Pleep Enjoys Friday Night Lights and Homecoming Court

Pleep was very excited when Kate invited him to the Shawnee Mission Northwest High School Homecoming game.  It was his first high school football game and Kate was also in the running for homecoming queen.  Peggy hadn't been to a high school football game since high school (which was more that just a few years ago).   Pleep was very excited when SMNW got off to a big start scoring two touchdowns and recovering a fumble all in the opening minutes.  By half time with the score 27-0, Pleep was taking credit for being the lucky monkey.  He started lobbying the crowd to name him new mascot rather than the cougar.

At halftime, all the girls who were competing for homecoming queen were walked onto the field by their dads.  Pleep was very excited and joined the Cascone girls, Kate's grandparents and friend in cheering very loudly when she walked out.  He thought the band should have given her a bigger drumroll.  When they announced the winner, Pleep was very disappointed that it wasn't Kate.  He thought she was by far the prettiest with the best dress.  Plus, she was the only girl there with her own monkey cheering squad.  

As halftime ended, Kate came up in the stands to join her crowd and watch the second half.  It started badly for SMNW with an onside kick and immediate touchdown.  Peggy warned Pleep that it was shaping up to be a repeat of the ND-USC game from her college days.  As things played out, the opposing team quickly ran up several touchdowns and had tied the game by the end of the thirds quarter, 27-27.  The bad defensive play continued and they went ahead 34-27 early in the 4th quarter.  Pleep decided to turn his attention to Kate and lobby for an invitation to the homecoming dance on Saturday night.  Kate politely explained that she already had a date and he was the quarterback.  At that point, Pleep decided it was time to head out in search of adult beverages and the Cardinals baseball game.  Kate sent Pleep a text later in the night alerting him that SMNW did end up winnning the game in overtime.

Cold Spring Tavern & 9/11 10 Years Later

Ten years.  It's hard to imagine.  In many ways it is still so present and in others, it's so long ago.  Beau and Harry were 5 and 6.  So small.  Their west side NYC condo provided shelter to a crowd of extras on the night of 9/11/  The KC contingent who were all across from the WTC as it happened and worked their way up the FDR then across town.  Parent's friends who all worked in lower Manhattan in the financial district.  Ida & Perry lost so many friends from Cantor Fitzgerald etc.  Ten years marks a lot of progress.  They have grown into young teens.  Beau is driving and Harry's not far behind.  Their memories are more restricted - the chaos at school, the crowd at the house taking over their beds, and the muted conversations of the adults trying to make sense out of the insanity.

It is strange to witness the differences as the 10th anniversary plays out.  Our NYC office is relocated to the new WTC 7 building.  Ground zero had been transformed into a memorial.  As accidents happen, we were in NYC for a wedding when Bin Laden was finally taken out.  It was a marker but not an end.  There is no doubt this a long struggle between freedom and those who want to dominate and destroy everything America stands for. 

Ida, Beau, Harry, Quentin (Harry;s friend) and Peggy all headed to mass this morning.  After the ND vs. Michigan debacle from the night before, Pleep suggested the Irish need to return to their roots, start a novena and recommit to being a Catholic university.  

With 4 house viewings scheduled, Ida decided it was a good idea just to head up to Cold Spring Tavern for the Sunday tri-tip, blues, and bikes ritual.  Built in 1886, Cold Spring Tavern is one of the key historic spots in the Santa Barbara area.  Plus, it is one that is licensed to sell adult beverages which puts it in Pleep's top ten list of places to go when visiting the Parkers.  Located on Stage Coach Road on the San Marcos Pass, it is a collection of old log cabins which originally served the stage coach riders.  Today it serves as a great resturant and gathering spot.  Plus it it is the originator of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing which it still serves in abundance, especially as a dipping sauce for fried onion rings.

On Sundays, the whole area is a gathering place for classic cars, race cars and, most especially, Harley Davidsons.  Pleep found a perfect place for listening to the music and watching the activity.  Tucked between the tricked out Harleys and Ferraris and the band, Peggy, Ian, Harry and Ida had the perfect spot to people watch, vehicle watch and enjoy the day.  

The band does a great job.  The tri-tip sandwiches are well worth the trip up the mountain.  The biker crowd comes from all over the central coast and LA to enjoy the winding road up to the tavern.    All in all, it was a great way to celebrate the freedom Americans enjoy and recognize the thanks we all owe to the relatively few number of police, fire fighters and military who protect us all. 

College Football, NFL, & California Here We Come

Pleep had an easy week lollygagging about the house while Peggy & Ed had to go to work, clean the house, cook, and do laundry.  He claimed he was too upset about the ND loss to do anything.  However, by the time Thursday night rolled around, he was busy singing "Are you ready for some football?", texting rude messages to Saints fan & New Orleans native Mike Power, and doing his patented monkeybutt endzone dance.  Fortunately, the Pack put on a great offensive performance and the season was off to a much better start than the Irish.

Tomorrow morning, Peggy & Pleep head to California for a spell of "teen sitting".  Pleep prefers teen sitting to baby sitting as no nappies are involved.  He's looking forward to marathon Monopoly games, catching up on the latest gossip from the Califorinia Baseball Nutters League, laying around in the sun with Oscar and showing Beau & Harry how to minimize time spent on homework.  Plus he is very excited to see the new house the Parkers have purchased as it has more bedrooms, more bathrooms, a guest house and a swimming pool.  Peggy explained it was not ready for monkey visits but Pleep thinks he can talk his way in because he is too cute to turn down.

Days & Nights in Durango

Leaving Ouray on 550 south, you find one of the most scenic drives in the country.  Known as the Million Dollar Highway, it runs through the mountains from Ouray to Silverton and then into Durango.  Pleep found its steep climbs, winding turns and total lack of guardrails a bit scary but it was no problem for Delete who kept an eye out for elk, mountain goats and other creatures.  Amazingly, we encountered several  groups of cyclists making their way through as well.  We also ran into large groups of motorcyclists all heading to the weekend gathering in the Durango area.  Based on their rides, Pleep decided Harley Davidson was likely a good stock to own.

After checking into the Strater Hotel, Pleep insisted we catch the trolley and head straight for the Ska Brewery.  He was very impressed that Holly, our tour guide from the last visit, remembered him.  Ed commented that it wasn't such a big deal as it was unlikely there had been a lot of beer drinking monkeys visiting.

In the summer months, Ska features an outdoor biergarten with food provided by Zia's Tacqueria out of an air stream trailer.  There is also nightly live music and with $3 beers it makes for a very economical, entertaining adventure.  A rigged up car caught Pleep's attention.  He took down all the information and is planning on suggesting purchasing it as the replacement for Carnicelli's corporate babe mobile.  It has been modified for off road access which could come in handy during KC snowstorms.  Ed commented that maybe instead of purchasing this fine vehicle, the babe mobile could be modified to have the same look and feel.  

Sampling the excellent food prepared by the Zia's staff, Pleep was pleased to pair it with several of Ska's seasonal offering.  He shared a bit with Delete but only the smaller tasting glasses, explaining that Delete was still learning how to be a proper beer sommelier.  Ed was disappointed when he learned that the Euphoria kegs were not being tapped until 16 September but the good news is KC is within the distribution area this year.  Pleep's only complaint about his time at Ska was being required to use the outside facilities.

Durango was packed with hundreds and hundreds of motorcyclists.   The Four Corners area sponsors a Labor Day riding event every year which brings an interesting assortment of people into the towns.  Pleep found the people watching even more interesting than checking out the bikes.  There was everything from investment banker types to tattooed, long haired easy rider refugees.   Without a doubt the Harley Davidsons outnumbered all the other bikes by a considerable margin.  Pleep is planning on chatting up his neighbor Galen who owns several well tricked out Harleys.  He thinks it would be a lot more fun to hit the road with Galen next time Peggy and Ed talk about Durango.

To Hell Ya Ride & Ouray Brewery Tour

Pleep and Delete were up early and suggested a short jaunt over to Telluride.  Pleep had studied up on the town's history and preferred the orginal name - To Hell Ya Ride - which dates back to the town's mining days.  There are several variations on how the name was derived.  Pleep prefers the one that refers to the raucous behavior of the miners.  The Telluride Film Festival starts on 2 September so the town was busy with preparations.  There was also an abundance of refugees from the 1960s and their descendants which gave the place too much of a California feeling for Pleep.

Ouray is also a mining town but much smaller than Telluride.  Pleep prefers the atmosphere and finds the choices of pubs and restaurants superior.  Ouray has interesting ties to American culture.  True Grit was filmed in and around Ouray.  It was also the inspiration for Ayn Rand's Galt's Gulch, from Atlas Shrugged.  Surrounded by mountains, the town is known as America's Switzerland and the entire downtown is a designated historic area.

With the beer drinker's guide in hand, Pleep led Ed, Peggy and Delete on a tour of the local establishments starting with the Ouray Brewery.  Pleep found a lot to like about the Ouray Brewery.  The swinging bar stools were high on his list and perfectly made to allow a drinking monkey lots of room.  He also liked the town motto: Ouray A Drinking Town with a Tourist Problem.  He thought it fit well with his motto: A drinking monkey with a traveling problem.

When Ed and Pleep went back for a nap, Peggy and Delete decided to wander around the town and explore the many historic buildings.  Delete's favorite place was the Elks building from the late 1880s.  Their front door boasted a sign, Welcome All Visiting Elks, and Delete was particularly impressed with the large bronze elk.  Another favorite place turned ot to be Billy Goat Gruff's Biergarten which offered a true German beer garden and outstanding views of the area.

The day ended up with a final walk through the town and sampling green chile stew at Buen Tiempo.  Thursday's plan is the drive on the Million Dollar Highway into Durango.  Once in Durango, Pleep has plans to head straight to the Ska Brewery in hopes to acquire the last of the Euphoria brews.

Hooray For Ouray

Pleep, Delete, Peggy and Ed were sorry to bid goodbye to Hugh Jay and Nancy.  Ed pointed out that Pleep hadn't yet worn out his welcome and that it is always best to leave before you are asked to go.  Heading west out of Vail, the route to Ouray led through Minturn, past Camp Hale where the 10th Mountain Division trained in World War II, Leadville, Gunnison, Montrose and finally came to halt at The Beaumont Hotel.  Pleep used his time in the car wisely examining the Beer Drinker's Guide To Colorado map and coupon book.

Convincing Ed that Buena Vista meant a lovely place for a view and a beer, Pleep navigated to the Eddyline Brewery.  Pointing out that we had already been traveling for 90 minutes with no stops and that there was a coupon for a free pint with souvenior glass, Pleep convinced Ed it was worth a stop.  Plus, he thought maybe another free beer or two would be offered because Ed's nickname is Eddie.  After watching Pleep stick his whole head in the pint, the bartender thought it might be best to cut him off.

Before getting back in the car, Ed insisted Pleep demonstrate his ability to navigate by taking a hand eye coordination test on the climbing wall.  The instructions were very clear, even for a monkey with minimal reading skills.  Pleep had no problem scaling the wall.  After reaching the top, he broke into the victory dance version of his monkeybutt manuver.

The drive offered spectacular views of the mountains, valleys, creeks, and small lakes.   The VW Jetta TDI made great mileage averaging nearly 45 miles per gallon.   There were numerous warnings about elk, deer, and mountain goats but the only animals Delete spotted were Texas longhorns and sheep.  

Arriving in Ouray, Pleep was very excited to be checking into the Beaumont Hotel.  He was a bit disappointed when he learned there was no discount for mentioning Beaumont Parker at check in.  The hotel is on the historic registry and was completely renovated in 2003.   The restoration was done with exceptional care and preserved many of the original features from 1886.   Pleep and crew are looking forward to spending a great day in Ouray checking out the galleries, hot springs, and, of course, the local breweries.

Hiking & 100th Monkey: The Infinite Monkey Theorem

There are lots of hiking and biking trails in the Vail area.  Summer in Colorado is an excellent time to enjoy it all.  We've been hiking around the trails and spotting some interesting wildlife.  Delete was hoping to catch a glimpse of his relatives but no elk spottings as yet.  We did see a lot of different birds and caught a marmot hanging out in the sun.  Today the plan is to hike the ridge line from the top of the gondola.

After studying the Vail Daily weekend reviews, Hugh Jay settled on the Lord Gore which was offering a Sunday night deal to encourage diners.  Lord Gore is located inside Manor Vail Lodge and has spectacular views of the mountains.  Settling in and studying the wine menu, Pleep discovered 100th Monkey, a red table wine from The Infinite Monkey Theorem Winery.  He insisted we order a bottle although several of us were skeptical that a wine with monkey in the name would be any good.  When the bottle arrived with a picture of a chimp lasered on it, Peggy was a bit concerned.  It reminded her of the Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes movie she had just seen which had scared her a bit.  The wine turned out to be very good and we even recommended it to the diners at the next table.

Returning to the condo, Pleep googled 100th monkey.  He learned that the infinite monkey theorem is based on the concept in probability that a monkey striking a keyboard at random for an infinite period of time will eventually type out the words of Shakespeare.  Pleep pointed out that he produces his blog in a very short period of time with the only issue being a bit of a spelling problem.  He posed his version of the theorem: if he had an infinite number of 100th Monkey bottles, the process would be even faster and the error rate would be lower.  We highly recommend giving this wine a try if you find it in a store or restaurant when visiting Colorado.

Vail Farmers Market Offers Way More Than Produce

Every Sunday morning Vail Village turns into what is billed as a farmer's market.  While pursuing the Vale Daily, Pleep spotted the adverts for endless mimosas, wine tasting, craft beers and other goodies.  He suggested a nice walk through the market would be good exercise so the whole crew headed over.

There were blocks and blocks of tents offering a lot of food and beverage options but very limited produce.  One tent was roasting New Mexican green chiles from Hatch.  Pleep made a beeline for that vendor insisting that we acquire several bags of the medium heat Big Jims.  Ed agreed noting we could brew up a large batch of green chile stew for our hosts.  Pleep pointed out that this excercise would require a quantity of Colorado IPA's because cleaning and dicing that many chiles was hard work.

While we explored the market, Pleep kept wandering off.  Ed knew where to look for him every time - any tent that offered tasting adult beverages.  Pleep's favorite was the Tattinger champagne tent.  In between sampling the beverages, he was also busy sampling freshly made salsas, breads, tamales, Bavarian pretzels, and other homemade goods.   Surprisingly, we finally found Pleep hanging out at the charity duck race booth where he was trying to convince the Rotary Club that monkeys would be a much better choice than ducks.  

An interesting booth was one a wine tasting tent where they were also making S'Mores.  After close inspection, Pleep declared these were lame S'Mores becaause they had skimped on the chocolate.  However, because they were offering free tastings, he felt it was worth a stop.

We ended the adventure at the Eagle Bahn gondola at Lionshead.  Peggy picked up the trail map while Pleep checked out the Born Free Express lift.  He figured that meant monkeys were allowed to ride the lifts for free.  Just as he was about to argue his case, the Blue Moose caught his eye.  Thinking it would be a good idea to check the place out and report back to Delete, he diverted just in time to avoid a sudden thunderstorm.

Pleep Sets Out Looking For A Rocky Mountain High

After a very long, extremely hot spell in Kansas City, Pleep and Delete were very happy to be heading to Colorado for a well deserved break.  Heading west toward Lawrence in the pre-dawn hours, Pleep insisted he needed to text Nancy & Hugh Jay, our hosts in Vail.  Ed pointed out that Vail was an hour behind and suggested holding off.  Ignoring his comments, Pleep dashed off a text and was pleasantly surprised to receive a prompt reply.

The drive from Kansas City to Vail is a straight shot along I-70 for a total 685 miles.  One of the highlights on the trip was the windfarms which provide a break from the cattle, corn, sorghum, milo and wheat.  Normally, Peggy and Ed make peanut butter wraps for the drive but decided not to because it was a short day.  Fortunately, there was an early stop at a McDonalds where Pleep was at least able to get a nice capacinno.  He decided on the large before considering the fact that the VW Jetta TDI has a 550 mile range between stops.  Lucky for him, Ed also had a giant coffee so there was an early stop in Colby, Kansas.

Ed pulled in exactly as predicted at 4:00 pm Vail time to the Vail Racquet Club complex.  When he learned there was no elevator, Pleep was very glad to see that Hugh Jay came down to help haul the luggage upstairs.  Nancy & Hugh Jay had prepared the guest room very nicely, even leaving a special gift.   Pleep and Delete quickly made themselves at home diving right into the fridge to check out the supply of adult beverages.  After enjoying a nice time on the deck listening to the creek, everyone headed over to the Alpine Hut for happy hour followed by dinner and music.   The evening concluded with watching highlights from today's leg of the Tour Of Colorado which had passed through Vail and the weather channel to see how Irene was battering the east coast.  Pleep's closing comment was hoping the evacuation of DC was permanent.