PodolakColorado

Ron Paul and the South Rising Again.

2011-02-10T06:29:00.000-08:00

These people are not crazy, they are destructive.

This asshole wrote this book and now he is testifying before congress..

YouTubePosting

2010-01-20T12:40:00.001-08:00

Here is an experiment. I am blogging via YouTube. I plan on keeping this up. Check back for more information on our lives.

De Faced

2009-12-27T14:57:00.000-08:00

I quit facebook. It is too scattered and does not allow for measured dialog.

New Book

2009-12-19T17:33:00.001-08:00

I read the Case for God by Karen Armstrong. I recommend it.

Denver Saturday Museums

2009-11-07T18:10:00.000-08:00

The first Saturday of each month all museums are free to visit. We visited the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Denver Art Museum (Looks like a ship). We in this picture are on the roof of the former. This building is compact and very pleasant. The Denver Art Museum is ugly. However, we did the a Charles Russel western art show, not my favorite, but it was a very good show my tastes aside.

The New Store

2009-10-29T09:33:00.001-07:00

Finally a store that is not too far to walk to. Ahh things are getting better for our old age.

Anna

2009-10-29T09:25:00.000-07:00

We passed through Yuma and looked up Anna, a friend of Annie's from Seattle days, in her coffee shop, cafe.

Turkey Wray

2009-10-29T09:23:00.000-07:00

We drove out to Wray this weekend to visit a friend and found these wild Turkeys on the edge of town.

Boulder Creek

2009-10-24T15:28:00.001-07:00

Boulder Creek runs through town and where it crosses 9th street I took this.

Boulder Mall

2009-10-24T15:26:00.001-07:00

On a sunny fall day, I wandered down to the mall, sat for a break and took this shot. It is a nice town I live in.

Louisville Colorado Fall

2009-10-24T15:23:00.000-07:00

While meandering down main street I decided to capture this image of a sunny fall day.

A Good Mistake

2009-10-22T15:31:00.000-07:00

Today I rode my bike to the YMCA to do my physical therapy. Alas I did not take my gym clothes with me. So I stopped in the local Whole Foods and bought a cup of coffee, sat down to enjoy the brisk day and this great view.

CU Campus

2009-10-22T15:29:00.000-07:00

I was passing through the CU campus last Friday. This is indeed the best time of the year for invigorating weather and beauty. This is the quad with old trees and the oldest buildings on campus.

Pizza

2009-10-22T15:26:00.000-07:00

Joan made a great pizza the other night. It was chicken and barbecue sauce.. I wish you could smell it and taste it.

Leave Me Alone

2009-10-13T18:39:00.000-07:00

Atticus was upset and he told me not to take his picture when he was in that state.

Ed Hardy at Costco

2009-10-13T18:31:00.000-07:00

Don had made it mainstream. We found his shirts in Costco of all places. Next WalMart.

CU Football

2009-10-13T18:26:00.000-07:00

Joan and I received tickets for the Wyoming CU game, the only one so far the team has won. It actually was boring, but it is better than war.

Chile for Mike and Chuck

2009-10-13T18:22:00.000-07:00

Here is where I got the fresh chilies.

Loveland Sculpture Garden

2009-10-13T18:03:00.000-07:00

Joan and I drove to Loveland, Colorado to visit a sculpture garden.

Old Church Hymn

2009-10-04T07:53:00.000-07:00

This is one my favorite hymns of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Wagner

2009-10-04T07:45:00.000-07:00

Tickets were had for the opera, Siegfried in Los Angeles. It was great. In fact this reviewer nailed it for me.

Gene Krupa

2009-08-28T16:44:00.000-07:00

Well not quite yet but we are working on it.

Salmon Spawning

2009-08-20T15:13:00.001-07:00

After the earthquake experience, we wandered over to watch the Salmon begin the last activities of their lives. The females dig a small hole in the gravel with their tails and in that hole deposit their eggs. The males who has been chosen by the female deposits his sperm. The eggs are then buried. The salmon then die.

Salmon

2009-08-20T15:13:00.000-07:00

The Earthquake

2009-08-20T15:02:00.000-07:00

Chuck and I walked around the nature center up Eagle River. The ranger on duty told us that he had felt an earthquake. We did not feel it. However, shortly after we hear a loud thunder crack above us in the mountain. Chuck thought it was a rock slide. Almost immediately coyotes began to howl.

Sofie and Ainsley Take Me For a Ride

2009-08-20T14:57:00.001-07:00

Sofie and Ainsley took me on a bike ride over the creek and through the woods to the lake. Sofie loves the outdoors.

Smoked Salmon

2009-08-20T14:52:00.000-07:00

We finished the job. Everyone who has tasted this says it is great.

Smoking Salmon

2009-08-18T13:05:00.001-07:00

This morning after we prepared the salmon I put them on the rack and started up the smoker. They should be ready in six hours.

This on the left is the smoker. There are 6 racks full of salmon, a coil, and a pan with alder chips.

Shrimp Heads

2009-08-17T18:06:00.000-07:00

As half the shrimp is head, we decided to deep fry them and of course eat them. MMMMMM crunchy.

More Fishing

2009-08-17T18:04:00.001-07:00

As it was so cold we spent most of our time in the cabin while we roared around the sound. Mike looks cold.

Fishing on Prince Willie Sound

2009-08-17T17:59:00.000-07:00

Mike, Jeff (the boat owner) and I went fishing on a cold foggy, sloppy seas day on Prince William Sound. I got soaked by the rain, but had a great time.

We were not terribly successful fishing as we kept getting blown off the fishing holes.

4 Wheeling

2009-08-15T19:29:00.000-07:00

Mike and I took two of his four wheelers up to the Knik river and tore up the countryside. It was my first time on one of these machines. I had a great time, and am ready to go again.

Team Podolak Kitchen

2009-08-15T19:24:00.000-07:00

On the top floor of the home is the kitchen-living space. Here is the kitchen dining space.

Out the door is a small balcony, a great place to have a cup of coffee in the morning (during the summer).

TeamPodolak House

2009-08-15T19:20:00.000-07:00

Here is the TeamPodolak house in Eagle River.

It has three floors with a great view of the hill to the south. It is three times the size of their home is DC.

Day Five, Anchorage.

2009-08-10T10:57:00.000-07:00

After a foggy drive through along the Glen Highway, we arrived in Anchorage about 3:30. Pretty good drive. Chuck dropped me off at Mike's as he wanted to visit with Andrea. I had a great dinner with Mike and the girls, fresh halibut, rice and veggies. It is good to be back in Anchorage especially with out Palin.

Day Five

2009-08-10T10:30:00.000-07:00

We took off after breakfast in Destruction Bay and made the final push to Anchorage. Chuck and I were listening to a books on mp3's. Last night he bought a murder mystery, 10 hours. We did not get to finish it as we arrive in about 8 hours. So before I leave we have to find a two hour drive to finish and find out how it ended. The world of podcasts and books really makes a long drive easier. Our drive back was on the worse of the road. The road from Destruction Bay to the border was frost heave after frost heave. After arrive at the border and whizzing through, because Chuck had a military dependent status, we tore down the highway until we go to Tok. There we finally got cell coverage.

Day Four Destruction Bay

2009-08-10T10:13:00.001-07:00

We could not get a room in Haines Junction so we went onto Destruction Bay. The motel was one of those great Yukon style gas station/cafe/motel setups. It was rustic. The following morning we had breakfast at a local cafe and had a good visit with the owner,cook, and manager. It is nice to talk to the locals and get their view.

Day Four Teslin

2009-08-10T09:58:00.000-07:00

We stopped in Teslin so as to get gas and pick up another Teslin mug for Jon. Oddly enough here is a picture on Google Earth of Jon picking up his original mug.

Day Four Watson Lake

2009-08-10T09:41:00.000-07:00

We decided to try to make it to Anchorage by Sunday because there was road construction which we could bypass by driving through the area before Monday. Our first stop was Watson Lake where we found Mom's memorial.

Ft. Nelson Day Three

2009-08-10T09:28:00.000-07:00

We drive along the highway and spent had a late lunch in Dawson Creek BC. Then another 100 miles to Ft. Nelson Super 8. This was a long day. The drive between Ft. Saint John and Ft. Nelson was long and empty. It was the first taste of the north country, raw and not so manicured. We had dinner and bunked down. The hotel was huge but we found only one non-smoking room with only one bed, so Chuck slept with on floor in his sleeping bag on cushions. We had a ok dinner outside on the patio of the nearby pub.

Day two

2009-08-10T09:10:00.000-07:00

After we left Seattle and drove up to Williams Lake, BC. Once we entered BC we pretty much stayed along the Frasier River. We spent the night at Super 8. We had considered camping but I needed another night of deep sleep. We had good dinner in a local pub. This picture is not the hotel. We had a lot of good conversations and listened to podcasts that Chuck had picked up.

Heading North to Anchorage

2009-08-10T09:01:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday I met Chuck at Portland airport. We drove to Olympia and had dinner with an hydrology associate. We slept in and drove up to Seattle and after some shopping, went to Paseo's Caribbean sandwich shop and had a great pork sandwich.

The Omni Hotel

2009-07-28T15:39:00.000-07:00

Joan was given a free room in the Omni Hotel; we stayed there last night. It was quiet.

Vail Pass

2009-07-28T15:37:00.000-07:00

We stopped for a rest on Vail Pass and found this great little lake.

Grizzly Creek

2009-07-28T15:32:00.000-07:00

Joan and I spent the morning in Glenwood Canyon. Here she is on Grizzly Creek.

Country

2009-07-28T13:18:00.001-07:00

Joan and I drove around the country after she got in to Glenwood.

Joan's Arrival

2009-07-28T10:15:00.000-07:00

After the youth reenactment was over, I sent for Joan on the Amtrak. She arrived in Glenwood Springs after a great trip through the mountains and along the Colorado River.

Youth Re-enactment

2009-07-26T19:05:00.000-07:00

Many middle aged men participate in Civil War Re-enactments. The participants, who for the most part have never seen combat, reenact battles and skirmishes and upon completion feel more empowered.

I have just finished a week of Youth Re-enactments; middle aged men dress up as medieval Japanese courtesans and spend a week listening to geriatric instructors filling their minds with illusions of power. It is a sad spectacle.

Denver

2009-07-13T19:56:00.000-07:00

In the back of 1448 Larimer St, Denver there is a pleasant place. I am wandering around town taking pictures of urban refuges. This was taken with my phone.

A Distant Mirror

2009-07-12T17:12:00.000-07:00

You don't complain; try to visualize yourselves in the place of the poor people of France during the 14th. century. These people had no safety net, no place to migrate, no escape. Read this book by Tuchmam and count your blessings.

Hide and Seek

2009-07-11T12:13:00.000-07:00

Atticus and Grandpa Bob were playing hide and seek. Cute.

Siblings

2009-07-11T12:10:00.000-07:00

Joan Jill and Jack gathered on the 4th to celebrate.

At the Zoo

2009-07-11T12:06:00.000-07:00

An orangutan was loose and posed with Aunt Jill and Atticus.

Tio Jon

2009-07-11T12:03:00.000-07:00

Atticus took quickly to his uncle Jon. Books are part of the secret.

The Mississippi River Stop

2009-07-11T12:00:00.000-07:00

We made out usual Mississippi River stop in Iowa before crossing into Wisconsin.

Atticus' first Night in Newton Iowa Smelltel

2009-07-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

He traveled remarkably well and was in a pretty good mood when we got to our terrible smelly motel in Newton IA. We had worried that he would cry all the way but he took to the 650 miles enjoying running stops along the way.

Three Trolls

2009-07-09T11:36:00.000-07:00

Mt. Horeb, WI, is known for Trolls. As you can see we saw three of them in one day. AAAK. One of them was hiding by the door.

At Last

2009-07-09T11:34:00.001-07:00

We finally got together with Doug and Amy in of all places, Blue Mounds WI.

Human Smoke

2009-06-06T17:14:00.000-07:00

When you look around you and marvel at the beauty of other humans, you wonder how can people kill each other. Read this and you will get sick.

Decline and Fall of the British Empire

2009-06-06T16:56:00.000-07:00

This book fits into the theme of folly. In the March of Folly we are astounded at the stupidity and greed of leaders. How the British held on so long after losing the American Colonies is a wonder to behold. Good reading.

Wars Guns and Votes

2009-06-06T16:16:00.000-07:00

Don't get too confident that our liberal ideals will work when imposed on non European societies. The statements and observations in this work are a result of research. Economists redeemed. Sometimes Teddy Roosevelt's words may carry the day. Try this.

The Future of Liberalism

2009-06-06T16:08:00.000-07:00

We can continue to read about our modern world and where it is going or may go. This book by Alan Wolfe is a good review of the history of the liberal mind/movement and a evaluation of the effect on our modern or post modern world. Take a look at it.

The March of Folly from Troy to Vietnam

2009-06-06T16:02:00.000-07:00

I suspect the the NeoCons did not read this book by the famous Barbara Tuchman. Again another companion to the list below.

The Irony of American History.

2009-06-06T15:53:00.000-07:00

This is again a good companion piece to the two preceding pieces. President Obama is a fan as am I. Neibuhr has been getting press over the past few years as we as a nation again begin to see our failures of foreign policy not in its execution but in its fundamental assumptions. Try it, you can get it from libraries.

Reading Material

2009-06-06T15:13:00.000-07:00

Years ago my friend, Wes, turned me on to this essay. For those who are interested in the state of Western Culture, this is a must read. I know it is a bit dense but.... Grind through it.

Goose vs Heron

2009-06-05T17:00:00.001-07:00

The geese do not like Herons near their kids. This is a pond near our house.

Mary on Chris' Balcony

2009-06-05T16:54:00.000-07:00

Chris lives on the beach in Santa Monica..

60 Years Later?

2009-06-05T16:49:00.000-07:00

Sometime in the early 1950s I hurt my friend Tom's finger playing. We found each other after 50 years and the scar is still there. That was a terrible day in my life to hurt a friend. Tom has forgiven me.

Mary go Round

2009-06-05T16:46:00.000-07:00

This was on the Santa Monica Pier.

Sea Lion

2009-06-05T16:43:00.000-07:00

During our stroll on the beach we encountered a sea lion begging for fish. The boat belongs to the harbor master (police). I guess they feed them.

The Pacific Ocean

2009-06-05T16:41:00.000-07:00

Mary finally made it to Santa Monica and enjoyed the surf. It is too cold and dirty to swim.

Mary and Grandpa

2009-06-05T16:39:00.000-07:00

This is the first visit with grandpa for Mary in 13 years. It is too long. It was at her request that we visit. So here is proof.

Grease Wood Tree

2009-06-05T16:33:00.000-07:00

In the California desert, Joan found this flowering Grease Wood Tree.

Joan's Favorite Rest Stop

2009-06-05T16:30:00.000-07:00

Just west of Green River Utah the real estate is spectacular.

Vail Pass May

2009-06-05T16:28:00.000-07:00

On our way to California we stopped on the top of Vail Pass. Here is a great shot.

It does snow here.

2009-06-05T16:24:00.001-07:00

Siblings and Cuzs

2009-06-05T16:21:00.000-07:00

Here are the grandkids.

Mike's Visit

2009-06-05T16:17:00.000-07:00

Here are some fall pictures of Mike's visit. Annie and Mike and Mary.

Beethoven's Fifth

2009-05-11T16:17:00.000-07:00

This is a great YouTube video. Sid Caesar was a genius.

Autopsy

2009-05-04T17:26:00.000-07:00

16 Years ago I broke up the driveway. I buried it in the back yard. I dug it up and am having it removed. Did you ever dig up a long buried pet?

Sofie

2009-02-18T16:08:00.000-08:00

Sofie is in second grade and growing up. Our visit with her was most pleasant. We attended one of her soccer games and I picked her and Ainsely up from school during the week.

Moose

2009-02-17T22:11:00.000-08:00

Troy and I dropped Ainsley and Sofie off to school and on the way home we spotted this cow wandering around the neighborhood.

Back to Anchorage

2009-02-02T20:10:00.000-08:00

Jim is leaving for Anchorage on Thursday for a 10 day visit to Mike, Angie, Ainsely and Sofie. Also the the end of the visit we will attend an Aikido seminar hosted by Aikido North taught by our teacher, Hiroshi Ikeda. Troy, a friend, will be flying up later with Ikeda and will be staying with the Podolaks. However, Redoubt destined to blow soon; we may get buried in ash. This may be the last post.

Atticus Moe Watts Podolak the Boy

2009-01-12T20:36:00.000-08:00

Atticus Moe Watts Podolak as he calls himself, announces he is a boy. His birthday celebration, number 2, was a fine occasion. All the important people came by to celebrate his little family. A few pictures are here.

Annie's Birthday Celebration

2009-01-02T15:30:00.000-08:00

The next day, the 26th is Annie's birthday. We dined at Sushi Zanmai. It was a fine evening.

Christmas Day

2009-01-02T15:28:00.000-08:00

We had Daniel, Annie and Atticus over for dinner. It was quiet and low keyed. Here is a pensive Annie

Johnson's Corner

2008-12-30T15:48:00.000-08:00

Here is our picture of our traditional Christmas Eve dinner at Johnson's Corner. It is a little dark as was the dinner. Although we had great service, our waitress did not write down our order, and everything came, the food is slowly over the years losing its charm. For example, the biscuits no longer are flaky; I suspect they are no longer made in the kitchen, rather off the Noble Sysco truck, as I suspect are the chicken fried steaks.

Christmas Tree

2008-12-06T10:33:00.000-08:00

The tree went up right after Thanksgiving. Ainsley and Sofie decorated the tree and much to the delight of Atticus we lit it up right away. Atticus in this picture was calling out the colors of each light.

The Meal

2008-11-30T14:28:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving meal was a success. We were joined by Angie's Mother and Uncle and his partner Charlie. We had not seen Uncle Bo and Charlie for years so it was great to have them over.
Here are a few pictures of the feed.

Dreams

2008-11-30T14:17:00.000-08:00

Ainsley, who along with her sister, is a good student. She has dreams of attending the University of Colorado in Boulder and she has a good chance of making it. We decided to document her first visit to campus, so when she returns in 8 or 9 years we can say we saw her first.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-30T12:08:00.000-08:00

Mike has tasted a fried turkey and decided to treat us with one. The only problem was that it would not fit into our frying pan. We looked for a turkey fryer on Craig's list. We found some but they were about 40 miles away and were about $80.00 used. We looked on the internet for some at Home Depot and found that one could order and shipped in five days for about $80.00 plus postage. Angie being a great shopper chose to go over the the store and found them in stock for $68.00. Go figure.
Never the less we purchased two small turkeys and 6 gallons of oil for about $30.00 the turkey was cooked. I had to put dirt under the cooker to sop up the grease as it splattered like crazy.
After about 45 minutes apiece they were pulled out. It was great.

Uncle Mike Arrives

2008-11-30T11:43:00.000-08:00

Uncle Mike and his family dropped in from Anchorage for Thanksgiving. Atticus Ainsely and Sofie really enjoyed seeing each other.

Atticus and His Letters

2008-10-23T16:56:00.000-07:00

Atticus loves whenever he visits the grandparents, to work on gramp's computer. Grampa will bring up Word, enlarge the font, and then let Atticus type his letters. He loves to hold a key down and let the letter show up and then tell grampa what the letter is.

Great Grandparents

2008-10-22T15:47:00.000-07:00

Here are pictures of my great grandparents. They are my mother's mother's. Antonia Strunk and her artist husband, Frank. They arrived from Germany in the early 1900's and moved to Chicago. Frank was commissioned by the Roman Catholic church to design and complete sculptures of saints for the church. I guess he was pretty good. In the mean time his wife, Antonia, raised a family and created a small fortune in real estate much of which she lost during the 30's depression. She climbed back though and by the time she passed on she had a comfortable portfolio of stock which she carried around in a carpet bag.

Dinner at Podolak's

2008-10-12T14:53:00.000-07:00

Friday night a few ago, we had a fish chowder dinner. As usual, Chuck was over the top. In fact, it smelled so good, Ashley decided to come over.

Chuck's Neighborhood

2008-10-12T14:45:00.001-07:00

Here are a few shots of Chuck's neighborhood. The first is the new building which looms over the Navy Yard Metro Station. Green Line.

The Ultimate Car

2008-09-22T20:45:00.000-07:00

This Model A Ford started it all. The ultimate Car.

Retirement

2008-09-22T20:38:00.000-07:00

Ahh I love a Parade. Labor Day we visited Louisville to share the parade with Daniel's family. Alas I saw a career.

Another Day at the Zoo

2008-09-22T20:32:00.000-07:00

Joan, Atticus Annie and Jim all went to the Zoo and had a great day. I don't know which was more entertaining, Atticus or the animals.