Ya know work is bad when...

I've had the most exhausting week that I can recall in a very, very long time. I've also had the chance to see some of Colorado's amazing natural beauty that I had never appreciated before moving away and coming back.

I've driven in and around the Rockies twice this week, yesterday going to Leadville (a 200-mile round trip) and again to Bailey today. The majestic colors and scenery of this state is really amazing -- I remember several road trips through Illinois and some of Missouri that were less than stellar. And driving from Denver to Chicago is pretty dull too. But since coming back from fantastic natural sites like Santorini, Ireland and Amsterdam, I've had a new appreciation for natural beauty, and I really love that I can find it 30 minutes away.

What I don't love is the lack of sleep I've had this week. I've worked two 12-hour days consecutively, running on about four hours of sleep each day. I've been getting up around 4:30 am every day this week, and let me say that being awake hours before the sunrise is depressing. Never in my life will I bitch about 7 am being too early anymore -- you don't know early until you spent two weeks leaving your house at 5:30 am.

In a really strange chance of fate, this week I've also visited both of the schools in Colorado that have been unfortunate enough to have school shootings occur at them. My week started with Columbine HS and ended with Platte Canyon HS.

Wish I was able to post some of the photos I took of my trip to Leadville and Bailey, but the photos are on my phone and I can't seem to send them to myself. Let me just say -- it's beyond amazing.