By Georgia Osten
A much needed and necessary getaway after a long year of preparation for the 2022 Texas Crab Festival. Much like the year before when our oldest Grand graduated from Baylor in Waco, except that graduation happened on Opening Day of the 2021 Crab Festival. That’s okay, we left Opening Day in very capable hands. The trip was gruesome to say the least, but we made it to graduation and back to Crystal Beach before the Festival closed for the evening.

This time, we left a few days after the end of the Festival. A little time to get the grounds back in shape and a few more days for me to feel okay about leaving work. After all, taking a vacation requires a bit more planning than our usual one day away from home routine. We had to find the perfect pet sitter, a special individual who could take care of not only Maezy, but Maezy’s two cousins, Knight & Texas. I’ll never forget Janet’s comment when she met ALL of them. “Oh, my gosh, they’re all so big!” Yep, a Golden and two Labs.

Our goal was to get to Golden, Colorado in two days. This graduation was our next to the oldest Grand, Grant! Grant graduated from Colorado School of Mines in 3 years with a Chemical Engineering degree with a focus on Process Engineering. AND, he already has a job in Indiana (of all places). We are some really proud grandparents if you haven’t figured that out yet.

The first day, we made it to Amarillo to rest up for the evening. Isn’t Texas amazing? It takes an entire day just to get out of the state. Next morning, bright and early, we began the final leg of the journey. What a wonderful drive up into the mountains. Deer everywhere. In fact, as we made our way around a curve, there were three deer slowly ambling their way across the street, not a care in the world. Littleton, Colorado, is where the extended family lives and where our daughter had our hotel reservations ready for us.

A bit tired, but we got over to Mary & Randy’s to meet up with the rest of our son-in-law’s family who made us feel so welcome and genuinely part of the family. Lucky Grant has had this loving extension of family to hang out with for three years. He may be a bit reluctant to leave Colorado for Indiana, but his sister is already living in Bloomington going to graduate school.

We celebrated being all together on Thursday evening, then PawPaw and I had to retire to the hotel, it had been a long two days of driving. But first, we had to stop in the bar where we met Jimmy, who makes the best Old Fashioned in Colorado!

The graduation was on Friday, the 13th. Our daughter drove us from Littleton to Golden where Grant and his frat buddies welcomed us with mimosas and a tour of the frat house. The mimosas were refreshing, an ironic contrast to the frat house. All I can say, can you imagine a house where 50 or so young men live, eat, bathe, whatever …?? It took everything I had to not begin picking up trash, washing dishes, and doing laundry, Oh My Goodness.

The party at the Shepler’s after graduation was the coolest. Fajitas and all the fixings, a chocolate fountain with strawberries, Rice Krispie Treats, Coors Light and plenty of wine to cheer the graduate. We outstayed the majority, then back to the hotel and the little bar with Jimmy, to serve us his delicious Old Fashioned concoction. Nice to meet new folks, we made a special invitation, maybe we’ll see him at the 2023 Texas Crab Festival.

The next morning, we were off to our first stop on our trek home, Santa Fe, New Mexico. I’ll tell you all about our trip home later on.

[May-24-2022]