Happy Hour With Wally At Spanky's

I got together with Wally, my friend and former University of Denver Bookstore co-worker, at Spanky's - located just west of the DU campus - for happy hour yesterday evening. Wally, seen in the photograph above, is doing well, keeping busy in his woodworking shop during the pandemic, and hoping to head back up to his friend's ranch in Red Lodge, Montana for a visit once the weather turns warmer.  After dinner, we strolled over to the new DU Community Commons, which opened just a few weeks ago, replacing the building known as Driscoll North (the DU Bookstore is still located in Driscoll South, connected by a bridge over the street). The doors were locked, for some reason, and a sign on the window said that badges were required. Happily, a couple of students walked out and let us in. It reminded me of that famous line from The Treasure of Sierra Madre: "Badges. We don't need no stinking' badges." Nobody else seemed to be wearing badges, either. Perhaps the signs were put up to discourage Colorado College students from entering the place ("CC sucks" has always been a popular refrain at DU). In any case, we toured all the floors, including the 4th, where the rooftop patio and the ugliest bar we have ever seen are located. DU should definitely have consulted us on this - we do have the expertise, after all. Good to see you again, Wally!