Once again, it’s time to gather at the bar and bend our conversation around Linda G. Hill’s fun and challenging Stream of Consciousness Saturdayprompt:
“Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is ‘wrap/rap.’ Use one, use both (for bonus points), use ’em any way you’d like. Enjoy!”
Did she say bonus points? I hope the title counts.
If we were having a beer, you would be curious about my recent business trip.
“It’s good to see you, Dan, but you look like the dog’s dinner.”
“How nice. It’s good to see you, too, David.”
“Have you been having a bad day?”
“Bad day, you say? Have no fear, I’m here with beer.”
“That’s cute, Cheryl, and one-hundred-percent appropriate. One Corona, one lime and whatever the old man is drinking.”
“As you so often point out, Dan, you’re not that much younger than me. But, since you’re still gainfully employed and I am on a fixed-income, I’ll have a glass of John Howell’s Bourbon.”
“With all the fixins?”
“Of course Cheryl, there’s something to be said for tradition.”
“As is my tradition, I’ll be right back.”
“So, Dan, why do you look like you still need eight hours sleep?”
“Maybe not eight, but I could go with three or four. I got in very late last…make that very early this morning.”
“Here’s your Corona, Dan. Were you cheating on me at a different bar?”
“No, Cheryl. I was flying home from Denver.”
“Oh, OK. David, here’s your John Howell’s ensemble, complete with cherries. I’ll be back later to check on you mooks.”
“Denver? What was in Denver, Dan.”
“The airport.”
“I see you didn’t leave your snark in the mountains.”
“Ha. I wasn’t in Denver. I was at our Policyholder Meeting in Colorado Springs.”
“Don’t they have an airport there?”
“They do, but they didn’t want too many of us on the same flights.”
“Ahhh, spread the risk. I’ve mentioned this before, but have they considered the risk of a tragedy where you emerge as the only survivor?”
“Thanks for your confidence.”
“Where was the meeting, and don’t say Colorado Springs.”
“It was at the Broadmoor.”
“Oooooh, swanky place.”
“Swanky, indeed.”
“Nice room?”
“I can honestly say, this was the nicest ‘room’ I’ve ever stayed in.”
“For the record, room or suite?”
“Suite. Living room, game room, bedroom, dressing area and two baths.”
“That must have been wonderful.”
“It was nice, but a little over-the-top for my tastes.”
“Yes, well, your tastes lean toward the Fairfield Inn, maybe a Courtyard, if you feel like splurging.”
“Fairfield Inns get a bad rap. They are actually very nice, especially for someone like me, who’s not asking much of a hotel.”
“I’m not sure you’re asking for anything.”
“I want a clean room, a comfortable bed, a reliable Internet connection and a working shower.”
“I guess those are the essentials for a business trip. So, was the suite-upgrade a parting gift from your employer?”
“I think so. It was a very nice gesture.”
“How long were you there?”
“I was in Colorado Springs Wednesday afternoon through Friday morning, but I just slept and showered in the room.”
“Knife and fork work; meetings?”
“And a hiking activity.”
“Where did you hike?”
“The Garden of the Gods.”
“Wasn’t that supposed to be a bar?”
“You’re right, Cheryl. The two founders had different opinions. One said they should build a beer garden and the other said the area was meant for the Gods.”
“Dan, are you trying to tell us that’s how the place got its name?”
“Yes, David. At least according to our guide.”
“Weren’t you there before while at one of these meetings?”
“Eight years ago, this same meeting.”
“So, a repeat hike?”
“Would you guys like a repeat of the beer and bourbon?”
“We would Cheryl, and toss in an order of twenty wings.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“This hike was much better, David.”
“How so?”
“We saw a different section. The guide was nicer, he seemed more knowledgeable and he gave us time to take pictures.”
“Do you have any to show?”
“Most are still on my camera.”
“I would have expected you to have uploaded those to the cloud.”
“The hotel’s security prevented using their WiFi for that.”
“Maybe not so fancy, after all.”
“The fancier the hotel, the worse the Internet.”
“Really?”
“Yep. Fairfield Inn, fast Internet, free and dirt simple login. Once you get up to a J.W. Marriott hotel, you’re paying ten-dollars a day for a decent connection.”
“I guess the folks at the Broadmoor didn’t expect you to be in your room connected to WiFi.”
“Touché, I just tried to connect before my shuttle to the airport.”
“How were the flights?”
“On time, but the flight out was truly the dog’s dinner.”
“Huh?”
“One of my seat mates had a dog with her. The dog ate half her sandwich.”
“I thought service dogs were well-behaved.”
“The dog was well-behaved, I can’t say as much about the woman, but it wasn’t really a service dog, she said she just always takes the dog with her.”
“Here you go, guys, Corona, lime, bourbon, another splash of seltzer, a few more ice cubes, and the chef just wrapped up your wings.”
“Thanks Cheryl. This is five-star service!”
No Facilities 
I always like the way your bar stories wrap up the challenge in one easy package.
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Thanks GP. I was worried I was going to have to work in rap music 🙁
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hahaha
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Colorado is on my bucket list. Every photo I see makes me want to go even more.
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It is a beautiful state. There are so many places to go.
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Your seatmate could have asked you to take her dog for a walk…. :D
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Ha ha. I wouldn’t have put it past her. The dog was a sweetheart.
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That is an awfully large dog for a plane. I have often said that I like some pets better than I like some people. She should have been in a cage in the hold and let her dog use her seat.
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Ha ha – you are right, Pam. This woman was very demanding, and I don’t like demanding people. The cargo hold would have been a good place.
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Makes me a little bit nostalgic for the Springs. I used to travel there once a quarter. A hike through Garden of the Gods is just what the doctor ordered. I never stayed at the Broadmoor but we had lunch there once. Very swanky indeed.
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There are so many places to see in that area. I was a little sad they offered a repeat hike, but the guide really made it special. The Broadmoor is an amazing place, but I’m trying to figure out when I would need to be in a suite like that. Perhaps if I were entertaining (unlikely).
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I’m afraid I would have a hard time trying to follow the ” If You Encounter A Bear” sign!!
Your seat mate was presumptuous and rude, but her dog is just so darn cute and looks like a sweetheart. I agree with Pam. The airline should’ve given the seat to the dog and found other accommodations for the woman…….far, far away!
Yeah, it really looks like you were paying attention during the meeting ! Lol.
Maddie was so anxious to sit with you before you left that she didn’t even wait for her cushion or cot!! Apparently you can’t go on a trip without finding some excuse to wake MiMi up! 😜
Hope you and the Editor and Faith and the 3 M’s have a great weekend.
🐾Ginger 🐾
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Thanks Ginger. You’re not going to speak softly to the bear? I’d have a hard time doing that, myself.
By the time these meetings go live, we’ve heard the material multiple times. If I had a speaking role, I would pay close attention in case I wanted to reference something someone else said.
Maddie and I are sitting now. I didn’t get to bed until well after 1:00 am, but the Editor has to let her in around 6:30. She said Maddie was going crazy. She doesn’t like it when I travel.
I was going to let MiMi sleep, but I just had to give her a scritch.
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Wow, Dan. That seems like a good trip to be one of your last ones before retiring. I’m happy to hear about the swanky hotel. “Pip” would aprove of the Ritzy surroundings. I’m amazed about the dog not being in a crate. Looks like you had a fun K9 flight companion. Hugs on the wing!
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I was glad my boss invited me. I thought my last time at this event was three years ago. The person who will be taking over after I retire went last year, but they had a baby in August, so he couldn’t go. The suite was a very nice treat. Pip would have approved.
The K9 companion was a sweet little girl, but she should not have been on that flight,
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The Broadmore is one of my favorites. Thanks for the quick view. Great job on the prompt.
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It is an amazing resort, John. The new addition looks like it’s been there forever. Everything about the experience was perfect (which is what we want for our customers). I’ll have more pictures once I connect my camera to my laptop. Hopefully you won’t get tired of them.
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Hope a few food shots. Those candies left me wanting. (The hummus cups don’t count.)
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Sorry, John. Not the kind of event where I could snap away. I agree about the hummus cups.
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Darn.
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I must admit that all the hotels that I have stayed at have good internet. I can always upload pictures, write posts and go mad on the internet. I have not been to the US though.
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I usually have good connections, but a lot of hotels throttle the speed, unless you pay for faster speeds. Places like this resort are challenged by the layout. It’s hard to get good coverage without spending a boat load of money.
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Yes, I can understand the layout problem.
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After braving MiMi and MuMu, a bear should pose no challenge to you. I love it when cats sleep like they’ve wadded themselves up. And this is the first I knew that dogs who weren’t service dogs could accompany their owners on planes. Wonder if it works for cats. Next time I fly, maybe I’ll take Chickie.
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Ha ha – Chickie’s big adventure. I think the problem is that people blatantly break the rules. This woman basically admitted that she just says the dog is a service animal.
MiMi would love to be on a plane or train. You can take cats, up to 20lb on ANTRAK, but I think they have to stay in a carrier :(
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For me, as long as the toilet, shower, air conditioning or heat (in season), and TV worked, and the bed was free of bugs and reasonably comfortable, I was happy. Ever notice how amenities cost more at high priced hotels? Go to a Days Inn, you get free and reasonably fast Internet, free breakfast, free coffee in the room (and sometimes a pot in the lobby that always had fresh coffee), etc. Go to the Marriott, all that stuff costs you…
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Exactly!
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A very classy post, Dan, and your generosity to take care of the dog while the lady went to the restroom put the post over the top for bonus points!
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I found this in my spam folder (three of yours are in there). I didn’t have much choice with the dog. The lady didn’t ask, she just handed me the leash. It’s a good thing the dog was sweet.
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Thank you for recovering the message!
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Your business trip sounded much nicer than the ones I usually went on! Still, I kind of miss them. I guess you can add this to your lists of lasts. Future trips will be on your dime… and at that point, Fairfield Inns and Courtyards will do. I kind of agree, as nice as high-end accommodations are, they rarely are worth the extra money. Just give me a clean room, comfortable bed, and reliable WiFi, and I’m happy.
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This event is for our policyholders, so they pull out all the stops. It’s always at a nice place, but in the past, I was in a regular room. Nice enough, but nothing special. I’ve stayed in the lower tier Marriotts for years and I’ve never had a bad stay. I never spend a lot of time in the room, so it really doesn’t matter unless it’s bad.
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That sounds like a nice place. Too bad it was saddled to a work event. Still, a hike with the Gods sounds lovely. As for dogs on planes, best not to get me started. It has nothing to do with how much I like animals. But I don’t choose to live with one and resent being forced to fly with one whom I don’t even know. Unless there is a true physical dependence on a service animal they don’t need to be inside the passenger area. It does not mean I don’t like dogs. I only travelled with my children when necessary. And they were much better behaved than most animals we have had to board with. And much smaller! 🙄
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It is s very nice place, Cheryl and the home was wonderful. Service animals, I understand. Companion animals, I don’t. I paid a bunch of money to have Maddie delivered via an airline. I paid a bunch of money for my seat on that plane. I don’t think the situation is fair. The saving grace was that the dog was so much nicer than her owner.
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It sure looks sweet
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Really beautiful photo with clouds reflected on the lake. Your company wanted you to fly separately? Sound like high mucky-muck government stuff with the President and Vice President going to different locations in an emergency.
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Thanks Deborah. We don’t fly separately but with do few flights into Colorado Springs, there was a possibility of having too many of us on one flight.
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It is about insurance? Still sounds like high jingo.
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They don’t want to lose too many managers in one accident. Lots of companies have rules like that. Ours is informal.
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My old friend lives in Colorado Springs but I haven’t been there or G of the G in many years, no guides then. CS is so huge now you can barely tell where it stops and Denver begins. We used to have state PTA meetings in Monument for everyone’s convenience. Your photos make me nostalgic!
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I’d love to be out there on my own for a while. These events are scripted, so the guide pick up a group at 1:15 and they have to have us back by 4:30. I’m glad you like the pictures. There will be more on Monday and Wednesday.
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Cool!☺️
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“Hold her while I use the restroom“?? Nervy. Guess you’re too nice to say “sorry, I’m allergic – you brought him, you’ll have to take him”. 🙂
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Sometimes I wish I could say what I’m thinking, like “what’s the magic word?” Or, “sure, as long as I’m stuck here…”
I was nice. I scratched and petted the dog,
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Hold my dog? Really?!? Good grief. I mean, I would hold the dog, too, or a cat, or a baby, or a martini, but it’s odd to ask that of a total stranger. I dunno. Maybe I’m not nice enough. Super cute doggo, tho.
The Broadmoor looks gorgeous! I’ve never been out there. Close, but not there. Lovely rocks and no allergies, say I. My ‘hiking’ was extreme and involved mountain climbing and I was young so I’m glad I did it then. Never saw a bear, didn’t get altitude sickness, pretty good luck. Some place like the Broadmoor would be more to my liking than open sky sleeping now. I’m a fan of Marriott, particularly Residence Inn. Four of us in a suite there feels a lot like bungalow living, which is comforting.
I would like a hummus with veg cup and a beer, and a spot out there by the lamp you shot there at the pond :)
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The fact that she didn’t ask, she just told me to hold the dog, bothered me, but yeah, sure, I’ll hold the dog. She was a cutie. It’s hard to blame the dog for having a grumpy owner. At a younger age, I would have ventured a little farther up the trail, but I felt good about keeping up with our guide and a group of kids much younger than me. I’m a fanboy of Marriott. Sometimes, if I’m traveling with my brother or daughter, we’ll get a suite. Less expensive and more options. Under the stars isn’t happening. The hummus cups were cute, but you might have needed 3 or 4 to offset a beer.
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It’s a wrap, the trip that is. Great post, Dan! I’ve heard the Broadmoor is quite the place. A Holiday Inn Express works just fine for me. I would love to see Colorado one day.
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Thanks Jennie. There is so much to see in Colorado. It’s a beautiful state. The Broadmoor is amazing (I’ll have more pictures this week) but, I’m with you. I don’t spend much time in my room – more like a base of operations – so I don’t need much.
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Bucket list for sure! Without the fancy digs. 🙂
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Hi Dan – oh how true this rang … though I’ve never stayed in a posh, posh hotel … but loved the story line – and I would be very happy to have a few of those hummus dishes … glad you didn’t meet a bear though … almost time for an even wrap up here … cheers Hilary
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Thanks Hilary. I’d have a hard time speaking softly to a bear. I’ve only ever stayed in resorts during this meeting. Always nice, but never this nice.
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Very entertaining and you earned double points. I love dogs but not sure I could have handled that lady and her pet. That’s worse than my recent flight where my seatmate took off her shoes then fell asleep on my shoulder. 😡
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Thanks. This wasn’t the first time I’ve had someone near me bring a dog on board, but I’ve never had one in my row before. Considering what I paid for that ticket, it wasn’t appreciated.
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There is absolutely nothing wrong with a Fairfield. They have as great hot breakfast!
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Thanks. I have enjoyed breakfast there, many times.
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I would probably not take a dog on a plane, but if did, it would be with me and not cargo. Too many awful stories about dogs as cargo. I looked up the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. I guess it’s a rock garden. LOVE the hummus veggie glasses!
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Our dog was flown to us when she was a pup. It was not a good experience, but she’s not going in the passenger compartment. The dogs they bring on board are supposed to be service animals. This lady just travels with her dog. She says it’s a service dog, but it’s not. It’s well-behaved, but you can tell it’s not trained as a service dog. Garden of the Gods is a rock garden, but the formations are millions of years in the making. Some are quite stunning.
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Thanks for clarifying this. Maybe I’ll see that garden some day.
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There are some amazing formations. I’ll be sharing some photos tomorrow.
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Great pics!!
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