Au revoir....for now

This is a tough one. It’s not a blog about Grand County drunks, dogs, ghosts or ketchup. It’s not about the magnificent Colorado, the spring lupine or the majesty of Byers Canyon. It’s about our life.

I’ll try not to be bitter, and try to keep it beyond the sort of thing that would tip the scale on your not visiting here.

Let's see...Rome, Grand County; Rome, Grand County; Rome, Grand County…oh, that nasty, bitter blog – Rome it is!!!

Effective March 13th, 2010, we have closed The Riverside; forever, under our ownership.

We gave it our all – mentally, physically and financially. We poured our heart, soul and savings into the old girl; they’re all still there, but we are off. As you might already know, I left the hotel in October to take a job in Mississippi, and Julie will join me this next week in Mississippi, as it should be. We’re walking away from a lot, both personally and financially, but nothing in this world is worth being without the person you love; nothing.

Please don’t feel sorry for us, as we are at peace with what we did, and for how we are ending things. There is no question that our timing in undertaking this endeavor couldn’t have been worse. ‘The perfect storm’ is an over-used descriptive term for Murphy’s Law being fueled by Armageddon; over-used, but still very applicable in our situation. Oh well….

What happens next? Lot’s to be sorted out, hopefully with a buyer, but most likely with the banks, the feds and the lawyers. At the end of the day, we’ll be in a new place, with our health, good jobs, and memories and experiences that you simply can’t put a price upon. We can walk away with our heads held high, in that we succeeded in our goal of taking this beautiful old building and turning it into an extension of ourselves; a warm, welcoming place of good taste and good cheer. And we have you, our friends, family and patrons, to thank for helping us realize our dream.

I won’t hang my head over our situation, as I am daily reminded, by the travails and real sufferings of others, that we are still blessed. Our situation is a little business deal gone badly; it’s not health, life or death.

I’m not bitter. I'm sad, I’m proud, and I'm ready to move on.