It been snowing and below freezing for four days. The city received 15 inches of snow. Record low temperatures for October have been recorded. It looks like it will be a long and cold winter after a short fall. The forecast today calls for mid-forties but the temperature will plunge into the thirties after the sun sets. I’m not expecting a lot of trick or treaters tonight but I am prepared if the masses arrive. I’ll take the leftover candy to my client’s office next week. It will be gone within a few hours.
Archive for October, 2019
10 Minutes of Fall
Posted in my life on October 31, 2019| 5 Comments »
A Postponement
Posted in friends, my life on October 25, 2019| 7 Comments »
D & P, the guys from Santa Fe, had planned on spending a long weekend in Denver. D just picked up a new Lexus SUV so it was time for a road trip. I’ve spend most of my week getting the house ready for guests. Sadly, winter is returning on Saturday bringing freezing temperatures and snow for the following four days. The guys postponed their trip as the return drive to Santa Fe would be difficult. I understand their postponement as Monument Pass and Raton Pass can be treacherous in inclement weather. I’ve had a white-knuckle drive over Raton Pass in heavy fog. It’s an experience I’ll never forget. There’s was also a risk the highway patrol would close down the road over one or both passes. I was really looking forward to spending time with guys. I had planned three days of adventures but they will wait for another day. On the upside, I have a clean house so I can skip house chores and play this weekend.
Household Upkeep
Posted in art, garden, my life on October 12, 2019| 12 Comments »
I bought the dishwasher last night. I probably paid more than I should have but I didn’t want to spend all weekend driving around town shopping for the best deal. I didn’t mind spending a little more for the convenience of enjoying my weekend. The dishwasher will be installed next Saturday. A week of doing dishes by hand. Yuk!
I also bought new window shades for the kitchen windows and door last week. I bought cordless top down, bottom up honeycomb shades. I like having the top down since it provides privacy yet still allows light in. My kitchen faces the side street so I like being able to keep prying eyes out. The shades for five windows and a door was a hair under two grand. A bit pricey but I needed to replace the existing shades as they were at end of life and looked a bit sad. The shades will be installed on Monday.
Virginia is also stopping by on Monday morning with a portable welder to repair her sculpture in my front yard. Thankfully, her repair will be free and will only take a few minutes.
I’ve also scheduled a tree trimming for the two maples on the south side of the lot by the side street. The city complained about the trees hanging over the street because they interfere with the street sweepers. This will be another pricey expense but it is needed.
Finally, Berry, a local gay handyman, is stopping by this week to give me an estimate for building a new garden gate. The existing gate is falling apart. My ex built the gate. He can split an atom and argue torts (he was a nuclear physicist/lawyer) but carpentry was not one his strong suits. It’s not one of my skills either. I have to gingerly open the gate to keep it from falling apart. I’m sure the new gate will be a few hundred. I don’t mind spending the money as I like preserving the privacy of my back yard. Having a gay handyman is a good thing.
A Most Excellent Quid Pro Quo
Posted in friends, my life, work on October 11, 2019| 6 Comments »
Living in Colorado one gets used to wild temperature changes. It was 83 on Wednesday until a front moved in dropping the temperature 63 degrees. It snowed yesterday. It was 18 when I got up this morning. Now it’s sunny and almost 50. Another roller coaster of weather changes.
It’s been a challenging work week. I referred a case of employee fraud to legal for investigation. It could lead to a termination. Many of the people I dealt with this week were difficult. I’m amazed how rude people can be even when they need you to do them a favor. Go ahead and contact my boss. He’s knows I check the facts and follow policy. He always has my back. Which, in corporate America, is a good thing.
My dishwasher is on the fritz. It will only run for a few seconds before stopping. I guess I’ll have to wash the dishes by hand unless I can convince Morgan to come over and wash them. He wants some Ambien so I could trade pills for dishwashing. A most excellent quid pro quo. I plan on buying a Bosch this weekend. I know they’re pricey but they are quiet. My current one is about 12 years old. I spent a couple of hundred on repairs a few years ago. I don’t think it’s wise to spend more money on repairs. I’ll splurge on a new one.
I’m headed to the gym soon. Then I’ll have a quick dinner, a shower, a shave and then off in search of art.
Have a great one.
Friday Night Art Pics
Posted in art on October 6, 2019| 8 Comments »
A few pics from the Friday night art tour:
Jeff Juhlin, Black Strata #2, beeswax and mixed media on panel, 41 x 41, Space Gallery.
Karen Freedman, Ruche 0352.32, encaustic on panel, 12 x 12, Space Gallery.
Park Younggyun, Putting Up Propaganda During the War, oil on canvas, 1990, Redline.
Stephen Shugart, Bullet, pine, MDF, spray paint, brass screws, glass fragment and remote control LED lights, EDGE gallery.
Virginia T Coleman, Starboard Horizon, hot rolled steel, aluminum, patina and wax, Next Gallery.
Unsee The Seen
Posted in art, family, my life on October 5, 2019| 1 Comment »
I flew solo on the art tour last night. My first stop was Space Galley to see their new show. Once again, they hit it out of the park. After Space, I stopped in Urban Mud, a new clay gallery opened by Mary Mackey and a few partners. Mary showed me some new medium sized vessels she’s working on. All looked promising. My final stop on Santa Fe was Mai Wyn Fine Art. I needed to pick up a pair of earrings I bought for Cindi’s birthday which was few months ago. I also wanted to talk to Mai Wyn about the Jackson Hole Art Fair which a number of Denver galleries had booths in, including Mai Wyn. The show was a bust. An add was taken out in the local paper encouraging people to boycott the fair so that art sales would not be taken out of the local ecomomy. It’s a shame someone would do that.
My next stop was Redline for the opening of counterART: Aesthetics of South Korean Activism + Global Perspectives. Here’s a summary of the exhibit from their website:
In the wake of the 30th anniversary of Tiananmen Square and ongoing protests in Hong Kong, CounterART: Aesthetics of South Korean Activism will examine public protest in East Asia through the lens of art. It is the first exhibit in the U.S. to focus on works of art created during the 2016 South Korean Candlelight Revolution, a distinctively peaceful anti-government protest that led to the dramatic impeachment of President Park Geun-hye, the first female head of state in East Asia. The widespread protests and creative participation that took place are an empowering case study for how art can shape political narratives and become an outlet for public participation. CounterART features works of art created as mechanisms for socio-political change within the political discourse of South Korea. The exhibit will feature 30 works of art by 14 established and emerging artists, including Oksang Lim, a Seoul-based artist who was a key figure in the historic Minjung (“People’s”) Art Movement, a political and populist art movement in the 1980s. Through Lim’s art one sees the intersection of South Korean history, politics, and visual traditions that gave rise to the forms employed by the artist-protesters.
It was a very interesting show with most of the attendees being Asian, There was a noticeable lack of the local art crowd, which usually flocks to the groundbreaking exhibits shown at Redline. I wondered why the event was so poorly attended. I enjoyed the art, especially the effigy of the current United States president, which doubled as a kick ball. Attendees enjoyed kicking the ball around. I want to go back for a second look.
My last stop of the night was EDGE Gallery, which moved into a new space one block east of their previous location in the 40 West Arts District. Faith Williams and Stephen Shugart presented new works. I really liked Stephens’s light sculptures.
While at 40 West, I ran into Mr. L. We has a brief but friendly conversation. I noticed he was touring the galleries with a woman who is a local artist. I thought nothing of it at first. Then I noticed there seemed to be a lot of touching and body language which lead me to believe there were on a date. I really didn’t want to see this so I kept positioning myself so they were out of view. The couple kept moving into my eyesight as if to make sure I could see they were together. Mr. L. knows I’ve been spending time with Mrs. L. so he may have been testing me to see what I would do. They were hanging on the each other which confirmed my suspicions. I wish I hadn’t seen the couple together. I wanted to unsee what I had seen. I wanted to text Kelly but I knew she would probably inform Mrs. L. who was at an event across town in RiNo. I decided to keep my mouth shut. I don’t want to be a gossip. There were plenty of other fixtures of the local art scene present who will spread the news around town. I just need to sit back and let that happen.
The Corporate Slave 