Bryan Tipton

Had a great time at the Air Force vs. Northwestern football game. Air Force played perfectly and dominated Northwestern. The pregame flyover by four F-16s gave me a chill. It's an amazing spectacle. Drove up to Peaceful Valley, Colorado, Sunday morning. Peaceful Valley is 45 miles northwest of Boulder. The lodge there was charming, with the St. Vrain River running behind it, and the aspens beginning to change color. The wedding was wonderfully intimate and beautiful. Talked with old friends I hadn't seen in many years. Fat Tire beer (a regular staple in any Colorado-an's diet) was served at the reception, in addition to Beaulieu Vinyard's merlot. Beaulieu was the first winery I had ever visited when I traveled to Napa Valley (while living in Sacramento), so it has a certain sentimental quality to it in addition to being a great wine. The dinner and reception were lots of fun, and while I was unfortunately not present during the incident, co-ed streakers did make a run through the party itself. I did a few ink and watercolor drawings up at the lodge. My room was on the third, and highest story, and had no television, which was odd at first as you realize how habitualized you become to always having a TV around, but became a blessing as I did some productive writing, reading, and painting, due to not having the distraction of the TV. Monday morning (Sept 2), I drove down from Peaceful Valley to Boulder, passing small towns along the way. The small towns are one thing I miss about living in Colorado and Northern California, where you encounter quaint and endearing towns with wonderfully obscure restaurants and shops that make you feel like you know a secret that others don't. In Southern California, there is some semblance of the existence of small towns, but for the most part it feels like L.A. and San Diego are one continuous city. In Boulder I went to my favorite place in the world -- Pearl Street. Walked up and down the cobblestone road, entering art galleries and shops. Boulder, and Pearl Street in particular, are a powerful narcotic for me. I always feel so peaceful and centered there. I drove back down to Colorado Springs Monday night.

Today (Tuesday Sept 3) I met my friend Danielle for lunch and it was great catching up. Afterwards I went to the Garden of the Gods visitor center and followed that up with a visit to the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center. I was sad to find out that I had missed a traveling exhibit featuring the Wyeth family (with Andrew Wyeth being one of my favorite artists) by only a few days, as it closed on September 1st.

I head back to San Diego Wednesday night, flying out of Denver.