All Things Boulder

It's nice when a city meets all of my expectations. I was in Boulder Wednesday for an extended time between counseling and coordinating some video taping for the non-profit I work for and was buoyed up during my visit by all things Boulder. I entered our counselor's serene office to the tinkle of a small wind chime and briefly enjoyed the Buddha saying on the wall hanging before Isabelle met with us and channeled some of her body language/energy work throughout our session. Michael and I parked our cars at Michael's office at the far west end of Canyon, and we walked down (passing the kids at a Renaissance camp learning to battle with foam swords) to have lunch at Centro, enjoying fresh avocado salsa and tacos. Michael headed back to work, and I walked over to the Community Foundation, housed in an historic Boulder mansion, to meet staff, board members and a youth for the taping. One of the Foundation staff members gave us fresh cookies on our way out.

Walking back to Michael's office to pickup my car, I passed Bodyworks, voted Boulder's best chair massage place and got stopped by a young woman with long blonde dreads, a nose ring and knitted bag to sign petitions. Feeling somewhat sorry for her working in the summer heat (it was over 100 on Wednesday) and not opposed to the issues, I signed the petitions. I looked up and saw the Flat Irons rising above the Pearl Street buildings - still a surprise to me, these mountains right there. I stopped at Spruce Confections and picked up two iced teas - in compostable cups, no less and of course (this is Boulder). Halfway to Michael's office, having walked past cute houses, offices in houses, beautiful gardens, one of Michael's coworkers saw me and picked me up, and I enjoyd a cool ride the rest of the way. At Michael's office I greeted the threeoffice dogs and, as Asher would say, their humans.

Boulder is many things, and what often strikes me is what an interesting hot bed of liberalism, generosity, tradition, new agism, environmentalism, self-expression and beauty it is. I am rarely disappointed on my visits.