Rocky Mountain News memories

This is by no means an all-inclusive list, and they’re in no particular order. But I’ve done a lot of reminiscing the past couple of days.

There are plenty of news-related memories, of course; the 2004 presidential/general election really stands out, probably because I was the late wire editor that night. But I also remember:

On the business desk, Darrell Proctor’s quoting John Belushi’s Olympic training table skit on Saturday Night Live: “I downed a lot of doughnuts. Little Chocolate Donuts.”

In the old building, John Boogert’s once leaving me a front page proof – complete with a red bow normally used on a wrapped present – the day after I complained I always got skipped when the proofs were being handed out.

Our jokes about re-creating the Houston Chronicle copy desks in Denver. In addition to me, Tony Trowbridge, Jay Lee and Dianne Rose all had been in Houston, too, although Dianne came to Denver before I got to Houston. (Another reunion of sorts: Laura Frank and Jeff Legwold had come to work at the Tennessean while I worked there.)

Dean Lindoerfer and Paula Lentini’s constant discussion/overanalyzation of the Denver Broncos.

When we moved to the new building, each person had a box allowance. As I didn’t have much stuff, I let David Milstead fill one of my boxes. And David kept quiet even when John Temple questioned how he had so many boxes at his new desk.

The Pulitzer/awards wall in the new building.

Not long before I left, Hank Schultz’s recommendation of a brand of yogurt that’s “hoof and beak free.” (My vegetarian sister was visiting, and gosh knows Yoplait wouldn’t cut it.)

Scott Gilbert’s keeping up with odd news stories – and letters to the editor that never were published – so we didn’t have to. Especially a letter in which the writer chastised us for the way we referred to blood-alcohol levels. He insisted that instead of the 0.05 percent mentioned in a story, for example, it really should have been 0.5 percent. “Drunks would be killing each other for their blood!” Scott pointed out.

Being able to walk up to Mel Pomponio’s desk at any time to ask “Are those people insane?” and having her know exactly what I was talking about.

Gil Rudawsky’s constant pleas for food products of any kind. “Does anyone have any (fill in the blank: candy, chocolate, tapioca pudding, etc.)” There apparently once was an incident in which he swiped Kathye Thomas’ tapioca pudding, but I wasn’t there.

When Armando Arrieta was in business (while Amy Speer was on maternity leave), he once drank out of Gil’s Starbucks cup (or vice versa – either way it’s gross) during a business section planning meeting.

This story about John Accola shared by Rob Reuteman at John’s funeral (June 30, 2006):
Rob and John were at a Christmas party, and they saw Colorado Gov. Bill Owens there. They decided to go over to chat.
John started the exchange by saying, "Bill, you look fantastic. Have you had work done?"
The governor recovered from the shock quickly enough that he stayed and chatted for 20 minutes.

The view of the Colorado capitol out the windows by the business desk -- and my desk -- in the new building.

The time (a very pregnant) Kim Humphreys spilled coffee on the front of her camisole/tank top (worn under a cardigan-style shirt), went into the bathroom with scissors, cut the tag out of the back of the shirt, turned it around and returned to work.

Steve Haigh’s nightly homework-over-the-phone sessions with his daughters.

The time I snagged a Teen Vogue from features for Jay Lee’s daughter. When I took him the magazine at his desk in sports, he immediately tried to hide it so the sports guys wouldn’t think he was … well, weird.

There have been a few times the past couple of years I've missed the Rocky newsroom. It's hard to believe I'll never be able to go back, even if just to visit.

Farewell, Rocky Mountain News

Scripps announced today that the Rocky Mountain News is closing. Tomorrow's newspaper will be the last.
Am I surprised? No, not really. Does it make business sense? Yes, in some ways. Is it painful? Excruciatingly so.
I went to work at the Rocky in July 2004 and left in May 2007. It wasn't always fun and or even pleasant, but what job is? And on the days it was good, it was glorious. I still have many friends there, and I'm sure I would have been crying along with them during today's announcement.
And now a newspaper just a few weeks shy of its 150th birthday will be no more.

Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors

Last May, Laura and I got to tour the USS Carr when it was docked here. (You can read more about that here.)
During our tour, one of the enlisted sailors told us the story of Paul Henry Carr, for whom the ship is named. He mentioned a book, Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors, that included the story. So I bought the book a few months ago but haven't had a chance to read it until the past week.
I highly recommend it. It chronicles events before, during and after the Battle off Samar, which was the last big naval battle of World War II. Paul Henry Carr was aboard the USS Samuel B. Roberts, although his story is a very small part of the book (he's not mentioned until Page 287).
Most of my knowledge of World War II is Europe-centric, but I thought this book was fascinating. And it gave me some insight into some comments my grandfather made over the years (he was a fighter pilot during the war, although he was on the Atlantic side).

My baby now is the length of an English hothouse cucumber

Or so Babycenter.com reports. They send weekly e-mails on various pregnancy-related issues, although I rarely read all the way through them. But comparing the size of the baby in utero to various fruits and vegetables does crack me up. Some recent examples (the English hothouse cucumber is from 26 weeks):
25 weeks: weight of an average rutabaga
24 weeks: length of an ear of corn
23 weeks: weight of a large mango
22 weeks: length of a spaghetti squash
I've deleted the earlier e-mails, but you get the idea.

A sanitized look at Carnival

Smithsonian magazine -- which I subscribe to as a contributing member of the museums -- has an article in its February issue about Carnival in Trinidad. It focuses on the historical aspects of it more than anyone here seems to, but I think it glosses over the raunchier things. (For example, the photos don't show skimpy costumes, and the author doesn't mention crimes other than murders and stabbings.) But if you're wondering what it's all about, look here.

Celebrating Carnival while keeping most of one's clothes on

When Laura came home a few weeks ago and said she'd entered the International School of Port of Spain's Carnival headpiece competition, I must admit I wasn't thrilled. I told her if she came up with a design I thought she could implement that I'd get the supplies for her. We went back and forth a few times, and I finally talked her out of anything having to do with tornadoes and got her focused on an animal theme.
The theme this year is Our Precious Earth. (Last year it was Seasons of Canada.) And although tornadoes are found on Earth, I figured animals would make for a more interesting arrangement.
Then commenced the collecting and coloring of the animals. I outlined them, she colored, and then I touched them up. We originally planned on 20 animals, but I guess I envisioned them being smaller. Once we had mounted eight, it seemed like plenty. But then we added the Sally lightfoot crab and gray whale because those areas of the map (the Galapagos and northeastern Asia) weren't covered.
So, some crepe paper (the dark blue outline around the map), sequins and glitter glue later, Voila! a Carnival headpiece.
Oh, and the curling ribbon seems to be Laura's favorite part. I really only added it because some of the animals weren't cooperating with staying in their assigned areas (blame it on their pipe cleaner mounts) and needed something to hold them in place. But then Laura liked it so much I decided to add a few more long curlies just for good measure.
From this side, you can see polar bears in the North American arctic; a Sally lightfoot crab in the Galapagos; a scarlet ibis in Trinidad; an emerald tree boa in the South American Amazon; a Nile crocodile in Africa; and emperor penguins in Antarctica.
On this side of the world is a gray whale in northeastern Asia (specifically Sakhalin Island, Russia, especially for Dee), a Bengal tiger in southern Asia, a red kangaroo in Australia, and a koala in southeastern Australia.
I hereby reclaim my dining room table from sequins, glitter glue and random animals of the world.
The judging is Friday morning before the school's Carnival jump-up. Then the second graders will be dressing up as pollution. Pollution with glitter. Lots and lots of glitter.
Because as far as I can tell, that's what Carnival's all about.

Yes, it's a cross between a dingo and a kangaroo

That would be a dingaroo. It's part of a project Laura's class is working on. They have to create their own animal and its habitat. A word to the wise: When building such a thing, make sure you use modeling clay that actually sets (or that can be fired). The dingaroo has lost his tail and ears multiple times. Luckily for him, his head is held on with a bamboo skewer.
But I guess it's actually a she since there's a baby in her pouch.

Oh, so sad

Terry Hayes -- whom I met but didn't really know when I worked at the Houston Chronicle -- died last night. She had been the administrative assistant in the sports department and, although I had friends in sports when I worked there, they were a few floors away from us.
Terry had colon cancer and had a blog called CancerDiva on the Chronicle Web site. I really enjoyed reading it and always wondered whether I'd be able to have as good an attitude in a similar situation.

Everything I know about Budapest I learned from CBS Sports

This isn't really true because I've always been something of a geography and European history freak. But in 1988, the World Figure Skating Championships were in Budapest. And I specifically remember Pat O'Brien talking about the city once having been two, Buda and Pest. (This was years before he went to the dark side to host Access Hollywood.) It's split in half by this:
Only of course it wasn't as pretty then. I borrowed this photo from the New York Times, which has a real estate feature this week on buying homes in Hungary. The example they use is really cool. I especially like the dining room furniture.
Perhaps we'll take a trip to Hungary when we move to Europe. Or perhaps we'll never make it that far. It does look pretty neat, though.

Oh, how I do love Nutella

Thanks be to Deirdre for passing along this Los Angeles Times food section story.
Since we've moved here, I have been known to stock up on Nutella when we're back in the States. It's available here, but it's outrageously expensive.

Happy birthday to my brother Thomas

As most of you know, my parents have 11 kids. There are three boys and eight girls. My brother Thomas, who's turning 27 today, is the baby boy.
Thomas always has been an unusual sort. He loved to play with matches as a kid; we're lucky the house never burned down. He has survived an interesting variety of health problems; some have stuck around. He served a mission in Sacramento, Calif.; he learned a bit of Tongan while he was there. And some might say his head is too big for his body; he once walked into a room and heard my mom and one of my sisters debating that point.
The photo is from his wedding last year. I wasn't there, so I can't say for sure whether his beard is real.

70 more days ...

until I escape Trinidad. But who's counting? (I'm really not but have become curious the past couple of days.)

Call me crazy, but I like to be able to keep my food from going bad

The New York Times had a story yesterday about people who decide to stop using their refrigerators, mostly for environmental reasons.
I think I'm probably more pro-environment than the average person, but that's just a bit much.

Not all maternity clothes are created equal

My sister Laurie and I have had on ongoing (joke) debate over the years over which of us is skinnier. Yes, my normal, nonpregnancy self if fairly thin (25-inch waist), but Laurie definitely looks smaller. And the fact she gained no to very little weight during her most recent pregnancy (despite starting out on the slight side) doesn't do much for her argument.
So recently I decided I was going to have to wear some maternity clothes. I went to try on a pair of jeans Laurie had given me when I was at her house in October. And I could barely pull them up. I was 20 weeks pregnant at the time.
She says she's pretty sure she wore those jeans up until the time she had Liam. And I'm pretty sure this proves she's skinnier than me.
Meanwhile, I still can wear some of my nonmaternity clothes, but there are fewer and fewer of them every day. That could be because I gained six pounds in three weeks (weeks 20 through 23, during which time I was hospitalized for a day and wasn't able to eat anything for two days).
I'm referring to it as the beached whale effect.