Denver

So I'm in Denver for three weeks with 24 people I barely know and the only thing I can think of is that movie with Andy Garcia, "Things to do in Denver when you're Dead." Well, I just have a few things I want to say about Denver that were so important I felt compelled to sign up for blogging:
1. Do NOT go to Marlowe's 'famous' restaurant. The food sucks and the prices are high; the service is terrible and the place seems, well, dusty. Instead, try Panzano's Italian restaurant on 17th & Champa...the Happy Hour is awesome, full meals for $3 & $4, as well as beer & wine [same prices, respectively] - the servers and barkeep are friendly and the manager, Gary, is a fantastic frontman for the place. Being full-blooded Italian, I have to say the food is authentic Italian, fresh, made from scratch, and I'd take my mother to eat here in a heartbeat!
2. The people of Denver, CO are THE friendliest: while on line at Whole Foods about 5 miles from my hotel, during a snow storm my first day here, I was asking the checkout person about how far it would be if I had to walk to my hotel [I had a metered cab running outside, I was just curious for future reference], and the woman in checkout lane NEXT to me asked if I needed a lift. OMG. Is that nice or what? Three days later I was walking around the neighborhood, the temperature rose close to 70 degrees [amazing] and I was trying to find King's Sooper grocery store [I couldn't say, King's Sooper Supermarket, it just sounded and looked stupid], and I was walking in circles, anyway, I asked the doorman at La Teatro hotel where the market was and if I could walk. He said it was about a mile, but too dangerous to walk [highways and curvy streets, not beggars, pimps or drug dealers dangerous], and I asked if there was a cabstand nearby, and he said he'd call for me. About a minute later he said he'd drive me over in the hotel's car since they weren't too busy. OMG. I offered a five, when he dropped me off, and he said it wasn't necessary, I thanked him profusely and dropped the five on the front seat. Overall THE friendliest people.
3. Last but not least, I am always in a rush and I was running back to training when I tripped [okay, yes, over my own two feet] and twisted my ankle. I felt okay, but I went to have it checked anyway. I went to AFTERHOURS Urgent Care on Wazee & 15th and the Doctor, the assistant and the woman at the counter were so nice and patient, and even though they were busy I wasn't waiting more than 15 minutes in the lobby and the entire time in and out with everything to make me feel better in less than an hour. The doc was from Queens, and so patient and kind, and more importantly, quick and thorough.
4. Training sucked. I'm tired and it was BORING.
5. Oh, I forgot an honorable shout out to Scott the cabby [in front of the Renaissance Inn on Champa between 16th & 17th, he's there everyday, and his brother Wayne [a hottie], are very nice and honest and actually tried to save me money! More nice people. Oh, and when his brother said he was three minutes away, he was there in 2 minutes, 50 seconds. Unbelievable. Scott's taking me to the airport tomorrow, I could have opted for a less expensive ride, but I want to support the local economy!
Okay, that's all for now, I did other stuff [like buy Absinthe and go drinking at a Red bar and hang out with the ROs - they weren't as stuck up as everyone says they are], but I'm leaving in less than 10 hours and I still haven't packed and it's 1:30am...oops
Go Broncos? is that right? I mean I want Denver to know I appreciated its hospitality, so I should say something like, "Go Broncos," I think?
Rock on Denver...