Butte Beer's Unique Taste--revised

When I had a summer job with Reardon's plumbing shop, I took a plumber up to Butte Brewing to change a two inch gate valve that was leaking on the bottom of a thousand gallon holding tank of beer. We couldn't just drain the tank; this had to be a live operation. The plumber had to unscrew the valve--losing gallons of beer in the process--and replace it with a new valve. It was a surprise to see a mouse with extreme alcohol poisoning flow out with the beer. We had discovered the secret to Butte Beer's unique flavor.

Debt Collectors

As I stood in line to order coffee I overheard two guys behind me with English accents. They looked somewhat like Manchester soccer hooligans--dressed in rugby jerseys with watch caps pulled down over their ears. Lanyards held their company ID cards.

Smiling and looking at their IDs, I asked, "So, what do you guys do?"

"We are collectors for Bank o' America."
...
"So, you might come to my door to collect money?"

"Whatever."

Impatient

On the way to Costco I listened to a funny sketch by the overly heavy-weight comedian John Pinette (whose ongoing theme is always about food) talk about his unbearable waits in fast food lines--like standing behind the first in line who slowly vacillates about what to order or another who after ordering searches for their checkbook (and then for a pen that works).

After shopping at Costco, I decided to order something for lunch and queued up behind two other people. As we waited the guy in front of me freaked out as the much-over-dressed-for-Costco woman, who was in the middle of ordering, searched her purse for a ringing cell phone.

"I hate it when this happens!" he impatiently shouted. As soon as the woman had paid, he ran up next to her and handed the clerk the receipt that he had pre-paid at the checkout stand--which was quickly exchanged for a hot dog--and then he was gone. Meanwhile the woman was still standing next to the counter and talking on her phone--unaware of his angst--or anyone else.

Memories

These days the only way to recall a thought is to write it on a list; unless I forget that I have a list.

My thirtieth birthday

My decade birthdays have never been much of a concern until my seventieth when I realized that I may be running out of decades; however, with the German report last week that seventy-two is the new thirty, I now look forward to my thirtieth birthday in May.

The Shining

Lois and I drove up in the mountains this morning to Estes Park for a wedding which we just attended; we go next to the reception at the Stanley Hotel--which inspired Stephen King's "The Shining." I really get chills when I near the magnificent Stanley estate, remembering King's scary movie and room 237.

Last night winds stoked up the fire that has been smoldering in Rocky Mountain National Park... since the first of October. Now highway 36 is closed to Boulder and those to the west have been evacuated. There is a heavy haze, and the smell of the smoke which hides the Rockies. Air support and 26 more fire engines are on the way.

In spite of this, the wedding was beautiful in a rustic church of the mountains. We are staying the night here; the man at the front desk assured us that: "Everything will be okay and that the firemen are working hard to keep the fire in check..."

It sounds like an intro for a Steven King thriller--we'll let you know...

Overwhelmed

As we entered the Colorado Railroad Museum, five-year-old grandson Andrew--overwhelmed by the sight of acres of railcars and engines and then experiencing the loud gongs of the bell, an ear-piercing whistle and the scary hiss of escaping steam from an engine pulling railcars of passengers about to leave the station--enthusiastically shouted with fingers plugging his ears, "And they don't even know how much I love trains."

Japanese grammarian

This morning when I visited a Toastmasters club, it was difficult to understand a new-to-English Japanese woman describe to guests her duties as the grammarian for the meeting. Later, at the end of the meeting, when she gave her report on everyone's usage of the English language, she told one member that he had said "to who" rather than "to whom." She was correct in this usage that most Americans don't understand, and the audience erupted in applause and cheers.

No thank you

Five year old grandson Andrew was watching NASA videos about Mars exploration on his mother's Android pad. At the end of one video he said, "I have to go to the bathroom."
"May I watch a video while you are gone?" I asked.
"No thank you," he said politely as he walked away.

TSA

At airport security the first TSA screener who looked and acted like an East German boarder guard was intimidating as she slowly examined our IDs under black light.

A nearby agent looked at Lois's necklace said, "I always wanted to get my wife a necklace like that. Couldn't afford it."

His partner said to me with a smile, "I'll bet you had to use a gun to get that."

They then waved us through, and we were relieved to have made it past the first centurions.