5656*

It's a magic secret code for a special place downtown...

Yesterday was one of those days...a morning training on stuff I already knew and then a trek downtown to a 'see and be seen' meeting. Note the afternoon meeting was not a 'let's chat a little after the meeting' and as such, we planned on bolting right away lest we get caught up talking to people we don't really want to talk to...ah educational politics there's nothing quite like it...I made myself feel better by telling myself the other parties were probably relieved as much as we were, that we bolted.

Only one problem with the listen and run plan...I needed to go to the bathroom, I mean really, really needed to go, the meeting was so packed there was no way I could get up and out to go...I had been in a holding pattern for about 45 min. I felt an instant rush of relief when the meeting wrapped up and my bladder could feel it too, but we didn't want to use the restrooms in the office for fear of getting caught up in previously mentioned conversations...no problem this is a big building we'll just use the bathrooms in the lobby. Down 17 floors we go, my bladder is about to burst and guess what...no bathrooms on the lobby level. ACK! Time for plan C...

We ride the elevator up a floor get out an see a sign for women's restrooms finally! But could it be that easy oh no...the bathroom was locked...this bathroom has a key code on it. Seriously a key code! I notice it's just down the hall from the Colorado Offices of Public Utilities, so I pop in and ask to use the restroom. The lady says there are no public restrooms in the building. I found it funny that a building that is called the Civic Center Building and houses many state offices had no public restrooms. So I called her on it and I said I see there's a bathroom just down the hall. 'Well that's only for people in this building'....'I am in this building, I had a meeting at XXX on the 17th floor, thought there would be a bathroom in the lobby'...she again tries the 'only if you work here speech' to which I just about completely lost it...in more ways than one given my condition... you're the office of public utilities hello! and I am clearly not a vagrant off the street(and even if I was I think you should still let a person use the restroom)...do I need to show you my tax returns? twitter Gov. Ritter? really what does a girl need to do to use the restroom and while it's true all these thoughts were flowing I was able to channel my 'kill more flies with honey than vinegar smile' and instead I implored to a sense of human decency, and perhaps a 'not so subtle' non verbal threat that if she didn't give me the darn code she may have to be calling a cleaning up crew, to which she finally relented and gave me the magic code.

So if you find yourself at the end of the 16th street mall and in need of a decent(no not clean as you would think it would be since they're so protective) restroom, go to 1560 Broadway aka Civic Center building and enter this code. 5656*