Seeking Serenity in uncertain...

angry and awkward times. 

Do you know what the most worthless item of 2020 is?

A day timer!

Our lives are now in a constant holding pattern. The new norm is cancellations.

Like so many others my spring and summertime plans have been nuked and ravaged by Covid.

April camping and hiking in Canyonlands National Park? That didn’t happen. The Earth Day tree planting gig? Negative. The five night backpack trio into the Grand Canyon? Yuck! Yuck! Yuck!  The Friends of the Library Book Sale? Fahgettaboudit. The entertaining, informative and inspiring Green Drinks Happy Hours. Gone to Zoom.A Rockies baseball game fundraiser for Joe? What’s baseball? (No ballgame but donations are still being accepted. Proceeds go to the American Cancer Society) https://www.joescanlanmemorial.com/ 

Since mid-March my calendar contains nothing but emphatic slashes. There’s been no letup. All the cool volunteering gigs, the Brew Festivals, the groovy concerts in Buckley Park and the Steamboat Springs Crane Festival have been cancelled. Yet! The Four Corners Motorcycle Rally is still scheduled for Labor Day Weekend. Go figure. Varoom! Varoom! 

On the bright side. I haven’t been furloughed or fired, contracted the virus or failed to pay my bills.  I live in Durango, CO. I’m at an epicenter of natural beauty. My nice young neighbors do Welfare Checks on the new old guy in the ‘hood. My situation could be worse. 

But I know things aren’t right in the World. There’s more than a few pissed off and edgy people out there.

Two examples: On a Memorial Weekend hike, I came upon a single parent and her two kids. They had backpacked down to a scenic campsite adjacent to a creek. It was mid morning, sunny and almost sweltering. They had a napalm sized campfire blazing away. I smiled before saying, “Good Morning! Maybe you aren’t aware of this but there’s a Forest wide fire ban in effect. We haven’t seen rain in a long time. It’s awfully dry.”

Mom sort of glared at me before telling me to mind my own business. I backpedaled away after she informed me my Mother dresses me funny. Sheesh! Of course, I phoned the authorities. 

At a recent Covid related demonstration in Durango, an organizer described mask wearing people as “cowards.” The reason? They were submitting to the local Health Department’s suggestion of looking like the Frito Bandito in public places. OY! This could only lead to the Govment taking away our firearms! Where will all this tyranny end! 

At least Durango’s demonstrators weren’t hoisting AR-15’s. 

“Liberate Michigan! Liberate Wisconsin! Liberate Virginia!” Instigated the Commander of Controversy. 

His Followers followed.

All this was going on prior to the murder of George Floyd. Riots and looting broke out in major cities. Mayors mandated curfews. The mayhem was followed by the  theatrics and absurdity of President Lying Scumbag performing a photo op while clutching a Bible. (There’s never a lightning bolt when you need one.) 

Do African Americans have a reason to gripe? You bet they do. 

When the first British slave ship (Isabella in 1684) discharged 150 African slaves in Philadelphia, the die was cast. Bigotry and racism would become a cornerstone of America’s History. Slavery (AKA that Peculiar Institution) would hound our Country from 1776 to our present times. 

The dream of “all men are created equal” was penned by Thomas Jefferson.  Our Founding Father was a philosophical slave owner who was blind to his own hypocrisy. That was just the beginning of our Nation’s embrace of White Supremacy. Google the Three/Fifths Compromise (1787), the Dred Scott Decision (1857), Sharecropping (slavery light), Jim Crow laws, the rise of the  KKK (1865), Plessy vs.Ferguson(1896), 3,446 lynchings and finally ponder why it took until 1947 for Jackie Robinson to swing a bat in the Major Leagues.

A historian could fill volumes with more examples. (Me too.)

So far in the post, I’ve covered “uncertain” and “angry.”

Here’s the awkward part. 

Covid 19 hasn’t been cured. There Is no vaccine. The virus is still lurking around. People will continue to get infected. Many will die.

It’s a crappy time to be sociable. Attempting to make new friends and acquaintances when you’re seen as a possible virus vector is awkward. (Socially distanced hugs and handshakes are pretty unsatisfying). All my plans to get involved with my new community have been derailed.

For these reasons and the many others I mentioned in this older blog.

https://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2020/04/im-not-sociologist-nor.html

I’ll revert to my old sociable hermit mode and seek out nearby silent, serene and spectacular places. There’s more than a summer’s worth of exploring nearby. Hopefully the marmot terrorists will leave my truck and camper alone.

 https://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2020/05/im-not-mechanically-inclined.html

Does this mean I don’t wish to see anyone? Not at all. Friendly, good natured people with entertaining or interesting stories are always welcome in my camp. Bonus if they bring IPAs, desserts or cold veggie pizza.

Hope to see some of you this summer and fall. 

Stay sane, safe and healthy out there,

Jeff

I’m not mechanically inclined...

The rare times I check under my vehicle’s hoods, all I see are incomprehensible gizmos, gadgets and doohickeys. Well that’s not 100% correct. I can point out the engine and the battery. Oh yeah, and the window washer reservoir too. That’s about it. The rest I chalk up to mechanized magic.

It’s not that I’m stupid or lazy, I’ve never been interested in learning the ins and outs of carburetors, fuel pumps and alternators. I don’t even know the difference between volts, watts and amperes. It’s not a concern of mine. BUT I can tell you Mexico abolished slavery in 1824, the Antiquities Act (granting presidents the right to set aside National Monuments) occurred in 1906, that the National Park Service was established in 1916 and LBJ signed the Wilderness Act into law in 1964.

Great info for trivia contests, but not helpful when things break down. 

Somehow, I’ve survived.

So...recently on a shake down camp out with my new toy, I was forced into dealing with mechanical issues. 

A) I changed a flat tire for the first time since Reagan was President. It only took me two hours.  (The Penske Racing pit crew hasn’t called to offer me a job). Actually I was pretty proud of myself since I wasn’t crushed under the axle while yanking the tire off. AND! All my fingers are still attached.

After patting myself on the back, I shouldered my backpack for a bit of exploring in La Plata Canyon. 

B) Upon my return to my new home, I spotted a marmot peeking out from beneath the front wheel well. Now I know engines are rated by horsepower, there’s no mention of marmot power. Of course, I yelled at it. “Hey! Get outta there!” Apparently it didn’t understand Bronx accented English. The BIGLY rodent retreated into the hinterland of the Toyota’s engine compartment. I discovered how to unlatch the hood and peered inside. Yes, there was a chubby fur ball wedged between a few thingamajigs. I found a stick and poked it with the dull end. It didn’t budge. I prodded it again while yelling, “Come on! Move!” That time it fell out of the compartment and waddled away. I figured I better check to see if there was any damage. I cranked the key and “Whew!” the truck started. Oh what a feeling! Toyota!

The rest of the camp out was somewhat uneventful. 

But what is eventful is the quiet, peace and beauty of La Plata Canyon. I live 15 minutes away from where the La Plata River crosses Highway 160. We are practically neighbors.

Last photo: That’s me in my palatial dining room. 

Stay safe, sane and healthy. 

Jeff

Memories of Mother’s Day...

I get a bit verklempt (Yiddish for overcome with emotion) on Mom’s Day. Clara Sambur passed 48 years ago, but for me it still seems like an eye blink ago. My memories of her are vivid and unforgettable. Yes. I still miss her.

Another crystal clear Mother’s Day recollection was attending Colorado Rockies baseball games with Joe Scanlan. Stage 4 Cancer seized Joe in the spring of  2019. Now I’m left with fond memories of the many games we caught on those special second Sundays in May. A great baseball/friendship tradition lost forever.

I knew Joe for over three decades. I can honestly say there was never an unkind word spoken between us. Plus! There was all that laughter. I’d feed him lines and away he’d go. Joe could have been a top notch stand up comedian. A Rodney Dangerfield II. 

 Sure, I miss him.

In June 2019, the Scanlan family hosted a memorial for Joe in Denver’s Washington Park. Heres the tribute I wrote about Joe.

https://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2019/06/parting-is-nothing-but.html

From that sad day, the idea of a fundraiser was born. Somehow something positive would come out of losing Joe. With the BIGLY help of Joe’s niece Nikki an American Cancer Society memorial donation website was created. The event was centered around a Sunday Rockies game. Well, Covid-19 screwed that up like everything else. Now we are left with just the donation part, in which thus far, the response has been anemic. (A sincere Thank You to those 43 generous donors). 

Through the years,  I’ve been involved in many fundraisers. The best analogy I can come up with is this. Fundraising is similar to ingesting  a vile tasting medicine in which one hopes for a good outcome. No one enjoys asking people for money, but it feels satisfying to see the Bucks rolling in for a a good cause, (Like the American Cancer Society. If you are reading this, you or someone you know has dealt with cancer). 

On a personal note: Since I understand the ugliness of fundraising, I have great empathy toward those who are brave/stupid enough to put themselves through this grief. So upon receiving an email or a Facebook plea, this is what happens.

.

Oh look! John or Jane Doe are seeking greenbacks for a worthy cause. I’ll donate some dinero and score a monetary mitzvah. Maybe some Good Karma even. There! That didn’t take long. Now I’ll go back to drinking my IPA. I hope John and Jane Doe achieve their goals. 

This is what I’m proposing. If you could find it within yourself to toss anything (For emphasis: ANYTHING) toward the Joe Scanlan Memorial 

https://www.joescanlanmemorial.com/

I’ll donate to your passion as well. BUT! There are limits. I won’t  drop moola in the laps of politicians or religious organizations. Pretty much anything else works for me. I’ll even donate to Save the Monarch Butterflies. 

RIP Mom and Joe. The world needs more people like you. 

Any donation would be greatly appreciated. 

Let’s make dough for Joe!