Likes and Dislikes: Denver Summer Edition

After hosting several out of town guests recently, Denver somehow looks better to me than it did before.  As people come to visit and we show them our new environment, it makes me like it better.  

Back in January, I did my first "Likes and Dislikes" of Denver.  At that time, things like slush were on my mind.  Fast forward to the summer here, and it's a whole new world. So here are some of my likes and dislikes, summer edition:

LIKES:

Fireworks:  For reasons that I can't fully understand, I love fireworks.  Maybe it's a throwback to my childhood, but they never fail to excite me.  So you can imagine my delight to find out that every single night during the summer months, we have an unobstructed view of fireworks that are set off at an amusement park that's about a half mile away from our apartment.  They last about 10 minutes, except for special occasions when they go on a lot longer.  This is such a great bonus that no one mentioned when we rented our place.  At the very first boom, Barry and I run out to our terrace and watch the whole thing.  And I don't seem to be tiring of this routine, even after a month of it.  I can't wait to see what July 4th holds for us.

B-Cycle Rack

B-Cycles:   There are B-Cycle bike racks on many corners of Denver.  You can put your credit card into a machine there and ride off on a nice bike.  You can keep said bike for 24 hours, including docking it at other bike racks around the city and then pulling out a new bike when you want to continue riding.  A great program and a big success.  The B-Cycles started last year, and exactly zero bikes have been stolen since then.

Cherry Creek, June 20, 2011

Cherry Creek:   If I look down from our apartment instead of up, I see Cherry Creek, which has a bike trail on one side of it and a running trail on the other side.  The photo shows it when it was quite high after a night of rain, so it's usually less-river-like than it shows here.  Last weekend, we watched a gondola (yes, actual gondolas, like in Venice!) service giving people rides down the creek, which was yet another surprise to us.

DISLIKES:

Panhandlers:  Perhaps because I live downtown, panhandlers are all around me. Each person seems to have his/her own corner where they stand with their cardboard signs every single day, just as if this were their job that requires their presence, no matter the weather.  I've studied the signs that range from "Please Help" to more inventive messages, such as "Wife kidnapped by ninjas - need money for karate lessons" or "Need money for spare parts for space ship".   Of course, there are those honest souls who say straight out:  "Why Lie?  Need Beer".  Today I saw a guy with a sign that read:  "Church of Malt Liquor in Need of Funds."   Denver seems very tolerant of all of these sign-holding folks, but none of their messages makes me want to help them.  Whether this is a flaw in my character or a feeling that standing in the same place every day to beg for money signifies such a hopeless act that I have to believe that they could be doing something, somewhere that is more constructive.

So Dry:  Even after 7 months here, it's still unbelievably dry to me.  I am thirsty virtually every waking minute.  I've read that if you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated.  But, no matter how much I drink, I'm still thirsty.  I can't seem to get enough liquid in me, in spite of carrying a water bottle everywhere.  I'll keep trying to hydrate but it's actually a chore.

No Grits:  I haven't seen grits on a menu since I left Atlanta.  It's no coincidence that this blog has "grits" in its name, and, I gotta say, granola is not an adequate substitute. Oh well.


Postscript to this Post:


For those of you who remember my post from several months back about Frozen Dead Guy Days, I wanted to let you know that the rights to this amazing event are now up for sale by the city of Nederland, Colorado.  If you are interested in checking out this fabulous opportunity, click on this New York Times article.

Second Postscript to this Post:


Barry and I take off on this Friday for an 8-day road trip in our new state.  Our stops include Vail, Ouray, Durango and Alamosa.  I will try to take good photos as we explore Colorado.  Hi-ho, Silver, away!

Chalk Art and Other Ephemeral Things

The Denver Chalk Art Festival was held last weekend.  This is an annual occurrence that is located two blocks from our loft, so we were able to view it several times during the weekend and monitor the progress of the artists.  As you will see from the photos, these people do a great job - they are making serious works of art that disappear almost as soon as they are completed.  The festival began on Saturday morning and, on Sunday night, all of the drawings are washed away.

As I watched the artists (in 90+° weather, working on their knees on the hard pavement), I couldn't help but think that this is a lot of work for something that is so very temporary.  It's just like building elaborate sand castles or creating ice sculptures. None of these art forms last;  by the time they're completed, they're already facing elimination. 

So I have to ask:  why bother?  Why would someone commit so much energy toward a final product that will not even exist tomorrow?  The only answer I could come up with is that they enjoy the process, not the final, fleeting product.  This is probably a good life lesson to learn.  We should all take pleasure in the process.  The final product is not as important as we might think it is.  Here are some images, during the process, of the chalk festival.  Enjoy.

Goodbye, Hometown

Wood Avenue, Linden, NJ

Last week we made an unexpected trip to New Jersey, sadly for a funeral.  While there, we realized that this would most likely be our last trip to our hometown, Linden, New Jersey.  It's not a place to go to for fun and relaxation, and the funeral marked the passing of our last close relative in that city.  So we did a final tour of Linden, passing by all of the Super Fund sites that sit empty as the chemicals leach from them, including the plant where my father worked for 40 years.  We drove by the homes that Barry and I grew up in, the schools and synagogues that we attended, and bid them all farewell.

My childhood home in Linden

I've always thought that growing up in New Jersey was somewhat of a blessing because everyplace else that I've lived seems great by comparison.  And that still is true.  Coming back to Denver was a breath of fresh air, both literally and figuratively.  

I'm not exaggerating about our home town.  If you ever have an extra hour and are in NJ, drive south a few miles from Newark Airport on Route 1-9 and take a look.  It's ugly, dirty and congested.  No place you'd choose to spend time.   Or, if you choose the New Jersey Turnpike route, going south from the Airport, you'll see and smell Linden when you pass all of the oil tanks that surround the Turnpike.  And you'll pass Exit 13, our exit and the very same exit that Tony Soprano takes in the opening credits of The Sopranos.

There are definitely some good childhood memories encased in this ecological disaster of a city but, all in all, I'm ready to say goodbye to my hometown.

May 27, 2011

Wedding - May 27, 1971

It's been 40 years today since our wedding day.  Wow - hard to believe.

I am always quick to tell anyone who will listen that marrying Barry was the best decision I ever made in my life.  He's a wonderful husband.  The best I can imagine.

Linden High School Senior Prom, 1967

I'm a lucky lady to have such happiness all these years.

L.A. Rapture Weekend

Barry and I just got back from a great weekend in California.  The primary reason for going was to see my daughter and son-in-law, but we did so much more than that.

We stayed at the beautiful Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica that was landscaped to the hilt.  We so enjoyed the sunny, breezy weather and being next door to the Pacific Ocean.  There were many other treats associated with this trip.  Besides spending time with Emily and Isac, we got to see our beloved former next door neighbors from Atlanta who were also in Santa Monica, as well as a number of Emily's friends who we adore.  Of course, what would a trip to L.A. be without spending quality time with our grand-dog, The Baroness?  As you can see from the picture below, she was absolutely thrilled to see us.

The Baroness in excitement mode

We had great food at every restaurant that we went to, but the stand out memorable meal was the tasting menu at Providence.  This was a special occasion meal as we celebrated Emily and Isac's fifth anniversary on Friday night.  Wow.  The food kept coming and coming and it was a real treat to enjoy so many different tastes.  And the presentation - wow.  

Tuna Tartar at Providence

Besides socializing and eating, we started our search for a retirement condo.  It will probably take us a while to find just the right thing, but no rush.  I do love the beach and the weather there can't be beat.

We were astounded by a wonderful exhibit at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA called "Art in the Streets."  It's a huge exhibit on street art that I can't say enough good things about.  We had to leave to go to the airport after over two hours there, and we didn't feel like we had enough time.  It's there until 8/8/11 and if your travels take you to LA, see it.  It gives you a whole new appreciation of street art - beautifully curated, beautifully done.  I can't do it justice - you gotta see it.  Here are a few pictures I took at the exhibit.

A very fun trip, and, as an extra bonus, the world didn't end.

On Mother's Day.

With Sunday being Mother's Day, I naturally started thinking about what being a mother means and how it changes as your "child/ren" become adults.

When a baby is born, it's dependent on its parents for absolutely everything.  But, as time goes on, if a parent is fortunate, that very same baby becomes a totally independent human being who no longer "needs" its parents for day to day living.

I've been thinking about what exactly is the role of a parent of an adult.  I've wondered if there are any  actual duties to fulfill as the parent of a totally independent adult.  If there are grandchildren, the parent can take on the role of babysitter/grandparent (no hint intended, Em), but, otherwise, can it be possible that the parent is superfluous - just another relative who requires an occasional phone call or email to avoid feeling guilty?

There are potential roles that the parent of an adult can fill:  advice giver, sympathetic listener, or career cheerleader, but, honestly, couldn't a friend fill these roles as well? Then there are the annoying roles that a parent can fulfill like being able to push buttons that no friend could ever push or being the archivist of embarrassing childhood memories for the adult child, as in "have I ever mentioned that my daughter was so frightened by the movie ET that she probably still hasn't been able to watch it to this day?"

The one role that a mother will always be best at is loving her child, no matter what, with no strings attached, regardless of the age of the child.  Unconditional love is not easy to find in this world, and that is a mother's love, regardless of the rockiness of the relationship.  When I lost my parents, I realized that there are so few people in your life that just love you with all their hearts and that parents, at any age, are two of those people who are irreplaceable.

A big shout out to my wonderful daughter who makes mothering an adult so easy.  She is very independent, and I'm proud of that.  When I look back on my mothering skills, I definitely would not have won any awards.  My daughter was a latch-key child who would call me at work to tell me she was OK after coming home to an empty house after elementary school.  She somehow weathered this poor parenting to become a talented, hardworking, and loving adult. 

So as I ponder my role as a mother of an adult, I thank her for the joy that she has brought to my life and wish all of you a Happy Mother's Day.

Election Day - Denver Style

Tuesday, May 3, is Election Day in Denver.  The former mayor of Denver, John Hickenlooper, became the Governor of Colorado in January, and a temporary mayor has been in charge of the city since then.

I've voted for 40 years in at least a half dozen states, using old-fashioned voting booths with levers, poking holes in the ballots with a small sharp tool, and, most recently, using touch screen computerized ballots.  But, yet again, I've been surprised here.  

For this election (and I'm not sure if it's this way for every election since this is the first since we've moved here), we received ballots in the mail that look like this:

The voter is given the option of mailing back the ballot or dropping it off at a number of designated locations.  There are even some drive-through spots listed.  There was no information on actual polling places.

According to the instructions, you can use pencil or pen, black or blue, and you are supposed to connect the arrow next to the person who you want to vote for, as shown below:

Of course, I started obsessing over how thick the line should be, how many times to go over the line, just to be sure that the vote would be obvious.

Then, after you've drawn your lines, the ballot gets put in a "secrecy sleeve" and then an envelope that you sign, swearing that you're an eligible voter.

The envelope can be dropped off by anyone at one of the many designated drop-off spots.

Maybe it's because I'm from New Jersey, where election fraud is an art form, but does this seem a bit too nonchalant to anyone else?  Or can you imagine how this would have played in Palm Beach County, Florida in 2000?