREMIUM stripper. 

I want results and I want them now!

So satisfying. After painting the stripper on, I listened to the music of the chemicals eating away at old paint. It sounded like Rice Krispies. Snap, crackle, pop, peel. The paint quickly bubbled up in the most delightful way.

Doesn't that just put a smile on your face? 

A scraper made quick work of most of the old paint. A quick sanding with the detail sander (I have the ancient version of this one and love it.) was required for the little dibs and dabs of paint that I didn't get with the stripper. 

The spindles that were brass were a challenge. I spent most of one day trying to get the tarnish off before I realized it had been treated with a clear lacquer.  A little more stripper and then some brass polish made them shine. A quick spray with clear lacquer once they were shining will ensure they stay that way. (I hope.)

Polished within an inch of their lives. 

My hands were happy to have this part finished. 

A nice coat of primer will hopefully keep the paint on the headboard and not on the wall.

Primer gray.

Looking pretty good...

Black satin spray paint-two coats- made such a difference. I wasn't too fond of the little flowers and especially the larger calla lilies that adorned the frame. The black paint made them disappear into just "ornament".  
The spindles were reinstalled and Voila!  I LOVE IT.

Happy results. 

Such a difference in the room. Such a difference in the headboard. 

Worth those hot sweaty days out in the garage stripping, sanding and spraying.

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And like mother, like daughter.....

Bunny called me in a frantic panic last week. Her hair is turning green. This was particularly upsetting since she had paid for her own highlights right before she left for school.

I guess it does have a green tint to it. 

When Bunny was little and spent most of the summer in the pool, her hair would end up a bright lime green. Belle's might get a hint of green, but Bunny's would be GREEN.

She called her colorist who suggested a clarifying shampoo. That didn't work.

She called maintenance at the school. Nothing they could do. It's the copper pipes and the chlorine in the water and O well!

But she is my baby girl.

It took two trips to Home Depot, a late night session with the RA, a couple of wrenches and Face Timing with her mom (at 12:30am) but look!!
As she says : Shower By Bunny

She unscrewed the floor's community shower head, switched it out with one that has a filter and hopefully no more green hair.

The old shower head....

she just switches them out when she showers. 

Isn't she a smarty? 

All that plumbing at the cabin has paid off. I told her if this college gig doesn't work out, the two of us can open up our own plumbing company.   Click here, here and here to read about some of our other plumbing adventures.  We've had a few!

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