November 29, 2009

The next house on my tour of the Ninth Street Park is the Wheeler-Griebling House, built in 1880. This is probably my favorite house on the park, I love the openness of the design, all the south facing windows that really brighten it up. I'm sure the family that was removed from here loved it as well.

November 26, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

November 24, 2009

I'm not sure if I've mentioned that I currently have a bachelor degree in psychology from Northern Arizona University. I suppose that my interest in watching people is part of what spurred me to pursue that degree instead of sticking with business. Of course, now that I've been a counselor, I realize that I should have stuck with business after all, and so now I'm back in school for my accounting degree.

November 23, 2009

Tip of the day: Don't give your presentation in a dark room while standing in front of the only window in the place. It makes it difficult for people to see you and your slide show. Then again since she couldn't get the slide show to work, maybe it doesn't really matter. Thank you to the Scholarship Center and the Women's Studies Center for presenting the scholarship workshop though.

November 22, 2009

I was browsing online and came across this. It felt so calming and peaceful, I just felt the need to share. Enjoy.

November 19, 2009

The punk movement is alive and well in Denver. I can't help imagining that she's listening to Toby Keith or Mozart though. It's always nice to find that one's expectations are wrong when it comes to people.

November 18, 2009

My girlfriend does have something of a green thumb. Well, if you ignore the ivy, which probably never stood a chance. We had given up on the pink ones, which had gotten infested with mites. All summer long they were withered and brown. We figured they were toast when they started growing again, in September. They finally blossomed in October and are still going strong. Wish I could remember what they're called.

November 17, 2009

I won't lie. Her cleavage was what drew my attention initially. I know she saw me checking her out and I noticed her watching me a few times as well. Then again I am 6' 6" and 275. She may have just been scared. I have been accused of being intimidated, while sitting.

November 16, 2009

My chariot awaits. On my way to school, always take the train. Cheaper (especially with a student pass), faster (no traffic to deal with), and I don't have to find parking. You see some strange people occasionally, but you can't beat the convenience.

November 13, 2009

I was walking to the light rail, and the sun was just beginning to rise. The color caught me, held me for a moment and I had to try and capture it. This may even be better than being there, for that moment faded. The sun rose, the clouds drifted off, the cars honked. But for just that one moment, perfection.

November 12, 2009

1045 Ninth Street Park, Denver, Colorado. One a home to Hispanic residents, now the home of the Cooperative Education Center/Internship Center. Another victim of urban renewal. One the upside, if you can prove you're a descendant of the residents that were relocated, you can get a free education. I hear the evidence and paperwork required are extensive. 

November 11, 2009

I was on my way to an internship interview bright and early when I noticed the church with the new high-rise behind it. The juxtaposition of the two, the mixture of old and new, seemed to really capture what makes Denver great. And then I got to thinking about St. Cajetan's church, and realized that it is truly a challenge for planners to hold onto the spirit of the old while building a modern city. Something has to give, I suppose.

November 10, 2009

St. Cajetan's Church is located on the Auraria Campus of Metropolitan State College of Denver. It was built in 1926 as the first house of worship for the Spanish-speaking community of Denver. In 1970, the Denver Urban Renewal Authority used eminent domain to relocate families and businesses from the area to build the college. Many of the structures were knocked down, but the church was placed on the historic places registry in time, and is now used as an auditorium for the campus.

November 9, 2009

The North Inlet Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park is kind of an odd one. Not only is it kind of out of the way, but the first few miles are private property and you have to stay strictly on the trail. On one side is a horse property, which had a for sale sign posted. On the other is cabin site. It was shuttered up when I came through, but is well cared for. I wonder who lives there?

November 8, 2009

A day at the Zoo. With the economy the way it is, everyone in Denver takes advantage of the free days, or at least that's the way it seems from the crowds. In the Feline house, this guy seemed like he was enjoying the attention, and looked as interested in the crowd as the crowd was in him.

November 7, 2009

Found this online, the South Park boys all grown up. I guess there are no eternal children.

November 6, 2009

Well, all signs seem to indicate "Go West, young man!" Do you ever watch the contrails fly over, and wonder where they're headed? Try to map out in your mind what their trajectory is and where they might land hours from now. I think it's kind of cool to know that some of these are probably destined to land in Japan, or Russia, but for just a few moments, they're here in Denver with me.

November 4, 2009

To remind people that Veteran's Day is approaching, Metropolitan State College of Denver got a visit from the American Veteran's Traveling Tribute. A smaller replica of the Vietnam Memorial, they also have replica's of the dogtags for soldiers killed since 1980 in the Middle East and a tribute to the soldiers of the Korean War. It made me think about a line from the book "Use of Weapons" by Iain Banks:

"There has seldom if ever a shortage of eager young males prepared to kill and die to preserve the security, comfort and prejudices of their elders, and what you call heroism is just an expression of this simple fact; there is never a scarcity of idiots."

 

November 3, 2009

One of the nice things about Metropolitan State College of Denver is that it's right in the middle of downtown Denver. The downside is that apparently, in order for the school to expand some years ago, a number of local residents had to give up their homes under the eminent domain law. And rather than just knock down these beautiful, old houses, the college built up around them, leaving a constant reminder that they evicted people for the sake of higher education. Lofty ideals, indeed.

November 1, 2009

Some friends from work and I decided that, since we got stuck working on Halloween, we needed to find time to celebrate. Since trick-or-treating was out, we went bar hopping instead. A little Zombie Stomp to celebrate the end of summer. We got a couple weird looks, and a few cheers, plus scared a few children, so I think it was worth it. On the one hand, we have the zombie accountant and his dead skier girlfriend. The other is the zombie bride and homeless boyfriend. What do you think?

October 31, 2009

Halloween night, and the cottages at work have been furiously decorating all week. One cottage in particular has been busy. The staff picked the theme, and I wish I could have gotten a picture of the girls, but their all asleep by the time I get there. I'll keep an eye open.