Driving to Denver
Let the Super 8 in Omaha not a moment too soon and set off driving for Denver. Couldn't believe the gas prices...as i listened to NPR i marvelled at the fact that i was driving TOWARDS the highest gas prices in America...in my home town, Los Angeles. Fuck.
The weather, however, was perfection. No storm clouds, no tornado sirens, not even a touch of gray. It was blue skies and 83 degrees the entire way to Denver. Oh and back to gas prices for a sec...I called david kalisher on my drive in to Denver to let him know that i was hooking up with Jenn, his good friend who offered to put me up for a night as I passed thru town...
In our phone conversation Kalisher informed me that the prices of Prius' in california were listed at about $8000 over the blue book value...and that my Honda Civic Hybrid, though purchased in october 2007, had likely not depreciated in value at all. What a revelation! This is sortof good news but that fact remains: gas is closing in on $5 a gallon in California and i don't know what I'm gonna do once I get home. Uhhhh not drive, maybe???
On this beautiful drive to Denver I finally began to listen to my last book on tape that I had brought along: Sarah Vowell's Assassination Vacation. Vowell is a regular contributor of This American Life and I think she's funny. Assassination Vacation is about her obsession with all things Presedential assassination...namely Lincoln, MicKinley and Garfield. The title refers to her traveling the USA going to places that have some link to these three assassinations...this is what the book documents. I'm not very far in just yet but I am enjoying it.
I had a jolt while listening to the introduction of the book...Vowel describes how she once felt really sad about the fact that Lincoln never got a chance to serve his second term and used to ponder what he would have accomplished for America...but as she researched the book she realized at some point how lucky we are that he exited at all and that it's something of a miracle that he survived as long as he did. Apparently Lincoln had an overabundance of death threats and actual botched attempts over the years. Vowell discovers that he used to keep all his death threat letters in his desk...this man was aware, and even embraced how he was loathed, how he threatened. At this point in listening I decided to turn off the audio book and turn on NPR on the car radio. The news told me that the presidential hopefuls John Mcain and Barak Obama had spent the day talking about economic policy...and I stopped listening...to hear those two names said back to back...suddenly I was hit with all that I had just heard about Lincoln. And everything started blending. My chest actually got tight. I thought to myself: will the people of America allow a man named BARACK OBAMA to be their president? Are they ready for this step. Not only is this a black man, but a highly intelligent, highly charming, good looking, educated black man whose name rings oh so Un-American (to the ignorant and hateful)
I had thought about Obama and the every-day possibility of his assassination before, this was nothing new. But his NAME struck me suddenly and I got really scared. Like the gravity of him becoming president and how HUGE that will be...it's so thrilling and terrifying too because you know (i hate to say this) that someone, somewhere is thinking, plotting something right now. Aren't they? Isn't that bloody chilling? Like Lincoln it will be a miracle if this inspiring man becomes President of the United States and survives to serve. But we must remain hopeful and ruthless in this quest (what can I do, a Canadian? -- prayer and meditation is not unhelpful I say) -- because imagine an America without Lincoln?
Filled up on gas just outside of Denver for $3.89 a gallon and woo hoo that was to be the last gas bargain I saw! Today in Glenwood Springs we're talking $4.28 a gallon and I can't wait to see what's waiting for me in LA. UGH.
I arrived in Denver and made my way to the lovely home of jenn Davidson, Kalisher's friend. I got settled in my room and then we went out to Watercourse Foods downtown. It was AWESOME! I had a huge salad with spinach and romaine and roasted portobellos, smoky tempeh, maple walnuts, sweet potatoes...it was heaven. And what I had been craving all day: healthy crunchy food! I also had a glass of this incredible organic wine from Argentina: a white called Torrontes (?) -- lord I did love it...I highly recommend it...and it's cheap too!
Jenn drove me around Denver showing me the sights. It was mind blowingly gorgeous that night, no humidity and warm but not hot. I loved the vibe in Denver alot. I was very very happy to be there!
I look forward to going back and also doing Boulder and Aspen next time too. I can't do everything, right?
The weather, however, was perfection. No storm clouds, no tornado sirens, not even a touch of gray. It was blue skies and 83 degrees the entire way to Denver. Oh and back to gas prices for a sec...I called david kalisher on my drive in to Denver to let him know that i was hooking up with Jenn, his good friend who offered to put me up for a night as I passed thru town...
In our phone conversation Kalisher informed me that the prices of Prius' in california were listed at about $8000 over the blue book value...and that my Honda Civic Hybrid, though purchased in october 2007, had likely not depreciated in value at all. What a revelation! This is sortof good news but that fact remains: gas is closing in on $5 a gallon in California and i don't know what I'm gonna do once I get home. Uhhhh not drive, maybe???
On this beautiful drive to Denver I finally began to listen to my last book on tape that I had brought along: Sarah Vowell's Assassination Vacation. Vowell is a regular contributor of This American Life and I think she's funny. Assassination Vacation is about her obsession with all things Presedential assassination...namely Lincoln, MicKinley and Garfield. The title refers to her traveling the USA going to places that have some link to these three assassinations...this is what the book documents. I'm not very far in just yet but I am enjoying it.
I had a jolt while listening to the introduction of the book...Vowel describes how she once felt really sad about the fact that Lincoln never got a chance to serve his second term and used to ponder what he would have accomplished for America...but as she researched the book she realized at some point how lucky we are that he exited at all and that it's something of a miracle that he survived as long as he did. Apparently Lincoln had an overabundance of death threats and actual botched attempts over the years. Vowell discovers that he used to keep all his death threat letters in his desk...this man was aware, and even embraced how he was loathed, how he threatened. At this point in listening I decided to turn off the audio book and turn on NPR on the car radio. The news told me that the presidential hopefuls John Mcain and Barak Obama had spent the day talking about economic policy...and I stopped listening...to hear those two names said back to back...suddenly I was hit with all that I had just heard about Lincoln. And everything started blending. My chest actually got tight. I thought to myself: will the people of America allow a man named BARACK OBAMA to be their president? Are they ready for this step. Not only is this a black man, but a highly intelligent, highly charming, good looking, educated black man whose name rings oh so Un-American (to the ignorant and hateful)
I had thought about Obama and the every-day possibility of his assassination before, this was nothing new. But his NAME struck me suddenly and I got really scared. Like the gravity of him becoming president and how HUGE that will be...it's so thrilling and terrifying too because you know (i hate to say this) that someone, somewhere is thinking, plotting something right now. Aren't they? Isn't that bloody chilling? Like Lincoln it will be a miracle if this inspiring man becomes President of the United States and survives to serve. But we must remain hopeful and ruthless in this quest (what can I do, a Canadian? -- prayer and meditation is not unhelpful I say) -- because imagine an America without Lincoln?
Filled up on gas just outside of Denver for $3.89 a gallon and woo hoo that was to be the last gas bargain I saw! Today in Glenwood Springs we're talking $4.28 a gallon and I can't wait to see what's waiting for me in LA. UGH.
I arrived in Denver and made my way to the lovely home of jenn Davidson, Kalisher's friend. I got settled in my room and then we went out to Watercourse Foods downtown. It was AWESOME! I had a huge salad with spinach and romaine and roasted portobellos, smoky tempeh, maple walnuts, sweet potatoes...it was heaven. And what I had been craving all day: healthy crunchy food! I also had a glass of this incredible organic wine from Argentina: a white called Torrontes (?) -- lord I did love it...I highly recommend it...and it's cheap too!
Jenn drove me around Denver showing me the sights. It was mind blowingly gorgeous that night, no humidity and warm but not hot. I loved the vibe in Denver alot. I was very very happy to be there!
I look forward to going back and also doing Boulder and Aspen next time too. I can't do everything, right?
posted by film nerd at 10:15 PM
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