Archive for Denver
Wouldn’t You…a #best09 post
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Where you wouldn't expect it...
On the corner of 13th and Speer, a leftward glance showed a lone balcony strung with multicolored lights, defiant yet joyous and bright with hope. Or maybe it was just electricity. In buildings like these, hope leaves for the coast and the landlord takes his checks right from the city. Utilities are included and washer/dryers a luxury. I have no doubt that inside, I’d find carpet of the “nothing special beige” tone, white appliances and a tub that drains slower than congested sinuses. The Christmas tree, however…
it would be real. Plastic ones are spendy.
This is the house where Wouldn’ts rule the season.
Beginning on the balcony with the lights you wouldn’t expect to see and stretching inward to a tree that wouldn’t fit in the elevator and had to be carried up the stairs. The ornaments wouldn’t match and Pottery Barn wouldn’t approve. The star wouldn’t be what you would expect – maybe an array of tiny drink umbrellas like the four-year-old Isabel used at last night’s Redheaded holiday eve. Some of the lights work while the others wouldn’t, but the tree is mostly aglow and that’s good enough.
This holiday, wouldn’t it be better to sit in front of a friends than a tree? To exchange expressions of love and laughter that last beyond a manufacturer’s warranty? To find that place where hope should have hit the last plane for Tahiti yet stuck around like a half-buzzed bargoer, running on faith for a last-minute hookup before last call?
It’s said that hope floats, but I think it really does so much more. It elevates, perseveres and lifts you more than any prayer. It’s the audacity to believe in the fairy tale and surround yourself with possibility. On the corner of 13th and Speer, I saw a better year than mine during 2009 strung-up in multicolored lights, and I’ve no room for complaint. I saw smiles from people I’ll never know reflected in ornaments I’ll never see as they eat food I’ll never taste and sing carols to which I don’t know the words. And this Christmas, wouldn’t it be great if there were a corner of 13th and Speer wherever you live that you could drive by at nightfall and see hope up-close?
It’s the best. And it’s not under any tree.
Things That Don’t Suck: Boulder Indoor Cycling
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A view from between turns 1 and 2 at Boulder Indoor Cycling
Go fast, turn left – a descriptor usually reserved for redneck endeavors like NASCAR – is alive and well in Boulder, Colorado and I eat it up like a fat kid with an unattended cake. Welcome to Boulder Indoor Cycling.
About six weeks ago, I alluded to a “covert adventure” on Twitter and Facebook. It was track cycling at the Boulder velodrome. I’d had a jones to try it…well, since I moved here last year…and finally took the plunge right after Veloswap. I figured what the hell? It’s a bike. How hard can it be?
Holy motherfucking shit. And I mean that in the most ladylike way possible.
I let the cat out of the bag a bit earlier this month in my post Dear Guru and/or Expert (aka what track cycling has taught me about social media douchebags), but today I’m going to let you know what your options are if you’d like to come indulge in some track-flavored crack with me. I never thought I’d say this, but riding around 143m with 45 degree banking in the turns is super freaking awesomeness. And yes, “awesomeness” is a word (a technical cycling term).
If you ride a bike, you can ride at the velodrome. Hell, even if you don’t really ride a bike, there’s an app for that, too. The awesome folks out at Boulder Indoor Cycling (BIC) make it easy for anyone to catch the Fixed Gear Fever. I’ll take you through a step-by-step process on how anyone in the Greater Denver/Boulder area can see what all the go fast/turn left fuss is about:
Riders Sabga and Luttrell from Black Dog Professional Racing practicing a Madison exchange (no, you WON'T be doing this in class! #proshit) Photo by Farid A. Abraham
Step 1: Annual Membership
It’s only $30, people. That’s less than $3/month. And no – you can’t do an “installment plan.”
Step 2: Get Your Gear On
All you need to ride at the track is a helmet, your own cycling shoes (no MTB shoes), and pedals (clipless). And you’re going to want to grab a pair of cycling shorts, too. Just sayin’.
Step 3: Whet Your Appetite
For those new to velodrome cycling, you have three options to see if one gear and four banked turns are for you:
“Oh shit – that looks crazy, but I really do want to try it…just once” deal (aka Just Once)
Well, you can try it, just once. With every membership comes one FREE Track 101 lesson. This is a one hour long class that will get you on the bike, explain the fundamental differences between road and track cycling, and how to come on and off the track safely. It’s fast. It’s free. You can run screaming after the fact if that suits you, but I’m bettin’ you’ll be back for more track crack. Click here to view the Track Schedule.
“I’ve gotta do this” deal (aka Take A Class)
Beginning January 4, 2010, the next series of classes begin at the track and run through March 14. The session is 10 weeks long and classes one hour each. You have two options to get going on the track: Beginner and Intermediate. Click here to view the Track Schedule
- Beginner – Really only for those who aren’t bike-savvy at all. If you’re not, have no fear – the coaches at BIC will get you accustomed to riding a bike with one gear and no brakes. The 10-week class series is only $149 + your $30 membership. ($15/class – HAWT)
- Intermediate - If you’re a recreational road or mountain biker, this is your deal. Less of the basic “bike” fundamentals yet solid instruction on how track bikes differ in handling and technique from other multi-gear bikes, along with pace lines, proper passing techniques, flying laps (or Ride Like Hell), introductory racing concepts and how to handle your bike well enough across the entire breadth of the track. If you master the skills in this level of class, you’ll have your Membership Card signed, thus allowing you to ride in Open Riding sessions at-will. Having your card signed is a privilege and not automatic, so buckle down and don’t fall down! The 10-week series is $169 + your $30 membership.
BUT WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE A TRACK BIKE? NO SWEAT!
Boulder Indoor Cycling has track bikes for rental for anyone who takes a class! I’m 5′4 and there are bikes that fit me, all the way up to a 6-some-odd-foot dude. On the first day you take a class, show up about a half hour early and the staff is more than happy to get you fit on the best frame size available and show you how to adjust the seat height and position to fit you best. Don’t worry – if you fall in love with track cycling, there are plenty of shops in Boulder that sell track bikes (most are under $1200 off the rack) and if you really fall in love, there are multiple custom frame builders like Tiemeyer Cycles and Primus Mootry that will create a custom, pimp ride for you.
Now, as I get ready to head off to Estes Park for the day for my own Tiemeyer fitting, don’t discount track. If you’ve got a question, pick up the phone and give the staff at BIC a call at 303-CYCLING (303.292.5464) – they’re all passionate about track and will tell you anything you want to know. And ladies – if you’re intimidated about riding with a testosterone-fueled herd, they’ve got an exclusive Ladies’ Intermediate class coming up beginning January 4 as well! (call and ask about it!).
Want to take a virtual ride at the track? Watch this cool helmet cam video and see for yourself!
Boulder Indoor Cycling
3550 Frontier Avenue, Suite A
Boulder, CO 80301
303-CYCLING (303.292.5464)
Follow Boulder Indoor Cycling on Twitter
Join BIC on Facebook (new Fan Page coming soon!)
Directions from Denver:
36 to Foothills Parkway
Exit Pearl St.
Left under the underpass
First left is Frontier
Pull into 2nd driveway on your right (you’re there!)
Today is my one year anniversary in Denver and I am wearing a pointy party hat and fuzzy slippers – you can bet your sweet ass on it.
A year ago today, I packed up The Hoopty, two dogs and two cats and rolled 752 miles from Las Vegas to Denver. I’ve fallen in love with my new home and the exploration process this past year has been nothing short of a comedy of errors. One way streets, alley garages, recycling bins…SNOW. Christ on toast – you people really can’t drive on snow, y’know? All the more reason to stay at home with a book.
I love the smell of books. The sound of a cracking spine and the blurry, ring-shaped watermarks left on the covers. The way an entire corner of a book will curl back after being jammed onto an ill-sized bookshelf and how you have to peel each page apart the next time you read it.
More importantly, I love used books. I’ve long held that when you pick up a used book, you’re getting the wisdom and life experiences of the readers that came before you. I always wonder about the person whose name is scribed in pencil on the inside cover, especially cherishing that cursive characteristic of when men and women all were taught to write a certain way on ruled paper.
Jack Jensen - Proprietor, Mutiny Now Books, Art and Coffee in Denver, Colorado
I stumbled across Mutiny Now Art, Books and Coffee here in Denver about a month after I’d arrived. Its storefront perched innocuously on the corner of Broadway and Ellsworth, I floated in when I had some time to kill prior to a blind date at Michelangelo’s across the street. There behind the counter, a man with a salt-and-pepper pompadour and Buddy Holly glasses smiled at me and said “welcome.” I’ve felt welcome there ever since.
Meet the man behind the glasses: Jack Jensen. Proprietor, artist and admitted asshole. (On the latter, I beg to differ.) Mutiny Now is a Denver gem: used books across the broadest spectrum you could imagine, classic vinyl and walls lined with thought-provoking eye candy. From admitted bibliophiles to ardent devotees of the bodice-ripper genre, Jack Jensen’s built an artistic empire with something for everyone. Well, almost everyone.
If you’re looking for the latest Oprah’s Book Club selection – fuck off. Save that treasure A Million Little Pieces (which he proudly displays with the Oprah sticker on the cover on a storefront display when he can wrangle a copy – a disc-shaped middle finger to the icon’s discerning taste in literature). Popular fiction is a rare find at Mutiny Now.
Instead, what you will find is a treasure trove of art in words nestled amongst a coffee bar (with sub-*bucks pricing) and an eclectic assortment of pop art that beckons your glance from walls on all sides.
I stopped by the store last week to speak with Jack and learn more about his little book nook. Little did I know it’s not so little:
- A larger philosophy section than the Tattered Cover
- The largest collection of art & art technique titles in Denver, if not the state
- The single largest collection of Black Studies titles in the state
- The largest selection of romance titles in the state
- Many of his sections offer more titles than the Denver Public Library
Holy shit. No shit?
No shit.
Check it: the landscape at Mutiny Now, shot askew with my shitty little digital camera
Mutiny Now earned its spot on my One Year Denver Anniversary Edition of Things that Don’t Suck column because it’s the first place I ever felt at home when I arrived in my new city. Whether I’m looking for a Stephen King title that I have somehow not read or I don’t know what I’m looking for at all, I go see Jack. He’s the real deal in customer service. Tell him what you like, love and hate and he’ll open your eyes to titles that will blow your mind. When’s the last time you got service like that at one of the corporate book behemoths?
There’s a single reason, however, that this place doesn’t suck: it’s not trying to be anything except exactly what it is. A bookstore, a refuge for those who want to use all five of their senses at once, a gallery that embraces artists and a cultural concierge at the helm to help you navigate. Simply stated, sheep don’t shop here.
I think this is the first time I’ve ever incited mutiny in an effort to get people on a ship. I know that the Kindle and the new Nook have techies all up in arms about the best new way to read a book, but I’ll tell ya:
You can all take your Kindles and whatnot and shove them someplace highly inappropriate.
You can’t crack the spine on a Kindle. The batteries on a book never go dead. The weight of a Kindle always feels the same. If someone else touches your Kindle, I’ll be you cry “thief.” Books are meant to be touched, read, cracked, dog-eared and shared. They’re a legacy. They’re like a dollar bill: one of the rare chances we have in life to hold something, if only for a little while, that’s taken a journey and traveled places we could never imagine.
Tell Jack that The Redhead says hi if you stop by.
Say hello to Jack...
Quick Facts
Mutiny Now Art, Books & Coffee
2 S. Broadway
Denver, CO 80209-1506
(303) 778-7579
Hours: 11 AM – 6 PM daily (M-Sun) for the holidays / closed Sundays on regular schedule
- Book Acquisitions: Jack gets most of his stock from estate and private library sales, but if you’ve got something interesting, give him a call. He’d be happy to have a look.
- New Books: Yep, he’s got ‘em. Look for selected titles from greats like Charles Bukowski under glass at the front of the shop (along with a pretty damn complete collection of paperback Peanuts comics!)
- Artists: Mutiny Now does gallery showings! He’d like to express that his store is your canvas and you’re not going to be looking at commissions that will make you wonder why you do what you do. Interested in showing? Give him a call. It’s your show. (He’s been showing art in Denver since 1979!)
- Pulp Fiction: Before your next trip, stop by the store and grab some pulp for the plane, train or automobile. Most mass market paperback fiction titles are a mind-blowing $3 each and there’s always a “blowout” section up front with tons of kickass titles you wanted to grab but never bought.
- Out of Print: Where else are you going to find literary tidbit that the behemoths don’t/won’t/can’t carry? Stop by and tell Jack what you’re looking for. For example: a guy came into Mutiny Now looking for Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle and was treated to a shelf housing over twenty-two different Sinclair titles. Read more “weird stuff.” He’s also great with tracking down titles if it’s not in stock.
- The Holidays: Check out the art. If you have a love for Warhol and disdain for anything Georgia O’Keefe, I’m bettin’ you’ll find something you like.
*All images in this post are copyrighted by Jack Jensen and used with his explicit permission. Don’t be an asshole. Jack’s happy to share his art with you – don’t copy the images or use them elsewhere without his permission.
