Red Rocks, Drug Tests, and Kilts

The past two days have been ridiculously busy with training sessions, seminars, and physicals.  Yesterday was our driving training, which was an all day marathon event.  We started off by viewing a power point about the Corps rules for driving the vans, then watched a training video about how to properly operate the passenger vans.  After we completed this, we had to take two written tests about all of the things we had learned.  About half way through the second test, when I was stressing over a question, I realized that I had no interest in being able to drive the vans anyways, much less care about passing the test.  After we finished this, our group loaded into the van, and the people who were interesting in becoming certified drivers took turns driving in Denver.  At first, I was dreading the afternoon van ride, but by the end of it was glad I went.  We got to travel all over Denver, including the Columbine area and various parts of downtown, and we got to drive out to Red Rocks Amphitheater.

When I first learned that I would be moving to Denver, I Googled the attractions for the area and came across Red Rocks.  At the time I just remember seeing it at as a popular music venue and assuming it was like every other outdoor music venue I had ever seen.  I was so wrong.  Come to find out that the stage is set down between these massive red rocks, which create the acoustics for the shows. The view of the city was gorgeous going up to the top of Red Rocks and being in the actual amphitheater was crazy.  Me and a few other of the people I was with decided that we were definitely going to try and see a show there when the season opens back up next spring.

After being in the car all afternoon, I was dying to get out and do something.  I found a couple guys who wanted to get an ultimate Frisbee game going, so of course I invited myself.  I had so much fun! It was great to get outside and run and really get acclimated to the different altitude.  We played four about an hour, and I walked away with two destroyed toe nails and only one fall, so I would call it a success. 

The next day was an early morning.  We had to be up at 6am to get breakfast and pack a lunch for our trip to the doctor's office.  I knew that part of the physical included a drug test (my favorite invasion of privacy), so as soon as I woke up I started drinking water and didn't go to the bathroom.  By the time I had to take my test I had already drank an entire Nalgene of water.  Luckily, I actually had to go, and I didn't hold the entire group up.  However, I did hear that one group was there for two hours waiting on one of their team members to use the bathroom. So glad it wasn't me!  Unfortunately the day just got longer from there.  We had about an hour break and then a campus tour, followed by a seminar for Campus Standards. This seminar lasted four hours, and it was basically information that I had already been told or read on my own, accompanied with readings from the handbook.  If anyone breaks rules here, it will not be because they don't know that's for sure.

So, to celebrate the end of our work week and our first day off, a bunch of us piled on to the bus and light rail and made our first trip into the city.  We were all starving and definitely ready for a drink, but didn't take into consideration that it was a Saturday night in downtown Denver on it's most popular street.  Finally, we decided that with 12 of us we would have to wait anywhere we went, so we decided on this Irish pub and eatery called Tilted Kilt.  So, you guessed it, the waitresses were barely dressed in kilts and knee socks.  Kind of reminded all of us of an Irish Hooters.  It was fun to get off campus though with everyone  and do something different.

Today, I am going to the zoo with my neighbor Justine!  Of course, I will take plenty of pictures for you all.