my step-bros' dad died over the weekend---which resulted in me driving to denver on Monday then flying to St. Louis and doing the reverse on Wednesday. It seems I am hitting that cliche stage of life where you mostly see family around weddings and funerals. Strange how real those cliches can be.
Strange also how many kiwis I have been running into. My son is being coached by a kiwi (shoot don't we have any Americans who can sail?---well if you look at the America's Cup roster it would seem not).
Anyhow while walking the dogs Monday morning prior to driving to Denver I ran into some kiwis. I gave them some hiking advice-suggestions (get below the tree line by 2 pm etc). They were very appreciative, and thrilled that my son was lucky enough to have Kiwi Carl Evans coaching him---he is the shit according to what I overheard as they walked away.
Onto the drive. As I passed through Leadville I picked up a hitchhiker. Yes he had an ax, but it was an ice ax, not a battle ax so I figured I was safe. He turned out to be another kiwi (are there any left in country?) He started hiking in Mexico about 50 days earlier and had gotten off the CO trail for a couple of days rest and relaxation and was hitching his way back to the trailhead in Silverton. He had some good stories but man if that is how you smell after two days of showers and laundry I can't imagine what he was like 48 hours earlier. Anyhow good deed done.
A couple of quick observations--first the drive over independence pass is really beautiful right now--streams are flowing with a ton of white water, the greens are very green and there is still a lot of snow. However, if you pay the price to own a pain in the butt porsche this is the road you want to turn it loose on. How come whenever someone is driving painfully slow they speed up when you decide to pass them? I swear the number of minivans with 6 bikes on the back, 2 boats on the roof and 12 people in the car going 18 MPH who decided to crank it up to 60 MPH when I move over to pass was uncountable. Good thing my porsche is faster than a fully loaded minivan (but I swear one of em was being driven by Dale Earnhardt jr).
Now that mini-road trip is out of the way I head to Tahoe on Saturday --1 daughter, 2 dogs, 1 hockey bag and record setting heat. I can't promise much, but I can promise my car will stink--I might even think the kiwi hiker smelled ok.
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Friday, June 16, 2017
summer time is here (and CO-Pitkin loses to IL-Cook on this one)
Living in Chicago I got used to paying an ever increasing rate for my new license plate and city sticker. I think last year my zone 143 sticker (highly coveted) and plates cost a total of about $150.
The CO sticker for my Porsche is $750 and my Toyota highlander is $485. And that doesn't allow me to park anywhere in Aspen or Snowmass. Yikes. That is a serious chunk of change to pay per year.
Oh wait and there is a $20 per sticker charge on top of that to self service on line--I will be going by the Pitkin County office and doing this in person and spending my $40 on a couple of cold beers. I would rant about the additional charges to self service --should be a discount, but I've been listening to too much happy summer time music to get worked up.
Summer time. My son is off sailing all over the eastern seaboard. The wife is getting him set up. My daughter is skating way too much and stinking up the house, but I am missing (not at all) the lovely scent that emanates from my son's sailing gear. In Chicago we started leaving the gear on the back deck but then the neighbors complained ---no lie.
The peaks still have a touch of snow but it's mostly gone. It's hot during the days in the sun and cool at night except in my bedroom which is over the boiler room. My Aspen bedroom feels a lot like my DC bedroom in the late 80s--hot and sticky. And with all the windows open my dogs are doing a lovely job of singing with the coyotes during the wee hours.
A great thing about the seasonal jobs in Aspen is during the summer Aspen businesses need workers, so if you are 14 or older and willing to work there are jobs for you. Many of my friends kids are slaving away this summer scooping ice cream at ye old ice cream shoppe (Paradise Bakery), working the Isis movie theater or bussing tables. Ah it brings back memories.
And town is hopping. Food and wine is going on so the private jets are stacked up at Sardie airport, town is busy with people turning the streets into pop up pedestrian malls, and the couple of remaining liquor stores (pot shops outnumber liquor stores 3:1) are sold out of champagne. That is a little different than my youthful summer memories.
We've got John Popper playing a freebie next Thursday night at Snowmass village at 6:30, but before that I got my daughter pulling solo father's day duty this Sunday. She mentioned something about making me dinner and getting a husky puppy from the animal shelter. Oye.
Happy dads day to all you guys out there. If I get stuck training a puppy I hope you do too.
The CO sticker for my Porsche is $750 and my Toyota highlander is $485. And that doesn't allow me to park anywhere in Aspen or Snowmass. Yikes. That is a serious chunk of change to pay per year.
Oh wait and there is a $20 per sticker charge on top of that to self service on line--I will be going by the Pitkin County office and doing this in person and spending my $40 on a couple of cold beers. I would rant about the additional charges to self service --should be a discount, but I've been listening to too much happy summer time music to get worked up.
Summer time. My son is off sailing all over the eastern seaboard. The wife is getting him set up. My daughter is skating way too much and stinking up the house, but I am missing (not at all) the lovely scent that emanates from my son's sailing gear. In Chicago we started leaving the gear on the back deck but then the neighbors complained ---no lie.
The peaks still have a touch of snow but it's mostly gone. It's hot during the days in the sun and cool at night except in my bedroom which is over the boiler room. My Aspen bedroom feels a lot like my DC bedroom in the late 80s--hot and sticky. And with all the windows open my dogs are doing a lovely job of singing with the coyotes during the wee hours.
A great thing about the seasonal jobs in Aspen is during the summer Aspen businesses need workers, so if you are 14 or older and willing to work there are jobs for you. Many of my friends kids are slaving away this summer scooping ice cream at ye old ice cream shoppe (Paradise Bakery), working the Isis movie theater or bussing tables. Ah it brings back memories.
And town is hopping. Food and wine is going on so the private jets are stacked up at Sardie airport, town is busy with people turning the streets into pop up pedestrian malls, and the couple of remaining liquor stores (pot shops outnumber liquor stores 3:1) are sold out of champagne. That is a little different than my youthful summer memories.
We've got John Popper playing a freebie next Thursday night at Snowmass village at 6:30, but before that I got my daughter pulling solo father's day duty this Sunday. She mentioned something about making me dinner and getting a husky puppy from the animal shelter. Oye.
Happy dads day to all you guys out there. If I get stuck training a puppy I hope you do too.
Thursday, June 15, 2017
last post wasn't supposed to be political --but some folks thought I was busting on Trump and his 'winning' ways
This one is political.
There is something really wrong with both parties---from Trump to Sanders and most everyone in between, both parties seem to be stuck in the mindset of thinking that there is a limited amount of good stuff in the world (GDP, health care, education, etc). Both parties seem to believe the size of the pie is fixed---the debate rages as how to divide it. Who is winning and who is losing? This is most people's default way of thinking----how does my pay, house, car compare to theirs? For example, would I still like driving a Porsche if everyone else has a Ferrari? This base level, lizard brain way of thinking is not only not productive, but harmful when applied broadly, and currently ravaging America.
GOP supporters---would you have a problem in a world where US real GDP was growing at 5% a year, violence was non-existent, high quality life expectancy was 120 years, a super generous pension existed to ensure those 120 years were great, and there was amazing education freely available to all? And our infrastructure made the Jetsons look like the Flintstones. BUT the top tax rate was 75% and the richest 10% of the country controlled only 50% of the wealth in America. Would living in country that seems like nirvana but that has a much higher top marginal tax rate and less concentration of wealth at the highest levels be acceptable? Honestly I bet you are having trouble deciding if you would take more equality in wealth distribution, and much much better outcomes for all.
Democrats, and Sanders's supporters in particular how would you feel if the same idyllic world could only exist with a top tax rates of 10% and the wealthiest 10% of American's controlling 99% of the country's wealth? Would you be willing to support an outcome where wealth is even more concentrated than currently, but even the poorest American has a very high quality of life (health, education, pay, etc)? I bet you are choking on that and thinking up a gazillion reasons why it wouldn't work.
These extreme questions are designed to show you just how hard it is focus on growing the size of the pie not fighting for your slice of it. It's not our nature. It's a very hard message and our lizard brain screams against it. Yet this is what our country needs. America needs politicians from both parties arguing over how to best increase the world's growth rate (and since the US is the biggest slice of the global growth pie higher global growth will be great for the US). And if we can't figure out ways to grow global growth then grown US growth--but not at the expense of others. I am sorry Donald but if the US wins on every deal then everyone else is losing and my guess is that is not a long term sustainable strategy.
Lets focus our thinking and our policies on how do we improve our growth, health care, education, and safety. For example the question should not be how do we divide up a limited amount of health care but how do we expand the healthcare pie?
Almost enough of this silly crap that no one will truly support--but first a last question. If China invented a cure for cancer (and was willing to sell it across the globe) did America win or lose? Yea US pharma is gonna lose market share to China pharma, but my sister-in-law and a college roommate just got a cure for cancer. As I head off to a free physics lecture with my daughter in lovely Aspen I am thinking winning like everything else is relative (thanks Einstein).
There is something really wrong with both parties---from Trump to Sanders and most everyone in between, both parties seem to be stuck in the mindset of thinking that there is a limited amount of good stuff in the world (GDP, health care, education, etc). Both parties seem to believe the size of the pie is fixed---the debate rages as how to divide it. Who is winning and who is losing? This is most people's default way of thinking----how does my pay, house, car compare to theirs? For example, would I still like driving a Porsche if everyone else has a Ferrari? This base level, lizard brain way of thinking is not only not productive, but harmful when applied broadly, and currently ravaging America.
GOP supporters---would you have a problem in a world where US real GDP was growing at 5% a year, violence was non-existent, high quality life expectancy was 120 years, a super generous pension existed to ensure those 120 years were great, and there was amazing education freely available to all? And our infrastructure made the Jetsons look like the Flintstones. BUT the top tax rate was 75% and the richest 10% of the country controlled only 50% of the wealth in America. Would living in country that seems like nirvana but that has a much higher top marginal tax rate and less concentration of wealth at the highest levels be acceptable? Honestly I bet you are having trouble deciding if you would take more equality in wealth distribution, and much much better outcomes for all.
Democrats, and Sanders's supporters in particular how would you feel if the same idyllic world could only exist with a top tax rates of 10% and the wealthiest 10% of American's controlling 99% of the country's wealth? Would you be willing to support an outcome where wealth is even more concentrated than currently, but even the poorest American has a very high quality of life (health, education, pay, etc)? I bet you are choking on that and thinking up a gazillion reasons why it wouldn't work.
These extreme questions are designed to show you just how hard it is focus on growing the size of the pie not fighting for your slice of it. It's not our nature. It's a very hard message and our lizard brain screams against it. Yet this is what our country needs. America needs politicians from both parties arguing over how to best increase the world's growth rate (and since the US is the biggest slice of the global growth pie higher global growth will be great for the US). And if we can't figure out ways to grow global growth then grown US growth--but not at the expense of others. I am sorry Donald but if the US wins on every deal then everyone else is losing and my guess is that is not a long term sustainable strategy.
Lets focus our thinking and our policies on how do we improve our growth, health care, education, and safety. For example the question should not be how do we divide up a limited amount of health care but how do we expand the healthcare pie?
Almost enough of this silly crap that no one will truly support--but first a last question. If China invented a cure for cancer (and was willing to sell it across the globe) did America win or lose? Yea US pharma is gonna lose market share to China pharma, but my sister-in-law and a college roommate just got a cure for cancer. As I head off to a free physics lecture with my daughter in lovely Aspen I am thinking winning like everything else is relative (thanks Einstein).
Sunday, June 11, 2017
dogs, doggin the Ragnar and when will I learn?
So it turns out my fears were not irrational--from my last post about dogs breaking through the ice on a lake. It turns out one of my son's best friends lost a golden that way. Yikes. That sure ain't a risk taking the dogs for a stroll in Chicago.
Friday-Saturday there was a relay "race" called the Ragnar that went right by my house. Why the quotes around 'race'. Let me take a step back and explain what a Ragnar is. It's a relay race either run on trails or roads (depending on location). The Snowmass location is considered a trail run and parts of all 3 loops each participant must run did involve trails. Much more involved roads and sidewalks and paved bike 'trails'. I believe there is a 32 hour time limit (Ragnarians run through the night with headlamps and a full moon). There are two types of teams--regular teams with 8 people --each person must complete each leg of the course typically handing off to a teammate after each leg. The ultra teams must run each leg twice. The three loops are:
Green/ Easy 4 miles 775 vertical gain
Yellow/ Intermediate 3.6 miles 845 vertical gain
Red/ Hard 6.7 miles 1526 vertical gain
For a grand total of 14.3 miles.
Why am I writing about the Ragnar? Why the quotes? It turns out the Red course goes right up Sinclair road. Right by my house. Right up that road I was struggling to run the whole way up when I first moved here. Good news for my ego. 90% of Ragnar 'runners' could not run the whole way up. Actually most didn't run at all. Nor race walk. Not even skip. I saw a heck of a lot of walking.
I am not much of an athlete. I did not train for the Ragnar like these competitors from all over the country. But I do 3/4 of the red leg 2-3 times a week. In 35 minutes. My reward is a nice fast workout with some decent views while trying not to get run over by a car. And maybe a quick meditation at the bench at the top.
I must call most Ragnarians out---walking isn't racing. Finishing isn't an accomplishment worthy of spending the entry fee. Instead why don't you come to Aspen and walk the whole government trail from Ditch to Aspen and finish off with a nice dinner someplace in town and then go home and sleep in a bed, not in a tent on the soccer field in Snowmass. You will have a much more beautiful hike, better food and a better night sleep. And no need to use a port-o-potty.
Why do the Ragnar?
Why do we (western society) need to make a competition out of everything(the most egregious example being yoga competition --let's compete to see who is more mindful and relaxed)? Was Ragnar invented so guys could wear lycra half tights, lycra shirts and camelbacks while walking up Brush Creek road? Do people really need an excuse to 'train' for something and then brag about their killer accomplishments. Is Ragnar really a business allowing some folks to make money off of many people's fear about going for a walk in the woods alone and not having anyone around later to validate their accomplishment?
We all know the answers. Much of the population needs validation. They demand a participation medal. They need bragging rights and they must have the best kit (seriously those lycra running half shorts have got to go). And while Aspen does have some braggarts and show-offs my very unscientific poll would suggest we have a much smaller percentage of those than the population at large. And given the number of serious athletes and outdoors folks we have in this little town I would say the ratio of ego to skill is very low.
So a suggestion--when you come visit our town leave the ego at home. Realize the middle school kid at the table next to you at Brunoletskis making their own kiddy pizza might have skinned up a 14er earlier that day, the guy sitting next to you at the bar was an Olympic paddler who did his own kinda triathlon earlier that day (ski, mountain bike, hockey game) and your waitress did a 25 mile trail run just to get the images of last nights ill thought out trip to Bootsy Bellows out of her head.
You too can do this. Take this great bit of Aspen to wherever you live. Go for a hike, run, walk, paddle, skateboard, meditation. Enjoy it. If you want some camaraderie ask a friend to join you. Competition is great, and I love it. But it needs to be kept in a very small box. If you want some competition beat your best. And when you want to compete train like hell and then leave it all on the field--puke, weeze, crawl up Sinclair road but don't bloody walk the whole thing. Enjoy living every day, not winning everyday. Ski what is fun, not what soothes your ego.
And ask for and listen to other's advice. I screwed up again. My daughter and I went for a walk up to lost man lake. From the upper trailhead. Without snowshoes. Woops. Well luge ing down on our butts was fast, fun, scary cold and wet.
Check out the reflection in her sunglasses---snowshoes would have been useful.
Friday-Saturday there was a relay "race" called the Ragnar that went right by my house. Why the quotes around 'race'. Let me take a step back and explain what a Ragnar is. It's a relay race either run on trails or roads (depending on location). The Snowmass location is considered a trail run and parts of all 3 loops each participant must run did involve trails. Much more involved roads and sidewalks and paved bike 'trails'. I believe there is a 32 hour time limit (Ragnarians run through the night with headlamps and a full moon). There are two types of teams--regular teams with 8 people --each person must complete each leg of the course typically handing off to a teammate after each leg. The ultra teams must run each leg twice. The three loops are:
Green/ Easy 4 miles 775 vertical gain
Yellow/ Intermediate 3.6 miles 845 vertical gain
Red/ Hard 6.7 miles 1526 vertical gain
For a grand total of 14.3 miles.
Why am I writing about the Ragnar? Why the quotes? It turns out the Red course goes right up Sinclair road. Right by my house. Right up that road I was struggling to run the whole way up when I first moved here. Good news for my ego. 90% of Ragnar 'runners' could not run the whole way up. Actually most didn't run at all. Nor race walk. Not even skip. I saw a heck of a lot of walking.
I am not much of an athlete. I did not train for the Ragnar like these competitors from all over the country. But I do 3/4 of the red leg 2-3 times a week. In 35 minutes. My reward is a nice fast workout with some decent views while trying not to get run over by a car. And maybe a quick meditation at the bench at the top.
I must call most Ragnarians out---walking isn't racing. Finishing isn't an accomplishment worthy of spending the entry fee. Instead why don't you come to Aspen and walk the whole government trail from Ditch to Aspen and finish off with a nice dinner someplace in town and then go home and sleep in a bed, not in a tent on the soccer field in Snowmass. You will have a much more beautiful hike, better food and a better night sleep. And no need to use a port-o-potty.
Why do the Ragnar?
Why do we (western society) need to make a competition out of everything(the most egregious example being yoga competition --let's compete to see who is more mindful and relaxed)? Was Ragnar invented so guys could wear lycra half tights, lycra shirts and camelbacks while walking up Brush Creek road? Do people really need an excuse to 'train' for something and then brag about their killer accomplishments. Is Ragnar really a business allowing some folks to make money off of many people's fear about going for a walk in the woods alone and not having anyone around later to validate their accomplishment?
We all know the answers. Much of the population needs validation. They demand a participation medal. They need bragging rights and they must have the best kit (seriously those lycra running half shorts have got to go). And while Aspen does have some braggarts and show-offs my very unscientific poll would suggest we have a much smaller percentage of those than the population at large. And given the number of serious athletes and outdoors folks we have in this little town I would say the ratio of ego to skill is very low.
So a suggestion--when you come visit our town leave the ego at home. Realize the middle school kid at the table next to you at Brunoletskis making their own kiddy pizza might have skinned up a 14er earlier that day, the guy sitting next to you at the bar was an Olympic paddler who did his own kinda triathlon earlier that day (ski, mountain bike, hockey game) and your waitress did a 25 mile trail run just to get the images of last nights ill thought out trip to Bootsy Bellows out of her head.
You too can do this. Take this great bit of Aspen to wherever you live. Go for a hike, run, walk, paddle, skateboard, meditation. Enjoy it. If you want some camaraderie ask a friend to join you. Competition is great, and I love it. But it needs to be kept in a very small box. If you want some competition beat your best. And when you want to compete train like hell and then leave it all on the field--puke, weeze, crawl up Sinclair road but don't bloody walk the whole thing. Enjoy living every day, not winning everyday. Ski what is fun, not what soothes your ego.
And ask for and listen to other's advice. I screwed up again. My daughter and I went for a walk up to lost man lake. From the upper trailhead. Without snowshoes. Woops. Well luge ing down on our butts was fast, fun, scary cold and wet.
Check out the reflection in her sunglasses---snowshoes would have been useful.
Friday, June 2, 2017
a walk in the woods and end of school
The school year is wrapping up-- the kids had a great year. They handled the adjustment well (my daughter in particular went from a school which specialized in kids with learning disabilities and had a total of 7 4th graders to a public school with 100 5th graders). Way to go kids.
My son had a very intense week with his jazz band--they brought in Ron Carter (world famous jazz musician and teacher) and he had class with him for 4-5 hours a day for the past 3 days. And then the jazz band had a performance last night, this morning and next Tuesday afternoon. Don't worry about him getting too jazzy though--he comes home and plays grunge for hours to get it out of his system.
I continue to be amazed by the economic diversity of the parents who send their kids to Aspen public schools. It is all over the road. Most recent example of that is while hanging out with a guy who works for Snowmass water department I hear about a rule in place for the swim team---parents can't fly their kids on their private jets to swim meets. Apparently that rule is more like a guideline because it has been broken a number of times without the swimmers getting tossed from the team. Back in my day I rode my bike to Shaw Park pool for swim meets and my parents might or might not show up for some of it. Ah those were the days.
Anyhow last Monday I was in a foul mood. What to do? A walk in the woods sounded good. So on Tuesday I packed up my dogs, hiking sticks, food, water, and some clothing and set out from Aspen to hike to Warren Lakes. This is a hike I have attempted a couple of times but never allocated enough time to make it all the way (its not a hard hike but long)-- I set off at 10 am last Tuesday and figured 6 hours should be enough (12.5 miles round trip with about 3k of vert gain topping out at 10,700 feet).
I start off heading up Smuggler which is the Aspen version of running the loop in central park or along the lakefront in Chicago. Its crowded with unbelievably in shape people going up and down 1.2 miles to get their daily quick hit of exercise. Pretty much everyone is faster than me. As I head past the overlook the foot and bike traffic drops dramatically. A half mile above the turn around I am alone. A mile above that I run into a moped parked in the middle of the road. Weird. I plan to take a picture for my readers but my phone is covered with sweat and not working--I figure I will snap a pick on the way down when I am not working as hard. I check the engine to see if it's warm--it isn't. And the path has gotten snowy. Looking at the tracks the mopeder has left behind I am guessing size 13 shoes. I am a little worried about startling someone who doesn't like to be surprised.
Pretty soon the dirt and snow covered path becomes just snow. With the size 13 tracks leading the way. My dogs are roaming all over the place, running through the woods, eating snow, sticks and bear dung. And it starts snowing a bit. Remarkably my mood has improved significantly although I am a worrier and the size 13 shoes have me worried.
As I get closer to the lakes the snow gets deeper. And finally Mr. Moped's tracks just disappear. Weird. Now I am just trying to stay on the trail such as it is.
My son had a very intense week with his jazz band--they brought in Ron Carter (world famous jazz musician and teacher) and he had class with him for 4-5 hours a day for the past 3 days. And then the jazz band had a performance last night, this morning and next Tuesday afternoon. Don't worry about him getting too jazzy though--he comes home and plays grunge for hours to get it out of his system.
I continue to be amazed by the economic diversity of the parents who send their kids to Aspen public schools. It is all over the road. Most recent example of that is while hanging out with a guy who works for Snowmass water department I hear about a rule in place for the swim team---parents can't fly their kids on their private jets to swim meets. Apparently that rule is more like a guideline because it has been broken a number of times without the swimmers getting tossed from the team. Back in my day I rode my bike to Shaw Park pool for swim meets and my parents might or might not show up for some of it. Ah those were the days.
Anyhow last Monday I was in a foul mood. What to do? A walk in the woods sounded good. So on Tuesday I packed up my dogs, hiking sticks, food, water, and some clothing and set out from Aspen to hike to Warren Lakes. This is a hike I have attempted a couple of times but never allocated enough time to make it all the way (its not a hard hike but long)-- I set off at 10 am last Tuesday and figured 6 hours should be enough (12.5 miles round trip with about 3k of vert gain topping out at 10,700 feet).
I start off heading up Smuggler which is the Aspen version of running the loop in central park or along the lakefront in Chicago. Its crowded with unbelievably in shape people going up and down 1.2 miles to get their daily quick hit of exercise. Pretty much everyone is faster than me. As I head past the overlook the foot and bike traffic drops dramatically. A half mile above the turn around I am alone. A mile above that I run into a moped parked in the middle of the road. Weird. I plan to take a picture for my readers but my phone is covered with sweat and not working--I figure I will snap a pick on the way down when I am not working as hard. I check the engine to see if it's warm--it isn't. And the path has gotten snowy. Looking at the tracks the mopeder has left behind I am guessing size 13 shoes. I am a little worried about startling someone who doesn't like to be surprised.
Pretty soon the dirt and snow covered path becomes just snow. With the size 13 tracks leading the way. My dogs are roaming all over the place, running through the woods, eating snow, sticks and bear dung. And it starts snowing a bit. Remarkably my mood has improved significantly although I am a worrier and the size 13 shoes have me worried.
As I get closer to the lakes the snow gets deeper. And finally Mr. Moped's tracks just disappear. Weird. Now I am just trying to stay on the trail such as it is.
That is the trail---I am thinking I might get lost---but then again I can always follow my tracks out (unless it starts snowing hard in which case I am not going to have a good day).
The next worry is the dogs playing on the lake and breaking through the ice. I hadn't thought about that (honestly I didn't think it would be this cold and snowy up here). I don't have a rope or ice ax and I am thinking a dog rescue could make for a really unpleasant day. Did I mention my very cold feet??---they have been hiking in snow for about 3 hours at this point.
By now my mood is great, my feet are cold and I am almost back to civilization (ie close to the lollypop trail head). It's all good, although there still is no picture of the moped because on the way down I ran into a guy taking a dump right next to the moped and I thought pulling out my phone to take a picture while he was squatting might not prove endearing. Also it was not his moped---I never discovered Mr. 13 shoes.
Anyhow a quarter mile after the moped my dogs get very alert.
And yea it's a bear (or according to my dogs the biggest best chew toy EVER). I call my dogs. My dogs ignore me. The bear takes off through the woods with my dogs in hot pursuit. They are both using their 4 wheel drive with snow tires (ie claws and 4 paws) and are making excellent time....away from me and away from town and away from everything. I give up and head back to the trail. My dogs gave up 5 minutes later and caught up to me with a shit eating grins on their muzzles.
My mood was great for the rest of the week, dogs slept for two days. I strongly recommend a walk in the woods---now I just hope my wife doesn't read this post because she will kill me. And next time I am bringing snowshoes.
Thursday, June 1, 2017
Big city vs small town part ---don't know lost track
Over memorial day weekend I took my daughter to LA-Anaheim to play some hockey, go to Disney land and see her aunt and niece.
Just some quick background info about the populations of various cities I have lived in:
NYC 8.5M
Los Angeles 4M
Chicago 3M
Aspen 8k
One of these cities is not like the other.
So we landed in LAX --grabbed the rental car and drove to my sister's place near the tar pits via La Cienega. All of 7.8 miles. Total time 55 minutes. Number of times I had to cross 3-4 lanes of traffic to make a turn--3. Fun factor --very low. Why not zero?--my daughter got to listen to and control the radio during the drive. I really do miss radio and Los Angeles has a ton of options. We rocked and we bubble gum popped and rapped and even enjoyed some south of the border salsa.
We went out to dinner--parking was hard, dirt and homeless abounded. The next day we drove to Anaheim for the start of her hockey tourney (playing A level hockey --the only girl in the tournament at her level, with a team she had never met until that day---I am very proud of her). Distance 34 miles--drive time 1 hour and 15 minutes. Fun factor see above.
The first two games she played were at maybe the coldest rinks I have been at --and had the smallest locker rooms. Kinda crazy going from 80 degrees to 20 but I managed. And then to Disney with my sister and young niece. We got to Disney Land around 1 pm and my daughter and I stuck around till about 10 pm (remember she has two games the next day). I am once again reminded why I go to Disney once every 8 years or so ---its about as often as I go and ski Snowbird. I forget why I stay away and get convinced to go there and then well blah. Line to ride Matterhorn was 55 minutes. The ride hasn't gotten any better over the past 40 years but the line is still epic. On the plus side there were no lines to speak of on the California adventure side and we looped the California screamer a number of times--including in the dark. That was great fun.
Leaving LA--after dropping off rental car it took 55 minutes on the shuttle bus to get to our gate. Total drive couldn't have been more than 1 1/2 miles and it took 55 minutes. When we landed in Aspen I called my wife and she and son left town after we taxied and met us at the airport in our car right outside of the gate. Yes I do miss some of what the big cities have to offer (from radio and pro sports teams to tons of hockey rinks and every store you can imagine) but I sure don't miss the headaches.
PS Chicago had a great memorial day weekend compared to last year --this year only 52 people shot (7 fatally) as opposed to last year where 71 were shot. Yea, I don't miss that at all--in Aspen some guy hopped up on coke was arrested for running down the street naked. High class problems in my small town.
PPS Check engine light has gone on in the Porsche--is another trip to Denver in my future?
Just some quick background info about the populations of various cities I have lived in:
NYC 8.5M
Los Angeles 4M
Chicago 3M
Aspen 8k
One of these cities is not like the other.
So we landed in LAX --grabbed the rental car and drove to my sister's place near the tar pits via La Cienega. All of 7.8 miles. Total time 55 minutes. Number of times I had to cross 3-4 lanes of traffic to make a turn--3. Fun factor --very low. Why not zero?--my daughter got to listen to and control the radio during the drive. I really do miss radio and Los Angeles has a ton of options. We rocked and we bubble gum popped and rapped and even enjoyed some south of the border salsa.
We went out to dinner--parking was hard, dirt and homeless abounded. The next day we drove to Anaheim for the start of her hockey tourney (playing A level hockey --the only girl in the tournament at her level, with a team she had never met until that day---I am very proud of her). Distance 34 miles--drive time 1 hour and 15 minutes. Fun factor see above.
The first two games she played were at maybe the coldest rinks I have been at --and had the smallest locker rooms. Kinda crazy going from 80 degrees to 20 but I managed. And then to Disney with my sister and young niece. We got to Disney Land around 1 pm and my daughter and I stuck around till about 10 pm (remember she has two games the next day). I am once again reminded why I go to Disney once every 8 years or so ---its about as often as I go and ski Snowbird. I forget why I stay away and get convinced to go there and then well blah. Line to ride Matterhorn was 55 minutes. The ride hasn't gotten any better over the past 40 years but the line is still epic. On the plus side there were no lines to speak of on the California adventure side and we looped the California screamer a number of times--including in the dark. That was great fun.
Leaving LA--after dropping off rental car it took 55 minutes on the shuttle bus to get to our gate. Total drive couldn't have been more than 1 1/2 miles and it took 55 minutes. When we landed in Aspen I called my wife and she and son left town after we taxied and met us at the airport in our car right outside of the gate. Yes I do miss some of what the big cities have to offer (from radio and pro sports teams to tons of hockey rinks and every store you can imagine) but I sure don't miss the headaches.
PS Chicago had a great memorial day weekend compared to last year --this year only 52 people shot (7 fatally) as opposed to last year where 71 were shot. Yea, I don't miss that at all--in Aspen some guy hopped up on coke was arrested for running down the street naked. High class problems in my small town.
PPS Check engine light has gone on in the Porsche--is another trip to Denver in my future?
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