Moments That Alter One's Plans

   There was no agreeable premonition or serendipitous wrong turn that caused him to end up at the small restaurant that afternoon. He had just been driving through town in order to find the cheapest gas station and, being a little hungry, decided to check out what looked to be a well-trafficked, busy little diner located right next to the gas station he'd pulled into.

   His philosophy regarding unknown dining establishments had always been to look for signs that the place was busy, and a parking lot full of cars, especially in the late afternoon when a lunchtime rush or dinner crowd couldn't be the explanation, was always a good indicator that people liked what was on offer.

   Walking through the front door and hearing the low hum of several conversations and the clinking of utensils on plates sealed the deal. He waited patiently at a small podium where a "Please wait to be seated" sign was posted.

   The woman who strode over carrying a plastic tumbler of ice water in one hand and a menu in the other was smiling broadly at him. She introduced herself as Michelle and asked, "Is there just one of you today?" in that exquisite small-town pleasant tone that he had grown to love over the last few months of his travels. So much more welcoming than the tone one was greeted with in the larger cities up north.

   "Yup, just me, I'm Daniel" Escaped his lips as more of a reaction than an answer. 

   "Would you like a seat at the counter? We don't have any open tables inside at the moment, but there are a couple outside on the back patio if you want to eat in the sunshine."

   He considered his options for a short moment then replied in what he hoped was not a tired-as-he-actually-was voice, "You know Michelle, dining al fresco would be great. The back patio it is." 

   "Follow me," she said as she turned toward a small aisle that separated the booths directly behind her. They made their way past the happy chatting and eating customers and walked through a back door to the large patio that was covered with a vine-wrapped pergola.

   "Here you go Daniel, a comfy spot in the shade," she said as she placed the cup of water and the menu on the table and then pulled out a chair for him. He slid into the seat and she said, "Mindy will be out to take your order after you have had a few minutes to look over the menu - is there anything else you'd like to drink? We have four beers on tap - Molsons, Coors Light, Blue Moon & Leinie's Summer Shandy."

   "Do you have iced tea?"

   "We have the best iced tea - Pink, Lemon, Raspberry or our own Summertime Sweet Tea?" She answered, then added, "The Summertime Sweet Tea is unforgettable."

   "Well then, I will have the unforgettable Summertime Sweet tea."

    The woman smiled broadly again and walked back into the restaurant while he took up the menu. The name of the place and a motto was printed boldly on the front, "Jake and Jen's Gourmand Retreat, Food For Folks That Like To Eat."

   That's when he heard what sounded like shots from a small caliber handgun, and a scream that was muffled almost instantly.

    As quickly and quietly as he could he got up from his seat and made his way toward the railing that bordered the patio on the side to the left of the door. He crouched behind a table and with both hands grabbed the back of one of the chairs. Slowly he stood up and hoisted the chair in front of him. Anyone coming through the door wouldn't see him until they turned to look behind the door, and that would give him at least a couple seconds to bring the chair down on them.

   

   

Wheat Ridge Carnation Festival 2025

   August in Colorado can be hot, dry, and dusty, but it's also when a whole bunch of county and community fairs are held. A prime example of such is the Wheat Ridge Carnation Festival, staged at Anderson Park located along West 44th street in the heart of Wheat Ridge. 

 

   Wheat Ridge, though now more a bedroom community of Denver, was once a very agrarian place with quite a few large and small farms, and was home to more than thirty carnation growing operations for most of the last half of the 20th century. 

   Even though the farms are now gone and the last of the carnation greenhouses closed their doors in 2008, the carnation remains a symbol of the city, and the all-volunteer operated celebration has been going on for more than fifty years.

   The festival is fairly typical of small town USA festivals, featuring live music, a community art show, a carnival midway, and plenty of food and drink.

   The musical acts featured were generally cover bands, many of which were actually quite good - heck, the bands alone were more than enough reason to spend at least Friday or Saturday at the three-day event (Sunday is reserved for the classic car show). 

   Added bonus: No admission charge.

 

And finally, some real carnations at the Carnation Festival.

She Was There When It Wasn't Fashionable To Be

She was eating her morning apple

She said it was good for her teeth

And gave her fresh breath

Apple scented

She offered up her seat on the bus

To an old man shuffling along with a cane

She had a heart like that 

Never skipped a chance to be charitable

'cause she's not afraid to be in the world

'cause she's not afraid to show she cares

'cause she enjoys rain on her face as much as the sun

'cause she thinks it's a wonderful time to be alive

The Terribly Hot Day That Was Actually Quite Pleasant

 

   The temperature gauge in the car showed an outside temperature of 97 degree F, but that couldn't possibly be right - it felt like a cool 75 as I walked through the park, maybe even 70.

   Stupid car.

The Situation

   He was doing that internal, Hemingway-esque monolog thing again. Reassessing his situation in relation to all the players involved, evaluating chances, risks, figuring out the odds for survival.

   What could he do, or, more importantly, what had to be done? Would he have to work around Arnie or would the bastiche cooperate for once? How about Leon? Leon was his own special set of difficulties, but at least he was flexible and could be talked to.

   A cold chill passed through him as he thought about the problem with Jackie. She was in a bind and had brought the bind with her when she joined up.

   Who would have pegged that tiny, sweet-as-sugar woman as a murderer? Certainly DeSylvia hadn't - he had trusted her like no other but now he couldn't get comfortable around her, and he hated that edgy feeling.

   Which made him feel like the worst of hypocrites.

   For wasn't it a personal categorical imperative that caused him concern? Was there another soul alive that would agree with him that the actions he had taken to ensure the safety and well-being of himself and his allies was morally justifiable? Afterall, wasn't it he himself who had declared that the network was to be 100% non-violent?

   It hurt him to bring to the forefront that day in late February when he had shut the door on Pettigrew. He knew deep down that Pettigrew was a cancer that needed to be excised, but he also regarded the solution to the Pettigrew problem as a resounding failure on his part.

   DeSylvia continued to pace in his small office. Screw Kant he nearly muttered aloud. He had done what had to be done, what needed to be done. There was no doubting it, not if one truly believed in the endgame of the network.

   And if there was one thing he truly believed in, it was the endgame.

Do As I Advertise, Not As I Do

 

This may be only funny to me, but the vehicle in the picture above is a Ford Escape Hybrid that is being used by Xcel Energy to advertise the advantages of owning an electric vehicle.

On the rear of the Mini-SUV one can see a decal that reads "Save Money Drive Electric" and "Charge For $1/Gal"... One can also see the address of the Xcel Energy website, "EV.xcelenergy.com"

As well as the dual exhaust system for the internal combustion engine component of the hybrid vehicle being used to advertise the advantages of going fully electric.

And for reasons, that just cracks me up.

 

Sailing On An Asphalt River With Angry Skies Looming