Showing posts with label Colorado. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Colorado. Show all posts
Monday, 11 August 2008
Tuesday, 27 November 2007
Colfax Avenue
One of the things I miss most about living in the USA is getting a copy of the Sunday New York Times delivered to my home. I used to spend an entire week sorting my way through the vast volumes of news the paper delivered.
When I moved to the UK, I looked into getting the paper delivered to me here. The cost was exorbitant and I wouldn't have received the paper until midweek. Both reasons proved enough to prevent me from doing so. With the advances in the digital world and the internet I used to subscribe to the paper online but this was back in the days when I had to pay for the service and the download time made it an excrutiatingly painful process.
How much this has all changed! New York Times abridiged edition delivered to my hotmail account every day. Free!
This means I catch up on the news from my hotmail account in short spurts equivalent to reading the headlines without any of the annoying adverts.
Imagine my surprise when I found that my beloved Colfax Avenue in Colorado had made it to the headlines. I blogged about this infamous stretch of road in two different blog posts: one about my Hardest Job and one about my First Job both of which were located at two differnt locations but both on Colfax Avenue. Nice to read somethings never change and everything changes.
When I moved to the UK, I looked into getting the paper delivered to me here. The cost was exorbitant and I wouldn't have received the paper until midweek. Both reasons proved enough to prevent me from doing so. With the advances in the digital world and the internet I used to subscribe to the paper online but this was back in the days when I had to pay for the service and the download time made it an excrutiatingly painful process.
How much this has all changed! New York Times abridiged edition delivered to my hotmail account every day. Free!
This means I catch up on the news from my hotmail account in short spurts equivalent to reading the headlines without any of the annoying adverts.
Imagine my surprise when I found that my beloved Colfax Avenue in Colorado had made it to the headlines. I blogged about this infamous stretch of road in two different blog posts: one about my Hardest Job and one about my First Job both of which were located at two differnt locations but both on Colfax Avenue. Nice to read somethings never change and everything changes.
Sunday, 28 October 2007
Heartbreak
This morning (last night if you are in the USA) my heart broke into about a million little pieces as I watched the Colorado Rockies drop Game 3 of the World Series to the Boston Red Sox.
I wept as Carrie Underwood sang the National Anthem, something I don't get to do very often given I live in a foreign country and opportunities don't present themselves very often (or at all). I was so proud to be from Colorado at that moment: a beautiful state, a beautiful baseball stadium, and a great baseball team when performing in front of the home crowd.
And then not far into the first inning it all began to come unravelled. Before long the Rockies were down 6-0 and the deflated look on the fans was depressing. Josh Fogg looked like he didn't bother to even warm up. He was out of the game within 3 innings.
The UK commentators were making quite a big deal over the fact that one of the fans interviewed had said that the Rockies were just happy to be there. Johnny Gould (UK Channel 5 commentator) replied something along the lines that being there ain't the same as winning.
The Denver Broncos first appeared in the Championship Football Game in 1978 at Super Bowl XII. they would go on to lose 5 Super Bowls before ultimately claiming victory in Super Bowl XXXII in 1998. It took them 20 years to do more than just be happy to make it to the game.
Ya gotta settle into these things. It takes time and it takes experience.
I seem to recall that the Boston Red Sox have been to many more World Series than they've won!
The Rockies gave a rally in the bottom of the 6th and 7th inning to come within 1 run of tying the game but it wasn't meant to be and the Rockies fans had to return home and decide how to brave that cold weather and the Boston Red Sox tonight.
I cried as I saw the look of disappointment on the players faces.
I thought I would struggle to decide who to support in this game. I have enjoyed watching the Boston Red Sox play extraordinary baseball. But ultimately, I'm a Colorado girl. And this Colorado girl is praying for a baseball miracle.
I wept as Carrie Underwood sang the National Anthem, something I don't get to do very often given I live in a foreign country and opportunities don't present themselves very often (or at all). I was so proud to be from Colorado at that moment: a beautiful state, a beautiful baseball stadium, and a great baseball team when performing in front of the home crowd.
And then not far into the first inning it all began to come unravelled. Before long the Rockies were down 6-0 and the deflated look on the fans was depressing. Josh Fogg looked like he didn't bother to even warm up. He was out of the game within 3 innings.
The UK commentators were making quite a big deal over the fact that one of the fans interviewed had said that the Rockies were just happy to be there. Johnny Gould (UK Channel 5 commentator) replied something along the lines that being there ain't the same as winning.
The Denver Broncos first appeared in the Championship Football Game in 1978 at Super Bowl XII. they would go on to lose 5 Super Bowls before ultimately claiming victory in Super Bowl XXXII in 1998. It took them 20 years to do more than just be happy to make it to the game.
Ya gotta settle into these things. It takes time and it takes experience.
I seem to recall that the Boston Red Sox have been to many more World Series than they've won!
The Rockies gave a rally in the bottom of the 6th and 7th inning to come within 1 run of tying the game but it wasn't meant to be and the Rockies fans had to return home and decide how to brave that cold weather and the Boston Red Sox tonight.
I cried as I saw the look of disappointment on the players faces.
I thought I would struggle to decide who to support in this game. I have enjoyed watching the Boston Red Sox play extraordinary baseball. But ultimately, I'm a Colorado girl. And this Colorado girl is praying for a baseball miracle.
Tuesday, 16 October 2007
National League Champions
At 6:43 am this morning the call came in.
The Colorado Rockies are the National League Champions.
They swept the series with 4 straight wins. They have won 21 of their last 22 games.
Bring on the World Series!
You have no idea how much I wish I was in Denver at this very moment!!!!!!
The Colorado Rockies are the National League Champions.
They swept the series with 4 straight wins. They have won 21 of their last 22 games.
Bring on the World Series!
You have no idea how much I wish I was in Denver at this very moment!!!!!!
Monday, 15 October 2007
3 Down, 1 to Go
Last night my phone rang at 4:41 am. I have found that typically when the phone rings at that hour it is never good news.
However, I have a family who struggles with the whole concept of time zones so this is not always the case.
My sister, knowing that I would be unlikely to stay awake until the wee hours of the morning, had rang to tell me that the Colorado Rockies had won the third game in a best of seven contest for the National League Champion title and a trip to the World Series. The weak and feeble Arizona D'Backs have not managed to win a single game!
Tonight is the 4th game. A win will seal the deal and the Colorado Rockies will be headed to the World Series for the first time in franchise history. I have given them permission to ring at that insane hour once again if the news is good.
Man, am I praying for a wake up call!
However, I have a family who struggles with the whole concept of time zones so this is not always the case.
My sister, knowing that I would be unlikely to stay awake until the wee hours of the morning, had rang to tell me that the Colorado Rockies had won the third game in a best of seven contest for the National League Champion title and a trip to the World Series. The weak and feeble Arizona D'Backs have not managed to win a single game!
Tonight is the 4th game. A win will seal the deal and the Colorado Rockies will be headed to the World Series for the first time in franchise history. I have given them permission to ring at that insane hour once again if the news is good.
Man, am I praying for a wake up call!
Tuesday, 15 May 2007
The Job I Learned the Most From
Going to university was about a whole bunch more than academics. Not least because I had to work to pay my bills as well as study and go to class. But also because it is the time when I figured out who I was (apart from my parent's expectations) and what I wanted out of life (apart from spending the entire winter skiing).
Unemployed and feeling a bit despondent, I wondered one evening into my favourite jazz club in Denver. This club is located in lower downtown Denver. This was before the Colorado Rockies came to town, before Coors field was built for them to play in and before the gentrification of this area made it the coolest place to be. Back then (1986) this was probably one of the scariest place to be in the Denver. The buildings were old abandoned warehouses with all the windows broken. Those same warehouses are now the most sought after loft living spaces.
Jerry, the owner, was complaining that his wife was doing the waitressing. In a moment a weakness, I volunteered to help. He said "Great, can you start now?" I'd never waitressed a day in my life unless you count my stint at Wendy's when I was 16 which you can't. But, I thought how hard can it be?
Hard.....dang hard! That night I left the bar at 2:30 am, went to my car, and drove myself home. I returned the next night to find police tape all over the place. Apparently, the trumpet player from the band had been murdered, had his lips cut off and his ears sliced off. They found him in the dumpster in the alleyway behind the dumpster. But it didn't scare me. I needed the job. I needed the money.
The way it worked was, Jerry gave my $20 when I reported to work which I used as my bank. I paid for drinks out of that and collected the money from the customers. Anything I still had in my hand at the end of the night was all mine. I typically had about $80 in my pocket at the end of the night.
I worked Sunday through Thursday nights. On Sundays I started at 7 pm and we closed at midnight. The rest of the week I started at 8 pm and we closed at 2 am. I would be up at 7 am to get to my classes by 8:30. There were about 20 bar stools and 8 tables in the bar part (where the band played). There was a small restaurant serving Mexican food (some of the best green chili in the world!) with about another 8 tables. You couldn't hear the band so well from there but there was a pool table in the middle of the room and lots of customers just came to play pool.
The bartender got the tips from the bar stools. I got the tables in the bar and the restaurant and everyone standing in the aisle. I studied during slow nights (which weren't many) but what I learned from this job had little or nothing to do with my books.
If I called in sick, there was no one to do the job. Jerry had 3 waitresses. 2 of them worked Friday and Saturday nights but had other jobs during my nights. Jerry and his wife had a little girl so the child would have to sit in the restaurant if his wife needed to cover for someone. Only one night in 18 months did I miss work. And I didn't get paid. I never took any vacation.
All types of people, famous and barely hanging on. The biggest tip I ever got was $100 from Tom Petty. Famous people frequently popped in after a gig if they were playing in town. Nobody took a second look or gave them any special treatment. If the tables were full, they stood like everyone else. We had regulars and people on first dates. People in rags and people in ball gowns and dinner jackets. This place was riddled in history. Allegedly, it was a speak easy during Prohibition. We served 5 types of beer in the bottle: Bud, Bud Light, Coors, Coors Light, and Miller Genuine Draft. If you wanted a fancy micro brew, you would have to go someplace else. I never had to break up a fight there although one night a gang did throw a molotov cocktail through the front window of the restaurant. There are bars on that window
now and no one was hurt. I did learn to play a mean game of pool. I'm afraid I'm a bit rusty now but in my day......bit of a shark, I reckon!
I hustled. If it was a slow night, I got to talk to the band or the customers but if it was busy, I worked my butt off. I was the ONLY waitress. There was a very direct correlation between how quickly you take some body's order and deliver their drinks and the tips you get. Of course, there are some idiots out there thinking I could make beer appear out of thin air and they were too tight to tip but to be honest, this very rarely happened. When it did, it was the last round of drinks they got that night. Action/Consequence in action!
I got offered an amazing job with a software consultancy after 18 months working at the bar. One of the VPs at the company was a professor's wife. They gave me an internship and I worked for them for 12 years. I learned a lot there but I learned more at the bar.
Unemployed and feeling a bit despondent, I wondered one evening into my favourite jazz club in Denver. This club is located in lower downtown Denver. This was before the Colorado Rockies came to town, before Coors field was built for them to play in and before the gentrification of this area made it the coolest place to be. Back then (1986) this was probably one of the scariest place to be in the Denver. The buildings were old abandoned warehouses with all the windows broken. Those same warehouses are now the most sought after loft living spaces.
Jerry, the owner, was complaining that his wife was doing the waitressing. In a moment a weakness, I volunteered to help. He said "Great, can you start now?" I'd never waitressed a day in my life unless you count my stint at Wendy's when I was 16 which you can't. But, I thought how hard can it be?
Hard.....dang hard! That night I left the bar at 2:30 am, went to my car, and drove myself home. I returned the next night to find police tape all over the place. Apparently, the trumpet player from the band had been murdered, had his lips cut off and his ears sliced off. They found him in the dumpster in the alleyway behind the dumpster. But it didn't scare me. I needed the job. I needed the money.
The way it worked was, Jerry gave my $20 when I reported to work which I used as my bank. I paid for drinks out of that and collected the money from the customers. Anything I still had in my hand at the end of the night was all mine. I typically had about $80 in my pocket at the end of the night.
I worked Sunday through Thursday nights. On Sundays I started at 7 pm and we closed at midnight. The rest of the week I started at 8 pm and we closed at 2 am. I would be up at 7 am to get to my classes by 8:30. There were about 20 bar stools and 8 tables in the bar part (where the band played). There was a small restaurant serving Mexican food (some of the best green chili in the world!) with about another 8 tables. You couldn't hear the band so well from there but there was a pool table in the middle of the room and lots of customers just came to play pool.
The bartender got the tips from the bar stools. I got the tables in the bar and the restaurant and everyone standing in the aisle. I studied during slow nights (which weren't many) but what I learned from this job had little or nothing to do with my books.
If I called in sick, there was no one to do the job. Jerry had 3 waitresses. 2 of them worked Friday and Saturday nights but had other jobs during my nights. Jerry and his wife had a little girl so the child would have to sit in the restaurant if his wife needed to cover for someone. Only one night in 18 months did I miss work. And I didn't get paid. I never took any vacation.
All types of people, famous and barely hanging on. The biggest tip I ever got was $100 from Tom Petty. Famous people frequently popped in after a gig if they were playing in town. Nobody took a second look or gave them any special treatment. If the tables were full, they stood like everyone else. We had regulars and people on first dates. People in rags and people in ball gowns and dinner jackets. This place was riddled in history. Allegedly, it was a speak easy during Prohibition. We served 5 types of beer in the bottle: Bud, Bud Light, Coors, Coors Light, and Miller Genuine Draft. If you wanted a fancy micro brew, you would have to go someplace else. I never had to break up a fight there although one night a gang did throw a molotov cocktail through the front window of the restaurant. There are bars on that window
now and no one was hurt. I did learn to play a mean game of pool. I'm afraid I'm a bit rusty now but in my day......bit of a shark, I reckon!
I hustled. If it was a slow night, I got to talk to the band or the customers but if it was busy, I worked my butt off. I was the ONLY waitress. There was a very direct correlation between how quickly you take some body's order and deliver their drinks and the tips you get. Of course, there are some idiots out there thinking I could make beer appear out of thin air and they were too tight to tip but to be honest, this very rarely happened. When it did, it was the last round of drinks they got that night. Action/Consequence in action!
I got offered an amazing job with a software consultancy after 18 months working at the bar. One of the VPs at the company was a professor's wife. They gave me an internship and I worked for them for 12 years. I learned a lot there but I learned more at the bar.
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