You Can Go Home Again

But it won't be the same. Who the hell are all these old people? What happened? The years roll by. The odd thing is, you put this group back together and pretty soon they all revert to being sixteen again. Sixteen candles.

Denver Art Museum, esp. the new wing by Liebeskind did not disappoint. The locals seemed surprised that it had such a big play in the Eastern Press.

Good Mexican food in Colorado, from Magaritas to well, we never made it to the flan, the main course being so copious, but I know the flan was good.

Denver used to end on the north around Commerce City. Now there are various ugly, gawd, I can't tell you how ugly, subdivisions out in the middle of nowhere--major ticky-tacky. Sucking up all the farmers water. Major interesting sight: the coal trains from Gilette, Wyoming tooling along on the Burlington Northern/Santa Fe tracks heading west. Hugh trains with nothing but coal, 35 per day. Long trains. Get out of the house. Way out of the house. You will see amazing sights.

On the first leg of our flight there was an old man who had sort of lost it. Travelling with his wife who was not up to being his caretaker. After we reached our cruising altitude, as they say, he got up and tried to find the restroom. I kid you not, he was looking to open the aircraft door to go to the john. An alert passenger told the flight attendant. Later, I scrutinized the door and determined that he would not have been able to open, even if he had the strength, which is doubtful. Then he tried to claim S.O.'s suitcase in the aisle. I say when you can't recognize your own suitcase (not even black) maybe it's time to stay home. The Old Folks At Home. Where they belong.

So we saw unexpected sights and ate some amazing food, including lemon pie with (I am not making this up) marshmellow cream instead of meringue as a topping. Well, whatever floats your boat.

In the mail this morning was a "thanks but no thanks" letter from an agent I queried over a year ago. Somehow that "no" is never so painful. Already written off and do you really want an agent who takes a year to get back.

Big exciting idea for new book. I donated a copy of The Shadow Warriors to my old Carnegie Library, where I must have read half their books. Everything from Two Weeks to Guadalcanal Diary. An education to be sure.

I read Furst's The Foreign Correspondent while travelling. Very good. Interesting how he just used the threat of violence to create suspense. Not the usual gory mayhen that one finds in many thrillers.

More, much more, anon.

Grapeshot