Travels with Lar and Mar

Ski Joring

Leadville, Colorado
March 3, 2013

Oh, what a dilemma. March 3 turned out to have two important events:
    Frozen Dead Guy Days in Nederland, Colorado
    Ski Joring in Leadville, Colorado
We decided to go to Leadville – mainly because Mat and Andi and kiddos – and Brea and Ben were going there.

We picked up Brea and Ben and their neighbors and did the drive to Leadville. It is about three hours from home in ideal conditions – but for us it was a bout 3 ½ hours – because there was one detour on our route (we won't talk about that incident anymore), and the conditions were not ideal. Going up I70 was real windy and at the top, in the Eisenhower Tunnel area, we were actually in a cloud which made it low visibility, slightly precipitating and slick – that translates to slower travel. I do have to say that conditions in the tunnel were much better. We got to Leadville about 2:00 PM and met Mat and Andi there. In Leadville the weather was cold but sunny and the wind was cut because we were in the "depths" of main street.

So what, you may be asking is Ski Joring. Well it really depends on where you are. In Scandinavia it is a skier being pulled by sled dogs – sort of a aided cross country skiing. In some places it is a skier being pulled by a motorized vehicle. In Leadville Ski Joring and the Crystal Carnival (and a few other places like it is a skier being pulled by a horse – a galloping horse – a galloping horse with a totally insane rider. And in Leadville it is a skier being pulled by a horse through a three block course with gates, jumps and rings (which the skier has to spear at high speed while being pulled by a horse with a crazed rider while he holds on to the rope. In Leadville they actually bring snow in and pack Main Street and build the ramps for the event. It was crazy and fun to watch. We were right at the center of the course and right at a jump, gate and ring set. Sort of like sitting on the 50 yard line.

We left at about 4:30 and drove back to Mat and Andi's for Chili and other junk food and a night of games. Mar and I got back home at 12:15 AM. We felt like we had a vacation – a real vacation where we went and just had fun.

So, just so you understand – here are videos – taken by yours truly – with some explanations.
The first class we saw was the "sport" class – where there are 3 foot jumps and the contenders practice with the pulling horse and crazy rider teams. In fact they were a little bit slower. In the video you will see them take one jump, then swing over through a gate to a second jump and then the swing back over and try to spear the rings. Watch carefully – it goes real fast.

Sometimes it doesn't go as planned – this rider decided prudence was better than honor (and destruction) and he bailed out of the last jump – which is instant disqualification.

And sometimes it is the horse who decides he has enough – again instant disqualification. (And there was one crazy rider who fell off his horse - ouch.)

And sometimes things just go dreadfully wrong – you guessed it – instant qualification.

They had a "legend" category – meaning they were old guys. They were actually pretty good. A guy who was working the event told me they were really good – but they had just slowed down.

And then there was the "open" category. The skiers sign up. The pulling horses with the crazy riders sign up. And then they are paired by "the luck of the draw". Oh, and they save the fastest horses and the craziest riders for the "open" category. Oh and the jumps are now six feet high, the gates and the rings are closer. And the skiers generally wanted a shorter rope so they are skiing in the "wash" of the horse. Let me tell you, if you blinked during the open category you missed it all. We were situated right between two jumps, one gate, and right in front of the second set of rings. You see them do a jump, then swing across the corse through the gate, then back across the course to get the rings, then back across the course to do the second jump, and then back across the course one last time real fast to hit the finish gate. Very intense and very fun – to watch. Let me tell you these guys are crazy.

I would recommend this to anyone – if the weather is agreeable. But remember – it is February – it is Leadville - it is 10,000 feet high – and it will be cold – and maybe snowy. But it is oh so much fun.

Reading List

The Call of the Wild

By Jack London

February 24, 2012

I decided a long time ago that Jack London was not for me. How could a person write great about topics in the frozen North county. That is the land of Dangerous Dan Magrew, and the Ballad of Yukon Jake. And besides, while I was in school, he always came at the end of a term so I was tired of reading. It can't be any good, I would convince myself, so I wouldn't read. The only thing I read was a short story called "To Build a Fire".

But on my Kindle – there it was – Call of the Wild. I had a trip for reading so I decided it was short enough to maybe finish on one flight. I did finish it on one flight and it was excellent. It is the story of a dog and his reversion to his natural , uncivilized essence. It is beautifully done. You feel pathos with Busk, the main character – who is a dog. I really liked it. I think I would recommend it to anyone.

Well – maybe not a women's book club. There are some violent scenes – tastefully violent – but violent none the less. Dogs getting killed by men. Dogs getting killed by dogs. Moose getting killed by dogs. Men getting killed by men. Men getting killed by dogs. You know, that kind of tasteful violence.

Travels with Lar

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

 February 20 – 24, 2012

This was a work trip. The biggest adventure of this trip was getting in and out of Canada. Going in I did get stopped at immigration. In most places in Canada, I have not had much trouble at immigration, but others in the Mentor training group have had trouble getting into Calgary. One person has gone twice and had a very hard time on both trips and on one trip had to pay $150.00 for a work permit after spending 1 ½ hours talking to the agent.. So as I went to immigration I had a little bit of trepidation. Sure enough, my documentation was not what they wanted to see. However, I was just nice to the agent and asked him a lot of questions. In the end he let me in after only 15 minutes because it was a holiday in Alberta (Family Day) and because I was a nice guy. He actually told me that. So that was getting in.

Getting out was US customs and the fact that I was a US citizen with a US passport made it easy, but the line was 45 minutes long. Then the plane spent 45 minutes sitting on the tarmac to be deiced and then waiting our turn in line. But I finally got home at about 11:30 at night.

I will mention that I did little in Calgary. It was cold. It was generally dark when I left the company where I was teaching and I didn't feel real well and was generally tired. So mostly I taught, got some dinner and then encamped in the motel.

There is a temple in Calgary, but it is under construction so I didn't get to go.

One morning, it cleared up enough to see the Canadian Rockies about 30 miles to the West. They are a little bit more rugged than our Colorado Rockies, but not so high ranging up to the high 9000 foot mark.  Calgary is a lot like Denver - high planes - foot of the mountains - low precipitation - population about the same.

Another trip – come and gone. I am glad this one is done and gone.

Reading List

Mafia to Mormon

By Mario Fagione

February 20, 2012

First the story of why I chose this book. It belongs to my Bishop. Someone else who had borrowed it brought it back to the bishop and left it in the clerk's office. I picked it up and my mind went, "Hey, you have a trip coming – and this is a small book – and it might be fun to read. So I asked the bishop if I could borrow it – and I read it one the single flight from Denver to Calgary. By the way, that means that it was interesting enough to not put me to sleep on the plane.

It is just what the title says. A man in the mafia. Missionaries who follow the spirit. And a conversion. What makes it a worthwhile story is that the Mafia doesn't just let you quit. He had to figure out how to quit and still stay alive. And just so you know, the church does not have a witness protection program.

I liked it. It was easy reading, but it was sincere. There are no innuendos or bloody shoot outs. He manages to keep your interest through the reality of the story and the dilemma. I did end up wondering what prompted him to write the book, seeing as how he said things that could have made the Mafia mad – but I guess it was long enough ago that they just don't care anymore.

If you get a chance and have a little time, read it. I would say it is probably not a great choice for a ladies book club, but who knows.

Travels with Lar

Tempe, Arizona

January 29 – February 3, 2012

This was a work trip to teach our custom class at Intel. I was going to have such a good week. I planned on going to see Ed (which I did). I planned on going to the temple (which I did). I planned on getting into a good exercise routine (because it was warm). I didn't do that. Instead, I got sick – I mean really sick. After work on Thursday, I went and got a very light dinner because I really didn't feel like eating at all, and then I went to bed. Thursday was the bad day, but the rest of the days weren't that great.

But I did go to see Ed and Sandy. We went to dinner at P F Changs with Jonathan and Michelle. That was a totally enjoyable evening.

I did get to go to the temple. That was also a totally enjoyable evening.

The trip home was potentially stressful. On Friday there was a raging storm in Denver. And it was a big storm. At our home we got 14 inches of snow. I was sure – absolutely sure that travel that evening would be hindered or stopped. I checked flight status all day long. Each time it said the flight was on time. Just before I left work I checked again and again it sid on time. I got to the airport and they personally told me it was on time. So I checked my luggage and waited for the worst to happen. But it was – on time. We left at the exact time (and I got a first class seat) – and arrived in Denver 10 minutes early. I was impressed with United Airlines. I was really impressed with Denver International Airport. I was thankful that they worked hard and got me back to Colorado in the face of a storm that would have closed most airports in America.
Now the drive home was a little bit tense – but I made it.

Reading List

January 31, 2012

The Spiral Staircase

Mary Roberts Rinehart

This was an interesting little mystery about a well to do little old spinster aunt who had become the “governoress” of two young adult children – ages 19 to 21 or there about.  She rented a country house while her house in the city was redone, and while there was nearly driven crazy by a mystery involving a string of breakins, a string of mysterious strangers, a string of secret chambers and passageways and , not the least, a string of deaths and murders – and all of them seemed to hinge upon her darlings and their intendeds.  She is a feisty champion of the right, and refuses to be swayed from her resolution to find the culprit or culprits, despite fire, fight and general mayhem, including herself almost meeting her demise.

So – was it great?  By no means.  But it was fun.  Read it but expect anything life changing or philosophical.  It could be a fun read for a book club.  If you recommend it, accompany it with The Red House Mystery.  They would be fun books to compare, and it would be easy to read them both in one month.

Movie Review

Ocean’s 11
January 23, 2012

Ocean’s 12

January 25, 2012

Ocean’s 13

January 27, 2012

We inherited a boxed set of the three Ocean’s movies.  I had never seen any of them.  And so, on my recent trip to Dallas, I took them all and watched them.

I have to be careful of this report – because there are people who think they were great.  I thought them to be average.  Okay entertainment.  But . . .

I have a hard time when the process banters around values like 12 million, 8 million, 96 million, 36 million.  Those numbers are just not realistic than someone can just throw around.

In Ocean’s 13, they install a GIANT drill in the underground “sewer pipes” beneath Las Vegas.  Did I say GIANT.  I mean it was like an eight foot bit.  And it had tons of controls and electronics.  Evidently it was installed overnight and there was no explanation of how such an apparatus was to be installed without ANYONE knowing about it.  And then it broke, so they bought another one – from France – for 36 million – and again installed it – overnight.  Let me tell you, I will bet someone from FedEx knew about that overnight delivery.

Things always went pretty much according to plan.  Even when to the audience things seemed to go awry, in the end you found out that was the way it was supposed to work.  It happened in all three movies.

That is just a few  of my complaints.

And the biggest complaint is about one of the last lines in the last movies.  “Ocean, I’m going to get you for this.”  “Oh, come on, the people who you will hire to get me like me better than they like you.”  And he walks away very nonchalant and the whole group go to the Bellagio to watch the fountains.  Let me tell you there is ALWAYS someone who a rich gangster can hire to “get you” and standing in public or even hiding in your locked bathroom is dangerous.

Sorry all of you Ocean lovers.  I enjoyed it, but there was just oo much that didn’t add up – and I must say this:

The first one was better than the second one.

And the second one was worse than the third one.

And I won’t tell you if the first one was better than the third one – until all is said and done – and then I will let you know.  Because that is the way these movies work.

PS – I liked the Mormon brother con artists from Utah the best.