Day 7, 8, 9, 10: Lusk to Boulder, Co. (a long hiatus)

Day 7:
Today is rather uneventful. However, not being busy does not make the day less enjoyable. As we drive toward boulder the rather flat landscape of Wyoming gave way to distant mountains. From the distance they looked like pencil sketches, as if you handed a three year old a crayon and said, "Draw a mountain range." Except you would have to convey it as "Draw a mounty-wounty rangey-poo, pweeze." Trust me... I speak toddlerese.

We arrive at our good friend Alyssa's house and are warmly greeted by some of the best parental hosts one could ask for. Rarely can one expect a mom to be insisting that you should be having a beer and playing Rock Band as dinner is getting ready. We dine on Buffalo Burgers for dinner, which made me realize that I prefer to eat animals that could kill me. I mean chickens are great and all, but hypothetically I could easily take on a chicken or even a cow in a one-on-one fight. Buffalo (kangaroos and alligators and the like) would most likely stomp me down, so eating them feels like a minor triumph. Ha, got to you first buffalo! Does that mean appetizers should now be renamed Varun Wings?

Day 8:
After a morning of nerd gaming, we head to the hills via Rocky Mountain National Park. The drive was absolutely epic and I never thought I would have the chance to participate in a snowball fight in June. Alyssa's dad's cabin is pretty quaint and you can tell that alot of love went into building the place. The air is thin up in Grand Lake, CO. which allows one to always use the excuse of mountain air for any physical shortcomings.

• "Why are you out of breath Alex?"
• ".....its the mountain air."
• "Yeah me too, damn this mountain air."

Day 9:
Traveling so much next year is going to be tough, simply because hotel beds < href="http://www.blogger.com/valtrex.com">by people in Valtrex commercials. Yes.. we get it. Herpes prevention means you can do whatever you want, but there is not need to keep telling me about your genital warts!!! Sheesh. Sorry, that was gross. We canoed, boated, swam, played pool, ping pong, started campfires, and ate large steaks. After a fire-side dinner, we celebrated Alyssa's birthday for the second time in three days. The jury is still out on whether ice cream birthday cake is better than a tasty, heavily-frosted sheet cake.

Also we watched a movie that single handedly gave license to Keanu Reeves' and Matthew Mcconaughey's surfer-inspired personas. If Kurt Russel is the captain, I am definitely going to set sail on that ship.

Day 10:
This morning a pretty early morning wake-up call and a breakfast of cheesy-eggs and bacon lead to a hike to Adams Falls. We had to pull Alex away from the compound bow and arrow we had all been using for archery practice. Using an ancient weapon like a bow makes you feel like an elf from Lord of the Rings or a primitive hunter. You also quickly realize how hungry you would go if you had to hunt for your own food.

On our hike we saw a giant moose. The moose could have easily killed us, but luckily it was more interested in grass than four 20-somethings. It made me appreciate life and the beauty of nature. Coincidentally, certain news events made me ashamed of the horror of man. When will the madness end? Answer: Miley Cyrus.