Watching Leeds Lose Big Time With Mark And The Leeds United Colorado Fans

My friend Mark and I drove over to Denver's DNVR Bar yesterday afternoon to meet up with the Leeds United Colorado fans and watch the soccer match between Leeds and the Queens Park Rangers. This was a critical game for Leeds, since being - just barely - in second place in the Championship League (England's 2nd division) a win might result in automatic promotion to the Premier League, England's top soccer division. Sadly, Leeds lost 4-0 to QPR, and will now have to compete in the playoffs to determine who will be the third and final team to be promoted. However, looking at their performance today against a 17th place team, things do not look too rosy. As you can imagine, the Leeds United Colorado fans at the DNVR Bar were not very happy with the result, and the place emptied out quickly once the game ended. Mark, seen in the photograph above, says this was the worst game he has watched all year. Of course, as a lifelong Chicago White Sox fan, I know that things can always get worse, and so be prepared, Leeds fans, for heartbreak in the playoffs. 

Springtime At Red Rocks

I drove through Red Rocks Park this past Wednesday afternoon, and there were a lot of people out and about, many hiking the trails and a few even biking up those steep roads, including the biker in the photograph above. Red Rocks is a park owned by the City of Denver, but is most famous for its outdoor amphitheater. And yesterday marked the start of the 2024 concert season, with a performance by Puscifer, Primus, and A Perfect Circle, whoever the hell he, she or they might be. And the good news is that they are also performing up there tonight, so get your tickets now! It might very well be a rainy and chilly evening, but I am sure it will be well worth it. Puscifer in the park can be nothing less than perfect, even if you do get drenched.

Death & Company. Linger If You Must

When I was walking through Denver's River North (RiNo) neighborhood last week, I passed the Ramble Hotel, home of Death and Company. The original Death and Company is located in East Village, Manhattan, and is famous for "leading the craft cocktail movement," whatever the hell that might be. They opened here in Denver back in 2016. I have no idea why it is called Death and Company, but it definitely seems like bad karma to me. I have never been inside the place - the menu on its website does not feature any prices ("if you have to ask"), which is all I need to know, and so will not be rambling into the Ramble anytime soon. The entrance to the bar can be seen in the photo on the left.

Another example of bad karma is a restaurant called Linger, located in the former Olinger Mortuary in Denver's Lower Highlands (LoHi) neighborhood. This place I have visited, years ago, to check out their rooftop bar. It was said to have one of the best views in Denver, although I can't remember being all that impressed. I also remember that they only had beer in cans - nothing on tap -which was also not too impressive. Putting a restaurant in a former mortuary seems a very strange thing, but it has been around now for almost 15 years, and so I guess it is a success. This place does have prices on its menu, and seems to feature small plates, reasonably priced but nothing I would ever consider eating (let's face it, I am not a gourmet). The mortuary was named Olinger, and so the name Linger is simply Olinger without the O. And it took me only five years or so to realize that. The building's claim to fame is that Buffalo Bill's body spent six months there back in 1917. There was a dispute about where he would be buried, which probably accounts for the extended stay, but that is a whole different story. And as you can see in the photograph on the right, Little Man Ice Cream is located right next door to Linger. I myself would recommend going there instead.

The USA's Coolest Neighborhoods?

I took a walk through Denver's River North (RiNo) neighborhood on a brisk weekday afternoon last week, and it made me think once again about the article I read on the internet that featured the USA's Coolest neighborhoods. I don't know if they were listed in any particular order, but the first one mentioned was San Francisco's Mission District, the second the Marigny neighborhood next to the French Quarter in New Orleans, and after that none other than the River North Neighborhood. RiNo is divided by railroad tracks into 2 distinct areas - one close to the Platte River, which features many high-rise apartment buildings along Brighton Boulevard, and another that centers around North Larimer Street, which has a lot of Victorian era buildings mixed in with newer construction. On the left is a photo of an upscale clothing store decorated with a colorful facade.

The article, written by Florence Jones for a web site called Love Exploring, cited RiNo's "edgy creatively driven history," its restored warehouses and factories - now home to brewpubs, art studios, and music clubs, as well as all the street art and food halls, especially Denver Central Market - for being the reason for its inclusion. Those are all positives, but in my opinion, there are far too many old warehouses and factories around, many still in use, not to mention all those fenced-in vacant lots waiting to be developed. In short, there are a lot of ugly parts to the area, which I never noticed in the Mission District when I was there and which I assume are not to be seen in the Marigny neighborhood. North Larimer Street does have its plus side, however, including Ratio Beerworks, the outdoor patio of which can be seen in the photograph on the right.

Other neighborhoods on the list (there are 30 total) include Wicker Park in Chicago (I agree with this choice), the River Arts District in Asheville, North Carolina (not so much), the Pearl District in Portland (which is where Powell's City of Books is located, which is its major highlight), and Downtown Santa Fe. Santa Fe, of course, is wonderful, and I just love visiting the place, 6 hours due south of Denver. Also mentioned were the Pearl District of San Antonio, which was gentrified after I visited the area, and so I can't offer an opinion about it. Nor can I make any judgements about the other places I have yet to visit. I do want to check out the Wynwood neighborhood in Miami and Ybor City in Tampa the next time I am in Florida, and hope one day to walk around the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, Silver Lake in L.A, and maybe even Downtown 8th Street in Boise. However, I do not intend to go out of my way to check out the neighborhoods on the list located in Pittsburg, Richmond or Indianapolis. I will take Florence's word that they are as great as she says.

Esmeralda's Lounge - Another WGN News At Nine Exclusive!

I still watch the WGN News at Nine on my computer whenever I can to see what is happening back in my old hometown of Chicago. I remember they used to have a regular feature that reviewed various restaurants, but it seems to have gone by the wayside. Which is why I was so happy to see a story the other day about Esmeralda's Lounge in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, a Caribbean-style tiki bar. The story was mainly about its cocktails, many of which the bartender sets on fire, right on top of the bar, as seen in the photograph above. I have to wonder if the Chicago Fire Department knows about this place. As I recall, the story started with scenes of San Juan, Puerto Rico, which the reporter mentioned visiting before heading to Esmeralda's. I wasn't paying too much attention until they set the bar on fire, but I also have to wonder if WGN actually sent a reporter to Puerto Rico as background for this story. If so, I definitely want to work there. And if you live in the Chicago area, be sure to check the place out. However, I do recommend you bring a portable fire extinguisher with you just in case.

The Last Snowstorm Of The Year?

The Denver area had a snowstorm this past Friday into Saturday which dumped 2 up to 10 inches on the region, depending on which cloud you happened to be under at the time. Here in South Central Denver, we received at best a couple of inches, while in Boulder, where I took the photograph on the left of the Chautauqua Dining Hall, they received over 7. Not surprisingly, there was not a single diner out on the patio having brunch.

However, the parking lot at Chautauqua was overflowing this past Saturday afternoon, with people heading up the trail into the Flatirons. And Chautauqua Park itself looked very picturesque, as seen in the photograph on the right. No one was having a picnic quite yet, but according to Kathy Sabine, the Chief Meteorologist at 9 News in Denver, this very well could be our last snow of the season, and those picnic tables could be in demand very soon indeed. But was it really our last snow? I know sports betting is legal here in Colorado (with all those damn ads they run on television, how could you not), but can you bet on the weather, too? If so, I might just head up to those mountain casinos and make a fortune if one more snowstorm comes through. I like the odds.

Missing The Florida Weather On A Cold And Snowy Weekend

It has been a cold and snowy weekend here in Denver, and when that happens, I start thinking about Stuart, Florida, where my sister Susan and I own a condo we inherited from our mother Mary that we have been renting out for the past 15 years. We hope to soon take the place back from our tenants, and finally be able to head down there on the spur of the moment whenever we want. Over the years I have thought about doing just that, knocking on our tenant's door, and asking if they would mind us "crashing" at the place for a few days or weeks. However, I suspect that request might not be well-received. I guess we will just have to wait until our tenants find new lodgings, which I hope will be soon rather than later. And the first evening we are there, I intend to head to the Jolly Sailor, an outside bar next to The Sailor's Return, an upscale restaurant at Sunset Bay Marina, and seen in the photograph on the left.

The Jolly Sailor has a great view of the boats in the marina, as seen in the photograph on the right. Back when our mother was alive and living in Stuart, The Jolly Sailor Restaurant was a fixture in downtown Stuart, and featured a traditional black London hackney cab parked in front. The owners closed it, I suspect, due to the increased cost of leasing in what is now known as Old Town Stuart. They eventually opened The Sailor's Return at the marina, which includes that wonderful outdoor bar named in honor of their former restaurant. It is my favorite place to have a beer, gaze at all the boats, and watch the sunset over the St. Lucie River before heading home for dinner. The Sailor's Return is known for its excellent cuisine, which also means it is beyond my budget, except for special occasions, such as the installation of a new Pope. And being the cheapskate that I am, even then I'll have to seriously think about it.

A Change In The Weather

Exactly one week ago today, Denver experienced its first 80-degree temperature, but less than a week later the snow and cold is back. As usual, the mountains and foothills got hit with the snow first. Things started to deteriorate a couple of days ago. My sister Susan and I went driving through Evergreen, in the foothills west of Denver, Thursday and Friday, to check out the scenery. On Thursday, I took the photograph on the left of a meadow on Upper Bear Creek Road, as fog started to descend on the area. The building in the foreground is no doubt a fixer-upper that you might be able to snag for less than a million. I am sure someone with minimal home repair skills could turn it into a cozy "forever home" in no time.

Yesterday, the fog was worse, and the snow started up there during the afternoon. I took the photograph on the right of Evergreen Lake as the snow began. Evergreen is a really nice Denver suburb, and Upper Bear Creek Road is lined with many expensive homes, some of them resembling castles. I like driving that particular stretch because you can often see lots of wildlife. Yesterday, a herd of deer started to cross the road in front of me, before darting back into the forest. And just a little further on, there was a herd of elk sitting in a meadow above the road. Unfortunately, there is no place to pull over on that particular stretch. Sometimes, I have just stopped the car in the middle of the road to snap a photo, but yesterday, there was always a car behind me, no doubt a local resident heading to the grocery store to stock up on supplies, and I suspect they might have become a bit impatient if I tried to do that with them behind me. And I don't imagine the argument that I was taking a great wildlife photograph would have persuaded them differently.  Philistines.

A Baseball Update

My adopted hometown team, the Colorado Rockies, are predicted to be the worst team in baseball this year, but my South Side heroes, the Chicago White Sox, are giving them a run for their money. The White Sox currently hold the title of worst team in baseball, with a record of 3 wins and 15 losses. The Rockies are tied with the Miami Marlins for second worst in baseball, with 4 wins and 15 losses. It will probably be a neck and neck struggle all year to see who comes out on top, by which I mean worst. The Chicago Cubs, the White Sox's North Side rivals, are only a half game out of first place in the Central Division of the National League, but the Cuba prefer to melt down in the last month of the season, in order to insure maximum heartbreak to their fans. At least with the White Sox and Rockies, you know well in advance what you are getting. On the plus side, there will be no worries about whether to buy pricey playoff tickets this year.

The April Mutt Of The Month

I took the photograph on the left of the April Mutt of the Month this past Saturday at the Denver Beer Company on South Downing Street here in Denver. The place was hopping, and there were dogs all over the place. All the action was, of course, out on the patio, while inside a few diehard University of Denver fans were watching the DU Pioneers beat Boston College to win their 10th national championship. It wasn't until after the end of the game that my sister Susan and I headed home, and driving through the DU neighborhood, all seemed serene. Later I learned that the very street we were driving on was the site of a huge victory celebration by DU students, complete with the burning of several sofas. When the hell that happened, I don't know. I even took a walk down University later on and saw nothing. But no matter - the crowd at the Denver Beer Company preferred to celebrate out on the patio with their pints and dogs. Beats standing in the middle of Evans Avenue burning sofas any day of the week.

It's Spring! Back To New Terrain!

My sister Susan and I visited the New Terrain Brewing Company in Golden for the first time since last fall yesterday afternoon. We did try to stop by sooner, but both times were on the weekend, and the parking lot and streets beyond were filled with cars, and the patio looked jam-packed, too, and so we drove past. Yesterday, however, since it was a weekday, it was less crowded, and although it was 65 degrees and sunny, the wind was blowing about 40 miles-per-hour, which also deterred the crowds, at least if they wanted to sit outside. Thankfully, we found a spot outside sheltered from the wind, and visited with a couple with three very large, very friendly dogs, who kept trying to drink my beer (the dogs, not the people). I guess I should have bought another pint and poured it into their collective dog bowl, but didn't. Maybe next time. All in all, it was a very pleasant afternoon. This is one beautiful spot to have a beer, especially on a warm summer day, and I definitely recommend it.

The 2024 College Hockey National Champions Celebrate At Magness Arena

This past Saturday, the DU Pioneers defeated the Boston College Eagles to win their record setting 10th College Hockey National Championship, and yesterday, at Magness Arena, located on the University of Denver Campus, right across from my condo, they celebrated their victory. Since I only had to walk across the street, I decided to head over there, where I took the photograph above. And they seemed to have a pretty good-sized crowd. I know they must have had at least 1500 people, since they were giving away souvenir posters to the first 1500 fans and I did not get one. Bummer. At the ceremony, one of the Colorado Avalanche television broadcasters started the evening off with a few words, and then the Athletic Director spoke. When he finished, he invited the team and the coaches to take their seats, after which the highlights of the tournament were played on the center-hung television screens. After that, the AD said it was time to hear from the players. Which I assumed meant that every one of them would have something to say, and would take until next hockey season to end. Therefore, I decided to head home for dinner. Congratulations DU Pioneers! Hope your celebration ended in time to make your morning classes!

Getting Together With More Of The Old DU Bookstore Gang

I hosted a get-together yesterday evening with some of the old DU Bookstore gang in the clubroom of my condo, fittingly enough right across the street from the University of Denver. And I am glad that we got together last night instead of Saturday night, when students were celebrating the DU hockey team winning the National Championship around the neighborhood, sometimes blocking the streets in the process. In any case, it was fun to get together and catch up with what everyone is doing. We all are retired now, and none of us has visited the now Follett run DU Bookstore in a while. I have walked past it a few times, and the sales floor is always empty. I've never even seen staff on the floor most of the time. Surely they couldn't have laid off everyone? In any case, from left to right in the photograph above are Jake, whose late wife Valarie was the DU Bookstore's Operations Manager; Chris, who was the store's Accounts Payable Assistant, and her husband Jim; Darrel, the bookstore's Accounts Payable Supervisor and his wife Linda, and my sister Susan. I, of course, was the store's Finance Manager until the bookstore was outsourced to Follett Higher Education Group. And am now happily no longer having to deal with Follett.

The 112th Anniversary of the Sinking of the Titanic

Today on this date back in 1912, at exactly 11:40 P.M., the "unsinkable" Titanic hit an iceberg, and in less than 3 hours, sank, taking 1,500 souls with it. The captain was warned there were icebergs in the area, but he and company executives were hoping to set a new speed record on the ship's maiden voyage, and so they plowed full speed ahead anyway.  Since the ship was considered unsinkable, the crew had not been adequately trained on how to handle an evacuation, and since the officers did not know how many people could safely be put aboard the lifeboats, many left the ship barely occupied. Not only that, but Titanic had only enough lifeboats to carry half the passengers on board. I am not sure where I found the photograph on the left, but it appears to show passengers waiting to board the vessel, oblivious to their fate. On the 100th anniversary of the disaster, I bought one of those Time Life special editions on the sinking, and it featured photographs taken by a divinity student who was also an amateur photographer. He was gifted a ticket on the Titanic by his uncle to travel from Southhampton to Queenstown (Cobh), in Ireland, the ship's final stop before heading across the Atlantic. While on board, he met someone who offered to pay his passage to New York, but when he called his school to get permission, they refused to allow him to go. Which is why he and his photographs survived. Talk about a lucky break. Just recently, by the way, an Australian billionaire announced that after many delays, he is ready to build an exact replica of the Titanic that will carry passengers. Talk about tempting fate. Intelligence and money don't necessarily go together. After all, look at Donald Trump.

The Atlas Maneuver

 

I just finished reading The Atlas Maneuver, Steve Berry's latest Cotton Malone thriller. This time, Malone, a retired Justice Department agent, helps out a friend by providing protection to an informant hiding out in the Swiss city of Basel. This informant turns out to be the inventor of bitcoin, who has knowledge of the Bank of St. George, the oldest bank in the world and located in Luxembourg, stealing billions in gold the CIA appropriated at the end of World War II, and using it to purchase bitcoin, in an attempt to take over the world's financial systems by cornering the cryptocurrency market. Things begin to turn violent, as a battle begins between the Bank of St. George and the CIA. Malone, along with his girlfriend and spy partner Cassiopeia Vitt, must work quickly to stop a major threat to the world (like we need more of those these days). This book is an exciting read, has lots of action, and features characters who are very likeable. I strongly recommend picking up a copy at your local library today.

The Lap Of Luxury Comes At A High Cost

I walked past Country Club Towers, as seen in the background of the photograph above, this past Wednesday afternoon (The Norman, which always makes me think of the movie Rosemary's Baby for some reason, is in the foreground).  Country Club Towers consists of two 32-story luxury high-rise apartment buildings, with amenities up the wazoo. The location is perfect - directly across the street from the Denver Country Club, a short walk from Washington Park, and just a mile to the west of Cherry Creek North, a very upscale shopping district. But luxury comes at a cost - the cheapest two-bedroom apartment there rents for $3,200 per month. Back when I was working as the Finance Manager at the University of Denver Bookstore, that amount of rent would have taken 85% of my take-home pay. Who the hell can afford that? Even if you want a one-bedroom, it is still a minimum of $3,000. Of course, folks on a budget can always rent a studio for the bargain rate of $2,300. And for the more affluent, the rents can go as high as $8,000 per month. Are there really that many wealthy people in Denver? Perhaps that's why it seems like everyone here drives a Lexus, BMW, or Mercedes. Whatever the hell they do for a living, I sure wish I had majored in that at school.

Bear Country

Bears are coming out of hibernation this month, and Boulder officials are warning residents to make sure all trash and compost containers are locked, and any livestock secured. According to a public information officer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Boulder is "Bear Country." And there have been quite a few bear sightings there over the years. Bears are all about food, and when they find it in someone's trash, they always come back. And there are many stories about bears smelling food in cars, getting the door open, and trashing the inside while they try to get that last morsel. I have also heard reports of bears using coat hangers to get into locked cars, too, but that is unconfirmed. Interestingly enough, the spokesperson for the City of Boulder, who was interviewed for the article I read in the Denver Post, is an "urban wildlife coordinator." Now THAT must be a tough job. After all, it is hard enough coordinating domestic animals, especially cats. By the way, I took the self-portrait above at Canyon Pointe Park, just a block from Boulder's West Pearl Street. And not a bear in sight. If there was, it would have made for a great selfie, posing with it. Maybe next time.

The Perfect Time Of Year To Be In Colorado

This is the perfect time of year to be in Colorado. The snow is still in the mountains, and ski resorts such as Breckenridge plan to stay open as long into May as possible. Meanwhile, down in Denver, temperatures are often in the 70s (except for the occasional spring blizzard, of course) and people are starting to get out on the golf courses again, not to mention biking, hiking, and hanging out in the city's many parks, including Washington Park, seen in the photograph above. My only complaint is that Colorado is far away from the ocean, or even the Great Lakes. Denverites seem to think Cherry Creek Reservoir, just to the southeast of the city, is a great place to boat, swim, and fish. It is not. And during the hottest parts of the summer, Confluence Park, where Cherry Creek and the South Platte River meet, is jammed with swimmers, tubers, and kayakers, despite the water having very high levels of e-coli. Talk about desperation. Best to just forget about water activities and hang out at one of the many brew pub patios in the area, such as New Terrain in Golden. It's my favorite way to avoid e-coli. Works every time.

Thinking About Anschutz - The Man And The Medical Campus

I took my sister Susan to have cataract surgery yesterday at the UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital, located on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, and seen in the photograph on the left. When I first moved to Colorado, what was then called the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center was located at 9th and Colorado Boulevard in the heart of Denver. And then there was talk of a huge expansion that would require the surrounding neighborhoods to be demolished, which was not too popular with local homeowners (some people can get really bent out of shape about such things). Fortunately, the Fitsimmons Army Medical Center out in Aurora was scheduled to be closed, and CU decided to move there, which is at the very edge of the metropolitan area, not too far from Kansas. It was named the Anschutz Medical Campus because Denver billionaire Phillip Anschutz donated $95 million to help construct it. And this campus is huge. And ugly. And very busy all the time, not that I am complaining. I have yet to see a hospital that is not ugly and depressing, even if someone gives you $95 million to play with.

Phil Anschutz is reported to be worth 15.4 billion dollars, which means he is one of the few people who find Denver affordable these days. He built his fortune in energy, sports, railroads, real estate, and entertainment. Among his holdings are the Union Pacific Railroad, the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, the Colorado Springs Gazette, and the Washington Examiner, which I know from reading articles on my web browser's home page has a right-wing slant, which is not a surprise, since Anschutz is a conservative Christian who donates to Republican candidates and causes. He also owns The Navarre, built in 1880 and located across the street from the Brown Place Hotel. The Navarre started out as a girl's school, but eventually became a bordello. A tunnel was built connecting it to the Brown and used as a "discreet passageway to transport gentlemen between the two buildings." It was purchased by Anschutz, returned to its Victorian splendor, and is now the home of the American Museum of Western Art - The Anschutz Collection. It is open to the public for both guided and self-guided tours, at the bargain price of $5 per ticket. I need to call and find out what days Phil will be guiding the tours, since he will be the most knowledgeable about the collection, and you won't have to tip him. And as you can see from the photo on the right, The Navarre is much prettier than the Anschutz Campus. And I bet it didn't cost $95 million, either.

Watching The Glasgow Rangers Play Celtic Glasgow With Mark

I watched the soccer match between the Glasgow Rangers and Celtic Glasgow yesterday morning with my friend Mark, seen in the photograph on the left. Mark, as you can see, is a big Rangers fan, and the match was pretty exciting. The Rangers had a poor first half but came storming back to finish with a 3-3 tie. Both teams call Glasgow home, and yesterday's game was played at Ibrox Stadium, the Rangers home since 1899. Mark tells me that Celtic fans are not allowed in Ibrox Stadium due to possible violence between the two groups. And I was surprised to learn that the Rangers were formed as a Protestant and Celtic as a Catholic team, and to a large extent fans of the Rangers are Protestant and fans of Celtic Catholic. Much of their bitter rivalry is based on these religious differences. This sounds very much what you might expect in Northern Ireland, and in fact, the migration of both Protestants and Catholics from the North of Ireland to Scotland over the years did bring added religious tension. Growing up on the South Side of Chicago, I think I can speak for all White Sox fans that they wouldn't care if players were aliens from Mars if they could get them back to the playoffs. With a 1-8 win-loss record, I suspect they would even welcome Satanists if it would guarantee victories. In fact, I am sure White Sox management would rent out the CIBC (Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce) fan deck for their Satanic rituals. I definitely think the citizens of Glasgow need to do some major introspection and start thinking like a White Sox fan.

South Beach After Dark: Like A Rodeo, Once Is Interesting, Twice Is A Mistake

Back in 2016, when I was fixing up my sister Susan and my condo in Stuart, Florida to rent out, I took a break and rode the Tri-Rail down to Miami to do a little sightseeing. I took the train instead of driving because the last time I visited Miami, the interstate was closed down due to an accident on the way home, and it took hours to get back to Stuart (I never did find the turnpike). After deboarding in the middle of a warehouse district, I took the Metromover downtown, and from there took the Metrorail to Coconut Grove, which I really enjoyed visiting again. Then I headed back downtown and took the bus to Miami Beach. It seemed to take forever, but when I got there, I took a lot of photographs, especially of the art deco buildings all lit up in neon after sunset, as seen in the photo on the left. And I must say, it was crowded as hell on those sidewalks on Ocean Drive. Thousands of partiers trying to move around the many outdoor patios in front of those renovated hotels. After a short while, I was ready to get something to eat and head home. 

I stopped at the Burger King over on Washington, where the manager was all stressed out because a homeless person had walked into the place and defecated in the center of the restaurant. I ordered a burger and had a beer or two (And yes! That particular Burger King does serve beer!) and decided to dine on the patio outside, with a good view of the homeless population on Washington. Afterwards, I headed back by bus and the Metromover to the Tri-Rail stop, where I found out that the Tri-Rail train I wanted to take did not run on Saturday, and had to wait God knows how long for the next one, getting home around the same damn time I did when I drove and the freeway was closed. Once Susan and I take our condo back from our tenants sometime in the next 6 months, I do want to go back to Miami Beach during the daytime and take a guided tour of the Art Deco Historic District, but I'll be damned if I will stay there after sunset. Just like attending a rodeo, as my old DU Bookstore boss Ed used to say, "once is interesting, twice is a mistake." And so I will definitely drive this time. I am sure Washington Avenue is much more upscale these days, and that public transportation has improved since my last visit, but I don't care. I am old now, and if I tried that same trip again, I would probably never make it out of that Burger King, just sitting at the table sobbing.

The Colorado Home Opener!

Although I didn't attend the game, I did take the light rail train down to Denver's Coors Field yesterday afternoon to walk around the Ballpark neighborhood and take a few photographs of the activities taking place leading up to the Colorado Rockies Home Opener. It was a sellout, as usual, despite the team's 1-6 start. And on a beautiful, warm, sunny afternoon, the Rockies did indeed come through, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 10-7 on a walk-off grand slam homer by Ryan McMahon. 

The fans and the local news broadcasters were ecstatic about the victory, believing that this was the start of a comeback season. My opinion is that the Rockies are still only 2 and 6, and time will tell just how good or bad they are. And by the way, my South Side heroes, the Chicago White Sox, lost to Kansas City once again, falling to 1 and 6 and losing their two best players to the injured list. Which is always bad, but for the White Sox, disastrous. As for their North Side rivals, the Chicago Cubs, to my surprise, they beat the LA Dodgers, arguably the best team in baseball, 9 to 7 and have a 5-2 record, only a half game out of first. Maybe they really will be a good team this year. But I digress. Today is all about my adopted hometown team, the Colorado Rockies, and yesterday it looked like all of Denver was down here celebrating.

In McGregor Square, which is right across the street from Coors Field and features a giant screen for fans to watch the game, it was so crowded that it was hard to move around. And needless to say, all the bars in McGregor Square, as well as the rest of the neighborhood, were packed, especially the rooftop bars. As I have mentioned before, I stopped attending Opening Day after 2017 due to the high cost of those tickets. And the next year, when I went up to one of those rooftop patios to take a few photos, I was shocked to find that when the game started, nobody left, or even went inside to watch the game. They weren't interested in baseball - they just wanted an excuse to take the day off and party, which they still do to this day.

All in all, it was a fun afternoon. Everyone was in a great mood, and virtually all the businesses in the Ballpark and LoDo neighborhoods were having some sort of special event going on. At Union Station, they hired two giants with baseball bats, one of whom can be seen in the photograph on the right, to entertain the fans. And after the game the lines to get into all those bars and restaurants and rooftop patios appeared to be blocks long. Of course, tomorrow it will be back to normal, and the season will grind on until the last Sunday in September. And the price of a seat in the upper deck behind home plate will return to earth. See you at the ballpark!

Contemplating The Rockies Home Opener At Illegal Pete's In Lakewood

I had a late lunch with my friend Stuart, seen in the photograph on the left, at the recently opened Illegal Pete's in Lakewood, Colorado. I actually like this place - it was pretty crowded for a weekday afternoon and has a nice patio, with a view of Crown Hill Park across the street, and beyond that, Crown Hill Mortuary and Cemetery, for those who want to contemplate eternity. In Lakewood you take whatever view you can get. Today, of course, is the Colorado Rockies Home Opener at Coors Field here in Denver. Sadly, the excitement has been tempered by the fact that the Rockies have started the season 1-6, including the worst season opener in franchise history, losing by a score of 16-1. My South Side heroes, the Chicago White Sox, are not much better, with a 1-5 record. On the other hand, the Chicago Cubs are 4 and 2, a mere 1.5 games out of first place. Of course, 3 of those wins were against the lowly Rockies. I asked Stuart, who is originally from the North Side of Chicago and a Cubs fan (I am, of course, from the South Side), his opinion of the team, and he is very dubious about their chances. Since they are starting a series against the Los Angeles Dodgers today, reality might soon set in.

Neither Stuart nor I will be attending the Rockies Home Opener this afternoon. Standing room only will be close to $60 with internet fees, and a seat in the upper deck behind home plate almost $90. And God knows what they will be charging for a beer this year. Plus, it is probably a small thing, but the team no longer launches balloons after the Opening Day ceremonies are concluded, such as in the photograph on the right that I took back in 2013. Evidently those balloons are bad for the environment, unlike bad baseball. Their absence makes for a far less interesting photograph of the ceremonies. And so, it will probably be best to just sit on the patio at Illegal Pete's, look out at the seven-story 1920s era mausoleum at Crown Hill Cemetery, and wonder if you will wind up there long before your baseball team makes the playoffs again. Let's Play Ball!

The Tattered Cover Bookstore Is Up For Sale

Denver's Tattered Cover Bookstore, currently in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, requested a delay in their reorganization hearing this past Friday to consider offers to purchase the 4-store chain.  Considering the fact that the TC hasn't made a profit in years and owes 4 million dollars, money that their current reorganization plan calls for being repaid by 2027, it sounds like a sale of the iconic bookstore chain would be the best solution. The Tattered Cover was sold by longtime owner Joyce Meskis back in 2015, seen in the photograph above that I took of her speaking at her going away party, on the sales floor of the Colfax store. Joyce had a rare gift for running bookstores, and once she left, things started to go downhill. She sold the chain to Len Vlahos and Kristen Gilligan, whose only bookstore experience was limited to a very small store. When the pandemic hit in 2020, they sold the chain to Bended Page, LLC, a group of investors including, according to a Denver Post article at the time, "national bookselling and publishing experts." And what did these geniuses do? They put in charge someone with a law degree from Yale and an MBA from Harvard, but no experience whatsoever operating bookstores. No wonder the TC went into Chapter 11. If someone does purchase the Tattered Cover, let's hope they have lots of money and know what the hell they are doing. It might be their last chance.

The April Issue Of Chicago Magazine Has Arrived!

I perused the April issue of Chicago Magazine the other day. I subscribe to Chicago to give me a broader understanding of what is happening back in my old hometown than just watching the WGN News at Nine on the internet. The cover story, as seen in the photograph above, features Best New Restaurants. I always ignore articles like this, since they usually spotlight upscale restaurants, mostly on the North Side, that feature food I would not eat if someone was pointing a gun at me and would cost a small fortune to boot. These kinds of places are rare on the South Side of Chicago, where I grew up in the Brainerd neighborhood. But happily, there were also several articles featuring the South Side, including one by a Beverly resident (Beverly is just west of Brainerd) recommending his four favorite spots in that neighborhood, including Top Notch Beefburgers on 95th Street, described as "an old-school diner" which feels like "a step back in time." Now that's my kind of place. There was also an article about the White Sox' plan for a new stadium in the South Loop, bordering Roosevelt Road and the Chicago River. Evidently owner Jerry Reinsdorf wants $1.1 billion in public subsidies for the ballpark itself and $900 million more for infrastructure. This is not going over well with Chicago and Illinois politicians, nor with the people who live around Bridgeport, where the current stadium is located, and who are worried about the effects on the neighborhood if the White Sox left. They, of course, want the team to stay where they are. The good thing about this idea is that it would save taxpayers 2 billion dollars, if Reinsdorf could actually persuade those politicians to build his dream ballpark. The title of the article, by the way, is "Stealing Home." Very appropriate.

The Easygoing Elk Of Evergreen

I am always fascinated by how many deer and elk run wild through the town of Evergreen, Colorado, located in the foothills west of Denver. Growing up in the South Side Brainerd neighborhood of Chicago, we also had Elks, but they were a different breed altogether. They used to get together at the Elks Club at 79th and Ashland, where my father was a member, and where our family used to dine every once in a while. I remember it had a television room right off a dark and cozy bar, popular with the member's children (the television room, not the bar). In the dining room, on weekends, they had a piano player named Two-Ton Baker, who would play old favorites while people dined. But the elk in Evergreen are altogether different. There is a large open space there called Elk Meadow Park, where I have never once seen an actual elk. However, I have seen a herd of them near the heart of downtown Evergreen, crossing the street at the crosswalk, no less, but against the light. I have also seen a large number of deer grazing on a hillside next to Upper Bear Creek Road, none of whom batted an eye when I walked up to take their photograph. And a few days ago, I took the photographs above of two elk just chilling out above that same road. I stood right in front of them to take those photos, and they just sat there as relaxed as can be and paid me no mind. Not even those Elks in Chicago would have done that. I'm very impressed.

The Spring Quarter Begins At The University Of Denver

 

Today is the start of the spring quarter at the University of Denver. I took a walk around the campus yesterday, and as the photograph above shows, there were not many students out and about. That photo was taken from the bridge over Evans Avenue here in Denver, which connects the Community Commons Building to Driscoll South, where the University of Denver Bookstore is located. I was the Finance Manager of the DU Bookstore before it was outsourced to Follett Higher Education Group back in 2012. For many years, I scheduled the cashiers and assisted on the sales floor during what we called "rush," the period when the store would be jammed with students buying books and supplies. However, the spring quarter was always the least stressful. A lot of students would extend their spring break and spend an extra few days in Europe, the Caribbean, Mexico, or some other exotic locale (a lot of rich kids go to DU), and business was spread out across several weeks, rather than everyone showing up on the same day, as it was during the start of the fall and winter quarters. Which no doubt explains why the campus was so quiet yesterday. Of course, back then, we were still open the Sunday before classes began to allow students who did arrive back for the start of classes to buy their books and supplies early, which I noticed Follett does not do, at least not yesterday. Of course, for the year I worked at the bookstore when Follett was contractually obligated to employ the staff laid off by DU, I noticed that serving the students was a very low priority. And probably still is. I'm just sayin'.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter Everyone! In celebrating this holiday, I am posting a photograph taken of me at my most charming best one Easter morning, back where I grew up in the South Side Brainerd neighborhood of Chicago. It was taken in the den of our home there, which later doubled as my sister Susan's bedroom after I came along and took her room. And yes, after 71 years, she still brings this up once in a while. Talk about a long memory. But no matter - it is Easter, spring is here, the days are getting longer, the summer not too far off, and we have an exciting presidential election to look forward to that will entertain and absorb our attention all the way through the first Tuesday in November, and perhaps much longer, if the last presidential contest is any guide. And on this Easter Sunday, one of the candidates is even comparing himself to Jesus and selling "God Bless the USA Bibles" (at a cost of $59.95 each - get them while you can). One South Florida newspaper columnist has suggested referring to those bibles as the "King Donald Version." That should give you pause as you digest that ham and scalloped potatoes. Am I right, or what?

Better Late Than Never - My Photograph Of Largo Argentina Has Resurfaced!

Just before the Ides of March, I looked for a photograph to post on my blog that I took of Largo Argentina, a square in Rome near Campo de Fiori, where the remains of the 4 oldest temples in Rome, as well as the Curia of Pompey, are located. The Curia, part of the Theater of Pompey, was where Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 B.C. Back in 2012, it was announced that the exact spot where the assassination took place was found there, marked by Caesar Augustus, Julius Caesar's adopted son. And just this past summer, these ruins were opened to the public for the first time in 2000 years. The Theater of Pompey was evidently a very large complex, and stretched all the way to Campo de Fiori, but Largo Argentina is ground zero for Caesar buffs, of which I am sure there are many. And so, I was not able to post my photograph for the Ides of March, but happily, I ran across it the other day, and am posting it now. Better late than never, right? After all, tourists have been waiting for 2000 years to visit this place, so what is a mere two weeks to see a photo of it? Enjoy!

The Chicago White Sox Home Opener

I got home yesterday afternoon in time to watch the final innings of the White Sox Home Opener at Guaranteed Rate Field on Chicago's South Side. They were playing the Detroit Tigers, and Detroit was leading 1-0 when I tuned in. And that was how it ended. Later that night, I watched the WGN News at Nine, and they had several reporters at the game, interviewing the fans. The weather was sunny and pleasant, people were in a good mood, and even after the 1-0 loss, everyone was very optimistic about the season. Of course, last year, as I recall, the White Sox started the season giving up runs left and right (literally), and it only got worse from there, and so a well-played pitcher's duel was good to see, even if they did lose the game. And, of course, new play-by-play guy John Schriffin, on the left in the photograph on the left, and longtime announcer Steve Stone (on the right) were also very optimistic about this very young team.

White Sox management recently announced it wanted to build a new stadium in the South Loop, just south of Roosevelt Road along the Chicago River, to replace Guaranteed Rate Field, as seen in the photograph on the right. And watching that WGN news report, I was surprised to find that all of the fans interviewed wanted the team to stay exactly where they are. This when Guaranteed Rate Field is considered the third worst stadium in the major leagues, after ballparks in Oakland and Tampa Bay. The last White Sox game I saw before leaving Chicago was at the old Comiskey Park, and so maybe I should actually take in a game at Guaranteed Rate before I continue to condemn it. In any case, the Chicago Cubs, the team's North Side Rivals, opened the season on the road against the Texas Rangers, losing 3-2 in extra innings. They looked pretty good, too, so perhaps a subway series in Chicago might not be too far off. We can dream, can't we? It is Opening Day, after all. As for my adopted hometown team, the Colorado Rockies, they started the season in Arizona against the Diamondbacks. The Rockies were predicted to be one of the worst, if not THE worst, team in baseball this year. And how did they do, you ask? They lost 16-1, which is better than I thought they would do against the 2023 National League Champions. The sportscasters here in Denver stressed that no one was killed, which is indeed the most positive aspect of the game.

The MLB Regular Season Begins Today

Baseball is back! The MLB regular season starts today, and my South Side heroes, the Chicago White Sox, will play their home opener against the Detroit Tigers at Guaranteed Rate Field this afternoon. The Sox had a horrible season last year, losing 101 games, and are once again in a rebuilding mode. Their North Side rivals, the Chicago Cubs, will start the season in Texas against the Rangers. The Cubs finished with an 83-79 record last year, but still almost won a wildcard spot before - surprise! - falling apart in the final week of the season. The Colorado Rockies, my adopted hometown team, will start the season against the Diamondbacks in Arizona. They lost 103 games last year and nobody expects them to do much better this season, either. Although the Rockies attract almost 3 million fans a year to their ballpark, thanks to playing at beautiful Coors Field, they had the third worst television ratings in baseball last season, and as of now can only be watched through a streaming service. Probably for the best. But no matter - as of today, all three teams are undefeated, and anything is possible at the start of the season, right? Right?

Wildlife Gone Wild!

But not really. Actually, they all seemed pretty laid back, venturing closer to roads and neighborhoods looking for food after a snowstorm dumped up to a foot of snow in the foothills this past Sunday. And in point of fact, the buffalo in the photograph on the left are not really wild - they are part of a herd maintained by the City of Denver up in Genesee Park (Genesee is a foothills suburb west of Denver). What I want to know is how those elk got into that enclosed area. I have heard of the deer and the antelope playing, but not elk and buffalo. Live and learn, I guess.

And driving along Upper Bear Creek Road west of Evergreen, I was hoping to run across some bears coming out of hibernation, or at least a mountain lion or two, but had to satisfy myself with a herd of deer, blending into the background, munching on a grassy hillside. And they did not seem spooked at all. A few turned around to look at me, and then quickly went back to their afternoon snack. But what I would really like to see most is a real live moose. The local newscasts are constantly featuring stories about moose hanging out in ski areas, threatening skiers and snowboarders, or stopping traffic in mountain towns, but despite years of searching the Colorado and Wyoming wilderness, no such luck. I am beginning to think moose in Colorado and Wyoming are a myth, made up to draw tourists into those states. I once even went to the Colorado Center for the Moose, in Walden, Colorado, where they post moose sightings, and headed to those locations, only to find nada. I suspect the people working at that center can't stop laughing after you leave to follow their wild goose chases. Talk about cruel.

Gentrification Gone Wild?

I noticed while walking through Denver's Washington Park a few weeks back that the house in the photograph above now had a fence around it, which is a sure sign that it was about to be torn down, and a new, larger, more grand structure would be taking its place. But since it looked like such a nice home, I couldn't believe that could be true. Perhaps it was just undergoing a renovation? But several days ago, as I was driving past that corner, I saw that it was gone, a bulldozer sitting in the backyard. That lot sits directly across the street from Washington Park, on the east side, with a view of the park and the mountains beyond, and a location like that is very pricey indeed. Since it is a wealthy neighborhood, I really don't think this can be called gentrification, unless it applies to the rich being replaced by the super-rich. Hard to believe that when I was young, "small is beautiful" used to be a popular movement. These days it is more like "back to the gilded age."

"Breaking Up With Spring Break" Seems To Be Working In Miami Beach

After three straight years of huge, disorderly, mostly intoxicated crowds during spring break, including two fatal shootings on Ocean Drive last year, Miami Beach launched a campaign called "Breaking Up with Spring Break," letting visitors know there would be curfews, bag checks, restricted beach access, DUI checkpoints, expensive parking fees, and lots and lots of police. And it seems to be working. There are still spring breakers around, but not in such large numbers, and the atmosphere is much more subdued. For a lot of these college students, the final straw was a Thursday through Sunday midnight curfew during the month of March, and many have headed to Fort Lauderdale instead, where it is evidently spring break as usual. Imagine having to stop partying at midnight? What is the point of even partying if you have quit so early? The City of Miami Beach says arrests are down 8% this year, and that the initiative is a success. However, bars and restaurants say they are losing a fortune having to close at midnight, and what's the big deal about a few dozen extra shootings, anyway? That's Florida for you. In any case, I took the photograph above of my sister Susan on Ocean Drive in Miami Beach back in August of 1994. There were still big crowds back then, but no shootings, at least while we were there. And no, we did not stay until the wee hours of the morning. Bet that surprises you, doesn't it?

Getting Together With Some Of The Old DU Gang

Speaking of DU (in my previous blog post), I got together yesterday evening at Las Delicias with some of my old University of Denver Bookstore colleagues and their spouses, as well as with my friend Mark, who works at DU's Anderson Academic Commons (the library) and his parents. It was a very pleasant evening, and fun to catch up with what everyone has been doing and what trips they are planning in the future. In the photograph on the left, starting on the front left side, is Renee, the wife of Bill, the former DU Bookstore Operations Coordinator. Bill and Renee are planning a trip to Monterey, California and from there up to Vancouver, British Columbia. Sitting next to Renee is Linda, wife of Wally, the former DU Bookstore Operations Manager. They are planning a trip to San Francisco to visit their kids, and from there are taking the train up to Seattle to attend a wedding. Sitting next to Linda is Mark, and standing behind him is his mother, Kay. Sitting in the back on the right is Mark's father Dale. The three of them, along with Mark's brother Mike, just returned from a vacation in Maui. Sitting next to Dale is Bill, then Wally, and finally my sister Susan, who has no connection to DU whatsoever. Probably for the best.

Darrel, the former Accounts Payable Manager of the DU Bookstore, along with his wife Linda, also dined with us, but due to a senior moment, I forgot about taking a photograph of the group until after they had left. Darrel and Linda just got back from a trip to San Clemente, which they say was a bit on the nippy side, but still had a fun trip. And fortunately, in keeping with the travel theme, I have a photograph of Darrel and Linda, seen on the right, that I took back in June 2014 at the Travel and Adventure Show, where none other than Rick Steves, my favorite travel guru, was giving a series of talks about traveling in Europe. That show, as I recall, was held at Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum, and the stage was set up beneath some windows, making getting a decent photograph of Rick with Darrel and Linda in the foreground pretty hard. But no problem - I found a nice spot to take their photo directly under a giant poster of Rick, which was almost as good as the real thing. It was a fun evening, and the food at Las Delicias in Glendale, Colorado was, in point of fact, delicious. Great to see all you guys again!