WOW Wednesdays

My friend Stuart (seen in the photograph on the left) and I went to Mannie and Bo's Pizzeria in historic Golden, Colorado last night for WOW Wednesdays, which  features a large, 3 item pizza for $12.99.  Now that is a good deal, and the pizza was very good, too.  The last time we were here, it was to watch the Chicago Cubs during the National League playoffs back in 2016.  They went on to win the World Series that year for the first time since 1908, back when Stuart was a mere kid.  The last two years they have played pretty good during the regular season, but have not fared well in the playoffs.

Before Stuart and I got together for pizza, I decided to first head into downtown Golden and taken a walk along Clear Creek.  There is a path that meanders along it's banks that is part of the Jefferson County Open Space District.  Although you are only a short distance from downtown, it feels like you are way out in the wilderness.  Golden, as I have said before, is just a short distance west of Denver, but because it is separated from the rest of the metropolitan area by a butte (seen in the photograph on the right), it has retained it small town charm.  It was in fact Colorado's first state capitol, and retains many buildings from the 1860s and 70s.

And I have to say, the people in Golden are very friendly.  After hiking along the Clear Creek path (seen in the photo on the left) to the end, I walked down the main drag and then through the 12th Street historic district.  Lots of people said hello to me and asked if I was getting some good photographs, as opposed to back in Denver, where they often just look and you and snarl.  Golden, in addition to historic homes and the state's first capitol, also has a great beer garden that someone put in their backyard.  Now that is my kind of town.  And what about the prices of the homes here? Guess.

DU In Winter

We had a fairly sizable snowstorm here in Denver this past Monday.  After predicting just 1 to 2 inches, downtown Denver received 7 inches of snow and parts of the metro area received much more.  The weather people were all busy explaining how they had missed the true size of the storm, but it was no matter to me. I had to stay home and wait for the heating guys to show up to look at my units   However, after they left, since the sun had come out, I decided to take a late afternoon walk through the University of Denver campus.  I passed through the Driscoll Center, where I worked as the Finance Manager of the DU Bookstore for 30  years, and came out near the center of campus, as seen in the photograph on the left. The building on the right, by the way,  is the Mary Reed Building.  This is where the chancellor and vice chancellors have their offices.  Also, former governor Richard Lamm had his office in the tower.  I wonder if he is still in there?

It was kind of nice, being back on the campus and walking around the place where I had spent so many years. There weren't too many people out and about - although the sun was shining, it was pretty damn cold out, and about to get much colder, but certainly okay for a short walk.  The photograph on the right shows University Hall (the one with the cupola), the oldest building on campus, originally called Old Main.  I believe it was built in 1893, and it now houses administrative offices.  The interior stairways very pretty impressive, and I once took some artistic black and white photos of them, but the rest of the building has been completely remodeled into modern offices and classrooms.  A concession to the needs of the present, I guess, but still a shame.

And the photograph on the left shows the remaining tower of Buchtel Chapel, which burned down back in (I think) 1983, the year before I started working at the DU Bookstore.  It was evidently quite an impressive structure, and a great loss to the campus. The reason for the fire has never been determined.  There were rumors when I first started at DU that it was arson, but over the years the subject has been forgotten.  On the left side of the photo is part of the Anderson Academic Commons.  This is what they now call what was once Penrose Library. It is a modern building and to me quite ugly.  It was remodeled a few years ago, at which time it became an "academic commons," and no longer a library.  DU administers planned to eliminate most of the books, but when the faculty heard about this, they raised a ruckus and DU decided to put back half of the books it originally contained before the remodel. Very generous of them, don't you think?  Am I being snarky, or what?

National Western Stock Show Redux Part II

As I mentioned in yesterday's blog, I went to the last day of Denver's National Western Stock Show again this past Sunday afternoon to walk around and take a few more pictures. A lot of the animals were gone by this time, but I was still able to take some photographs of the stock dog trials, the sheep and goats that were still around, and various horses and bulls. While I was downstairs in the livestock pens, they were switching out the steers that children are placed on to have their photographs taken.  I followed the steer in the photograph on the left from it's pen in the basement to the main floor of the exhibition hall.  Evidently these animals can only take so many children on their backs before they tend to get surly.

And speaking of children, there is a petting zoo at the stock show every year that is very popular with the kids.  When my friend Stuart and I went to the show during the day last Tuesday, the line to get in was pretty short, and so I was able to go in and take a few photographs.  Unfortunately, these animals are not toilet trained, and my advice is to watch your step while you are in there.  In any case, this past Sunday the line to get in was huge, and so I contented myself by taking some photographs from outside the pen, such as the one of a young child hugging a goat (I think it's a goat - I am originally from the south side of Chicago, after all, and we did not see much livestock running around outside of the stockyards).

Not only is the petting zoo fun for children, it is also pretty popular with the parents, too.  Not only do they also enjoy petting and feeding the baby animals, it makes for great photo opportunities for them.  Many of the parents were snapping photographs, and posing with their children for the camera, too.  All in all, the stock show is a lot of fun, and I strongly encourage anyone who gets a chance to attend.  However, as for the rodeos, not so much.  One year I got a discount ticket through the University of Denver, where I was employed for 30 years, and attended my first - and I hope - last rodeo.  After 15 minutes I was wondering just how the hell long this thing was going to last.  As Ed, my old boss at the DU Bookstore, once remarked, "once is interesting, twice is a mistake."

National Western Stock Show Redux

Yesterday was the last day of the National Western Stock Show, and so I decided to drive out to Denver's Coliseum to take advantage of the reduced price ($10.00) tickets and take a few more photographs of the event.  I started with the Stock Dog Trials, where these trained dogs try to maneuver sheep through a preset course that ultimately winds up with them entering a pen, which is far harder than it seems.  And what I took away from this event is that sheep are often not the docile creatures that you might expect, and often fight back against these dogs that are trying to round them up.  There is some sort of political message in all this, but at this point in time I am trying to ignore it.

The last day of the National Western Stock Show is very popular, because of the reduced price.  And the reason they reduce the prices is because a lot of the animals are gone after the major competitive events.  However, there are still animals to be photographed, such as the sheep in the photo on the right.  After taking this photo, I went further into the livestock pens and found that there was only a single cow remaining.  Which I think is a wonderful thing for it, since it's fellow cattle have probably been sent off to the slaughterhouse.  Lonely but alive is sometimes not a bad thing.

In any case, I spent about 3 hours at the show, and I must say, it is a lot of fun just watching all these families having such a great time together, looking at the animals and just enjoying the day.  And it is also a great joy to see all these farm families having such a great time at what is probably the highlight of their year.  They come from Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona, and probably other states I can't remember, and show that this strong, proud, rural American community is still strong and well.  And as I was leaving the coliseum, I noticed that the Cattleman's Grill was sadly empty, the crowds all gone, waiting for next year to roll around.  And I for one am anxiously looking forward to it.

A DU Kind Of Sunset

I know it has been awhile since I have posted a sunset photo, but I haven't seen anything very impressive until last night, when I took the above photograph of the sun setting over the Ritchie Center on the University of Denver campus.  As regular blog readers know, I worked as the Finance Manager at the University of Denver Bookstore for almost 30 years until the bookstore was outsourced to Follett Higher Education Group, and all the employees were laid off (with one year of employment with Follett guaranteed) without being offered alternative employment at the university. As for Follett, they laid me off, along with anyone else making a decent salary, almost one year to the day. Of course, I am no longer bitter about this (much), since my first social security check is only 24 days away, not that I am counting. But hey!  This blog is all about sunsets.  Beautiful, right?

My Mother's Birthday

Today would have been my mother Mary's 103rd birthday, if she was alive today. She and my father Nelson moved to Stuart, Florida back in 1976, and those last 30 years of her life were her happiest, with more friends than she ever had before.  For that I am truly grateful, and am also happy that the condo is still in our family, although currently rented out to help pay the expenses.  I took the above photograph on one of my many visits there - taken at Stuart Beach at sunset - probably in August, when most visitors thought the heat and humidity were oppressive, but I personally thought it was a great time to be there. Happy Birthday Mother! Hopefully both my sister Susan and I will have as happy a retirement as yours.

The Daily Walk...

Now that I am retired, I am determined to make sure I get enough exercise, and so usually take a walk around the neighborhood each day - or when I am feeling adventurous - around the downtown area so that I can mingle with my fellow hipsters.  I took the photographs in the above collage on one such walk last week, when the sun was shining and the temperature was approaching 60 degrees, always a happy occurrence here in Denver during the month of January. Going counterclockwise from the upper left in the above collage is a photo of Kaos, my absolute favorite beer garden/pizza parlor; next, the sidewalk just to the east of Washington Park, where the rich live in their mansions.  In the bottom left is a photograph of an old duffer (probably the same age as me) walking toward Wash Park, and finally, a couple walking around one of the park's several lakes.  And I must say, thank God I bought my condo back in 1999, which allows me to live in this otherwise off limits (financially speaking) neighborhood.  Pure dumb luck, which I have always depended on to get me through life.

Speaking of Chicago...

As regular blog readers know, I still subscribe to Chicago Magazine, which allows me to keep up with what is happening in that great city, even though I am now living in Denver.  And it was with great sadness that I received the January issue of Chicago Magazine and saw that one of the featured stories was how the Chicago dining scene has lost it's "mojo."  This is truly crushing  news.  Back when I lived in Chicago, the idea of dining in Chicago losing it's "mojo" was unthinkable.  And back then I suspect even the word mojo had not yet been invented.  And on the south side of Chicago, we were all very happy with the cuisine at Vito and Nick's, not to mention Aurelio's Pizza, and the Elk's Club on 87th Street, to which my father belonged, was always excellent. But to be honest, Chicago magazine has a north side bias, and north siders have their own peculiar beliefs, where we south siders have our own standards, such as whether the food is hot and bug free. And my point:  don't stress out too much about your dining scene having lost it's mojo, northsiders.  Just have another slice of pizza and chill.

It's The Little Things In Life...

Since my shower curtain was becoming a health hazard, I took the opportunity to replace it with a brand new Chicago Transit Authority shower curtain, as seen in the photograph on the left.  It definitely gives you something to look at while you are sitting there on the toilet in the mornings, as I often do.  For me, it brings back many memories, such as the stop where I would get off while attending the Illinois Institute of Technology (35th Street, which is also where Comiskey Park, or whatever it is called now, is located), not to mention the Addision (Wrigley Field) stop on the north side of town.  It also makes me remember how the "El" train would curve around St. Bernard's Hospital close to 63rd Street, where I was born and had some unhappy stays when I was a youngster.  During one of those stays, the kid in the next crib and I decided to make a break for it, but we only got as far as the elevator before we were captured. Even at that young age, I knew that when it was time to leave, it was time to leave.

But most of all, sitting there, contemplating these various "El" train stops, my eyes are drawn to the Lake and Harlem stop in Forest Park, the end of the line and only a block from the location of my first apartment.  It was a studio at 7416 Franklin, directly across the street from both the "El" train barn and the Daisy Hill meatpacking plant.  I loved that apartment, and on my days off I could get to downtown Chicago in 15 minutes.  Forest Park, by the way, has more people there that are dead than alive, thanks to it's many cemeteries. Years ago, a circus train ran head on into another train near Forest Park, killing many animals and circus performers.  Many of these performers were buried in Forest Park, and since nobody knew the real names of many of these people, there are a lot of headstones with inscriptions like "Bobo the Clown" or "Vanessa the Trapeze Artist." And at night, people sometimes hear the sound of lions roaring and elephants bugling, which they attribute to the ghosts of the animals that died there. Of course, cynics say that since Brookfield Zoo is only about 10 miles away, what they are really hearing are those zoo animals when the wind is just right.  Don't believe it. And by the way, the photograph on the right is a self portrait I took in April of 2009, in front of that very same apartment building on Franklin Street, when I returned to visit Chicago after a 27 year absence.  It is all covered in my international bestseller The Journey Home: Returning to Chicago, which amazingly enough is still available to view (or for that matter buy) at http://www.blurb.com/b/1361398-the-journey-home-returning-to-chicago. Definitely time for another visit.

McMansions Gone Wild...

I went for a long walk through the neighborhood yesterday, and could not help but notice how many "McMansions" are being built around here these days.  It strikes me that there must be a lot of people with a lot of money, and what I want to know is: 1} Just how did they get it? and 2} Where did I go wrong? Obviously, it is way too late for me to worry about that now, and in any case, what would I do with all that space?  One of my favorite McMansions is currently being built on the east side of Denver's Washington Park, as seen in the photograph on the left.  I could just see myself up there on the third floor, sipping a beer and watching the sun set over both Washington Park and the mountains to the west, waiting for my servants to announce that dinner is served.  At last! Part of America's fabled one percent!

The photograph on the right show what the view will be like from that houses's huge floor to ceiling windows, and when the clouds clear off, I am sure they will also have some great mountain views.  As I mentioned several times before on this blog, my then wife Lisa and I once contemplated buying a very modest looking house on the east side of Washington Park with this very same view.  The place was for sale at a price of $279,000, something which I could afford today but not back in 1983.  Probably for the best, since we got divorced not too long afterwards and I could not have made the payments by myself.  But happily, I am still within walking distance of Washington Park and can enjoy the views without the expense.  Definitely a win-win situation.

I decided to walk east of the park to Old South Gaylord Street, and along the way happened upon the house in the photograph on the left, fenced off and about to be bulldozed to make way for still another McMansion.  I have noticed that corner lots are most popular for these new homes, with the most amount of land to insure the house will be appropriately huge.  After all, who could possibly live in the measly house seen in this photo?  I myself would never even think of letting my servants see this place.

A Trip To Boulder

My friend Stuart and I drove up Highway 93 from Lakewood to Boulder, Colorado Sunday afternoon, which provided great views of the Flatirons along the way. When we got to Boulder, we first walked down West Pearl Street past a number of old historic homes, including the Arnett-Fullen House, in front of which Stuart is posing in the photograph on the left.  This house, built in 1877, was Boulder's first historic landmark.  The owner spent all of his money building it, and then traveled from Colorado to Alaska and the Yukon to search for gold in order to restore his fortune. He didn't, and died there in 1900.  A widow named Fullen bought the place, and her family lived there until 1992, when it was sold to the Boulder Historical Society, which used it for offices.  They wound up selling it, and now it appears that work is being done on the inside, perhaps to turn it from offices back to a home.

We continued walking west on Pearl Street until we got to Settler's Park, which runs along Boulder Creek, seen in the photograph on the right.  I couldn't help but notice that there were some tents underneath the foliage along the far side of the river, no doubt where some of the homeless live. Quite a contrast to the big houses located just a short distance away on Mapleton Hill.  I would have to think it would be damn nippy living like that in the middle of January, especially at night.  If it was me, I would head immediately to San Diego and hang out on the beach, but that's just me.

Afterwards, we turned around and walked back to the Pearl Street Mall, and checked out the happenings there, as well as on the streets bordering the mall.  I took the photograph on the left of one of the large houses in the area, not because it is historic or anything, but just because I found it to be pretty impressive looking.  I could see myself sitting in one of those rocking chairs each day before heading off to the mall, or to one of the surrounding trails through the Flatirons.  A lot of space for a single person, but I suppose I could fill it with servants.  We then had dinner at Post Chicken and Beer, which serves great meals in a location just off the mall.  When we arrived the place seemed to be filled with Los Angeles Rams fans (Yes. No doubt more of these Californians) watching the game. After the game ended, however, the most boisterous of these fans left, resulting in a much more mellow atmosphere.  And I strongly recommend The Post if you happen to be in Boulder.  Great food, great atmosphere, and even a fire going in the corner.  Can't beat that, despite the Californians.

More Snow

This past Friday Denver received a bit of snow - maybe an inch or so - but this was still the number one story on all the local newscasts.  Of course, they received a lot more snow to the south and west, causing a 20 car pileup and even forcing the postponement of the University of Denver/Colorado College hockey game, since DU's bus could not make it through the storm, but in the city itself, it was a bit underwhelming.   And although I am not crazy about the snow, I must admit it is still a pretty sight to see the next day, when more times than not the sun comes back out and turns the place into a winter wonderland, such as in the photograph above that I took at Washington Park.  And when the newscasters are talking about the weather, that means they are not talking about the government shutdown.  That is a big plus.

An Auspicious Birthday!

Today I am 66 years old. That is both good news and bad news.  On the bad side, I am now officially an old person. On the good side, I am finally eligible to start receiving social security (my first check arrives in exactly 4 weeks and 4 days, not that I am counting). And on this auspicious occasion, I am featuring a photograph of myself and my Grandmother Louise Spillard (my mother's mother), taken in front of our house in the south side Brainerd neighborhood of Chicago, most likely in the late 50s or early 1960s.  I am on one of my first bikes, which I would ride all over the neighborhood, and eventually through the Dan Ryan Woods, into the Beverly neighborhood (where stock yard executives built their mansions), and eventually into Evergreen Park, the suburb where my Uncle Jack and Aunt Helen Spillard lived.  It was something I really enjoyed, and even today I still enjoy riding through the neighborhoods of Denver, going from my condo to Lower Downtown and throughout the city.  Some things change a lot, and amazingly enough, some things change very little.

Happy Birthday Susan!

Today is my sister Susan's birthday.  She would be furious if I told you how old she is, and so I won't, and will only say that I myself will be 66 years old tomorrow (and finally eligible for social security, thank God), and Susan is older than me. In any case, the photograph on the left was taken in downtown (now called Old Town) Stuart, Florida, on one of our trips there to visit our mother Mary.  She and our father Nelson moved to Stuart in 1976, and lived the happiest years of their lives there. We would often go to Stuart beach, and then walk around Old Town Stuart on the way home. They were good times, even in August, when we often visited. Happy Birthday Susan! Thank you for being my sister.

The 2019 National Western Stock Show

My friend Stuart and I went to see Denver's annual National Western Stock Show this past Tuesday afternoon, and since it was a free day, we definitely got our money's worth.  This is probably the country's biggest stock show, and is the highlight of the year for the ranch communities across the west that attend it. And it is also a great reminder to all of us that this rural, traditional way of life still exists in this country, and we are all the richer for it.  Plus, none of these people seem to mind if I take their photographs, which is truly refreshing.

When you get right down to it, the stock show is all about the animals that are raised on ranches throughout the west, such as the goat in the photograph on the left, which was more than happy to pose for a photograph.  Unlike the massive cows and steers also on display, these goats are raised for their milk and cheese, and are therefore not likely to be sent to the slaughterhouse, thus not instilling a feeling of guilt in me as I take their smiling portrait.  In fact, the day we went, there were hundreds of goats and sheep on display, and a contest was being held to see which was the best of the lot. As far as I am concerned, every one of these animals were interchangeable, and so all were winners in my eyes, except the ones bound for the slaughterhouse, of course.

And of course, I could not end the day without taking a photograph of my friend Stuart with one of our animal friends, and have named this classic snapshot "Portrait of Two Old Goats." I actually don't know how old the goat really is, but I do know Stuart's age, and so at least 50% of the title is spot on.  In any case, Denver's National Western Stock Show runs through Sunday, January 27th, and I heartily recommend that anyone who can possibly attend do so.  You will be truly surprised that this part of America still exists, and thank goodness it does.

The Zoo In January - Part II

As I mentioned in yesterday's blog, I went to the Denver Zoo last Wednesday afternoon to walk around and take a few photographs.  I took a number of animal portraits, and afterwards decided to make a circuit of the place, where I happened upon the funky horses or donkeys (I am from the south side of Chicago, after all, and we had very few of these creatures running around the neighborhood) in the photo on the left..  I am not sure if they were "horsing around" or not - one horse was chasing the other, and the horse being chased was landing it's back hoofs on the pursing horse, which I think would probably hurt.

And so what was going on?  Was it a case of a male horse feeling a bit frisky and the female not being in the mood? Or was it simply siblings playing around and amusing themselves on an unusually warm January afternoon. Where are the docents when you truly have a question?  Most of the time they are only around when the animals are lying around taking a nap, explaining to us all that these creatures eat approximately 1,000 pounds of food a day and then have to sleep it off for 7 or 8 hours.  When I actually want to know what is going on, these docents are nowhere to be found.  I definitely need to write a letter (or these days, of course, send an e-mail) to Denver Zoo officials.  I am sure they will welcome the inquiry.

The Zoo In January

I went to the Denver Zoo this past Wednesday, and found that I pretty much had the place to myself.  The temperature was in the 50s, the sun was out, and it turned out to be a really nice afternoon.  Plus, all the animals were sitting in the sun, which makes it much easier to take some good photographs.  And all of them seemed perfectly agreeable to pose for the camera.  I suspect with the lack of visitors, they were feeling a bit lonely and were happy to see me.  Also, I think they sense that I am a fellow renegade, and might very well help break them out of prison.  I would certainly give it a try, guys, but I suspect zoo officials might get upset. The swine.

Watching Tottenham Play Manchester United With Mark

I got up at the crack of dawn yesterday morning (7:30 A.M.) to watch a soccer match between Tottenham and Manchester United with my friend Mark, seen on the left in the above photo.  We watched the game at Esters Neighborhood Pub with the Colorado Spurs, the Denver-based Tottenham Hotspur supporters.  The club had an entire room to itself, and the place was packed.  Mark and I were really lucky to snag 2 seats at the bar.  And I learned several new things.  First, that soccer fans here in America are willing to get up at ungodly hours to watch their team.  Second, this particular team and the London neighborhood it represents is called Tottenham, not Tottingham, as I wrote in a blog the last time I watched them play (same difference, though, right?).  Third, the interim coach of Manchester United is a Norwegian who is also the coach of a team in Norway called The Mold. Really. The Mold.  Nice. And by the way, Manchester United won the match 1 to nill, as we soccer fans say.

What? Snow In Denver? Impossible!

In a dramatic turn of events, it actually snowed in Denver this past Friday.  It hit 61 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday, and was very sunny, making for a very pleasant day for the annual National Western Stock Show Parade. However, just 24 hours later, it was snowing.  The amount of snow we receive depends on the altitude, and while Denver received only an inch and a half, other areas received almost a foot of snow. Since snowfall here is such a rarity these days, I took the opportunity yesterday to take a few winter photographs in nearby Washington Park, such as the one on the left.

After I took that photograph, since it was such a nice day, I decided to walk around the lake, which a lot of people around here seem to do on a regular basis.  When I got half way around the lake, a fellow senior citizen told me that there was an eagle in the tree just around the corner.  I have never seen an eagle in person before, and therefore I was very excited to be able to take the photograph on the right.  I have been walking in Washington Park for almost 38 years now, and have never seen an eagle there, and so I assume it was here because Rocky Mountain National Park is closed thanks to the government shutdown, and this was it's next choice. Makes sense to me.

In any case, after my walk, I drove back home, but along the way  I stopped inf front of a house across the street from the park that seemed to be attracting a large number of geese.  Just why they were all congregating in the front yard of this particular house I don't know.  And why the hell the owners don't shoe these geese off I also don't know. What I do know is that the place right next door is for sale, and I picked up a brochure for it on the way back to my car.  It is truly a great location, and the house has no less than 5 bedrooms, at  a sales price of a mere 1.6 million dollars.  And I imagine it comes with all the geese you want for free.

The National Western Stock Show Parade

Thursday was the annual National Western Stock Show Parade, and for the first time since I have lived in Denver, I was able to attend.  The crowd consisted of families taking the day off, downtown workers on their lunch hour, and a lot of older couples with DSLRs (digital single lens reflex cameras) who are part of the 47% of Americans receiving "entitlements," as Republican Senator Mitch McConnell refers to Social Security. And as of the 1st of this month, I have joined them.  They are my people now.  I am entitled, after all.

More Nostalgia!

This past December, in order to get to my artificial Christmas tree for the first time in 10 years, I was forced to clean out my storage locker, which was not an easy task. I spent days going through years and years of ephemera, but happily found several boxes of photographs that my mother Mary kept over the years, one of which can be seen on the left.  It was taken at Keystone, a ski resort about an hour or so west of Denver, where we went to an art festival one summer.  I must have taken this particular photograph because I thought the dummy in the background was pretty amusing.  As I recall, we walked all around the village and had a very pleasant afternoon.  Neither of us bought any artwork.  I am, of course, a notorious cheapskate.  My mother, let's just say, was also kind of thrifty.

And ironically, during First Friday last week, I saw a dummy similar to the one we saw in that window up in Keystone at the back of an artist's studio, on the second floor of an art gallery on Denver's Santa Fe Boulevard.  This time I didn't find the dummy so much amusing as creepy, standing there in that near vacant room with that grin pasted on it's face.  I almost expected it to start emitting a sinister laugh.  Funny how perceptions change depending on the situation.  I wonder if I am only thinking this way because I am currently reading a Stephen King novel.  If this were one of his plots, I would probably wake up one night and see that face staring down at me.  Is my imagination finally getting away from me?  Don't answer.

Back At The Old Chicago In Lakewood

I got together with my friend Stuart this past Tuesday night at the Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom in beautiful, exotic, but still amazingly boring Lakewood, Colorado.  I took the above photograph of Stuart just outside the entrance, since Stuart is now wearing a new "Colorado" hat that has a reflective coating on it, resulting in photographs with blown out highlights if you use a flash.  I have suggested to Stuart that he go back to wearing his O'Reilly Auto Parts Cap (a very tasteful choice, I might add), but he feels that particular hat is getting a little too shabby to wear out in public.  In any case, since football is over, and baseball spring training still 5 or 6 weeks away, nothing was showing on the televisions but basketball and hockey (and yes, they still play those sports professionally). I would  have asked the waitress if they would put the camel races on at least one set, but she probably would have rolled her eyes and told me I was cut off.

The 2019 CTA Historical Calendar Is Here!

At last! The Chicago Transit Authority's 2019 Historical Calendar is here, with 12 historic photographs of Chicago and the buses, "L" trains, and streetcars that have transported the citizens of Chicago for 160 years.  How great is that?  Keep it on your desktop, print out each month and put it on your wall or refrigerator, but be sure to e-mail it to every human being you know.  I am featuring the January photograph from the calendar, which shows people boarding double deck buses after an Army Day ceremony back in 1946.  My mother told me we used to ride double deck buses years ago when we were downtown, but I must have been pretty young, and couldn't remember.  I was thinking they must have looked like the double deck buses you see in London, but perhaps these were what we actually rode.  Still another of the world's mysteries solved! Downloaded the calendar for free at https://www.transitchicago.com/historicalcalendar/.

The January Mutt Of The Month

I took the above photograph last week during a walk through Denver's East Washington Park neighborhood (so close physically, so far economically, but I digress). This golden lab was sitting in a fenced in yard, enjoying a nice sunny day, and although the fence was pretty low, it did not seem interested in jumping it.  As a matter of fact, on my way back home, it was still sitting in the same spot as before.  Obviously a fellow senior citizen.

Springtime In January

This past weekend was truly beautiful here in Denver - sunny and temperatures at 60 degrees Fahrenheit - or close to it - both Saturday and Sunday.  I myself spent both days walking around parts of the city.  On Saturday, I walked down 17th Street - a hipster haven of restaurants, bars, and boutiques - from the Tattered Cover Bookstore (my former employer) to Union Station, where I took the light rail train home. And on Sunday, I walked around my neighborhood, from the Pearl Street business district, through Washington Park, up and down the Old South Gaylord area, and then home again.  In the collage above, going clockwise from the upper left, are photographs of the patio of the Vine Street Pub on 17th Street (which does not take credit cards, a vestige from the 19th Century no doubt), a new very pricey apartment building being constructed on 17th, a view of the west side of Washington Park, where peasants once frolicked, but now only hipsters reign, and a view of the mountains from the east side of Washington Park, where back in the 1980s my then wife Lisa and I could have bought a bungalow with that exact same view for $279,000, but didn't have that kind of money back then.. And the weather report says it will remain warm and dry for the foreseeable future.  One of the few benefits of global warming.

Epiphany Is Here! - Time To Take Down That Tree!

Today is Epiphany, the 12th day of Christmas - the day the three wise men arrived in Bethlehem, bringing gifts to the Christ Child.  It is also a great excuse to leave your Christmas tree and decorations up until after January 6th. This holiday season, by the way,  marks the first time I have put up my Christmas tree in 10 years, and I am not looking forward to taking it down. And since I don't get many visitors, I am wondering if I shouldn't just leave the tree up until next Christmas?  People already think of me as a bit of an eccentric, so what do I have to lose?  And after all, many years ago, back when I lived in an apartment in Wheaton, Illinois,  the fellow in the apartment across the way kept his tree up all year long, only taking it down right before Christmas. Granted, that is crazy behavior, but a precedent is a precedent, right?

The First Friday Of 2019

I drove over to Denver's Santa Fe Arts District last night, where I once again participated in the monthly First Friday Art Walk.  Just like last month, I couldn't help but notice that more and more art galleries are closing.  Is it because the rents are getting too high for these galleries to afford, or is it because the interest in the arts (by which I mean actually buying art) here in Denver is just not that strong?  In any case, the crowds are still coming, which means a much higher percentage of hipsters per square foot of gallery space, which almost always guarantees a very claustrophobic experience.

Regardless, the art on display each month  is almost always "cutting edge," by which I mean damn weird. Take the art piece in the photograph on the right, a female form with the head of a stoplight.  Seriously - is this what you want to put in your living room, to spark conversations about art and what the purpose of art really is? What happens when this current topic of conversation becomes passe? Do you throw this priceless art object out in the trash?  I suggest putting it in a major Denver intersection, such as Colfax (the longest, wickedest street in America) and Broadway. On the other hand, it might actually look good out on my balcony.  The mind reels with possibilities.

New Episodes From Rick Steves!

As regular blog readers know, I am a big Rick Steves fan, and watch his European travel programs on a regular basis, even if I have seen them 10 or 20 times before.  And I am happy to report that Rick Steves (seen in the photograph above on the left) has 10 brand new episodes this year, a great treat for travel fanatics everywhere.  This time, Rick has 4 episodes that explore traveling via cruise ship.  I must say, I did not find these episodes very interesting.  Rick is at his best when promoting traveling on your own, carrying a single backpack and exploring Europe as an individual, getting to know the continent and it's people like a local.  Happily, the other 6 episodes show exactly how to do this, and I recommend them highly.  And if you do not catch these episodes on public television, you can watch them on your computer at https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/tv-show.  Enjoy!

Cold Snap!

Just in time for New Year's Eve, the temperatures here on the front range of Colorado dropped below zero, a reminder that we are living at 5,000 feet above sea level out here and cold weather sometimes happens. The temperature dropped to 5 below zero Fahrenheit, and the wind chill hit 20 below zero.  I myself drove up to Fort Collins that afternoon and went with my sister to see Mary Poppins Returns (which we both liked), and I took the photograph above of the plaza in front of the movie theater, showing a properly winter scene. Of course, the front range has wild temperature swings, and today the temperature will be back in the 50s.  What I do not understand, and never will, is why - when there is a 20 degree below zero wind chill - people here still wear shorts?  Does living at such a high altitude all their lives make them go crazy? Obviously it does.

New Year's Day Soccer

I went with my friend Mark (seen in the photograph above) to watch Tottingham (a London soccer club) play Cardiff City yesterday morning with Denver's Tottingham Fan Club. The gathering took place at Esters Neighborhood Pub on South Holly Street, and the food there was pretty damn good. And I must say, I was very impressed with the turnout.  The place was packed with soccer fans at 10:00 in the morning on New Year's Day.  Talk about dedication.  Tottingham won the game 3 nill (as the soccer crowd says), and after the game ended the entire room sang what I assume is the Tottingham official song.  One of the leaders of the group, a British ex-pat, remarked about how American sports fans don't cheer or sing songs after their team wins.  I must beg to differ.  Back when I lived in Chicago and attended Chicago White Sox baseball games at Comiskey Park on the south side, the entire stadium (all 200 of us) would launch into "Na Na Na Na, Na Na Na Na, Hey Hey Hey, Goodbye" whenever the team won a game.  Granted, that was only a couple of times a year, but we still did it.  So there.