Daily Archives: June 21, 2009

An “economical” ski resort.  Oxymoron?  Not here in Park City, where the local newspaper of record yesterday quotes Park City Lodging Association president Paul Christensen: “[Our] association just wants to convince people to choose Park City over Aspen or Vail.”  Now that’s penny-pinching, according to the Park Record.

Perhaps that’s 4K per week instead of 6K for a furnished rental.  The local high school had several bouts of fireworks for graduation last week.  All I can say is that I saw it from here and it was more expensive than the Mayville Fire Department musters up for July 4th.  I love July 4th on the lake, sitting on the shore and knowing the volunteer firefighters are out there showing us their best.  That is is their best makes it even better than Houston’s largest land-based fireworks in the nation, which I’ve watched from next door for the past few years (sorry Paula – she runs it), it’s a hometown emotional thing.

Front page, above the fold, demonstrates that there may be as many as 35 gang members in the County, so “Sheriff Widens Anti-Gang Operations.”  These aren’t just gang members, they’re “documented” gang members.  Oooooh.  That in itself should guarantee me the right to carry a firearm and have an attack dog in the back of my pickup for protection.  Right now Zoe, with tail wagging full tilt, might be able to persuade a toddler just learning to walk, to sit down to pet her while being licked.

So much for the Park Record and the Chamber’s marketing efforts to “not make Park City seem real expensive” as this body advertises in Sunset, The New Yorker, and Vanity Fair magazines.

Yes, people are trying to sell off their vacation homes in droves (no buyers) and there’s a 60% vacancy rate in housing but vacant lots are still selling for a million an acre.  Now there’s a father’s day gift he’ll remember.  An unimproved acre near the slopes.  It’s not too late… Dee

While I cooked in my home for guests, I also helped plan parties for a pack of fellow plebes.  On my few off-hours, of course.  When one works for a public entity and high-speed internet is at play, years later I get to see that there are a lot of “big” and “little” people doing nothing and going no-where.  I hate to think that six years of really hard and long work on my behalf were for naught.

As I reflect upon a life in government and non-profits, I would hope this title would not fit.  In government, once I got out of it no-one wanted to get me back into it even though I was “liaison.”  And no matter what I did, most of the non-profits I counseled could not be saved because they would not change their boards or senior staff.

I served on several boards. Glad to get rid of them.  Spinning wheels.  One must get the moss off of that stone.  Never mind, I tried to dust them off to no avail.

Several priceless lessons have been already learned: use your instincts and verify the leadership; always appreciate a volunteer; and when you give money, make sure it really goes to a good cause.

I love non-profit organizations and know that when they smell money they’ll come around.  That’s when I’ll ask my questions from the other side.  Luckily that’s a ways from now but any charity we choose to fund will be a worthy one, one that puts every donor’s funds to the purpose for which the gift was intended.  See articles this week about billionaire Joan Krok’s fortune being mis-spent by Salvation Army and know that no-one cares about the $10,000 donor or one million donor when the billion dollar donor has already been snubbed and her legacy trashed by the very people she trusted to carry out her wishes.

Still an optimist, Dee

aka motherless calf, a calf that was weaned on flour and water

Git along, li’l dogie

We’re new here.  That’s my trouble up here in the mountains, there seem to be no dogies that are single and need Christmas eve celebrations or Christmas dinner.   Of course there are.  The guys will do their own thing but the gals need some family and that’s what we do every year no matter where we live.  If the guys were smart they’d hang out with us to meet their next girlfriend or wife.

Today we met three huge Newfoundlands and heard a story of a Great Pyrennese dog carrying a baby lamb in its mouth across a street, just like a pup, by the neck.  I believe it all.

By my age I should be appropriately jaded, and am when it comes to certain issues, but I do believe in people, and know that dogs can also do amazing things.

This is a temporary placement.  We could move any day.  We always have Thanksgiving at Nanny’s but don’t know where we’ll be to welcome the new year.  Still, I’d like to cook.  Perhaps prime rib, gravy, Yorkshire pudding, roasted potatoes, brussels sprouts……..

Don’t forget the trifle and mincemeat tarts.  Yes, the sign-up sheet is below,  but we don’t know where we’ll be cooking as yet.  We know we’ll be cooking for family and good friends, no matter where we are.  Cheers! Dee