Columns

The president slammed her hand down on the table and thundered, “These leaks must stop. I’m going to find out who’s leaking, and there will be serious — very serious — repercussions!”
Sound like our nation’s current president? It’s not. There are two tip-offs here: first the pronoun “her”, second, the language is far too coherent to have come from Trump.
But this column is a parable about leaks — and why Trump and Sessions can’t plug them. At Trump’s behest, Attorney General Jeff Sessions recently announced that that the F.B.I. had created a new counterintelligence unit to track down those who leak classified information and that the Justice Department “wouldn’t hesitate to bring criminal charges” against leakers.

I’ve become obsessed with the idea of acquiring grit. My driving motivation is raising two boys in a world totally different than the one I knew as a kid. My family had its share of hard knocks. Like so many immigrants who arrive in this new land, we were initially strapped for money and living on a prayer.

I first became aware of the Roaring Fork Women’s Triathlon Team (RFWTT) about four years ago when I saw a friend post her triathlon photos on Facebook. She had joined and accomplished this with her daughter and I thought they looked so proud and happy together. Since that time I would run into various women at either exercise classes, the pool or just around town who would mention the team in conversation.

Last week’s front-page news about David Perry signing off from Aspen Skiing Company after fifteen years got me thinking: Is the departure of Aspen Skiing Company’s number two a one-off, or is it the sign of more such relocations to come as the new “Better Together” Intrawest/Mammoth Resorts/Squaw Valley-Alpine Meadows conglomerate takes shape?

Despite what they may think, the Trumps are not American royalty (the only royal thing about that family is the pain in my arse.) If America has a royal family I think it should be Willie, Waylon & the boys. No one else even comes close to owning such a crazy, limitless brood. The rumors, the innuendos, hell — the facts are over the top; even compared with the British royal family.

The Garfield County Fair and Rodeo kicked off Monday and is already into full gear. The venerable event is now in its 79th year, and offers rich outdoor experiences for all corners of Garfield County.
There is a saying that a person passes nine planets while crossing through Garfield County, but we’re not really all that different in this 3,000 square mile county. Residents throughout have a deep-rooted love for the land, wildlife, things that grow, and natural beauty, as well as a keen eye for colorful and unique artwork.

The human body emits, communicates with, and is made from light. Now that the Valley is in the full effect of summer’s sun, people aren’t thinking about light deficiency. Probably most of us were attracted to living here because of the quality of earth vibration, air, water, and atmosphere. We have more natural vitality, and feel more alive than most people who work in cubicles inside air-conditioned offices in an air polluted city.

What’s your best memory about pie? I bet you have one, maybe several. My grandfather has dozens, most of which come back to how everything tasted better when it was made by his mother during the hunger of the Depression. Indeed, childhood seems to be a common theme when I talk to folks about pie, which I probably do more than most people.

One hundred years ago, my grandfather was leaving his wife, his four small children and his law firm to join the “war to end all wars”. The trenches where he would soon serve had been dug nearly two years earlier. On July 12 and 13, 1917, the Germans began bombarding allied troops there with mustard gas. Nearly one million French soldiers had already been killed. Conditions were so horrific that several French Army mutinies had already occurred.

English is the language in my dreams at night — the one that comes most naturally — but I’ve lived in this country for thirty-six years and I still manage to mess up the English language. Mostly I have it down pat — or is it down pack? Hang tight while I go ask Google. Oh, yes; down pat. You see, English is tough. Learning any language is a big challenge.