The Oriental Theater: Still Weird After All These Years

I took the photograph above of the Oriental Theater this past Saturday while attending the Tennyson Fall Fest. The festival took place on Tennyson Street in Denver's Berkley neighborhood, and since the Oriental was only half a block away, I decided to check it out. This theater opened in 1927 as a movie theater but closed in 1960. After standing empty for 45 years, it was purchased by Scott Labarbera, who turned it into a live music venue in 2005. It closed for renovations for a period of time after part of the structure almost fell on concert goers, which is almost always a negative, but reopened in 2012, which was the year I went to the theater for the first and only time to see a documentary called Grandma Goth. This documentary was about Suelynn Gustafson, the owner of an antique and costume store on South Broadway here in Denver called Flossy McGrew's, which she decorated with several coffins, skeletons, and skulls. Suelynn was an acquaintance of my friend Valarie, who was the Operations Manager of the University of Denver Bookstore when I worked there and invited me to attend. As I recall, there was a bit of a controversy that night because Gustafson did not attend. Valarie was not pleased. And the documentary? Definitely kind of weird. And as I looked at the Oriental's marquee this past Saturday, I saw that Lords of Acid are appearing there tonight. I looked up Lords of Acid on Wikipedia, which says that "the band is known for their provocative lyrics, blending techno, acid house, and industrial music with themes of sexuality, drug use, and hedonism." Glad to know the Oriental is still as weird as ever. And as a public service, I checked online and found that the doors open at 6:30 P.M., the show starts at 7:30, and YES! -  tickets are still available. And it is an "All Ages" event, so bring the kids! Like I said - weird.

Gaia Masala and Burger

My friend Mark, sister Susan (seen in the photograph above) and I went to Gaia Masala and Burger Saturday night at 6th and Grant Street in central Denver. This is an Indian restaurant which also offers American style burgers, and has 9 locations across the U.S., from New York to San Francisco. The parking lot was packed with cars, and we were lucky to get a spot by the Wendy' s located in the same shopping center. The restaurant was filled with a very diverse group of dinners when we arrived - people of Indian descent, families with children, older couples, bikers with their helmets still on, and us, too. Mark loves Indian food, and no surprise, that is what he ordered. Susan and I both had hamburgers (obviously, we are not adventurous eaters), but I must say, those hamburgers were very good indeed. They even had IPA on tap, so what could be better? I can definitely recommend giving this place a try, and Mark says it is one of his favorite Indian restaurants. So there you go - what more reason do you need?

Why Did The Elk Cross The Road?

You already know the answer to that question, but I do have to say that elk sightings around Evergreen, Colorado are still pretty minimal right now. I was lucky enough to take the photograph above of those two elk yesterday afternoon as I was driving on Upper Bear Creek Road, an unincorporated area just to the west of Evergreen. The elk in this area spend the summer in the high alpine and subalpine regions of Mount Blue Sky (formerly Mount Evans) and then move downhill toward Evergreen as the snow arrives, usually once it reaches a depth of about 18 inches. They seek out south-facing slopes and valley bottoms where the snow is shallower and where grass and shrubs are accessible. Since the snow totals are about 15 inches at the top of Mount Blue Sky right now, the herds should be appearing in and around Evergreen any week now. I have photographed these herds occupying large swaths of the Evergreen Golf Course, and in the vacant lots and front yards of houses along Meadow Drive, just across from the Hiwan Heritage Park and Museum. It is fun to see them in such large groups, lounging on the grass and calmly looking back at you as you take their photographs. I definitely intend to head back to Evergreen this winter to see them, as long as the weather is clear and you won't find yourself in a sudden snowstorm. These days, if you get stuck on Interstate 70 without chains or proper tires, the fines start at $600. That is far too high a price to pay to take elk photos, no matter how many there are in those herds.

Breckenridge In The Fall

The weekend before last I drove up to Breckenridge from Denver just to hang out a bit in that lovely town, and it made for a perfect Sunday afternoon. There were lots of visitors on Main Street checking out the shops, and plenty of people on the outdoor patios in front of the restaurants that line the street. I suspect, like me, most of the visitors had driven up from the Denver metro area, since this is the off season right now. Between Labor Day and the start of the ski season, out of town visitors are few and far between. Last winter's hot, dry weather resulted in ski tourism in the Rocky Mountain West declining by 6 million visitors, and ski resorts are working on providing more resort offerings other than skiing to get them to come back, no matter what the ski conditions are. But everyone is still hoping that the 2026 El Nino will bring a lot more snow to the region this season.

The drought conditions here in Colorado are still pretty severe. I walked through Blue River Plaza, filled with gold-colored aspens, as seen in the photograph on the right, to the river itself, and found that it was completely dry. Not a good situation at all. In any case, the plaza was decorated for Halloween, and lots of people were hanging out there, sitting on the benches, enjoying the view of the mountains. This plaza, by the way, is the center of Breckenridge Oktoberfest every year, with a stage set up where they actually play traditional German music during the festival, as opposed to other Oktoberfests in the state, which seem to feature only rap music and hard rock. Perhaps that is a modern-day Germanic tradition. But if so, what a bummer.

Recently I read a USA Today article listing Lending Tree's top ten most expensive small towns in America. Number one was Nantucket, number two Vineyard Haven (on Martha's Vineyard), number three Jackson, Wyoming, and number four - you guessed it - Breckenridge. The median home value is $748,200 and almost half of those dwellings are seasonal residences. I remember my ex-wife's family once owned a condo in Breckenridge back in the 1970s and went skiing there every weekend during the season. And then there were several years in a row with very little snow, and they sold it. In hindsight, it was a mistake to sell, but on the other hand, it would have meant 50 years of HOA payments and upkeep before the value of that condo reached what it is today. I myself am not going to bother calculating which alternative would have been best. The moral of the story, Breckenridge homeowners, is not to sell based on a year or two of little snow. Mother Nature will always fool you. But as far as I am concerned, making the hour and a half drive up to Breckenridge from Denver whenever you want is a much cheaper alternative than actually owning a place there. Even if you do have the $748,000 to spare. And since we are now in "America's New Golden Age," who doesn't, right?

The Tennyson Fall Fest

My sister Susan and I attended the Tennyson Fall Fest in Denver's Berkley neighborhood yesterday afternoon, and I must say I was impressed with both the size of the festival and the huge crowd it attracted. It went for four blocks along Tennyson, and there were over 150 vendors selling art, jewelry, food (of course), and lots and lots of clothing. You could find enough T-shirts there to supply you for the rest of your life. And it looked like people were in a buying mood, too. At one booth, as seen in the photograph on the left, they were selling an old Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer poster. After I saw it, the Pabst Blue Ribbon jingle from the 1950s and 60s television commercials kept going through my head the rest of the afternoon - "What'll you have, Pabst Blue Ribbon, what'll you have, Pabst Blue Ribbon"... Thanks for that, Pabst! Even Fungi Farmz had a booth, with a handwritten sign saying, "Ask me about psychedelics." We didn't ask.

It looked to me like every other person had a dog with them at this festival, which seemed a bit odd until I remembered that there was a pet parade from 10:00 until 11:00 that morning, followed by a pet costume contest. Which explains why the dog in the photograph on the right was dressed in what I think was a Halloween outfit. It reminded me of a cartoon I once saw showing a pet owner balancing a dog biscuit on his dog's nose, and a bubble over the dog with its thoughts: "This time I really am going to kill him." I wonder if that was what this particular dog was thinking as I took its photograph. In any case, this was a really great community event, and well worth attending, even if you didn't have a dog.

A River Red With Blood

I just finished reading A River Red With Blood, John Connolly's latest Charlie Parker novel. This is a private detective series that also has elements of the supernatural in it, but somehow it all works. This time, private detective Charlie Parker is hired to investigate the death of a boy who drowns after running away from a "behavioral modification" facility located in a very rural part of Maine, a "tough love" kind of place that his mother and stepfather sent him to. His birth father is a habitual criminal currently serving a sentence at Maine State Prison, who does not believe his son's death was an accident. Just before his son's death, a girl in the same area as the school went missing, and the father is almost certain that she was his son's girlfriend. Parker takes the case, looking for a connection, and winds up having to confront a band of killers, not to mention deal with a supernatural spirit looking for revenge. This book is a quick read, and a pretty interesting story to boot. I can recommend it to anyone who likes mysteries. Pick up a copy at your local library today.

An Anniversary (Of A Sort)

Today would have been our 44th wedding anniversary if my then wife Lisa and I had stayed married, but we divorced in 1987 (I think) and Lisa moved on to San Francisco, where she still lives today. I myself moved into an apartment building across the street from the University of Denver and have remained there ever since. We have been apart for so long now that it seems like back then was a different lifetime. Fortunately, there were no children to complicate things, which was good, and we are on good terms these days, although communicate only infrequently. In any case, we took the photograph above with a tripod and timer at Maroon Bells near Aspen, Colorado. We were honeymooning in Vail and decided to drive over to Aspen for the day to check it out. And since we were in the area, we drove on to Maroon Bells, about 12 miles southwest of Aspen, to hike around a bit on the Maroon Lake Trail, which was and still is very beautiful. Back then you could simply drive there, park, and walk around, but it has become such a popular tourist spot that going there now is much more complicated. If you want to park at the Maroon Lake Trailhead these days, you need to make a reservation ($10 per vehicle), and arrive before 8:00 A.M. or after 5:00 P.M., and those spots are very limited. If, for some strange reason, you find that inconvenient, there is a Maroon Bells Welcome Center at Aspen Highlands Ski Area, where you can park for $16 and take a shuttle. Is it just me or is virtually everything much more complicated these days? I have not been back to Maroon Bells since that honeymoon trip all those years ago. I did head up to Aspen in the off-season a number of years ago, but the only part I remember is having a beer at the Hotel Jerome, a local landmark. Hunter S. Thompson used the J-Bar as his de facto office, but he wasn't there, and so I said the hell with it and drove home to Denver. Can you actually believe someone would even think about divorcing such a fun guy like me? Go figure.

Discussing Baseball And AI With Stuart At Old Chicago

I had lunch yesterday afternoon with my friend Stuart, seen in the photograph above, at the Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom in Lakewood, Colorado, not one of my favorite towns in the world, but at least you can't see it from the bar area, where we were sitting, so what the hell. Of course, the first thing we discussed were the baseball playoffs. Stuart, originally from the North Side of Chicago, is a Cubs fan, while I am originally from the South Side of Chicago and a White Sox fan.  The Sox made it to the second round of the playoffs and were just one win away from the American League Championship Series, but then lost three games in a row to the Cleveland Guardians and were eliminated. And the Cubs lost to San Diego in the first round of the playoffs, scoring only one run during the series. However, we agreed that both teams had a good year and the future looks bright for baseball on both the North and South Sides of Chicago. Then I told Stuart about my experience reading the online Denver Post that morning. At the bottom of the page was a square with the 60 minutes logo, and next to that, under "Memory Alert Daily," was a link to an article about dementia and memory loss. When I clicked on it, a story appeared titled "Clint Eastwood Breaks Down on 60 Minutes After Revealing How Musk's Research Detected and Reversed His Early Alzheimer's." There was a transcript of Leslie Stahl's interview with Eastwood, ending with Stahl saying that "our team has prepared a full documentary here on 60 minutes," which I dutifully clicked. Stahl introduced the documentary and then Elon Musk began explaining in great detail the story of how he discovered a cure for Alzheimer's. It was quite long, and finally Musk told how you could order a 6-month supply of the product he produced, called VapoCept, for $300. At this point I stopped watching (a trillionaire is selling products online?), and after a quick web search found that 60 Minutes, Leslie Stahl, Clint Eastwood, and Elon Musk have nothing to do with this product. It was all AI generated, but you could not tell it wasn't them. Now THAT is scary. How can they get away with it? It is now possible to create videos and have anyone say or do anything and not be able to tell it is fake. Stuart has never been a fan of AI and always points to HAL 9000 from the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey as an example of the harm artificial intelligence can do. And after yesterday's experience and reading stories about how some of these AI systems have recently gone rogue and hacked into various companies, I have to agree with him. Definitely time to step back and think about the consequences of these technologies.

Heritage Harvest At Larimer Square: Signs Of Life Again On Denver's Most Historic Block!

Back in the 1960s, when urban renewal was all the rage, the City of Denver wound up tearing down hundreds of its most historic buildings, especially in the downtown area, leaving vast empty spaces that would stay vacant for years. And since Larimer Street had become skid row, the reasoning was that if the buildings on that street were torn down, the vagrants would disappear. Instead, they just moved a few blocks north. Who could have guessed that would happen? However, that street's most historic block, between 14th and 15th Streets, featuring Victorian style commercial buildings from the 1870s to the 1890s, was saved by preservationist Dana Crawford, who began acquiring and rehabilitating the buildings on that block in the 1960s. This became Larimer Square, the most popular gathering spot in Denver. But then came twin crises - first, the Covid pandemic, and after that the sale of the block to Asana Partners in December of 2020. The pandemic resulted in the closure of The Market, a cafe and deli, after 42 years in that location, as well as other businesses. And then, a major renovation of the buildings by the new owners forced Bistro Vendome, a popular French restaurant, to move, and Green Russell, a speakeasy style bar, and Russell's Smokehouse to close. Ted's Montana Grill closed after failing to negotiate an extension to their lease. Needless to say, for a number of years Larimer Square was almost like a ghost town. However, recently, new businesses have moved in, and events are beginning to be held there again, such as the Heritage Harvest, described as an autumnal celebration, with pumpkins, seasonal bites and cider, live bluegrass, and more, as seen in the photograph on the left. And it is really nice to see the place filled with people again.

New shops on Larimer Square include Little Blue Pigeon Bookstore, which had a major presence at the festival, as well as a new restaurant in the space formerly occupied by Ted's Montana Grill called Romyo, which the owners describe as the place where "Rome meets Tokyo in Larimer Square." I'm not sure how they can pull that one off, but it is definitely better than a vacant storefront. My favorite restaurant at Larimer Square was Josephina's, an Italian restaurant that was around for 30 years before closing and being replaced by Rioja, a Mediterranean-style restaurant, and Corridor 44, a champaign bar. I remember going to Josephina's many times with my then-wife Lisa. The food was good, the downtown atmosphere was fun, and the prices were reasonable. Of course, these days, you don't go to restaurants in Larimer Square for the reasonable prices, but they do seem popular, and their outdoor patios keep the block lively. Heritage Harvest was by no means a major event, but it did draw a crowd, and hopefully there will be many more events to come. And yes, the photograph on the right is of one of the live bluegrass bands performing during the festival, right in front of the Little Blue Pigeon Bookstore, no less. Works for me.

All Is Quiet At Chicago's Rate Field. Say It Ain't So, Joe!

Last night the American League Championship Series began, but sadly, my South Side heroes, the Chicago White Sox, were not the team facing the Tampa Bay Rays to see who will advance to the World Series. After winning the first 2 games against the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Division Series, needing only one more victory to move on to the ALCS, the White Sox lost the next 3 games, thus exiting the playoffs and leaving Cleveland to face those Tampa Bay Rays. That last game of the Division Series was particularly hard to watch, a 2-0 loss to Cleveland. In the end, the Sox's home run bashing stars could not come through in the most important game of the year, and Rate Field will now remain quiet until next season. And just for the record, the Guardians beat the Rays 7-3 last night. On a positive note, the White Sox had a remarkable season, progressing to the second round of the playoffs with a ton of rookies after losing over 100 games the past three seasons. It bodes well for the future, and so, as Sox fans have said so many times, "Wait until next year!" And yes, the photograph above is indeed of Rate Field in Chicago. I took it back in 2010, the last time I visited my old hometown, when the ballpark was known as U.S. Cellular Field. Rate Field sounds much snazzier, don't you think?

Columbus Day Or Indigenous Peoples' Day Or No Holiday At All? That Is The Question...

Today is either Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples' Day or no holiday at all, depending on where you work or go to school. Back when I attended Fort Dearborn Grammar School in the South Side Brainerd neighborhood of Chicago, we got Columbus Day off every year.  I myself hated school and welcomed a day off no matter what the reason - Columbus Day, Indigenous Peoples' Day, or for that matter, even Alfred E. Newman Day. Which begs the question: do they still publish Mad Magazine these days? But I digress. Back in 2019 the Chicago Board of Education voted to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day, but students continue to get the day off, although the City of Chicago still recognizes Columbus Day, as does the State of Illinois. Colorado, where I now live, eliminated Columbus Day as a holiday in 2020 but does not recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day. On the other hand, the Denver City Council voted to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day back in 2016. It is not a Denver Public Schools holiday, but it is considered to be a conference day, and students get it off anyway. Does that clear everything up for you? And by the way, I took the photograph above of Fort Dearborn back in 2010, when I went back to visit my old hometown. I am holding a photograph of one of the Kloak kids that I took on the school's playground after classes had let out for the day. Always a happy time.

Watching Tottenham Play Manchester United With The Colorado Spurs

My friend Mark and I went to Esters Pub in Denver's Virginia Village neighborhood yesterday morning to watch the Tottenham Hotspurs play Manchester United with the Colorado Spurs, an official Tottenham Hotspur supporters club. At least we watched the game with some of them, since this weekend the Premier League Live Fan Fest is taking place in front of Union Station and many of the Colorado Spurs were there to watch the soccer matches, see Premier League soccer legends, and take photographs with their favorite Premier League team mascots. Tickets sold out quickly for this event, and fans of every team and from all parts of the country attended this huge watch party on Saturday and will be there again today. In any case, Tottenham dominated Manchester United for most of the game and scored a goal in the closing moments to tie the game at 1-1, which is how the match ended. Although Tottenham has not yet won a game in their first 6 contests, they are playing better and have moved up from last place (20th) to 18th. And the fans at Esters were very happy to get that tie. Can an actual win be in Tottenham's near future? And yes, that is indeed Mark posing for the photograph above at Esters wearing an Ipswich Town jersey and Tottenham Spurs cap. Mark has complex allegiances when it comes to soccer.

The Mount Evans State Wildlife Area - Definitely Not Very Safe For Wildlife

I drove up to Evergreen, Colorado from Denver yesterday afternoon and took Upper Bear Creek Road all the way to its end, where the Mount Evans State Wildlife Area begins. This is a 3,438-acre protected sanctuary on the eastern slope of Mount Blue Sky (formerly Mount Evans). It is a very pretty drive, and the aspens were in full color, as seen in the photograph above. But when I got to the entrance, there were restrictions spelled out on a sign detailing who could enter the area and when. Although this is an important breeding ground for Rocky Mountain elk, bighorn sheep, black bears, deer, foxes, mountain lions, and unicorns (just kidding - I think), it does not sound like much of a sanctuary, since only hunters and fishermen with valid Colorado licenses are allowed to enter from the day after Labor Day until mid-November, when elk and deer hunting is allowed. Public access is not allowed from January 1st until June 14th, after which unarmed individuals are allowed in for wildlife viewing and hiking. I assume that picnicking is allowed, too, although don't blame me if you wind up getting handcuffed and taken away if it is not. This area is 9 miles west of Evergreen, and if I were an elk or deer, I would definitely hightail it out of that "sanctuary" and head down to one of that town's many parks, or even its residential neighborhoods. It is a very elk friendly kind of place. Even players on the Evergreen Golf Course are careful to play around elk lounging on the fairways. And no, I did not take a chance and drive into the Mount Evans SWA even though no one seemed to be around. Why risk the chance of getting shot by a hunter, or even worse, getting my car shot up? My insurance rates are high enough as it is. 

The October Issue Of Chicago Magazine

I just paged through the October issue of Chicago Magazine yesterday evening. Online, of course, since Chicago no longer has mail order subscriptions. If the Chicago Tribune, which owns the magazine, does not deliver in your area, you are out of luck if you want an actual physical copy, and for some reason the Tribune does not have home delivery here in Denver. Go figure. In any case, the cover story this month is "Feed Frenzy: How Social Media Influencers are Transforming Chicago's Dining Scene." Evidently, social media influencers on sites like Instagram and Tik-Tok are having a major impact on restaurants in Chicago. In the article, it tells of a restaurant called Brews and Bites that invited a group of influencers to their establishment one evening for free food and drinks in exchange for posts that are read by sometimes thousands of followers. Many of these influencers are paid to create videos promoting restaurants on sites like Instagram and Tik-Tok. One influencer at Brews and Bites was not only promoting that particular restaurant, but everything she was wearing in the video she was filming. Followers could purchase those items, which she was being paid to promote, with just a tap on the screen. She said it is "just like killing five birds with one stone." One hospitality executive said promoting his restaurants this way was far cheaper than it cost to advertise in the Chicago Tribune back in the day. In other words, most of these influencers are producing videos that are in fact commercials, not reviews. Welcome to the modern era.

In the "Chicago Stories" section, in an article titled "Bicycle Thieves," Jean Iverson writes about buying a $700 bike that was stolen just a month later, and describes her efforts to get it back, including sending photos of the bike along with its serial number to various bike shops in case someone tried to sell it to them. And she did indeed get a call from a bike shop owner letting her know that a woman was in his store trying to do just that. She called the police, but the officer couldn't come right away. She confronted the woman, who said the bike was given to her and that it was hers. Instead of running away, she joined a man standing out in front of the store and just lingered there. Iverson photographed the couple as instructed by the police officer and texted him the photo. They appeared to be homeless and eventually walked away. Iverson took her bike and went home. The police officer called later that day and said he located the couple. The woman had another bike by then and told the officer Iverson's bike was given to her by someone named Marcus, who lived under a viaduct near Loomis, and did Iverson want him to find the guy. She said no, and thanked him, not wanting to cause more trouble for someone who lived under a viaduct and stole bikes to give to people who needed the cash. Which gave her some perspective on the incident. There was also an article titled "10 Fall Culture Events Not to be Missed." And I looked all of them over for you. I definitely recommend missing all 10 of them. Finally, as usual, there were real estate ads featuring homes and condos for sale in the Lincoln Park, Gold Coast, and other trendy North Side neighborhoods. The cheapest was $1 million, the most expensive almost $5 million. I am beginning to think Chicago Magazine caters to an upscale readership. No wonder there are so many articles about unbelievably expensive restaurants featuring menu items you need to research on the internet to learn what you are eating. And yes, the photograph on the right is still another that I took on my last visit to Chicago back in 2010. Definitely have to head back there soon.

Watching A White Sox Playoff Game At McGregor Square: A Loss, But Still Hope

I went down to Denver's McGregor Square, located just south of Coors Field, yesterday afternoon to watch the third game of the American League Division Series between my South Side heroes, the Chicago White Sox, and the Cleveland Guardians, as seen in the photograph above of me standing in front of the big screen there. The series had moved to Rate Field in Chicago, and if the Sox won yesterday's game, they would move on to the American League Championship Series against the Tampa Bay Rays. Up until now, the White Sox had won all four of their playoff games, and Rate Field was packed with Sox fans. It would be their first home postseason playoff clinch since 1906, when the White Sox, known as the "hitless wonders" that year, went on the beat the Chicago Cubs in the World Series. But alas, it was not to be. The Cleveland Guardians beat them 9-3. The Sox still have two more chances to take the series, and so all hope is not lost. They play at Rate Field again tonight at 7:00 Central Time. For a ballclub that set the record for the worst team in the history of Major League baseball (121 losses) just two years ago, and lost 102 games last season, the Sox have come a long way, win or lose this series. But it would sure be nice to see them in the ALCS against Tampa Bay, which will determine the AL team that goes on to the World Series. Of course, Tampa Bay had the third best record in baseball this past season with 98 wins, versus 84 for the Sox. Not an easy task, but just making it that far into the playoffs would still be magical. Go White Sox!

The View From The Wynkoop's Patio

One of my favorite places to sit and have a beer during the summer and fall is the patio of the Wynkoop Brewing Company. The Wynkoop is just a block south of Coors Field, home to the Colorado Rockies, and it is especially enjoyable to stop and sit on that patio after attending a ballgame and watch all the people passing by as they head for home. And if they stop at the Wynkoop on the way, they will get $4.00 game day microbrews, as opposed to the $16.00 Coors Light beers at the ballpark. I took the photograph on the left of my sister Susan on the Wynkoop's patio after visiting Denver's Oktoberfest celebration the weekend before last. The Rockies had played their final home game of the season a few days earlier, but no problem. A beer after visiting Oktoberfest tastes just as good as after the ballgame.

The Wynkoop also has a nice inside bar area with a Victorian feel, although once baseball season is over and the weather turns colder, it seems to be a lot less busy. They brew the beer right on site, and you can see the open-top fermenters and storage tanks through a glass window opposite the main entrance, as seen in the photograph on the right. And why is there a statue of a gorilla right in front of that window? There are some questions not even I can answer. Years ago, when I was taking classes to earn my MBA at the University of Denver, I worked on a team project with a group that the previous quarter did their end of term report about the Wynkoop Brewing Company. Not only was it a fun thing to do, but they filmed it all on video, documentary style, and when the time came to present their project to the class, they simply showed the film they made to the class - no need for each person to stand up in front of everyone and drone on about their subject. I thought that was very clever indeed. And I'll bet they all got free beer out of it, too. Talk about win-win.

Wieners On Wynkoop And The Tale Of The Terminal Bar

This past Saturday I went down to Denver's Union Station, located on Wynkoop Street, for "Wieners on Wynkoop," which took place in front of the Terminal Bar patio. This event was to feature dachshund races, a costume contest, live music, as well as other activities, and was sponsored by the German Culture Foundation and Mile High Dachshunds Rescue. All the festivities were to take place between 12:00 and 4:00. I was especially interested in the dachshund races, which were to consist of groups of four dogs competing in individual heats, with the winners racing in a final heat for the championship. I understand that bet365 and BETMGM are really big into dachshund racing these days, and I figured that if I could observe the winners of the individual heats, I could determine which wiener would win the championship and make a fortune by betting on both apps. But alas, the races had ended by the time I arrived, and only the costume contest was still going on, as seen in the photograph on the left.

Since I arrived in the middle of the contest, I did not understand which dog won what, only that the crowd on the patio applauded enthusiastically after each award. And by the way, the Terminal Bar, in addition to having a regular bar and dining area, also serves drinks out of what used to be the train station's old ticket window, and after purchasing a drink there, people can sit at tables, desks, chairs or couches throughout the station's Great Hall. Which is very popular with Denver's hipster community. This bar is named after the original Terminal Bar, which was located just down the block on 17th Street, and operated from the 1930s to the late 1970s. It catered to workers coming off shifts at Union Station and the Terminal Annex Post Office and was known for its rough reputation. Jack Kerouac used to drink there when he lived in Denver and at one time allegedly had a room on the second floor. The building is now home to Jax Fish House and Oyster Bar, as seen in the photograph on the right, which shows people standing at the door waiting to get in and, no doubt, order some sushi (i.e. raw fish). Yum! By the way, Jack Kerouac liked Denver so much he bought a ranch house in suburban Lakewood and invited his whole family to come out from New York City and join him there. All of whom soon went back to New York after getting a look at Lakewood. Shortly after that Kerouac sold the house and moved to San Francisco. A wise move indeed.

Attending The 3rd Annual Fall Arts Invitational At Cheesman Park

My sister Susan and I attended the Fall Arts Invitational at Denver's Cheesman Park yesterday afternoon, and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. Cheesman Park has a major annual art show during the summer, which has been named one of the top 100 shows of the decade, while the fall show is sponsored by a company called Colorado Art Weekend, which hosts a dozen of these shows throughout Colorado, and so I was not expecting this fall show to be as impressive as it was. And yet there were over 120 Colorado and nationally touring artists displaying their work. 

Cheesman Park is very beautiful, a wonderful place to host an art show. It was originally a cemetery, and the process of converting it from a cemetery to a park did not go well. The city hired an undertaker to provide a fresh box for each body and move them to Riverside Cemetery, just to the north of Denver, for $1.90 each. However, he began to chop up the bodies and put them into 3 smaller boxes to make more money. When this was discovered, the city fired him and decided to let the remaining bodies stay where they were. And not surprisingly, the spirits were not pleased. There are numerous tales of ghostly sightings after dark in this park. You can find an interesting account of the park's history at https://www.legendsofamerica.com/co-cheesemanpark/. In any case, it was a pleasant day and not too hot, and neither Susan nor I felt or saw a single ghost. Although I would strongly advise against strolling around the grounds on Halloween. Better safe than sorry.

There was a large variety of art at the festival, which included paintings, jewelry, ceramics, sculpture, and many other art forms, including photography. Most of the photography booths featured Colorado and western landscapes, although I did see one booth with photographs of Chicago and several with European scenes. There were also several photographers featuring wildlife photographs, including Matthew Ross, whose work I thought was especially good. You can check out his photographs at https://www.mrossphotography.com/. All in all, a very nice way to spend a pleasant fall afternoon.

First Friday! Still Going Strong!

This past Friday my sister Susan and I, long with our friend Susan L, who lives in our building, drove down to the Santa Fe Art District on Santa Fe Drive here in Denver to attend the First Friday Art Walk. It has been quite a while, perhaps as long as 3 years, since I last attended this event. However, Susan L. had me beat - it has been 15 years since she last attended First Friday, back when she was living in the area. In any case, we parked just to the north of the district, and the first thing we saw was some sort of acrobatics show going on, as seen in the photograph on the left, which I definitely don't remember from the last time I was there. It was kind of interesting in a boring kind of way, but we soon moved on to the Santa Fe Art District proper, which was jampacked with people. Navigating through the crowds on the narrow sidewalks was quite the challenge. 

The first gallery we stopped at was the Center for Visual Art, which is run by Metropolitan State University. I always stop at this gallery because it has a fairly large exhibition space and is the first gallery you pass when coming from the north. It features works by local and international artists, as well as MSU students. The art on display is almost always what we art fanciers call "just plain weird." The current exhibit is called "Sequesterings," and features works made from unwanted materials, making a statement about our throwaway culture. And as usual, the art was very weird indeed, a sample of which can be seen in the photograph on the right. What they are I cannot tell you. Neither my sister nor Susan L. were taken with the work, and so we hurried on to the next venue.

That next venue was SYNC Gallery, which was hosting an exhibition called "Being on Earth," featuring the work of Clare Scott and Monica Hokeilen. Scott works in pastels and her paintings feature landscapes and figures that express the "wonder, beauty, and common humanity" here on earth. And they are quite good. Hokeilen's oil paintings feature the wildlife found in the Rocky Mountain region and are also very good. The photograph on the left shows Susan L, on the left, talking to Monica Hokeilen, on the right, about one of her paintings. Clare Scott is standing right behind Susan, looking on. The next gallery we visited was the Niza Knoll Gallery, which was hosting an exhibition called "The Mix, One," featuring their in-house artists, one of whom was photographer Jerry Scezney, whose photographs are very good indeed. From there we visited a number of other galleries, but we all agreed that the best part of the evening was the peoplewatching. I must say I have never seen such a wide variety of people anywhere else in Denver. But then again, I don't get out much in the evenings these days, which might explain a lot.

The October Mutts Of The Month

I took the photograph above of this month's Mutts of the Month at the 2026 Colorado English Motoring Conclave at Oak Park in Arvada, Colorado, just to the northwest of Denver. The conclave took place this past September 20th and had over 500 British cars and bikes on display. Not only was it fun to look at all the cars, but everyone there was very friendly, including their dogs, of which there were many, including those two in the photo. They were both rushing to greet me, but the owner pulled them back and they all headed in the opposite direction. I guess they preferred to remain anonymous. But at least I got the photo.

Discussing The Baseball Playoffs With Stuart Over Lunch And Coffee

I had lunch yesterday afternoon at QDOBA Mexican Eats with my friend Stuart, seen in the photograph on the left, followed up with coffee at Starbucks. And the talk naturally turned to the National and American League Wild Card Series, in which both the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs were playing. Stuart, as regular blog readers know, is originally from the North Side of Chicago and a Cubs fan, while I am from the South Side Brainerd neighborhood and a White Sox fan. And the National League Wild Card series did not work out so well for the Cubs. They lost 8-0 to the San Diego Padres in the first game and 4-1 in the second, managing only one run during the series. Of course, both teams were pretty equally matched, and so it was expected to be a tossup who won, but what was surprising was how poorly the Cubs played. Stuart simply said that the Cubs "stunk up the field," and left it at that. But I think in their hearts, all Cubs fans knew that such an end to the season was inevitable. And so, as they say at the end of almost every baseball season, "wait until next year, Cubs fans."

On the other hand, my South Side heroes, the Chicago White Sox, beat the Houston Astros 6-3 in the first game and 7-3 in the second, and will face the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Division Series starting tomorrow afternoon. The Guardians won the AL Central Division title over the White Sox by a single game, and so both teams are also evenly matched. Either could win the series and move on to the American League Championship Series, which determines who goes to the World Series. If the White Sox get to play in the Championship Series, their season will have been a tremendous success after coming off two consecutive 100 loss seasons. Even if they lose to Cleveland in the Division Series, they still will have had a great season after setting the Major League record of 121 losses just two years ago. And so, thanks again Pope Leo! And by the way, the photograph on the right is of the last game of the regular season between the White Sox and my adopted hometown team, the Colorado Rockies, which the White Sox won. I was not able to watch the White Sox play in the Division Series since it was on Peacock, which I do not get at home. In the good old days, the games would have been on regular television, and everyone could have watched it. But no longer. As humorist and travel writer Bill Bryson says, "life keeps getting shi**ier." But enough complaining. Go White Sox!

University Of Denver Homecoming Is Approaching: Alumni, Bring Your Checkbooks!

I took a walk around the University of Denver campus the other day, and it is looking very pretty. Homecoming will be taking place October 19th through the 24th this year, less than 3 weeks away, and the university really tries to make the campus look it's best when all the alumni return to campus. With the decrease in students which DU has experienced due to enrollment declines, fewer international students, and long-term demographic trends, resulting in a $30 million budget deficit last year, DU will be needing those alumni and their donations more than ever. Be prepared for a major sales pitch, people! The building in the background of the photo on the left, by the way, is Mary Reed Hall, where the Vice Chancellor of Business and Finance had his office when I worked at the DU Bookstore as the Finance Manager, before the store was outsourced. The store's management team would meet with him there every quarter to discuss the store's financial results. He retired from DU a number of years ago and these days is probably damn glad he did. 

I went to the Homecoming Pregame Party the year before last and enjoyed it very much. I didn't recognize anyone I knew, either from when I worked at the bookstore or when I was taking classes to earn my MBA, but still enjoyed the atmosphere. Everyone was in good spirits, having a great time and looking forward to the hockey game that Saturday night. DU does not have a football team, and so the big game everyone attends is the hockey match, this year against Boston College. The university eliminated football after the 1960 season for financial reasons. The clothing buyer at the bookstore had a T-shirt made that said, "University of Denver Football, Undefeated Since 1961," which became a top seller. I wish I had bought one when I had the chance. I am hoping to attend this year's Homecoming Pregame Pary with my friend Stuart, who is also a DU alum, but am not planning to make a donation to the school. I feel that working there for almost 30 years and then being outsourced is enough of a donation, despite their financial struggles. On the other hand, I will strongly encourage my friend Stuart to give a big-time donation to dear old DU, despite his mixed feelings about the school. Just open up that checkbook, Stuart! It's tax deductible, after all.

The Union Station Farmers Market - A Venue For Denver's Hipsters?

On the way to Oktoberfest in Denver's Ballpark neighborhood this past Saturday, I walked through the Union Station Farmers Market, which takes place in front of Denver's Union Station every Saturday and Sunday between May 31st and October 26th. It has been a while since I have perused this market and have forgotten how much fun it is. To be honest, I have seen very little produce at this market. It is more about clothing, gifts, crafts, gizmos, and everything else that appeals to the urban hipsters that frequent Denver's Lower Downtown (LoDo) neighborhood. And I suspect produce is not at the top of the list. No doubt dinner will be at either one of the local hotspots that populate the area or a DoorDash delivery to their upscale apartment. And by the way, Union Station was built in 1881 and was once a major transportation hub. It underwent a renovation back in 2014 that turned it into a shopping, dining, and cultural destination, appealing to those same hipsters shopping at the Farmer's Market out front. But it still remains the main transportation hub for buses, light rail trains, and Amtrak service to Chicago and San Francisco, two cities also very appealing to hipsters, although I suspect you won't find them on Amtrak's California Zephyr anytime soon. I imagine an overnight, high-speed trip in their BMW or Porsche to either of those cities is more their style. Anyway, that's the way I would do it.

RTD To The Rescue

As I have mentioned in a previous blog post, someone recently sideswiped my car, which was sitting at the time in its spot in the parking lot of my condo building, requiring me to take it to an auto body shop to replace the front bumper. And so, being without a car for almost a week, I have been depending on the RTD, aka the Regional Transportation District, which operates Denver's buses and light rail trains, to get around town. In my opinion, RTD has done a lot to improve public transportation in Denver over the years, especially with its light rail system. And living in a condo building just a few doors down from the train station, as seen in the photograph on the left, it makes it very easy to get around the city. While my car has been in the shop, I have been able to attend Oktoberfest in the Ballpark neighborhood, as well as the last Rockies home game of the season via a 20-minute train ride. There have been complaints about the lack of policing of the trains and light rail stations, as well as the delay in completing the light rail system promised in a voter approved "FasTracks" plan, but it seems to me RTD has done everything possible to deal with these issues.

The system's biggest critic, ironically enough, is a former chairman of RTD, Jon Caldara. Caldara hosts a current event's show on KBDI-TV PBS 12 here in Denver called Devil's Advocate with Jon Caldara. I remember watching this show when he stated that if he was ever chairman of RTD again, he would immediately close down the entire light rail system and mothball the trains. A system that people, especially those who cannot afford a car, depend on every day. And keep in mind that when Denver was experiencing tremendous growth, the city was encouraging transit-oriented developments (TODs), which resulted in many planned use developments around these light rail stations, giving people an easy commute to work. Can you imagine the chaos if someone came in and just eliminated light rail service to these TODs? And more importantly, how the hell would people who don't own cars or don't want to hassle with parking get to the ballpark? Not to mention Denver Bronco games. Talk about chaos.

The Chicago White Sox (Not To Mention The Chicago Cubs) Are In The Playoffs!

I watched the final game of the regular season on Rockies.TV yesterday afternoon with my friend Mark, a contest between my South Side heroes, the Chicago White Sox, and the Colorado Rockies. It was played at Rate Field in Chicago, as seen in the photograph above. The White Sox won the game 4-2. It was fun to watch, but lacked the drama I was hoping for, since the Sox lost to the Rockies 9-6 the previous day, ending their chance to win the American League Central Division. If they had won that game as well as yesterday's, they would have finished in first place, since the Cleveland Guardians lost to Kansas City Sunday. But no matter - the White Sox still made the playoffs and will play the Houston Astros in the American League Wild Card Series, which starts on Tuesday. If the Sox win that series, they will play the Cleveland Guardians, the team that beat them by just 1 game to win the AL Central, in the American League Division Series. As for their North Side rivals, the Chicago Cubs, they will face the San Diego Padres in the National League Wild Card Series on Tuesday. If they win that series, they will face the Milwaukee Brewers, who won the NL Central by 14 games over the Cubs. And how far will the White Sox and Cubs go in the playoffs? I myself think that the Sox will beat Houston and have an even chance of beating the Guardians. If they make it to the American League Championship Series, I will be thrilled. Getting that far would be a tremendous achievement for a team that lost a record 121 games only two years ago. Thank you, Pope Leo! As for the Cubs, they are pretty evenly matched with the San Diego Padres, and could very well beat them, but their next opponent would be the Milwaukee Brewers, who finished with the best record in the Major Leagues this year with 103 wins. Good luck with that, North Siders.

A Tale Of Two Oktoberfests

I really wanted to go to Breckenridge Oktoberfest this year, which is taking place this weekend up in Breckenridge, Colorado, but my car is in the shop having the front bumper replaced after it was sideswiped, and so I have been limited to where Denver's public transportation will take me. Which yesterday turned out to be Weekend Two of Denver Oktoberfest. Which is all well and good, of course. I must say, the crowd was much larger than last week, and the event was very lively. But there is something about being up in the mountains, with all the leaves turning to gold and so many people in traditional German folk costumes strolling up and down the street that makes the experience very special, like actually being in Bavaria. But it was still fun to walk around at Denver Oktoberfest, do a bit of peoplewatching and see everyone having fun, as seen in the photograph on the left.

Just like last week, traditional German folk music was not being played at Denver Oktoberfest. There was not an accordion in sight. However, this week, instead of rap music, the Denver Dolls were performing. This is a group that has been around Denver for a long time, mostly singing songs from back in the 1940s. I remember seeing them perform once at Denver's Mercury Cafe dressed as WACs like The Andrews Sisters, singing "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," which was a lot of fun. It was good to hear them again, and at least they were wearing traditional German dirndls. Perhaps next year one of them could learn to play the accordion. 

However, up in Breckenridge, they have nothing but traditional German music, as seen in the photograph on the left that I took last year. And I must add that although a lot of people do dress up in lederhosen and dirndls at the Denver Oktoberfest, most of them are 20 something hipster types that live in the surrounding area. Up in Breckenridge, it seems like people of all ages dress up in traditional folk costumes, which really adds to the ambience. And for those of you whose car has not been sideswiped and the bumper detached, the last day of the 30th annual Breckenridge Oktoberfest takes place today from 11:00 until 5:00 on historic Main Street. And best of all, Those Austrian Guys will be performing at 11:30, 1:00, and 3:00 today. And I am willing to bet that it won't be rap music.

Private Rome

I just finished reading Private Rome, James Patterson's latest book with co-author Adam Hamdy. At least I think it is Patterson's latest book. It is copyrighted 2016, but Patterson has so many books out there written with various co-writers that I can't be sure. And does he actually write these books, or does he just edit the co-writer's work? I have no idea, but frankly don't care, since all I care about is the story itself. In any case, a while back I read Private #1 Suspect, which had been sitting on my bookshelf for years. It was okay, nothing extra, but I saw Private Rome featured at the library in Stuart, Florida and decided to give it a try. And it is actually pretty good. Jack Morgan, the head of an international private investigation firm, flies to Rome for the opening of his company's latest office. At the firm's opening party, the person he selected to run the office, Matteo Ricci, is found standing over the body of a dead priest with the murder weapon in his hand. Ricci claims not to remember anything, and Morgan starts an investigation into the killing. He soon learns that eight Vatican priests have died in the last few months, allegedly through natural causes, and that the latest death is connected to the others. Soon his team from the home office in LA arrives to investigate what appears to be a major scandal involving murdered priests, laundered money, and corruption at the Vatican Bank. I really enjoyed reading this novel and can recommend it to anyone looking for an absorbing international thriller. Pick up a copy at your local library today.

The Colorado Rockies Final Home Game Of The Season

I went to the Colorado Rockies final home game of the season at Coors Field yesterday afternoon with my sister Susan and friend Mark, seen in the photograph on the left. It was a bit of an inauspicious start for Colorado, with the Arizona Diamondbacks scoring 6 runs in the first inning and leading the Rockies by a score of 12 to 1 by the top of the 6th. But then the Rockies attempted a comeback, scoring 7 unanswered runs in the last 4 innings for a final score of 12 to 8. Not a victory, but the Rockies put up a fight and didn't quit, which I found quite impressive. The Rockies have lost 102 games so far this season and are now the fifth team in major league history to lose 100 games in a season four or more years in a row, the last team being the New York Mets from 1962 to 1965, an expansion team to replace the Dodgers and the Giants, who moved to California. The bright side is that the Rockies have improved significantly since last season, and the farm system is producing some promising rookies. It is just a matter of time until they become competitive again. How much time is anyone's guess.

The thing I like best about the Rockies final home game of the season is that after the last out, the entire team walks around Coors Field to thank the fans for their support, as seen in the photograph on the right. They started this tradition after the final home game in their first season back in 1993, the year they attracted 4,483,350 fans to the old Mile High Stadium. This year attendance at Coors Field was 2,222,915, thanks to a very nice ballpark and so many transplants from other cities here in Denver wanting to see their hometown teams. When the Cubs or the Dodgers come to Coors Field, virtually everyone in the ballpark is rooting for the opposing team.

And I must add that it is a really nice tradition for the players to walk around the park and shake hands with the fans and wave to them on the final home game of the season, but some players really go out of their way to thank the fans. For many years, Charlie Blackmon, a four-time All-Star who played for the Rockies from 2011 until his retirement in 2025, would be the last player to circle the ballpark, signing autographs, shaking hands and talking with the fans, taking his time to meet every fan he could. I thought that was just great. And now, this year, Hunter Goodman, a catcher who made his debut in 2023 with the Rockies and is a two-time All-Star, appears to be carrying on that tradition, as seen in the photograph on the left. He is arguably the best player on the team these days and yesterday I noticed that he too was greeting each fan, shaking hands, signing autographs, baseballs, hats, you name it, as seen in the photograph on the left. It is nice to see that there are players like that still around. And the Colorado Rockies next opponent? They will finish the season playing my South Side heroes, the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox are one game behind the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Central, and this series against the Rockies at Rate Field in Chicago and the Guardians series against the Kansas City Royals in Kansas City will determine who finishes the season in first place. But it is not the drama I had been expecting. Yesterday the White Sox clinched a playoff spot no matter who finishes first in the AL Central and are the first team in major league history to go to the playoffs after consecutive 100 loss seasons. Holy Cow! Let the playoffs begin!

Walking The Historic Buchtel Boulevard Trail At Prairie Park

Someone sideswiped my car when I was in Florida, knocking off part of the front driver's side bumper, requiring me to drop it off yesterday morning to be repaired. Since the car repair shop is only a mile or so away, I walked back to my condo along the Historic Buchtel Boulevard Trail at Prairie Park, as seen in the photograph above. Which always reminds me of Diana Helper, who was a resident of Denver's University Park neighborhood for 60 years, a community activist, and wrote a monthly column titled "University Park News and Views" for the Washington Park Profile. She spent 30 years working to establish this park, which preserves a bit of the long-gone prairie along Buchtel Boulevard between Colorado and University Boulevards. Helper always attended the monthly University of Denver "Good Neighbors" meetings, which I began to attend as DU began planning a major development across the street from my condo building. As long-suffering blog readers know, I was the Finance Manager at the University of Denver Bookstore and worked there for almost 30 years before the store was outsourced. Each month store managers would meet with the Vice Chancellor for Business and Financial Affairs, and I couldn't help but notice that there was a huge map of the campus on the wall of his office, and right where my condo building is located was a light rail station and parking garage. DU's plans evidently included moving the station to where my building is located so that people getting off the train would have a dramatic view of DU and a gateway to the campus. I contacted Diana Helper, and she reassured me that no way would that ever happen, despite what DU wanted. Sadly, she is gone now, as is the Washington Park Profile, and the dramatic vision for that part of campus across the street has been significantly revised. Not surprising, since last year DU was $30 million under budget and has undergone a lot of budget cuts and layoffs as a result. In any case, Diana Helper did a lot for the University Park neighborhood and the City of Denver, and it is important to keep her memory alive.