smokin' moe's makes dreams come true/ tour de denver 2011.

yesterday was quite the day. 

so full, so good.

mr. lesley's cousin mitch came into town for the weekend, so we took him up to winter park for a little music festival. one of our favorite bands, blind pilot, was playing, and it was free. win, win.

however, as we were driving into winter park, we realized blind pilot actually went on first (not last like we thought) and we missed them. and it was pouring rain.

it felt a little more like a lose, lose at that point...

we tried really hard to enjoy the festival, despite the rain, but at some point you just have to let it go.
we retreated to smokin' moe's for lunch, mostly because there were empty tables and they boasted award-winning bbq.

after being there for awhile, i noticed a band starting to set up on the stage at the front of the restaurant, the clouds parted, a light came from heaven, and i realized that blind pilot was set to play that night at that very restaurant!

there they were. only feet from me!

i spent about the next 30 minutes saying,
"what should i do guys? should i like go up to them and say 'hey, i'm like your biggest fan. can i have a picture?"
"oh my gosh, they're drinking root beer floats. i like root beer floats too!"
and
"what do i have to do to become a groupie?"

finally, and with help from mr. lesley's sister, leighann, we finally went up and asked for a picture.
and then maybe i asked if they would be doing a sound check.
and then maybe i asked if i could make a request.

i'm kinda high maintenance when i need to be.

there was over an hour between when we got the picture and when they actually did the sound check, so mr. lesley, his sister, brother in law, and cousin all decided to go back to the festival, since the sun had finally made an appearance.

i, on the other hand, decided to hang out like a creeper in smokin' moe's, until they played my song!
3 rounds and a sound
picture me with an awkward smile on my face, recording with my phone.
awesome.

when they were finished, i left to join the group.

don't worry though, i made sure to say thank you to the band and chat with them about their upcoming tour dates.

cool as a cucumber. 

the sun was out in all its glory, and we enjoyed some folky blue grass before heading back to denver. 

and if that wasn't enough for a full day, we biked in the moonlight classic that night! 

the moonlight classic is an annual late night 10 mile bike ride through downtown denver to benefit seniors inc. 

mr. lesley's brother in law matt organized a group to ride and even set us up with bikes and helmets since ours are currently out of commission. 

we put on our super intense biking shirts, strapped on our helmets, and took off for the capital building to check in and meet the rest of the bikers. 

the other half of the group earned 2nd place in the costume competition for their pool party theme. 

i'm just glad i didn't have to ride around in a bikini.

then we were off! 

and i kinda loved it.

i had a road bike and leighann said i looked like a natural riding down the street. 

i give all the credit to the shirt.

we stopped off for a little refreshment along the way because you have to stay hydrated. 

it's just smart. 

and then back for more road domination.

around 2 am we finally finished the race and celebrated with free cinnamon rolls...

...and celebratory hand signals!

as you can tell from the incredible shine on my face, it was actually quite a workout.

but i loved every second and will definitely be doing it again next year. 

although next time i will try to think of a winning costume and buy a pair of shorts with butt pads. 

seriously. my butt is still recovering today.

have i mentioned how much i love summer? 

i could really get used to this schedule.

another great day in the mile high city.

sidenote: don't worry. 

vaca recaps will start  back up tomorrow. 

you can stop breathing in a paper bag now.