Retirement Day!

Today is my last day as the bookkeeper at the Tattered Cover Bookstore here in Denver.  I am taking eary retirement (4 months early, anyway), and starting this weekend will be living a life of ease.  And what do I plan to do now?  Buy an estate in Provence, a villa on the French Rivera, a motor yacht docked in Stuart, Florida so I can cruise the Bahamas?  Or just sit on the balcony of my condo across the street from the University of Denver and do nothing?  That last one sounds like it would be the cheapest, and the easiest, for that matter.  But my options at this point are all open.  I'll keep you posted.

The Secret Garden

It is not really a secret - it is actually in the courtyard of my sister Susan's townhouse up in Fort Collins, Colorado, but you have to admit it is very colorful.  One of Susan's major interests - besides pesky dogs - is gardening, and she spends much of the year in the front and back of her house tending to it.  She takes after my Grandfather Hoyt, who had wonderful gardens at his house in the South Side Brainerd neighborhood of Chicago.  Susan loved to visit my grandparents there, although one time she did fall into the coy pond by accident and was punished by having to stand in the closet for a while, but that is a whole different story.

A Heartfelt Thanks To The Still Whiskey Steaks Restaurant And Bar

My sister Susan called me up yesterday afternoon saying she was depressed all day thinking about her husband George, who just passed away this month, and asked if I would come up to Fort Collins that evening and have dinner with her.  I got up there around 7:30, and we drove to downtown Fort Collins (always a lively place thanks to Colorado State University) and had dinner at The Still Whiskey Steaks restaurant and bar.  Susan is very outgoing, and chatted extensively with both the waitress and server.  And at the end of the evening, the waitress told us that they were comping our entire meal, and wished Susan well.  What a wonderfully kind thing to do.  It was extremely generous of them. And so I encourage everyone in the state of Colorado to drive up to Fort Collins, enjoy it's wonderful ambiance, and stop in at The Still Whiskey Steaks restaurant and bar for dinner.  And even if you happen to live in France, Italy, or Pango Pango, I would still encourage you to rearrange your vacation schedule to include Fort Collins for a couple of days and stop in at The Still.  They are good people and it will be worth it.  How much trouble can it be?

Obey None!

I was stopped for a stoplight on Santa Fe Boulevard, Denver's major arts district, Saturday afternoon on my way to work last week when I took the above photograph out of the window of my car.  I guess the saying on the sign is the Millennial's war cry these days, and to tell you the truth, since they all seem to be on their cells phones 24/7, I don't see how they would have time to obey anyone anyway.  I am glad I don't have to manage a staff of Millennials at an office, or for that matter, a bookstore.  The expression "herding cats" comes to mind. Have I become an old fogy or what?

Late Summer In Washington Park

I stopped by Denver's Washington Park yesterday afternoon after work to check out the late summer action. It was pretty mellow, to say the least.  One couple shoved off in a canoe as I was arriving, and I snapped their photo as they headed for the middle of Smith Lake.  It was not quite as peaceful as it looked, however, since there was a wedding reception in the Washington Park Boathouse, and various party goers were letting out loud whoops after each song the band played.  Cute.

I spent about an hour walking around, and passed the Eugene Field House, where the author of Wynken, Blynken, and Nod lived back in the 1800s.  It was bought by the Unsinkable Molly Brown (a Denver icon) as a memorial to Field, and was given to the City of Denver on the condition it be moved to a local park. There are several of these 19th century homes in the park, one of which was - and possibly still is - occupied by a policeman paying only several hundred dollars a month rent. This was written up in the newspaper and caused a minor stir, since this is one of the priciest neighborhoods in Denver.  The city explained that the low rent was to encourage a police presence there 24/7.  I don't know what happened after the publicity hit.  You will have to look it up yourself.

The happiest visitors to the park are, of course, the geese, who as I have mentioned frequently on this blog, were on their way to someplace else and wound up staying here permanently. They wander around willy-nilly, continuously eating, and making a mess of the place, just like all those Californians who have moved here in recent years.  You would think the city could do some kind of spraying to get rid of these horrible pests, but being Californians, they would probably just sue.

More About George...

Yesterday we had a memorial service for my brother-in-law George, who passed away August 5th from a combination of heart failure and cancer.  It was a nice service, well attended by George's friends and co-workers.  His sister Mary Ann, cousin Laure Ann, and sister in-law Nancy were all there, too, as well as Susan and George's and my friend Stuart.  George was well loved by all, and will be missed.  And today I am featuring a photograph of George and my sister Susan that I took on the Glacier Gorge trail in Rocky Mountain National Park, which starts just before you reach Bear Lake, one of the park's most popular destinations and which Laure Ann, who is from Indianapolis, is visiting today.  I think this was the last time we went hiking together. George developed heart trouble a number of years ago and eventually could no longer get out on the trail.  In recent years he could only walk short distances, which was a shame, but as always, he dealt with it just fine.  And no, I have no idea what George is wearing on his head, or why, in the above photograph.  Just George being George, I guess.

George's Memorial Service

Today we are having a memorial service up in Fort Collins, Colorado for my brother-in-law George, who passed away from a combination of cancer and heart disease August 5th. I have known George since he and my sister Susan got married back in 1969, when they lived at 1130 South Michigan Avenue back in Chicago, right across from Grant Park.  It was a very social building, and they met at a party.  Susan had a studio apartment on the 40th floor and George had one on the 30th.  They moved into a one bedroom apartment with a view of the giant Pepsi sign across the street, and then to a really nice, old fashioned apartment right across the street from the Flossmoor, Illinois train station.  Eventually they moved out to Denver and then Fort Collins, where they have lived happily for 35 years.  Rest in Peace George.

A Rocky Mountain Memory

Today I am featuring a photograph that my sister Susan took during a long ago trip to Rocky Mountain National Park.  From left to right in the above photo are me, my then wife Lisa, my mother Mary, and my brother-in-law George, who passed away at the beginning of this month and for whom we are having a memorial service tomorrow.  It was so long ago, I can't remember the year, but I would guess it was the summer of 1984 or 1985.  My mother was out here visiting from Stuart, Florida, and we were taking her with us on one of our frequent trips to the park.  Of course, my mother was not a nature lover. Once, when I was driving through the mountains, thinking I was giving her a treat, she asked me when this trip was going to end. But on this long ago day, I think she was just happy to spend time with us, which is far more important than where you happen to be.

A Baseball Update

There is just a little over 6 weeks left in the 2018 baseball season, and that means it is time for a status check.  The Colorado Rockies are only one game behind the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West, and it looks like they will make the playoffs for a second year in a row.  Meanwhile, in the National League Central, the North Side (and I might add, elitist) Chicago Cubs, are 3 games ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals, and it looks like they will win their division and also be in the playoffs.  Meanwhile, on the South Side of Chicago, where I was born and raised, the Chicago White Sox are 30 games out of first place in the American League Central Division, and are not headed for anything but golf in the month of October.  And for all true South Siders, that is not a surprise, although White Sox television announcer Steve Stone did promise at the end of last season that this would be a big year for the White Sox.  Personally, I feel he owes me a refund for my MLB.com subscription, since it was his prediction that made me subscribe.  But on the other hand, this year the White Sox have played exactly like they did the last time I watched them on a regular basis, back in 1980.  And it was indeed very nostalgic.  I wonder where Allan Banister is today?

The August Mutt Of The Month

I spotted the August Mutt of the Month lying on the grass on the side of a house in Golden's Historic District district.  He was pretty well behaved and didn't seem to want to do anything but rest there, unlike my sister Susan's dog Blackberry, who if she can sneak outside, will run around the neighborhood until she is caught and returned home.  It is usually a bunch of retirees chasing Blackberry, too, and so it takes about three hours or so, but I digress. The dog in the photo above is much more mellow.  And there is a lot to be said for mellow. The older I get, the more and more I believe that.

Happy Hour With Wally At Brio

I met my friend Wally for happy hour at Brio, an upscale restaurant in Cherry Creek, the ritziest  neighborhood in Denver.  The place was almost empty when we arrived, which was a little bit on the eerie side.  Fortunately, people started to wander in later on, which was reassuring, although the place was so huge it still looked pretty empty.  We were celebrating Wally's "retirement" from the Follett Higher Education Group run DU Bookstore, a "retirement" very much like mine, although at least I was told I was being laid off, while Wally and my friend Joe were simply left off the schedule and never addressed directly.  However, a former bookstore employee was kind enough to throw Wally a retirement party at Spanky's this past Friday night, which was a really nice thing to do, especially considering Wally's 18 years or so of service to the bookstore.  Now he can spend his days in his woodworking shop, doing what he loves.  Enjoy Wally!

More On Golden, Colorado

As I mentioned in yesterday's blog, I visited the Golden Fine Arts Festival this past Saturday afternoon, and also had the change to wander around Golden Historic Park and Golden's historic district, which features many 19th century homes, some going as far back as 1859.  Golden is a great town, with beautiful neighborhoods, a lively business district, the Golden Historic Park along Clear Creek, and lots of history. And if you get tired of all that, there is always the Golden City brewery, located in the backyard of a house in the historic district and Golden's second largest brewery.  I wonder who is number one? In the photo above, going clockwise from the upper left, is a house in the historic district, two homes in the historic park, and the Golden City Brewery. To learn more about the history of Golden Colorado be sure to check out https://www.cityofgolden.net/media/pdf_288.pdf.

The 28th Annual Golden Fine Arts Festival

This weekend the Golden Fine Arts Festival takes place, one of the best art shows of the summer.  It takes place in the heart of Golden, Colorado, running alongside Clear Creek and Golden Historic Park.  There were no less than 11 photographers displaying their work yesterday, ranging from European scenes, to wildlife portraits, to Colorado landscapes.  One photographer displayed absolutely huge photographs of Europe, which I think was just for display purposes, since his signage states that you can order the photographs in any size. There were also a lot - and  I mean a lot - of dogs at the festival, and festival goers were stopping to admire each other's pouches every few yards or so.  And if you got tired of the artwork and the dogs, there was always Golden City Brewery just a few steps away, which a Golden resident located in his backyard and is the second largest brewery in Golden.  Now that is a piece of artwork!

Cheer Up Charlie

Today it is time to do an update on Denver's Colfax Avenue, once called America's longest, wickedest street by none other than Hugh Hefner. Those days are long gone, of course, and the neighborhoods on either side of East Colfax, where the bookstore I work at is located, are all gentrified and pretty pricey.  However, on Colfax itself there are still a lot of strange rangers, and a lot of weird sights to see.  There is also a lot of street art, like the mural I am posing in front of in the photograph on the left.  Just who is Charlie, why does he need cheering up, who painted this mural, and why? So many questions, so little time. However, in just a few weeks I will retire from my job at the bookstore, and will have time to ponder all of these questions.  Or perhaps not.

My Annual (Or So) Ontario Nostalgia Blog

For the past five years, I have blogged about my family's annual vacations in Ontario back in the 1950s and 1960s, and today I continue that tradition.  Usually I post a photograph of the entire family taken at a resort called Britannia, located on the Lake of Bays near Huntsville, Ontario.  Since I have used that photo so often, I opened up the old photo album and looked for something different, just for variety's sake.  And I found a photograph very similar to the one I have been posting, the only difference being that my sister Susan and cousin Judy are not in it.  OK.  No problem. Fine by me.  In the photograph above, from left to right, are my maternal Grandmother Louise (born in Saint Eustache, Quebec, I might add), my maternal Grandfather Will, my Aunt Elsie (born in Blackpool, England), her daughter (and my cousin) Linda, my Uncle Bill (my mother's brother), my father Nelson, and my mother Mary.

English Soccer Season Has Begun!

As I am sure everyone in the world already knows by now (at least in the U.K. anyway), the English soccer season began this past weekend, and will go on until the end of time (just kidding - I am sure it will end some day).  In any case, my friend Mark is very excited about the start of the season, and gave me a soccer opening day card, the photograph on it I am featuring on the left.  It shows Mark and his friend Barrie (pronounced "Bar E") at a Leeds, England soccer match this past spring.  Barrie is a long time fan, evidently, and has a season ticket in a section where everyone stands for the entire game.  I myself often stand for entire Colorado Rockies baseball games, but not out of loyalty to the team - just because I am too cheap to buy a decent seat.  But standing the entire game when you have a seat to sit in?  Obviously a completely different culture.  A crazy culture, but a completely different one none-the-less.

What The Hail Is Going On?

It doesn't rain much here in Denver these days, but when it does, it always seems to be accompanied by hail in at least some parts of the metro area.  Yesterday we had a storm which once again brought severe hail to Golden, just to the west of Denver.  And just last week they had baseball size hail at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, which destroyed virtually every car in the parking lot, every zoo building's skylights, and even killed a number of animals.  Last year hail practically destroyed a mall in Golden, Colorado, and broke all the windows in my friend Stuart's car, not to mention breaking the skylight in his Lakewood apartment, bringing rain into his living room (refreshing, but also annoying, I am sure).  My new car was severely damaged in 2015, just months after I bought it.  And scientists say it will only get worse, due to climate change.  What is the answer when you live in a severe hail zone like this?  My only advise is that if you have only minor hail damage, do not get it fixed.  It is just an invitation to bring down the "big one" on your home and car. Trust me.  I know all about karma.  I hope this helps.

Is There A Smashburger Shake Support Group?

As regular readers know, I have been driving up to Fort Collins from Denver a lot lately, helping out my sister Susan and brother-in-law George during his battle with cancer (which he sadly lost a little over a week ago).  I have been driving my sister to the grocery store, library, bank, and other places to run errands, but we always finish up stopping at Smashburger, so she can pick up a chocolate shake with whipped cream to go.  She tells me she drinks a little at a time, even getting up in the middle of the night to take a sip.  She now has me going in to buy them, claiming she has a bad back, but I think she is avoiding going in because all the people who work there know her on a first name basis now.  She also tells me she got a bill for $800 from Seniors Helping Seniors for driving services on the days I am not there.  That is a LOT of chocolate shakes. Surely there is a support group for people with this kind of problem.  The most infuriating thing of all is that she doesn't gain a pound.  How can that possibly be?

Goodbye To The Sky Sox!

Although they will still be playing baseball games in Colorado Springs through September 3rd, the Sky Sox are moving to San Antonio next year, and Triple-A baseball will be leaving Colorado for good.  Triple-A baseball has been in Colorado since 1955, and is it sad to see it go.  The level of play is high, the prices much cheaper than major league baseball, and you can usually sit in the infield just a few rows from the front.  Next year a Pioneer League team (a rookie league) will be playing at the park, and there is a "name the team" contest being held with some of the stupidest names I have ever heard.

When I first moved to Denver back in 1981, the Triple-A affiliate team there was the Denver Bears (two of whom can be seen in the photograph on the right), a team I often went to see play at Mile High Stadium. When I moved to Denver, they were affiliated with the Montreal Expos, but not too long after that they became affiliated with the Chicago White Sox, which thrilled me, since the Sox were the team I followed back when I lived in Chicago.  Later the team was sold to John Dikeou, a Denver real estate guy, who renamed the team the Zephyrs, after an old Twilight Zone episode.  Once major league baseball moved to Denver, Dikeou moved the Zephyrs to New Orleans, where they are now called the New Orleans Baby Cakes.  The Baby Cakes?  Really?

Taking In Another Sky Sox Game

My friend Mark (seen in the above photo on the left) and I drove down to Colorado Springs yesterday afternoon to take in a AAA Pacific Coast League baseball game between the Colorado Springs Sky Sox and the Nashville Sounds.  For a team that is only one and a half games out of first place, the Sky Sox have looked pretty bad both times we have seen them, and lost the game to the Sounds 3 to 2.  Go figure.  In any case, we had seats in the infield close to the front, it didn't rain, and the programs (with a scorecard inside) are always free, so it was a pretty nice evening. And probably the last time we see a AAA baseball game at that park, since the Sky Sox are moving to San Antonio next year.  Traitors.

Blood Truth

I just started reading Blood Truth, a Rick Cahill novel by Matt Coyle.  I grabbed this particular advanced reading copy about a year ago because the author's books were recommended on the back cover by C.J. Box and Robert Crais, two of my favorite mystery writers.  When I recently picked up an advanced reading copy of his next novel, I decided it was time to start reading this one.  The series takes place in San Diego, which I have visited a number of times, and so I recognize a lot of the places described in the book.  So far, so good.  Private detective Cahill is trailing a woman for a client and that woman winds up dead in the trunk of a car in his client's office parking lot.  It is a pretty good story so far, and I think I will read the next book in the series when I finish this one.  You have to like a story with "trunk music," after all.

Santa Fe Nostalgia

Today I am featuring a photograph of my sister Susan and brother-in-law George (who passed away last Sunday) that I took on or near Canyon Road in Santa Fe Colorado a number of years ago.  We used to drive down there for Thanksgiving, and always had a really nice time.  The weather was great, too, that time of year - warm in the day and cold at night - and the atmosphere very festive, especially the day after Thanksgiving when the plaza was lined with luminaries. We were all planning to drive down to Santa Fe again this year for the fiesta that takes place the weekend after Labor Day, but sadly, that will not happen now. However, we do have those happy memories, which are priceless.

Remembering George

My brother-in-law George, my sister Susan's husband, passed away this past Sunday at the age of 75.  I have known George since I was a surly 16 year old, almost 50 years ago now, ever since he and Susan got married back in 1969.  George was a really great person, loved by everyone, and so it is a very sad time for Susan, his sister Mary Ann, myself, and everyone else who knew him.  He was battling both cancer and heart disease, and I'm afraid the combination was just too much.  Sad as it is, it is important to remember the happy times we all spent together, some of which I have featured in the collage above.  Going clockwise from the upper left, it shows George and Susan doing some cross country skiing, George and myself celebrating the end of a long day of hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park; Susan, George, and my mother Mary on Thanksgiving Day, and George barbecuing steaks back on Memorial Day 2017.  Rest in peace George.

The Outer Sunset - Part II

As I mentioned in yesterday's blog, I have been getting pretty nostalgic for San Francisco lately, especially the Outer Sunset neighborhood, where you can climb the cliffs that overlook a beautiful, often fog enshrouded seascape.  I did just that the last time I was there, and took the photograph on the left as the fog started to roll in.

After admiring the scenery, I headed back down the cliff to the beach, taking snapshots as I went, and then cut into the residential part of the neighborhood, walking past homes shrouded in fog, just a stone's throw from the sea, heading to a bar recommended in an article I read in Afar Magazine.  Afar really likes the Outer Sunset neighborhood, and I have to agree with them, although being able to afford living there is a whole different issue.

I finally reached The Riptide, the bar mentioned in Afar.  As I recall, you could see the Pacific from the front door, and hear the fog horns off in the distance.  It was a really cozy place, with a fireplace along the back wall, a perfect spot to have a beer on a foggy night.  Back then Air B and B didn't exist, and so I was staying at a Motel 6 way the hell to the south, very close to the airport.  A light rail train stopped practically across the street, and so I would have no trouble getting back there, but was loath to leave.  Perhaps next time I can find an Air B and B just down the street and live like a local for a few days.  And that might be the best idea of all.  If I could afford to live in this neighborhood, after a few years I might get blase about it and not even realize how wonderful it is. Living on a modest fixed income, perhaps I can come back every few years for an Outer Sunset fix.  Not a bad way to go.

The Outer Sunset

I must admit, when my friend and former University of Denver Bookstore co-worker Wally started talking about San Francisco at Spank's Urban Roadhouse this past Friday, I got very nostalgic for that city.  It has been about 6 years since I have visited that wonderful city, so I think it is about time to go back.  It is such a beautiful place, very urban and exciting, but I think my favorite part of the city is the Outer Sunset neighborhood.  It is right along the Pacific, and you can climb the cliffs and see spectacular vistas from up there.  The last time I visited, it was covered in fog, and the fog horns sounded continuously in the distance.  I walked from the heights, down along the beach, and finally through the Outer Sunset neighborhood itself, where you could barely see in front of you.  I wound up stopping at a bar called the Riptide, just a stone's throw from the beach, a very cozy space with a fireplace going along the back wall.  I thought to myself that I would really enjoy living here.  All I needed was a little resolve and perhaps 5 million dollars.  And so the next day flew home and went back to reality.

Getting Together With The Old DU Bookstore Gang

I hosted a get-together with the old University of Denver Bookstore gang yesterday evening at my condo, conveniently located directly across the street from DU.  It was technically a pool party, but nobody actually went into the water - you might get wet that way.  I made my world famous chili for the occasion, with everyone else bringing salads, hors d'oeuvres, corn bread, snacks, wine, and lots more.  It was good to see everyone again and find out what they have been up to lately.  Afterwards, we had a photo taken by a passerby of all of us, including me, which was both a good and bad thing.  Good, because I am included in the group, and bad, because I can see with my own eyes that what my sister Susan said is true - I AM getting kind of chunky.  In any case, in the photo above (from left to right) are me, Bill (the former Operations Coordinator of the bookstore), his wife Renee;  Valarie, the former Operations Manager of the store, her husband Jake; Chris, the former Accounts Payable Assistant at the store, her husband Jim; Darrel, the former Accounts Payable Manager, his wife Linda;  Linda, who is Wally's wife and Wally, who is the one person still working at the DU Bookstore, now run by Follett Higher Education group.  Good to see you all again, guys!

Mark And Jaguars

I took the above photograph of my friend Mark, who works at the University of Denver's Anderson Academic Commons (the library), Friday afternoon in front of a Jaguar, as we were leaving the Rocky Mountain Book and Paper Fair. Mark is a car buff (not nearly as rabid about cars as about soccer, thank goodness), and spotted the Jaguar in the parking lot.  He is a member of the Denver chapter of the Jaguar Club, even though he does not own a Jaguar, which to me seems like it should be a requirement for entry.  I strongly recommend he buy one immediately, possibly an XKE model (the one with the long front hood), which I remember looking at each year when my parents and I would visit the Chicago Auto Show at the old McCormick Place, back in Chicago. In any case, Mark told me he is going to an auto race with a fellow Jaguar Club member out in Byers, Colorado today.  As far as I know, Byers is close to the Colorado-Kansas State line, where there is lots of room to race.  Kind of like Siberia, but warmer and with more cattle.  Enjoy Mark!

The 34th Rocky Mountain Book & Paper Fair!

This weekend the annual Rocky Mountain Book and Paper Fair takes place at the Denver Merchandise Mart, and my friends Mark, Joe, and Wally (as seen from left to right in the above photo) and I took off time from work to attend this event Friday afternoon.  Wally was the only one who actually made a purchase, picking up an illustrated copy of Mr. Pickwick's Christmas from a bookseller who had been holding it for him.  She knew he would be attending, and brought it along.  Joe - who teaches printmaking at the Art Student's League of Denver - spent a lot of time looking at the prints on display at various booths.  Mark looked in vain for soccer books.  As for me, the event brought to mind three things:  Green Apple Books, The Riptide, and Hogsbreath. I know. I know. But at this stage in life I am beginning to embrace my eccentricities.  Let me explain.  After we left the fair, we all went to Spanky's Urban Roadhouse for beers and burgers, just west of the University of Denver Campus (where all three work and where I worked for almost 30 years before getting laid off, but let's move on).  Over dinner, Wally happened to mention that his son, who lives and works in San Francisco, recently moved to a place near Golden Gate Park, close to one of his favorite bookstores, Green Apple Books.  He strongly recommended that I visit it the next time I am in San Francisco, and I shall. Golden Gate Park is near the Outer Sunset neighborhood, which is located along the Pacific Ocean.  The the last time I visited San Francisco I walked through this neighborhood through thick fog, to the sound of distant fog horns, finally winding up at a cozy little bar called The Riptide.  I intend to visit that place again, too, the next time I am in San Francisco.  As for Hogsbreath, after dinner, I drove Mark and Joe home.  Joe lives in the Sloan's Lake neighborhood - right across from the lake, I might add, just south of the Highlands neighborhood - and after I dropped him off I drove around the corner and saw the Hogshead Brewery, where Mark and I went to watch a Newcastle soccer game one Saturday morning.  It looked like a pretty inviting place, all lite up, it's parking lot full.  Next time I might stop there, too.  And I have to ask - is this blog post too long?  If so, tough.

More Vacation Nostalgia

Today I am featuring another photograph taken on one of my sister Susan and my vacations to Stuart, Florida, this time back in March,1979.  We decided to head to Key West for a few days, and as I recall I took the photograph not too far from the Hemingway House, a local Key West landmark.  I found this particular snapshot in my book of negatives.  I don't think I ever had an actual print of it, since it was at the end of the roll and only a partial negative. I am very glad to have found it.  It is about a 5 hour drive from Stuart to Key West - 2 hours to Key Largo and another 3 along the Overseas Highway.  We toured the city that day, and the next morning it looked pretty stormy, and so my father insisted we head home right after breakfast.  My father Nelson and mother Mary loved Stuart so much that I think they just wanted to get home.  Which was just fine with me.  It is just good that they were so happy there.  They deserved it.

It's What's For Dinner!

I stopped by Denver's Washington Park the other day after work to take a short walk and check out the mid-summer scene.  As usual, the place was filled with geese.  Just like Californians, the geese stopped here on the way to somewhere else and decided to stay.  They certainly leave a big mess wherever they go (the geese, not the Californians), and so many people are looking to find a solution to this problem.  And once again, I am suggesting an idea rooted in nostalgia.  Back in Victorian England, virtually everyone wanted to celebrate the holidays with a nice Christmas goose.  Some smart entrepreneur could make a fortune by promoting this holiday option, and not have to spend a penny for the geese.  Just show up at Washington Park with some big burlap bags and you've got yourself a new business.  And no, you don't have to thank me for the idea.

It's August! My Retirement Month! Maybe...

At least I think I will be retiring at the end of the month from my job as the bookkeeper of a local Denver bookstore chain, although I can't help but notice that my boss hasn't put my last day (August 31st) up on the calendar yet.  And what do I plan to do after I retire? I will figure all that out over the Labor Day weekend. A villa in Provence, an apartment on the Ile de la Cite in Paris, a single family home in Lincoln, Nebraska?  The world is my oyster.  Perhaps I'll just sit out on the balcony of my condo and do nothing. Now THAT sounds pretty good.