"And They Call the Thang Rodeooooh..."

Garth Brooks says "it's bulls and blood, and it's dust and mud" - and that's exactly what today, the first big rodeo day at Frontier Days, was like.

I've mentioned how my job during the whole 10-day event is to help manage media. I am assigned primarily to a videography team that is doing a sort-of documentary on CFD (Cheyenne Frontier Days). He has to get in to all the nooks and crannies of every part of the event, which means I get to also.

Yesterday morning was the first big parade - which happens to go right in front of my house. As I walked back from the grocery store there were pioneer women, mountain men, cowboys and girls, old-time sheriffs, and all sorts of other characters shuffling past my place to get in position for the parade.

After a scattered morning trying to run down some photo release forms, I finally caught up with the crew at the historic Depot down town for the arrival of the Denver Post train.

The DP train ran from 1908 to 1970 bringing people up to Cheyenne for the "Daddy of 'em All." The round-trip ride includes food, drinks, and a day at the rodeo.

It was neat to see the hundreds of people streaming out of the yellow cars to be greeted by a band playing and the museum director telling each person, "Welcome to Cheyenne!"

After that it was up to Frontier Park for the rodeo. Our team was right down on the arena fence by the chutes, which made for some exciting rodeo, and some cool pictures.

One bronc buster got busted himself when his horse jumped straight up in the air, flipped on its side, and landed square on the cowboy. He was carried off on a stretcher.

I was down there all day, marking times for cool shots the cameraman wanted to remember and find easily.

Afterwards, it was back to the CFD Public Relations House for a beer (ok, two), and a snack because I hadn't eaten most of the day.

Tomorrow we do it all over again, but I have yet to find out my assignment.

Some pictures from the day:

The Denver Post train rolling in...

A barrel racer rounding one of three barrels she must fly around...

Our proximity to the chutes. The guy with the hat on the right is our cameraman...

Just some cowboys...

A horse in a chute giving me the evil eye...

Cowboys riding past "the pit" where still photographers can go to get those awesome action shots. Once you're in the pit, though, there's no coming out until the end of the rodeo. Don't drink too much coffee before going in!

This picture kind of cracked me up:

Steppin' Out

I went out on the town for the first time in Cheyenne last night.

Some coworkers and I decided to head to a local watering hole for a couple drinks and chose...

A place with karaoke!!

That's right! (Nobody's surprised? Huh.)

Turns out, Old Chicago has karaoke every Thursday, and I certainly intend to do some damage there.

I also intend to keep up appearances, so to speak. As we all can guess, going out in Cheyenne means something a little different than in D.C. Gold dresses and high, high heels in this town aren't common. But I wasn't going to let that stop me. After spending the last week unpacking and hanging - and sighing - over all of my glittery go-out wear I forewarned my colleagues they shouldn't be surprised/embarrassed if I arrive in head-to-sparkle.

I chose my sparkliest of shirts and one of my pairs of high silver heels and headed for the door.

Even my hot pink lip gloss had sparkles in it.

My poor little gold, and silver, and sequined outfits shouldn't have to just hang forlornly in my closet.

And when a girl's on stage she's got to look the part, right?

Friday Fave

It's from a while ago, but it was just sent to me and I wanted to post it.

The girls of the Boulder Boulder.

Kind of sounds like we should be in a calendar...

Saloon-less Cowgirl

I had to get all cowgirled out tonight for another Cheyenne Frontier Days activity - getting my press credentials. Pretty much everything I do for the next two weeks is going to require me being "cowgirled" out.

After a couple beers at the BB-Q my team decided they were all going to leave. I didn't want to be stuck there with nobody to talk to, so I packed it up as well. What I really wanted though, was to go out. The problem was, I didn't know where to go - and to a lesser extent had nobody to go with. Essentially, I was a cowgirl all dressed up with no saloon to go to.

I decided to drive downtown and check out a place I'd seen called the Cheyenne Club. I got myself parked and was about to get out of the car when I noticed a "For Lease" sign in the window.

Drat.

By this time I was starting to feel sorry for myself. In D.C. I could call up any number of folks who would go for a drink at a drop of a cowboy hat. But I'm too new here for that.

I checked out a couple divy places as I drove along and decided on DT's, which boasted an outdoor patio. I pulled in, walked past a couple toothless drunks on the steps outside, and settled in to the perfect divy bar, complete with a sad country song playing on the sound system.

I ordered a Jack and diet and was promptly told by the bartender it was a cash only bar, the last of which I had given to the CFD Public Relations Committee for my credentials.

Crap. What's a cowgirl gotta do to get a Jack and diet around here?

I walked past the same toothless drunks to my car.

As I pulled around the corner, gazing at the dancing pink elephant above the bar, I noticed the sign... KARAOKE?!?! I have been searching for a karaoke spot in Cheyenne!!

The trip wasn't for nothin' after all!

Feeling much better, I made my way to the lounge at The Plains Hotel where I have been unabashedly logging on to the Internet.

And here I sit.

With a double Jack and diet.

Bagelmaker's Bounty

I have eaten more bagels in a month than I have in probably a year.

The Bagelmaker's coffee/bagel shop on Central Ave. has been a staple of my diet for the past few weeks.

I would stop here for lunch when I was in Cheyenne scouting places to live. And, when I first moved over and hadn't gone to the grocery store yet, I again visited for a fast lunch on my way back to the office.

I used to eat Bagelmaker's almost every day in college. Particularly, and ironically, one sandwich called the Vail Valley. Eating there was basically free for me. I earned lots of "Union" bucks from the Admission Office for giving millions of campus tours. The play money was good any place in the Student Union and eating with "Monopoly" money was more economical than spending my own.

So, upon my arrival to Cheyenne I chose Bagelmaker's because it was familiar, easy to get to, and one of the only places I know right now for lunch.

As usual, I try to pick the healthiest thing on the menu, but I don't think a bagel a day operates the same way an apple does. So, I'm starting to curb this habit because my wallet - and my waistline - can't afford it.