Attending The Final Rockies Game Of The Season With Mark

My friend Mark - seen in the photograph on the left - and I attended the final Colorado Rockies game of the season at Coors Field yesterday afternoon. They were playing the Los Angeles Dodgers, and so Dodger fans were in abundance, as usual, due to the large number of California transplants living here, but thanks to the retirement of Rockies all-star Charlie Blackmon, Rockies fans were in abundance, too, and the game was a sellout.

I always like to attend the last game of the season because the Rockies players walk around the field after the game to thank the fans, as seen in the photograph on the right. I always try to get a seat on the lower level, in the outfield and as close to the front as possible in order to get close-ups of the players as they pass by. Unfortunately, because the game was a sellout, the only seats available were in the upper deck, and so I had to make do with my zoom lens, with mixed success.  As for the game, the Dodgers won by a score of 2 to 1, and the Rockies finished the season with a record of 61-101, joining my South Side heroes, the Chicago White Sox (41-121) and the Miami Marlins (62-100) as the worst teams in baseball this year, although the White Sox also earned the distinction of having the worst single-season record in the history of Major League Baseball.

But no matter. There is always next year, and at Coors Field the day was all about Charlie Blackmon - seen holding his son in the photograph on the left - and celebrating his 14 years with the Rockies. Charlie's retirement will be a big loss for the team. In addition to being a great player, he was always all about the fans, and each year when the players walked around the field after that final game, he was right there by the stands, shaking hands, posing for pictures, talking with the fans, and making sure they knew they were appreciated. Over the last few years, I've noticed that some of players have barely looked at the fans, let alone shaken their hands, during this walk, and quickly head back into the clubhouse as soon as they can, while Charlie always lingers on the field, waving to everyone, the last one to leave the field. Have a great retirement, Charlie!

A September Snowstorm In Denver? Don't Bet On It.

I had the local television newscast on the other day while I was working on my computer, and heard a story comparing our current weather here in Denver (mostly upper 80s with a few 90s thrown in) to a September snowstorm in a previous year. I wasn't listening very closely, and thought they were talking about last year. I decided I would use a photograph of that storm in today's blog post, to contrast the difference between this year and last. I looked back at last year's blog posts, and saw no storms, and kept looking back until 2020, still finding nothing. Then I checked the internet and found that the last time Denver had measurable snow in September was back in 2000. Snow in Denver in September is evidently very rare. It turns out the newscasters were talking about the anniversary of a snowstorm that took place 88 years ago, on September 26th, 1936, which was just a few years before I started this blog. A total of 16.5 inches fell in downtown Denver, and 21.3 inches at Stapleton International, a convenient, close-in airport that was replaced by Denver International Airport back in 1995, when the city fathers decided an airport close to the Kansas state line would be much more practical. In any case, we did get snow here in October of last year, but often the first snowfall can be as late as December. The photograph above was taken on October 29th of last year, marking that year's first snowstorm, dumping between 8 to 9 inches on the city. Which no doubt melted the very next day, when temperatures returned to the 70s and 80s. And thanks to casinos in both Blackhawk and Central City, Colorado, not to mention online betting sites, you can probably place bets on when Denver's first snowfall will take place this year. Good luck with that.

Time Once Again For Hockey Night Lights!

Yes! It is once again time for Hockey Night Lights, an annual tradition at the University of Denver, where students camp out all night in front of the Ritchie Center Ticket Office to purchase DU hockey student season passes for the 2024-2025 season when they go on sale at 8:00 A.M. today. The DU Pioneers won their NCAA record-breaking 10th National Championship last season, and so those tickets are in high demand. All kinds of activities were scheduled to entertain the students last night, while they waited for the ticket office to open, but as usual, their favorite entertainment was playing music through huge speakers at full blast. And, of course, this is one of the reasons this event is a favorite of the residents of my condo building, seen in the background of the photograph above. If you keep your doors open, you can enjoy their music like you were sitting right next to the speakers, and if you keep your doors shut, it sounds like a distant, constantly pounding bass. Free entertainment without even leaving home. What could be better?

Brunching At Syrup!

Yesterday morning my sister Susan and I had brunch at Syrup, a breakfast spot just across the street from Denver's City Park. Syrup has a very pleasant patio with a nice view of that park, and the food is very good. Of course, like many places in Denver, breakfast is no longer cheap. Susan ordered a breakfast of bacon and eggs, toast, and tater tots, along with a coffee, while I had coffee and helped myself to the leftovers Susan didn't want. The total - $30 including tip. I myself remember the good old days when you could get a breakfast for under $10. Of course, that was back when horse-drawn carriages were the main form of transportation, but nevertheless, $30 is pretty pricey. And by the way, I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I have written several times on my blog that City Park has swan boats for rent on their lake, while Washington Park, close to where I live, has only cheap plastic boats to rent, and how unfair that is. But just this past week, I was driving past Washington Park on the way home, and saw swan boats there out on Smith Lake. Blog Power Rules! No thanks necessary.

Fall At New Terrain

My sister Susan - seen in the photograph above - and I recently dropped in at New Terrain Brewery in Golden, Colorado on a sunny fall weekday afternoon, and it was really nice to be back there. The beer is great, and the view of Table Mesa and North Table Mesa Mountain can't be beat. Plus, if you want, you can get a table overlooking the dog park next door and snap a few photographs, if you are so inclined. I prefer to visit this place on a weekday, beause weekends and holidays are just too crowded. You know you are in trouble when you see cars parked along both sidess of the road when you are still a mile or so away. You can, of course, just circle the parking lot until someone pulls out, but that can take some time. Plus, a lot of people these days get in their car, turn it on, and then check their e-mail for 15 minutes or so before pulling out, which if you decide to wait, might cause major blood pressure issues. As well it should.

The Aspens Are At Peak Color

My sister Susan and I drove up to Georgetown, Colorado this past Sunday afternoon, and from there headed up Guanella Pass to admire the Aspen trees, which are now at their peak color. This is a very popular route for "leaf peeping," as they call it, and the day before, someone trying to maneuver their car past illegally parked cars along the side of the road wound up putting it on its side, blocking the road in both directions and causing an hours-long traffic jam. On the bright side, it gave everyone a chance to sit back, relax, and enjoy the fall colors. It sounded very restful. But in any case, there were no such incidents on Sunday, thank goodness. The Guanella Pass Road goes 25 miles from Georgetown to Grant, where it meets up with US 285, which takes you back to Denver, but we turned around at the Guanella Pass Nature Area and headed back home. Things to do, places to go, as usual.

Georgetown is a nice place to visit. It was settled in 1859 and became the center of silver mining in the state during the 1880s. The population reached 10,000 before the silver market collapse, and it currently has only around 1,100 permanent residents. However, the downtown area is very much like it was back in its heyday, as seen in the photo on the right, and there are wonderful Victorian-era homes everywhere you look. Thanks to its Old West atmosphere, a number of movies have been filmed here, and it is a popular destination at Christmas. However, if you decide to head there around then, just make sure the weather is good, or you might wind up with your car on its side, too. That would not be very Christmasy.

Denver Oktoberfest: Still Another Excuse To Wear A Costume

There were a lot of people wearing traditional Bavarian attire at the Denver Oktoberfest this past Saturday afternoon. In fact, here in Denver, people tend to dress up in costumes for all kinds of events, including Mardi Gras, Comic Con (known as Fan Expo Denver here), the Zombie Crawl (if it ever returns after Denver finishes tearing up the 16th Street Mall, where it has always been held), Halloween, and, of course, Dia de los Muertos, which is very popular here. Most of the celebrating for all these events takes place in the Lower Downtown (LoDo), River North (RiNo), and Ballpark neighborhoods, where a very large population of young singles and couples live in very expensive high-rise apartments (no doubt needing 10 or so roommates to afford it). And they seem to be more into donning costumes than senior citizens like me.

Of course, the costumes worn at Oktoberfest are very traditional and charming, as opposed to other events such as Halloween and the Zombie Crawl. The Zombie Crawl participants can be especially grotesque, but seem to have a lot of fun limping around, scaring the hell out of people. In any case, the good news is that the Denver Oktoberfest will take place next weekend, too, and so you can put on your lederhosen and dirndl dresses and head on over to 21st and Larimer Streets, in the Ballpark neighborhood, and raise a few steins to celebrate the season. And since the Colorado Rockies will be playing their final games of the year just a block or so away, be sure to raise a stein to them to celebrate not making the postseason for a sixth straight year. Tee times at the golf course will happily not have to be canceled. Perhaps some of the players will actually head over to Oktoberfest after the game, sign autographs, and drown their sorrows in very pricey beer. One can only hope.

Denver Oktoberfest 2024

I went to Denver Oktoberfest this past Saturday afternoon to check it out, and found that it was pretty damn lively. This festival has been going on since 1969, originally in Larimer Square, and later at its current location on Larimer Street in the Ballpark Neighborhood. The Ballpark Neighborhood, just to the east of Coors Field, is sandwiched between the River North (RiNo) and Lower Downtown (LoDo) neighborhoods, both of which are the stomping grounds of Denver hipsters, who were out and about in force on Saturday. This is the second Oktoberfest I have attended this year, the first being The Highlands Oktoberfest, which I found mildly disappointing. It was almost a carbon copy of the Highlands Street Festival. Don't get me wrong, I love that festival, but their Oktoberfest just seemed pretty damn bland.

On the other hand, the Denver Oktoberfest had events such as stein-hoisting, as seen in the photograph on the right, keg bowling, lots of traditional food booths, German beer, and best of all, lots of people in costume. There was also a Long Dog Derby, a costume contest, and a talent show, in addition to two stages featuring polka music and The Chicken Dance. And if you are really into Oktoberfest, you could buy a VIP pass and spend the entire day at the festival, receiving a commemorative stein, unlimited beer and wine, 2 ice cold Jagermeister Shots, and a German lunch and dinner. All for a measly $165. However, to me, that does not sound like such a great idea. A little bit of Oktoberfest goes a long way, and with unlimited beer and wine, you might wake up the next morning in Wichita, and for the rest of your life never know how you got there. And for the record, I have to say, I saw very few people in the VIP section.

One of the main things about the Highlands Oktoberfest that I didn't like was that I did not see many traditional food booths. Not true at The Denver Oktoberfest. They had all kinds of traditional food offerings, including that most iconic of German cuisines, Das Turkey Leg, no doubt freshly defrosted from last June's Denver Chalk Art Festival. Yum! And best of all, this is only the first weekend of Oktoberfest. They will do it all over again next weekend, too. Plus, the Colorado Rockies will be playing their final series against the Los Angeles Dodgers that weekend, ensuring a huge crowd of baseball fans and Oktoberfest revelers filling the streets. See you all there next weekend! Don't forget to bring your VIP pass!

The First Day Of Fall

Today is the first day of fall, and the leaves are already changing up in the mountains. My sister Susan and I drove up to Golden Gate Canyon State Park this past Thursday afternoon to check out the colors, and it looks like they will be at their peak pretty soon. I have driven past the entrance to this park many times, but have never really explored it. It is over 12,000 acres in size, and so if you want to hike its trails, it is advisable to get a map from the visitors center first. Or be lost forever. Which is a damn long time.

Years ago, my then wife Lisa and I came up to this park to write our wedding vows. She was much more familiar with Colorado than I was at the time, and I remember we found a spot in the park with a spectacular view. I have absolutely no idea where it was, but saw on the park's website that Panorama Point Scenic Overlook is supposed to have a great view of the Continental Divide, and can be accessed via the Mule Deer Trail. Naturally, of course, this spot is located on the opposite side of the park, close to the Peak-to-Peak highway between Black Hawk and Estes Park, and so it requires a bit more time to get to. Perhaps I'll get to it next year. Or the year after. Or even the year after that. These things take time, right?

Batting Practice 1994

I've noticed in recent years that I never see batting practice when I arrive early for a baseball game at Coors Field. Years ago, this was always something to look forward to. People would hang out in the outfield to catch a souvenir ball, and you could wander the stands freely until the start of the game, taking fairly close up photographs of the players. I took the photo on the left back in 1994 of Colorado Rockies stars Andres Galarraga (on the left) and Vinnie Castilla (on the right) standing in front of the batting cage at Mile High Stadium, the second year of the team's existence. This was the year before Coors Field opened, when enthusiasm for the team was at its height. I hope to get to the ballpark early one of these days to see if I have just been too late for batting practice, or if the public is no longer welcome for this event. If it is the latter, that would be a very sad thing indeed.

Mike Royko's Life Story On Stage!

I read an article on the internet the other day that there is currently a one-man show at Chopin Theater in Chicago called "Royko - The Toughest Man in Chicago." And the reviews have been good. There is also an ongoing exhibit at Chicago's Newberry Library that features not only Royko's life and career, but his impact on Chicago's style of journalism. I really loved reading Royko's columns, which first appeared in the Chicago Daily News, then the Chicago Sun-Times, and finally the Chicago Tribune, and have purchased every book of his columns ever printed, including the one in the photograph above. He was a very witty writer and got many of his points across through humor. Royko passed away back in 1997 at the age of 64. In later years, he was criticized for a variety of reasons, but Royko told it like he saw it, never touting a specific political viewpoint. I still enjoy taking those books off the shelf and reading those columns over and over again. You should too. And if you live in the Chicago area, you should definitely attend both that show and the exhibit at the Newberry.             

A Return To The Littleton Museum

My sister Susan and I visited the Littleton Museum, located in that suburb just to the south of Denver, last week after a long absence, and as always, it was a fun experience. In addition to the museum itself, which has many exhibits featuring the history of Littleton, it also features two farms, one from the 1860s and one from the 1890s. The cabin from the 1860s and the home from the 1890s were moved to the museum grounds from other parts of Littleton, along with an old schoolhouse, as seen in the photograph on the left.

We visited on a Friday, when docents in costume welcomed visitors into those historic buildings and entertained everyone by making traditional pioneer foods over the fireplace. I took the photograph on the right of the inside of the 1860s log cabin, which I must say seemed very cozy, although if you had to use the toilet in the middle of the night it would make for a pretty chilly trip to the outhouse during the winter.

In addition to those historic buildings, the Littleton Museum also has a variety of animals on exhibit, including cows, pigs, chickens and roosters, as well as a number of goats, such as the one seen in the photograph on the left. The goats were very cooperative, most of them happy to pose for a photograph. The cows, on the other hand, ignored me completely, and a very large pig was sound asleep inside its barn. I could not tell if the chickens and roosters were fully engaged with me or not - they just seemed to wander aimlessly around their compound. In any case, this is definitely a fun place to visit, with free admission, too. What's not to like?

Winter Descends Upon The Tattered Cover Bookstore

Not literally, of course. It is still only mid-September here in Denver, but winter is certainly descending upon the soul of that store, which was once one of the top bookstores in the country. Just a few months ago, after entering Chapter 11 and entertaining offers from a number of bidders, the 4-store chain was sold to Barnes and Noble with great fanfare. Their CEO announced that the Tattered Cover would retain its name and operate independently, as it always had. But unfortunately, it turns out that it wouldn't be that independent after all. Most, if not all of the employees working behind the scenes have been laid off, to their surprise, with Barnes and Noble only keeping the sales floor staff. People who have worked at the TC for decades are now looking for new jobs, which was not what they expected after hearing Barnes and Noble's CEO's speech to the TC employees a few months back. It is eerily similar to what happened when Follett Higher Education Group took over the University of Denver Bookstore, where I worked as the Finance Manager. The contract required Follett to retain the staff for at least one year, but when that year was up, almost everyone who was making a living wage was laid off, without prior notice. This is a common occurrence when a large corporation takes over another, smaller company. A very sad reality. And yes - that is me at the entrance to the Tattered Cover Bookstore on Colfax Avenue back in December of 2015, when I was working as the bookkeeper there. It was a pretty big snowstorm, but a much better time.

Attending The Colorado British Motor Conclave

I went to the Colorado British Motor Conclave this past Sunday morning with my friend Mark. While Mark attends this event every year, that was the first time I have been there, and the number of classic British cars on display at Oak Park in Arvada, just to the northwest of Denver, was very impressive. Mark belongs to the Rocky Mountain Jaguar Club, which displays many cars at that event. There were also a lot of Triumphs, as well as MGs, such as the one in the photograph on the left. Someone was playing the bagpipes to set the mood, and some of the car owners even wore kilts, which to me seems pretty strange, but then again, I am not a classic car person. By the way, although Mark belongs to the Jaguar Club, he doesn't actually own a Jaguar. And yes, I too think he should be expelled from the club for that.

I did see a vehicle at the show that I think might make a nice second car, and took a photograph of it, as seen on the right. It is an old Rolls Royce, which would definitely make a statement when I drove to the King Soopers to buy groceries. I was planning on offering the owner $2,000 in cash for it, but Mark and I had to get to the Cubs-Rockies baseball game, and since the owner and I might wind up haggling a bit until we reached an agreed-upon price ($3,000 tops), I decided to put off making an offer. In any case, if it is still around next year, I'll definitely try to close the deal, just like everyone's favorite billionaire, Donald Trump. Who I suspect would also like that car.

Watching The Colorado Rockies Play The Chicago Cubs At Coors Field

I went with my friend Mark, seen in the photograph above, to Coors Field yesterday afternoon to watch the Colorado Rockies play the Chicago Cubs. The Rockies won the first two games of the series, and I suspected that their good fortune would not continue. And I was right - the Rockies lost the game 6-2. The Cubs had Kyle Hendricks, their ace pitcher, on the mound, and he pitched a very good game. The Cubs still have a slim chance of making the playoffs. They would have to go 10-3 the rest of the season, and both the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets would have to suffer a major collapse for them to snag the final National League wild-card spot. But at least it is a mathematical possibility. On the other hand, it looks like the Rockies will lose 100 games for the second season in a row. As for my South Side heroes, the Chicago White Sox, they earned their 1st series win and back-to-back victories since June against the Oakland A's, but they will need to go 8-4 over their next 12 games to avoid tying the 1962 New York Mets for the worst season record (40-120) in baseball history. And I have to say, we White Sox fans have every confidence they will equal or exceed that historic mark. How could they not? When you are cursed, you are cursed. Deal with it.

The Downtown Boulder Fall Fest

This weekend Fall Fest takes place on the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder. My sister Susan and I drove to Boulder Friday evening, and the place was packed with students, seniors, families, you name it. The restaurants were filled as well. We tried to have dinner at Post Chicken and Beer, but when we walked in the hostess asked if we were there for the wedding. And when we said no, we were informed that they were closed to the public for a private event. Really? The entire area crowded with people, a major festival going on along on nearby Pearl Street, and they were closed to the public? They must be getting a huge pay day to be doing that.

But since I don't own stock in the company, we moved on and had dinner at a place called Pedro's Tacos and Tequila, which is located right on the mall, a few doors down from the Boulder Bookstore. The food was good, the prices not unreasonable, and so I can't complain. Pedro's is located in what was once the first location (I think) of BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse, which moved years ago to a stand alone location a few miles away. As for the Boulder Bookstore, it seemed to be as crowded as ever, and as far as I am concerned, the best independent bookstore in Colorado. 

It has been a long time since I have visited the Pearl Street Mall on a Friday or Saturday night during the summer, and although a lot of the restaurants and shops are different, it still seems to be the place to hang out up there. It is definitely a great place for people-watching. A really fun thing to do is catch a University of Colorado Buffalos football game in the afternoon, sitting in the stands with a view of the Flatirons in the background, and then walking down the hill to the Pearl Street Mall to spend a relaxing Saturday night. I did that once, but these days, a seat costs hundreds of dollars. For a college football game, no less. I checked the price the other day for a game against Kansas State. Most of the seats were $220 or $330, although you could get a ticket for $153 in Zone 5, which I could not find on the stadium seating chart. I suspect Zone 5 is actually in the parking lot. Seriously, who in their right mind would pay those kind of prices to see a college football game? It boggles the mind.

Getting Nostalgic About Chicago. Yes! Again!

After reading the last two issues of Chicago Magazine, I am starting to get nostalgic about my old hometown. The last time I visited Chicago was back in April of 2010. I spent a week there after having been away from the city for almost 30 years, but it still seemed very much the same. And still bustling. The last day I was there, I took the photograph above of a group of sailboats moving up the South Branch of the Chicago River, no doubt heading toward their berths along Lake Michigan for the summer. Talk about fun! I like Denver, but I still think Chicago, with its lakefront, is one of the prettiest cities in the country. Definitely time to head back there for a visit. And soon! I wonder if any of my cousins back there owns a sailboat or yacht that they keep on Lake Michigan. I'll have to call them all up and tactfully work it into the conversation. Of course, figuring out how to do that might take years. Perhaps I'll just settle for a $10 water taxi ride down the Chicago River. Probably the same experience, more or less. And much cheaper.

The August And September Issues Of Chicago Magazine

The U.S. Post Office does not forward periodicals (or for that matter, most of your first-class mail, either) if it is not a permanent change, and so I had to wait until I got home to Denver from Florida to peruse the August and September issues of Chicago Magazine. And I must say, both months have very interesting articles. The cover story for August was Best of Chicago, which had a lot of fun categories, including Best Rooftop Biergarten (Gene's Sausage Shop and Delicatessen) and Best Rooftop Scene For Those Who Don't Want a Scene (Reggie's Trainwreck Rooftop Deck, which I really want to visit, located in the South Loop). Also, in honor of the Democratic Convention being held in Chicago, there was also an article titled "Barack Slept Here," featuring sites associated with Barach Obama, including his home at 5046 South Greenwood Avenue. There was also an interesting piece about Google reviving architect Helmut Jahn's Thompson Center, famous for its 17-story atrium, which due to all the windows has something like a 10 billion dollar a year utility bill. Pricey, but I am sure Google can handle it.

The September issue of Chicago was also pretty interesting. A regular department called "The 312" highlighted an English-inspired 1909, 8,000 square foot mansion in Evanston, which features 8 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, a stunning garden with a fountain and swimming pool, and an 800 square foot coach house with 1 bedroom and a kitchen above a three-car garage. All for 2.75 million. When you consider that people in Denver have been buying homes on the east side of Washington Park for 2.5 million and then knocking them down to build something respectable, it really does sound like a deal. Unfortunately, all my money is tied up right now in Greek government bonds or I would have made an offer. In the "My Town" section, Tom Dobrez highlighted his favorite places in South Suburban Flossmoor, where my sister Susan used to live, including Flossmoor Station, which used to be an actual railroad station back when she lived there, but is now a great microbrewery and restaurant. There were also articles about the Morrison Hotel, located in the Loop at the corner of Madison and Clark, which has a fascinating history, and one about an Oak Park Nazi, a former member of the SS and a concentration camp guard, who worked in the early 1980s as the head janitor at Oak Park River Forest High School. All in all, two issues well worth picking up.

Getting Together With Stuart Once Again At Old Chicago

I had a late lunch with my friend Stuart, seen in the photograph above, at the Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom in Lakewood, Colorado yesterday afternoon.  After discussing the previous night's debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris and my recent trip to Florida, we never did get to discussing the situation with our respective baseball teams - this in spite of the fact that my South Side heroes, the Chicago White Sox, were on the television behind the bar playing the Cleveland Guardians. I guess that was because we knew the White Sox were going to lose once again on their way to the most losses in major league baseball history this year. Stuart, who grew up on the North Side of Chicago, is a Cubs fan, and although the Cubs (currently 4 games over .500) still have a chance to get into the playoffs, Stuart doesn't seem to think they will make it. Which, of course, makes sense, since they are, after all, the Cubs. As the late Chicago newspaper columnist Mike Royko once said, "you win some, you lose some, but with the Cubs, you mostly lose some." As for our adopted hometown team, the Colorado Rockies, they are a mere 8 games away from still another 100-loss season. On the bright side, once again we don't have to be concerned about the high cost of playoff tickets. One less thing to worry about. A minor victory, but a victory none the less.

A Brightline Deal Derailed? Say It Ain't So!

The Stuart Florida City Commission voted 3-2 to rescind the deal they made with Brightline - which operates a high-speed train between Miami and Orlando - to build a train station in the downtown area. This reversal came with the recent election of two new commissioners, who defeated the incumbents on a platform of curbing city growth. Stuart is the county seat of Martin County, which has a long tradition of trying to preserve the environment (no buildings over 4 stories, plenty of public beach access, etc.), but recently, due to population growth, there have been a number of multifamily developments built in the area, along with a controversial plan, that was approved by the previous commission, to build a Costco and several apartment buildings a short distance from where my sister Susan and my condo is located. And of course, the people of Stuart are worried they will lose what attracted everyone there in the first place. Yesterday, the Martin County Commission pledged to try and save the deal, but whether that can happen is anybody's guess. My opinion is that Brightline is so damn expensive that very few people will ever take it anyway. The same company, by the way, is building a high-speed train from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, which I assume will be unaffordable, too, especially when trying to get home after losing all your money in Las Vegas. Is it time to take up hitchhiking again? Scary.

The September Mutt Of The Month

I took the photograph on the left of this month's Mutt of the Month at the outdoor bar at Sailor's Rest, a restaurant located in the Sunset Bay Marina in Stuart, Florida. As you can see, that dog is panting pretty heavily, no doubt not enjoying the 90-degree temperatures and 100% humidity, especially with all that fur. No doubt its owner is buying it a nice bowl of beer, along with his own pint. As I have said before, this is a great place to sit and watch the sun set over the St. Lucie River and gaze at the yachts in the marina. How perfect to dock your yacht after sailing over from the Greek Islands and then walking over to enjoy a cold one at what I have always called The Jolly Sailor Pub, thanks to the sign hanging next to the bar, which was originally in front of that long ago restaurant in downtown Stuart. Enjoy your brewskis, guys!

Lunching With Mark The Day Before Classes Begin At DU

I had lunch with my friend Mark yesterday at a Popeyes on East Colfax Avenue here in Denver, as seen in the photograph on the left. Mark works at the University of Denver's Anderson Academic Commons (the library) and remarked to him that tomorrow was the first day of classes at DU. I asked if that was a busy time for him, and he told me that in his current position at the library, the start of classes is not much of a factor for him. This was not the case at the DU Bookstore back when I worked there as the Finance Manager. The days leading up to the first day of classes was always a crazy time.

Back then, before the bookstore was outsourced to Follett Higher Education Group, the shelves had to be stocked with textbooks, temporary employees trained to run the cash registers, work and lunch schedules produced to make sure all registers were up and running at all times and the information desk fully staffed, especially on the first day of classes, when hundreds of students descended on the store to purchase their books and supplies. Valarie, our operations manager, did not like how 9 or 10 cashiers would be simultaneously shouting out "next customer" over and over again, and designed the sign seen in the photograph on the right in order to signal the customer in a quieter manner. As you can see in the photo, Dave, the art and supply buyer, as well as the marketing coordinator, was very enthusiastic about the idea.

All DU Bookstore staff were expected to take turns out on the sales floor, whether cashiering, staffing the information desk, answering the phones, helping students find their textbooks, or restocking the shelves, among many other duties. But it was an exciting time too, and a lot of fun. I often think back fondly on those days. At least until I look at the photo of myself on the left that was taken back in the day, when I was younger and full of energy. If that was what I looked like at the end of the day when I had all that energy, I can imagine what I would look like now after a 10- or 12-hour day. Probably the same, only a lot older.

Back In Denver And Getting Together With The DU Bookstore Gang (Retired)

I got together with some of the old University of Denver Bookstore gang yesterday evening up in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. We gathered in the backyard of our friend Jake, who hosted a Peruvian feast cooked by Moses and Philippa, his Peruvian houseguests. It was fun getting together with everyone once again and hearing what they have been up to lately. The dinner was excellent, and Jake's backyard a really nice place to gather. In the photograph above, from left to right, are Jim and his wife Chris, who is the former Accounts Payable Assistant at the DU Bookstore, and who are spending a lot of time in Pueblo, helping out Chris' father; Linda and her husband Darrel, the former DU Bookstore Accounts Payable Manager, who are planning an RV road trip to Idaho and Oregon; Philippa (I hope I have her name correct, who cooked the dinner with her husband Moses; Jake, our host, who was married to Valarie, the DU Bookstore's Operation Manager, who passed away in 2022, and who is spending a lot of time at his cabin in the mountains near Walsenburg; and Moses, a language expert who teaches English, Spanish, and Portuguese, and who cooked the meal along with his wife Philippa and who are visiting from Peru. As for me, my sister Susan and I just spent three full days on the road driving from Stuart, Florida to Denver. A long drive, but fun! In conclusion, it was a very pleasant evening for all. Thanks for hosting, Jake!

A First Time Visit To Columbia Missouri's Flat Branch Pub And Brewing

My sister Susan and I stopped in Columbia, Missouri - one of my favorite college towns - this past Thursday on our way back to Denver from Stuart, Florida. And this time I was bound and determined to have dinner at Flat Branch Pub and Brewing. The first time I tried to find this place, it was dark, and I couldn't spot it. After driving around the block a second time, I decided it must be a building where it seemed like hundreds of University of Missouri students were having a wild Saturday night and decided to dine elsewhere instead. This past July, Susan and I unfortunately arrived after closing time. This time I almost missed it again, but we finally spotted the place, and it was just as delightful as promised. Everyone was dining outside on the patio, and it was a mixture of students, families, and senior citizens, all having a good time. Which pretty much describes Columbia. A very pretty university town with all age groups represented and enjoying life there. Although I myself would avoid downtown on a Saturday night when school is in session, which I suspect the older crowd does. And that is indeed my sister Susan in the photograph above, perusing the menu on the patio of the Flat Branch. The food and beer there are both very good, by the way.

A Return To Lookout Mountain

On our way back to Denver from Stuart, Florida, my sister Susan and I stayed the night at the luxurious Motel 6 Resort Hotel and Spa near Lookout Mountain, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This was not the first time I have made a stop at Lookout Mountain. Back in 1963 my father Nelson, mother Mary, maternal grandmother Louise and I took a road trip to Florida and made a stop at the Lookout Mountain Battlefield. I remember walking around the park and heading down the trail past all the cannons and other Civil War paraphernalia. My father, seen in the photograph above posing in that park, called out to me to come back, because he was too old to walk all the way down the mountain and then have to come all the way back up again. At the time he was 54, ancient in my book, and so I headed back up the mountain and we went on our way. Now that I am at the advanced age of 7I, I understand completely, and decided not to return to that battleground park. Plus, we needed to start out early to get to Columbia, Missouri, which is one of my favorite towns to hang out in. Our destination - Flat Branch Pub and Brewing.

Palm Beach - A Haven For The Wealthy Since 1894

Yes - it has been exactly 130 years since Standard Oil tycoon Henry Flagler extended his Florida East Coast Railroad to Palm Beach and started building hotels there for the wealthy, including the Royal Poinciana and The Breakers. He also founded what is now West Palm Beach, on the other side of Lake Worth, to house hotel workers and other laborers. These days West Palm Beach has some pretty damn expensive neighborhoods itself, and its downtown area, including Clematis Street and CityPlace, are, for me, much more fun. My sister Susan and I visited Palm Beach last Saturday, and although the beach itself was pretty crowded, there weren't too many people on Worth Avenue, its famous shopping district, as seen in the photograph on the left.

If I want to dine at a bar or restaurant, or do some shopping, it sure as hell wouldn't be in Palm Beach. It is WAY out of my price range. But I must admit, it is very pretty around there. Behind the shops fronting Worth Avenue are all kinds of beautifully landscaped courtyards, such as the one in the photograph on the right. It is fun just to walk down the street and pop into each of those spaces, which of course are filled with expensive restaurants and fancy shops which sell God knows what for God knows how much. After a day of soaking up all the tropical atmosphere of Palm Beach, it might be a good idea to head back to Clematis Street in West Palm Beach and have dinner at a much livelier restaurant or bar, or even better, an outdoor tiki bar, especially during Clematis by Night, a street festival and open-air concert that takes place every Thursday night. Much better than sitting around an expensive bistro with only one other occupied table and an entire restaurant staff standing around waiting on your every need. That kind of thing makes me damn nervous. And do I have to tip them ALL?

Harbourside Place

My sister Susan and I dropped in at Harbourside Place in Jupiter, Florida last Friay afternoon to check it out. It bills itself as "the premier downtown destination," and is located along the Intercoastal Waterway off U.S. 1. I must admit, it is a very attractive mixed-use development, with an upscale hotel, exclusive shops, many nice restaurants, and even a marina, but can you call it a downtown destination? Jupiter really doesn't seem to have a real downtown, just an assortment of various businesses on U.S. 1. But I still like the place very much. I would describe it more like a neighborhood than a downtown. A very upscale neighborhood.

It also has a tiki bar boat that takes you out on the intercoastal where you can admire Jupiter's waterfront while you sip your IPA. Stuart also seems to have a tiki bar boat, which charges $10 to board. I have never actually seen it in person, only a sign on a downtown bulletin board advertising it. Can I assume that the drinks are free after you pay your $10? Probably not. Fort Lauderdale, of course, seems to have a fleet of tiki bar boats cruising up and down the New River. I have to think this is pretty much a standard thing in Florida wherever there is water, and there is, of course, water everywhere.

There are a fair number of restaurants at Harbourside Place, including the Jupiter Grill, Tommy Bahama Restaurant Bar and Store, Ruth Chris's Steakhouse, and none other than The Woods Jupiter, owned by Tiger Woods, who lives on nearby Jupiter Island (462 South Beach Road, if you want to drop in and say hello. Good luck with that). I checked the menus for the Jupiter Grill and Tommy Bahama, and it should come as no surprise that they are a bit on the pricey side. I didn't bother to check Ruth Chris's - I know about their prices from their Denver location. As for The Woods, they did not have any prices on their menu, but I did read some reviews of the place, and although it gets raves for service, food quality, and atmosphere, some reviewers thought $34 for a hamburger was a bit too much, even if it did come with fries. I myself would pay that only if my waiter was Tiger Woods himself. And even then, I'd have to think about it. Cheapskates are just like that sometimes.

Celebrating Labor Day In Fort Pierce

OK - it wasn't exactly celebrating Labor Day in Fort Pierce so much as driving through it and taking a few photographs. Different people celebrate in different ways, right? In any case, there was a survey in the Stuart News asking what's the best beach bar on the Treasure Coast, and the top two were Island Beach Bar and Restaurant and Square Grouper Tiki Bar, both in Fort Pierce. Since it was a bright sunny day instead of an all-day rain, as predicted, I decided to check the two out to see what made them so special. I stopped at the Island Beach Bar and Restaurant first, as seen in the photograph on the left. To be honest, I was a bit underwhelmed. Everyone there seemed to be having a good time, and there was live music, but you could not see the beach from most of the patio seating. There were a couple of picnic tables with a narrow view of the ocean, but not really a place I would have liked to sit.

As for the Square Grouper, I mistook a place right next to it for that tiki bar, took a photograph of it, and missed the real Square Grouper completely. It was actually located in Jetty Park, right behind where I was parked. How I missed it I have no idea. I guess I didn't think there would be a bar in the park itself, but on the other hand, it is Florida, after all. I didn't realize where it actually is located until I got home and looked at a satellite image of Fort Pierce on the internet. That is what happens when you get older, I guess. Very sad. In any case, the photographs of the Square Grouper make it seem really nice, but it is located along the Fort Pierce Inlet, not the ocean, and so does it really count as a beach bar? And by the way, instead of a shot of the Square Grouper, I took the photograph on the right of the path leading to the beach next to the Island Beach Bar.

On the drive back to Stuart, I stopped at the Fort Pierce City Marina, right next to which is Cobb's Landing, where I took the photograph on the left. The place seemed to have a decent crowd, and there was live music there, too. I don't know what the definition of a true tiki bar is, but in my book, if it has a funky roof like in that photo, it is a tiki bar to me. Again, it is located on the Indian River, not the ocean, with not a bit of sand in sight, but still, you can sit and gaze at the boats in the marina, and that certainly works for me. And by the way, it was sunny for most of the day, but around 4:30 the clouds gathered, and it began to rain like hell. And so, the weather forecasters were at least partially right. But there is something I want to know. If baseball players are able to hit a ball 3 times out of 10, they can make millions of dollars every year. If a weather forecaster can be right 3 times out of 10, does he get paid top dollar, too? I suspect not. There is some kind of life lesson here, but I'll be damned if I know what it is.

Happy Labor Day!

Today is Labor Day, which in Colorado often means a day hiking in the mountains. Years ago, when I was still married to my ex-wife Lisa, we used to go hiking on both Memorial Day and Labor Day in Rocky Mountain National Park, along with my sister Susan and late brother-in-law George. Memorial Day the higher trails were still covered in snow, which made it a bit tricky, but Labor Day was usually hot and sunny and dry. Another great place to hike was the Flatirons up in Boulder. You could leave your car at Chautauqua Park and hike up various trails that would take you to the top of those sheer-faced cliffs. That is where the photograph above was taken, although I don't think it was on Labor Day. Lisa and I had a friend who was a Catholic priest that we called Father Bob, and on that particular day he and a parishioner named Linda joined us on a hike there. In the photo are Susan and George in back and Bob and Linda in the front. I don't know why Lisa wasn't in the photo. These days I could always photoshop her in, but why bother now? George once mentioned to us that Bob and Linda must be dating, but my sister said she was just a devoted church member. Later on, Bob left the priesthood and married Linda, and so I guess Geroge was right all along. In any case, they moved to Phoenix, and I never heard from them again. Though the magic of the information superhighway (and why does nobody call it that anymore?) I found out Bob was teaching at a university in the Denver area. I sent him an e-mail, but never heard back. I suspect he just didn't want to revisit the past, which, of course, I understand. It was almost 40 years ago, after all. I did recently find out that Bob is now retired, and I suddenly realized he has become an old guy, just like me, and not the same as he was in that photo anymore. Time definitely moves much faster the older you get. I think Einstein said that, the more I think about it.

Can You Trump This?

Yesterday afternoon I drove past Mar-A-Lago, the home of our beloved 45th, and possibly 47th, president. The road in front of this opulent club was closed until after the election to all traffic after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, which was not greeted with enthusiasm by local residents. In fact, the mayor of Palm Beach instructed the Town Council to research whether the 500-member beach club could be closed down until the road reopened. Which prompted negotiations with the Secret Service and resulted in the road being closed only when Trump was not in residence, thus allowing me to take the photograph on the left as I was driving past. 

The story of how Trump acquired this home is fascinating. It was built by Marjorie Merriweather Post, the Post Cereals heiress, back in 1923. When she passed away in 1971, she left it to the U.S. Government in hopes it would become a Winter White House. It was never used as such, and the government gave it back to the Post Foundation, which put it up sale for $20 million. Donald Trump offered $15 million, which was rejected. He then bought the land between Mar-A-Lago and the ocean for $2 million and stated that he intended to build a house on the lot that would block Mar-A-Lago's beach view. Interest in the estate from other parties dropped dramatically, and Trump eventually got the house for $7 million. What a guy! No wonder so many Evangelical Christians love him. Sounds like a wonderful human being to me. And by the way, how would you like having to guard the entrance to a Trump-less Mar-A-Lago in all the heat and humidity of South Florida, like that Palm Beach Sheriff's Deputy in the photograph on the right? Looks like a fun job to me.