The City That Is A Mile High

My flight landed, and by the time I turned on my phone there were already two messages from my mom telling me to meet her at the fountain. Which is where I always meet her. The airport was full of strollers and slow-walkers, and when I finally emerged from the underground terminal train, there was my mom, right in front of all of the other moms and sons and brothers-in-law waiting for their people. My mom, waving madly and grinning, and I thought, “This lady loves me so much!!” And I grinned and waved madly back, and we went straight to the salon so I could get a haircut, and then lunch, and some resting and relaxing before dinner and a sneak preview of “The Producers,” the film turned play turned movie again. Moms are awesome.

As soon as the movie ended I booked it to Heather’s folks’ house to pick her up. She was headed back to the East Coast the next day, and I desperately needed some solid girl-on-girl action. Luckily it wad Tough Love Tuesday at the PS Lounge, an unofficial weekly gathering that has been happening since before I got my fake ID and started hitting the bars back in ’99 or whatever. It was started by Heather’s brother, Caleb, and his friends who are older and way cooler than we are. A lot of them were back in town too, so the PS was super-festive. I shamelessly monopolized Heather’s attention, getting her all caught up on Toastmasters and crushes and life in the 1st Grade. And she told me about fun trips to New York to see great shows, and the cold, cold, cold weather in Western Massachusetts, which is where she lives now with her husband. The altitude + 1 gin and tonic + 1 free shot + 1 Tom Collins = I was silly drunk, which was cool, because so was everyone else.

The PS Lounge is awesome. It’s owned by a Greek man named Pete, also know as Greek Pete. Not to be mistaken with the other two Greek Pete’s that own bars and restaurants in Denver. I used to fill in shifts at the PS, cocktailing and tending bar, and Pete would always put his arm around me and offer to take me to Greece with him one day. Even though I hadn’t seen him in a year or more, and I’m pretty sure he no longer remembers my name, he still told me how beautiful I looked, and insisted that I had lost weight. I told him I was sad I’d missed his big Christmas party this year, to which he responded, “You miss the party? I make you a party right now. Rachel, give this beautiful girl and all her friends a drink on me. Drinks on Pete! We make a party for you!” This was in addition to the round of shots that Pete always sends to the entire bar, and the roses that he gives to all of the ladies every night. That’s right- every lady gets a rose. Every night. And a free shot. I have been to many, many bars in my life. The PS will always be my favorite.

Finally, after last call, after all the other customers were gone, after all the lights were turned off, we said goodbye to Pete. Heather, Caleb, Caleb’s girlfriend Jen, and I were all starving, so we did Taco Bell drive-thru and talked SNL until we were sober again. It was a great night.