Hi from Denver

View from my hotel room

Hi from the Mile High City. This is day 4 of a 5-day training for grantees receiving the Drug-Free Communities grant from the feds. I’m tired and ready to go home to my husband and pup. I’m traveling with the grant coordinator from my office, Kristin, and the director and grant coordinator from the Haddam-Killingworth coalition, Cheryl and Kate. As promised, CADCA feeds us well. Every morning around 10:30 and every afternoon around 2:30 we have a snack provided. Yesterday we had muffins in the morning and an elegant veggie tray and fruit kabobs in the afternoon. We have an hour and a half lunch break so we can either eat at the hotel or there are dozens of places within walking distance. Yesterday I just had the soup and salad from the hotel and ate by myself up near the pool. On Tuesday I walked and found the Thai Hut that someone in our “cohort” told me she had heard about. When I found it I was fascinated by the cook who was encased in the tiny kitchen built into a cart whipping up dishes to order. I had to wait in line about half an hour for my turn (glad I brought my Kindle with me!)

We have had delicious dinners each night. Sunday we had Italian (I had shrimp and crab cannelloni), Monday we went out for fondue and shared a traditional cheese, 3 cheese and s’mores fondue.  I think the tab for that was $12 per person, so it was a very reasonably priced meal. Tuesday Cheryl wasn’t feeling well so it was just Kristin, Kate and me at dinner. We went to a fancy Mexican restaurant where we ate outside (it has been that warm here in the evenings) and I had chili rellenos stuffed with seafood and grilled shrimp. Delicious! Last night we drove to Boulder for dinner at a Mediterranean restaurant. We had Caesar salad and paella Valencia. The chicken in our paella was undercooked so we had to send it back and to compensate us the manager bought us all dessert. It was very pleasant walking around Boulder after dinner even though the shops were all closed.