Memories of a Vet...

and a friend. 

A few months ago, George Holloway left us. This 83 year old mensch was a veteran, a keen observer of human nature, and one wiseman who truly thought outside the box.

He was funny, entertaining and taught me to always look at a situation from another (sometimes odd) angle. He was a honcho in our Veterans Administration. I'm sure he performed his duties there with a watchful eye for doing the right thing for our retired military personnel. He was an all around good guy.

My fondest memory of George was bicycling the RAGBRAI with him. For those who do not know, the RAGBRAI is the two-wheeled fraternity/sorority party which crosses the state and the corn fields of Iowa. 

Every ten miles or so, the ride passes through another clean, All American town. It's not Utah so there's bars along the route. We would stop, pull out our folding camp chairs, sit down and watch the show roll by. Of course, we had a can of Bud in our paws while doing so. We wouldn't say a word, just nudge each other if there was something or somebody worth noticing. When the beers were drained, we regained our bikes and proceeded on.

We rode side by side. Whenever George started a sentence with, "Did you ever notice..." I would listen up and pay attention. There was something profound and truthful coming my way. When he finished explaining his observation to me, I would think two things.

One) That makes sense.

Two) Why haven't I ever thought of that?

George, thanks for all you taught me through the years. I still use many of your classic lines when I speak and write. (He's featured in chapter one of Destroying Demons on the Diagonal). 

You touched many people's lives in a positive way.

From cloudy Grand Junction this Memorial Day,

Jeff

My Good buddy Governor David...

Y. Ige finally got around to responding to my complaint of the squalid conditions at the Na Pail Coast Wilderness on Kauai, Hawaii. 

Here's Governor Ige's response.  (Well, probably not David but at least an underling.)

Dear Mr. Sambur:

Mahalo for contacting my office on 1/9/2015 about the condition of the Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park.

In my experience, many of the best ideas for making positive change in State government and for the people of Hawaii come from collaboration with members of the community.  Similarly, when input is shared, it gives us the opportunity to assess the issue and take an appropriate course of action.  Be assured that your input will be thoughtfully considered as decisions are made.

Again, thank you for taking the time to convey your thoughts.  Together we can build a better home for your keiki, kupuna, and all the residents of Hawai'i.

Sincerely,

David Y. Ige
Governor of Hawai'i

In early January 2015, I sent the Governor this blog post with a few photos. 

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.ae/2014/12/occupy-na-pali.html

It's my most popular post to date. I didn't include a lot of the nastiness and trash which disappointed me so during my stay there.

Here's a few more photos to show I was making statements and not stories on my blog.                 Shame on those thoughtless few who trashed our wild areas.

Have a safe Memorial Day Weekend. Please take a moment to ponder the meaning behind the day off from work. It's more than just a barbecue.  

Thank You,

Jeff

The Rain Gods looked...

the other way for a brief moment in the month of May. I bribed them with pre-game beverages at the Breckenridge Brewery. I then left my credit card to keep them busy for the duration of the contest.

The Rockies won 7-3 against the Phillies. 

It was worth the inflated bar tab. 

Come on summer!

From rainy (again) Boulder, Colorado 

Off to the Western Slope and blue skies manana,

"Cause you gotta have friends..."

By Bette Midler.

 

See? There are human beings in Colorado who actually like me! 

Here's a sampling of what I miss about the Rocky Mountain High state. These are my Fort Collins buddies who tolerate my unusual traits and habits. Thanks folks. 

This photo was taken at Old Chicago during another dank, dreary and hyperthermia inducing evening. I think we drew a big crowd because everyone was Jones-zing to get out and socialize. Another draw (other than seeing me!) might have been big beers for a mere $5. Such a deal! A true bargain in happiness. 

It was great seeing everyone and a wonderful time was had by all. I think.

Maybe one future evening, we'll be able to drink outside without rain gear and down coats on.

Come on summer!

Back in the Land of the Superfit...

Yep! Boulder, Colorado home to the single digit % of body fat folks and Über athletes. 

Atop 8,144' Green Mountain, I was scoring side-long glances from the wiry trail runners and double-quick-time hikers. I could almost hear their thoughts. "Man! That guy needs to push himself away from the table. What a fatty!" 

It's true. There's been too many breakfast burritos, brews and a slothful existence the past few weeks. I need to get back into somewhat Boulder shape. It's so embarrassing when those gifted physical specimens point at me and snicker. 

If I don't lean up the local BMI (Body Mass Index) Police will be on my case again.

Just like last time only the same...

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.ae/2014/08/busted-in-boulder-colorado.html

Excuse me while I drink a gluten-free smoothie. 

Final photo: The Sambur clan celebrating Brother Mike's 21st birthday (again). The diet starts today. 

The Samburs meet the...

Ancient Ones. 

The Old Timers were gone but their cliff dwelling homes remained. It's all there (what the NPS allows the citizens to see) in Mesa Verde National Park. 

Brother Mike and Robin survived the obstacle course of Balcony House Ruin. Climbing up a 32 foot ladder? No sweat. A crawl through a narrow twelve foot tunnel? No biggie. A very angled uphill ascent along an old trail? Bring it on! These are two tough Long Islanders. 

Now the ultimate question still remains concerning Mesa Verde. Why did the residents wander away from their pads around 1300 AD?

Glad you asked.

The Eggheads have many theories: drought, degradation of resources, the threat of invasion from not-so-nice tribes and the "I'm tired of looking at the same old Mesa. Let's go somewhere else" theory. 

They are all wrong. It's all about the beer.

Here's my thoughts.

The Ancient One brewmasters  had a few years of disappointing barley and hops harvest. Their beer production was nil. They needed to resort to trade to score a few good IPA's. The cliff dwelling elders sent the young bucks off to exchange pottery beer mugs for the liquid itself from the southerly faraway brewmasters. Unfortunately, the youngsters drank all the brew while journeying back to their cliff dwelling clans. 

Here's how the sad arrival scene went.

Cliff Dwelling Elder. "OY! The beer is gone? You didn't leave us any? Are you stupid in the brain?" 

An Elders meeting was convened. The tribes needed a solution to this beer dilemma. 

The wisest Ancient One thought for a moment and exclaimed. "Let's not me schlimazels. Let's move to the brew! Besides, I'm tired of looking at the same old Mesa anyway. In a few centuries, this place will make a great National Park."  

And that's how it all went down.

Cheers.

In photo number one, our brave New York explorers discover Spruce Tree Ruin.

Final Photo. An explorer must eat a proper breakfast before taking on the challenges of the ruins. We got our fill at the Durango Diner. That's Gary the owner and all around nice guy too.

Our Intrepid Explorers....

took on the rigors of the rugged San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado. They summited three mountain passes and have photos to prove it. 

And just like Lewis and Clark, they survived and "We will proceed on." 

Robin wanted to shoot more photos of the high altitude skyline. I patiently explained that Colorado has many mountains. There's 54 peaks over 14,000 feet and 600-plus mountains in excess of 13,000 feet. You can take lots of pix here without snapping the same mountain twice.

This is what I love about this state. 

After a hard day of adventuring, our globetrotters retired to the Steamworks brewpub in Durango for serious sustenance. That's right, a Colorado Cajun Boil. 

Today, we'll take on Mesa Verde. 

Watch out Ancient Ones, here we come.