A venture into a different type of shooting sport

Even though I gave Geogal a Smith & Wesson 9 mm handgun for her b-day we didn't get a chance to take it out to the range and get familiar with it until yesterday. 

Between the three of us we ended up putting 100 rounds through that gat!  The gals are much better than I am with shooting that thing so hopefully I will never need to use it for self-defense.  (Insert smiley)

Begetting another Whovian

Sat down as a family last night to watch the latest Netflix offering.  Classic Doctor Who, "The Three Doctors." 

It's been a long time since I've seen a Jon Pertwee episode.  And this was Geoana's first experience with the Third Doctor. 

Her verdict? 

She wants to own a car like Bessie.  And she did ask: "Why is Doctor Who dressed like Austin Powers?" 

She enjoyed the episode.  I pointed out that this is the way a Doctor Who ep should be:  science fiction, cheap special effects, and no soap opera. 

Today I Am A Hunter!

At 7:55 this morning I took down my first-ever turkey.  Got a good one, too.  Just a hair shy of 20 pounds with a long beard, nice spurs, and quite the tail fan. 

Sometimes getting up at 4 in the morning is worth it!

De-winterizing

Finally had two things. 

First, a weekend where I am spending both Saturday and Sunday here in town and don't have anything specific on the agenda.  Second, temperatures that are finally consistently above freezing. 

That can only mean one thing for a travel trailer owner such as I!   (See post title) 

It's funny to hear camping veterans describe the process.  "Oh, de-winterizing is easy!  Just add fresh water to the tank, then turn on all the faucets until the pink antifreeze is gone." 

Well, cough cough.

They are partly correct. 

However I first needed to check out the water pump as there can be a bypass valve that allows water to get pumped through the system without going into the hot water heater.  Given that the water heater is six gallons that's a significant savings of pink antifreeze.  So, remove the panel that gives me access to the water pump.  Don't see any type of bypass valve anywhere.  Don't see any type of valve, period. 

Hmmm. 

Get out the manuals.  Have an overall owner's manual for the camper plus I have a manual from the water pump manufacturer.  The water pump manual makes no reference to bypass valves.  However the camper manual does have a short section discussing bypassing the hot water heater.  But I sure can't find these valves anywhere. 

Then I read through the manual for the pump itself.  Figured I can just move ahead with what I know.  Fill fresh water tank (with brand spanking-new white hose).  Then click on the water pump switch and turn on kitchen faucet (cold side). 

Rat-a-tat-tat-tat noise comes from the water pump.  A trickle of pink water flows out of the aforementioned fixture.  Nothing more than a trickle.  Not the normal flow you'd expect from a faucet. 

Hmmm.

Back to the manuals.  Add more water to the fresh tank.  This time I follow the water pump instructions to the letter.  Open all faucets first, then turn on pump switch. 

I get a pretty good flow from the bathroom sink and tub.  The toilet flushes with no problems.  Doesn't take too long for the pink water to turn clear.  But still no decent water pressure from the kitchen sink. 

Then I get the bright idea to also turn on the outdoor shower (which draws off the kitchen sink water inlets).  Again, some pink antifreeze flows through the handheld nozzle but it doesn't have any effect on the kitchen sink efficiency. 

Hmmm. 

I take the 18-volt battery-operated working light that came with my Dewalt power tool set (thank you, Santa!).  Take a look under the galley sink.  Then Geogal takes a look.  She sees that one of the lines going to the outdoor shower is kinked.  True, but I still can't see how that affects the water pressure for the sink.  (If anything, you think that would actually make the pressure to the sink that much better.) 

Now it's time to break for lunch. 

Later I decide to explore something else.  The water pump manual indicated the pump would be supplying water to all the faucets, plus the hot water heater tank.  But I still have not screwed the water heater tank plug back in the socket.  Why am I not seeing water flowing out of the drain plug? 

Harkens back to something the tech said when I did the walk-through before leaving the dealer's lot back in frigid February.  He noted when I took off a certain panel that would give me access to the back of the hot water heater.  Instead that panel led to the water pump. 

Hmmm.  

How can I take a look at the back of the heater?  Check the outside of the camper, then go back in and see where it's located. 

Underneath my leather sofa (which folds down into a bed).  Pull the sofa up halfway and I see a panel held fast by a couple of wood screws.  Remove the screws and viola!  Back of the hot water heater. 

I then see the three valves to which the owner's manual was referring.  Yes! 

Hot water is in my future. 

But it's not present yet.  I still need to put the drain plug back in.  That will require a socket of a certain size and the socket wrench sizes I have on hand are all too small.  And in my small town both of the hardware/home improvement stores are closed on Sunday. 

I can wait. 

And I still don't know if this will have any effect on the kitchen sink.  However it's great to approach something like this with four thoughts in mind:

1)  Take my time. 

2)  Be willing to learn as I go. 

3)  Realize that the more I learn about this camper, the better able I will be to handle issues in the future. 

and,

4)  Have a sense of humor!

Warm up already!

Yes, the temps have been above freezing but given it's April and it's northwest Kansas I'm not convinced we've seen the last of the freezing overnights. 

C'mon Mother Nature, I want to de-winterize my camper and see how ALL my systems work!

I think I've already figured out where I want to go Memorial Day weekend (Geogal and Geoana will be going to Omaha to see a show so I'm on my own).  More to follow.    

Driveway camping, 2014 edition

A sequel to the 2010 story.

Finally got a free weekend, plus one where the weather was forecast to be more-than-halfway decent.

I spent a chunk of yesterday putting gear into the travel trailer.  (Most of this was from the pop-up and we actually are able to make use of nearly everything we bought for that unit.  If my memory serves me rightly, the only thing I coughed up money for that we couldn't take out of the pup was new tires and bearings.)

This was not meant to be a full shakedown.  First of all the camper is still winterized.  I'm trying to figure out when to flush out the pink stuff and don't think we are out of below-freezing overnight temps just yet.

Also I did not power up the refrigerator.  I'm not fully level (but I am pretty level) however I didn't see any real need to dink around with the power tongue jack and side levelers considering we would not be cooking or needing to chill beverages.

So, just as with the entry noted above, all we wanted to do was overnight in the rig.  I did bring out my coffeemaker and a kettle to heat up water for Geogal's tea.

How did it go?

Sorry to say, not extremely well.  I had difficulty getting to sleep (it was windy and something outside kept going clink, clink, clink.  The only noise I want when falling asleep is white noise) and Geogal realized about about 6 in the morning that the mattress is not adequate for her needs.  She retreated to the camper's leather sofa due to back issues.

However everything inside the camper worked fine.  Heater kept us at a nice temp and a travel trailer keeps out much more outside noise than does a pop-up.  I also got out my old Sirius radio tuner and home connect kit, placed the antenna on top of the camper, plugged it into the radio/CD/DVD/audio unit which also has an auxiliary jack.  Nice to have some calming music by which to enjoy one's morning coffee.  Also pleasant to boil water on the gas range rather than plug something in.

A purchase in our near future:  memory foam mattress topper or a higher-level mattress.  At least we figured that out early and didn't have to endure several uncomfortable nights hundreds of miles from home base.

Next time I will have de-winterized the camper and we will give her more of a full shakedown at the nearby lake/state park.

Winter/spring/winter/spring

Last weekend, nice weather with temps hitting the 70s on Saturday.

This weekend, cruddy weather with light snow falling this past Saturday.  Woke up this morning to temperatures in the teens and needing to walk carefully to avoid slippage on the ice!

But now it's the evening and the sun decided to make an appearance.  The light snow is just about all gone.

But still, one longs for true warm weather.  However this is March and you truly never know what's in store for the next few days.  What I just described is not unusual for this time of year.

Nagging question:  When DO I de-winterize the camper?

Next nagging question:  What should we really call this time of year?  Spring doesn't fit.  Neither does winter.  

Wing?  Sprinter?

Now there's this weekend

Weather is exponentially nicer than this time last week.

Last Saturday:  Gray skies, temp hovering around zero, occasional snow and ice.

Today:  Sunny, wind is calm, temps in the low 50's.

Not a bad day to go out to the camper and lounge around.  I popped in a CD and jammed to the sounds of Steely Dan followed by classical pieces.

Geogal joined me a bit later.  She appeared OK just sitting and reading her e-book.

Only one drawback to preliminary "driveway camping."  The house wi-fi doesn't seem to give a useable signal out in the camper.  No matter.  Set up my iPhone as a hotspot and that solved the issue.  Works just fine for web browsing, I have no intention of watching streaming video out there.

Come to think of it, gimpy wi-fi is a typical issue in campgrounds so maybe this is a useful lesson.  Hey, as long as we can pick up a 3G or 4G signal we're good to go.

(My father sighs.)

Opened up the blinds and enjoyed some natural light.  Since we left the door open the neighbor's cat chose to join us.

Soon it will be camping season!

During the past year….

It likely was close to a year ago that I went to central Kansas for 4H Shooting Sports Coordinator training.  Given I was doing the bachelor thing at the time (Geogal was in school) I had a fair amount of time to myself on the journey.  Once I got close to my destination I realized I was rather early and therefore decided to do something I'd been putting off for years.

Pulled off Interstate 70 at Abilene and headed south to the Eisenhower Center.

I didn't spend a great deal of time there.  In fact I only visited one building.  (The fact that this structure was a free one to get into also played into my decision-making process.)

Just joking.  I was happy this one did not require an admission charge as I had long since wanted to visit the final resting place of Dwight Eisenhower.

Too bad that pic came out a tad blurry.  My blood sugar must have been low.

Then I got to thinking, is this the only presidential grave I've visited?  Hmmm.

As a small child I remember Arlington National Cemetery (mainly I remember my awe at seeing headstones as far as my eye could focus).  So it's highly likely I saw JFK's grave although I don't remember it specifically.

A few years later me, my sisters, my mother, and my grandmother all went to the LBJ Ranch in the Texas Hill Country.  I do remember seeing Johnson's headstone from a distance--the tour bus only stopped in the roadway and the public was not allowed in the family cemetery.

But no doubt Ike's grave is the closest I have been to a president's burial site.  And yes, I took several silent minutes and paid my respects.

Next time I need to take more of the day, pay the admission fee, and spend plenty of time taking in all that the Eisenhower Center has to offer.

Maybe combine it with a trip to the Harry S Truman Presidential Library and Museum??

Ladybugs

A few entries ago I made reference to "the bad part of winter."

That negative edge to the time of year when the northern hemisphere is pointed away from the sun hit very hard these last few weeks.  Given December was fairly mild January and February seemed especially cruel.

But now we're in March and hope springs eternal.  Pun intended.

Today walking from one building to another at my place of employment I spotted a promising sign of the changing seasons.

A ladybug.  And then another.

Nothing like a small colorful insect to give cheer to one's day.

Yep, it's me

Speaking of that last entry, I'm still pondering why the YouTube video didn't embed the way it should have (and that my preview pane showed was good to go).

But let's move on.

Still haven't been able to even as much as driveway camp with my new rig.  Too danged cold.  Even though this rig has a heater and plenty of propane I still don't feel the urge to replicate the experience of a high elevation with kill-the-annoying-invading-pests low temps.

And this past weekend was really the kicker.  Barely above zero for both Saturday and Sunday.  Fortunately today the temps were in the range of sanity.  Melted a lot of the remaining snow.

Us humans are funny folks.  Come June and July it will be so blasted hot we'll all be praying for a blast of cool air.  Sometimes I think in the afterlife our ancestors are laughing at us so hard the tears are flowing faster than the local creek after spring thaw.

And, in June and July even in the hot temps I will still enjoy my camper.  Got an air conditioner on the top, don't you know?

Springtime, please come!!

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The lack of postings can be summed up by my usual excuse--no time.  No kidding.

Last Tuesday evening I was looking forward to a nice, casual stay-at-home evening.

Nope.

Not long after I walked through the front door Geogal reminded me that our child had a vocal concert that very evening.  I was even the one who wrote it on the calendar!

Plus it had snowed that afternoon and frigid temps were our constant companion.  However I was treated to some nice renditions of old songs and pretty decent performances from the junior high band members.  Didn't cost a cent, either.

Earlier in February I committed to putting in some time for the local Rotary Club (of which I am a member) Rotary Radio fundraiser.

Me and my big mouth.  Happened to mention I had radio experience and that I'd be willing to re-write some of the ads to make them more "chatty."

Turned out I redid nearly all of the ads.  From a whole lot of local businesses.  Plus a few new ones.

Time-consuming, but I got it all done.  The end result was very positive.

And my mom thinks living in a small town is nothing but never-ending boredom.

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What am I reading these days?  Going through the Cork O'Connor series penned by William Kent Krueger.  Right now I'm reading Thunder Bay.

Like so many folks I have read through C.J. Box's books featuring Joe Pickett and now just await his new releases.  Hey, I'm in luck!  Looks like Stone Cold will be out in a matter of days.

And with the Kindle I am also perusing Scavengers by Steven Havill.  Set in southern New Mexico (an area with which I am a bit familiar).

Maybe I'm picky but finding quality fiction is very challenging.  I don't care for the likes of James Patterson or some of these other "hot" authors, particularly when the violence and brutality scale is way over the top.

Makes finding tomes I like especially rewarding.

Yep, what you saw is correct!

Drove to Omaha (and back) on Saturday, January 4.  Horribly cold winter day.

But we pulled the trigger on a travel trailer.  Buying off-season does have its advantages.

Picked up the unit this past Saturday.  Looking forward to a lot of fun times in it once the weather warms up.  (Remember, my Texas, Arizona, and California kin, we have REAL winter here!)

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Another football season is in the books.  Satisfaction of seeing the Patriots lose, then seeing the Broncos crap the bed in the Big One.

Actually I don't have any pure hatred for the team from Colorado but being able to avoid several months of nearby (and nearly) insufferable Orange Crush fans is a nice thought to entertain. 

At least my favorite team is not the Browns.  Yeesh, look up "Poorly Run NFL Operation" in the dictionary and you will see numerous references to the team from Cleveland.  Almost makes Jerry Jones look wise in comparison.  Not only did they can their head coach after only one year, they also took a whole lotta time to fill the position.  A long time in which several teams snagged the A-list coaching candidates.

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Speaking of the Big Game, I didn't watch much of it.  (Spending my valuable time doing other tasks.  Besides I thought the Broncos would win handily, as many others had predicted.)

I did sit down and turn it on in the 4th quarter.  Caught this ad.



Hey, members of my family: Does that puppy remind you of Fred? (Or should I spell it Phredde?)

What do you mean I can't go camping yet?

Yes, I bought a new rig in the dead of winter.  Sometimes off-season is the best time to buy. 

Maybe the bad part of winter hasn't hit yet....

A few entries ago I made note that after the holiday season winter seems to take on a different, and more malevolent, tone. 

Fortunately in my own cranium that hasn't occurred yet. 

Not that Old Man Winter suffers for lack of effort.  While those of us in northwest Kansas didn't suffer quite the cold level other parts of the nation endured (hear that, Minneapolis?) it was still plenty chilly.  Last Saturday morning (not referring to yesterday but rather January 4) us three got up early and went on a road trip to Omaha.  According to the Suburban's thermometer it was 37 when we left town around 5:30 a.m.  Soon the wind kicked up and by the time we were in eastern Nebraska it was down to 17.  Factor in the wind chill and it was well below zero.  Not to mention the sky was very gray. 

However the outcome of the journey was positive (more about that in future entries).  We also did a turnaround and headed back home the same day.  593 miles (round trip) after we began the sojourn we again pulled up to our domicile.  And slept in the following day. 

Compared to last weekend yesterday and today seem downright tropical.  This morning I was rewarded with a sunrise and shades of yellow and orange Crayola will never be able to duplicate. 

____________________________________

Did I mention I don't mind the holiday season being over? 

Before you start calling me "Scrooge," "The Grinch," and other epithets please know I don't have any deep resentment toward Christmas itself.  On the contrary I enjoy giving and teaching my child the importance of giving to others, especially when you can do it anonymously. 

Yet I seem to be cursed with family members that are VERY hard to buy for.  Here are the real-life examples:

Circa 1978--I ask my mom what she wants for Christmas.  Long pause.  "Well, hmmm."  Longer pause.  "I guess I don't really know.  Maybe a pair of slippers, or perhaps a bathrobe."  Geoguy (to himself), .

Now fast forward to the present.  I ask Geogal what she wants for Christmas.  Long pause.  "Well, hmmm."  Longer pause.  "I don't really know.  I guess a bathrobe."  She did eventually give me a few other gift ideas. 

Geoguy (to himself), .

Then the neighbors hear the sound of Geoguy hitting his head against a brick wall.  

Why is it that I'm cursed with loved ones who don't seem to have hobbies or interests?  Is it some kind of evil payback for me having about 30,000 hobbies and interests? 

That is my big gripe about Christmas.  Well, that and a few other things.  That list will wait until December of 2014.  No need to be a curmudgeon now.  

It does appear this just-ended Christmas that GeoSister (the younger) got very wise and gave Mom and Dad an iPad Air.  Bear in mind they don't have iPhone and own no other Apple products (to my knowledge).  However in talking to Geomom yesterday they seem to be enjoying the device just fine.  Who knows, maybe they will even find some apps they enjoy. 

Doing the same thing

Last January First I made note that I was hedging my bets regarding traditional New Year's Day dishes.  A combination of Deep South (black-eyed peas) and New Mexico (posole). 

Given 2013 was a reasonably good one for me (and a heckuva lot better than 2012) I chose to again please my palate with the aforementioned dishes. 

The only change is I ate the black-eyed peas in the form of 10-bean soup rather than making them their own dedicated dish. 

Here's wishing all of you a happy 2013!

More manly stuff

Similar to a Christmas many years ago, I could not fully enjoy my big gift for a few days. 

You already know about the work commitments.  However there was another rub.  The recip saw didn't come with any blades.  Given all the retailers were closed yesterday it was not until today that I could pick up a set of DeWalt blades.  Found them on sale (Christmas spirit just keeps on coming). 

By this afternoon I was in the backyard and some of my trees now are nicely pruned.  And I still have all my fingers. 

And during our time out this morning Geogal told me she already has a project in mind:  a shelving unit for her closet.  Other than needing to borrow a router I think I can make this a reality. 

A whole lotta years ago I got a motocross bicycle for Christmas.  However it was a rainy holiday that day in Houston, Texas so no out-of-doors stuff.  The following day all of us trekked to Seguin for nativity celebrations with extended family.  Two or three days later (forever, it felt to me at the time) we finally returned home.  By this time the rain had retreated and I recall the fun of finally being able to ride that bike. 

Just like the fun of going outside and sawing through dead branches. 

Now it's time to relax

No entries the past few days is attributed to Geoguy being very busy at his day job. 

Since Christmas Eve onward I was the person on call and this circumstance also resulted in me spending all day yesterday at work.  However the up side of all this is that my labor on a Saturday results in me being able to take an extra day off this coming week. 

And the fact that I already had put in to take tomorrow off didn't hurt either. 

But given my mental fatigue upon coming home in the evenings my creative/writing juices dwindled down to resembling those few grounds at the bottom of the coffee pot.  Here's hoping today is truly a day of rest and play for me. 

Play, of course, can involve me enjoying what Santa done brung.  Among my loot was a set of DeWalt power tools (cordless, of course).  A drill, a circular saw, a reciprocating saw, and a floodlight. 

I already intend to use the drill today to bore holes into a tree stump.  Need to get that thing killed, up, and out. 

And tomorrow I will get to a retailer to procure some blades for the reciprocating saw.  (If you don't know what that is, it's a Sawzall, but DeWalt's version.)  So during my day off tomorrow I can go to the backyard and play "Let's see if it will cut this."  I've already seen comments and videos online in which this tool can be used to cut tree branches. 

As I joked with family on Christmas Day, right now I still have all ten fingers.  Let's hope that's the case for the future. 

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The gift that keeps on giving:  I brought my K-cup brewer home yesterday (it usually occupies my office) because I knew I wouldn't be at work too much this coming week and the womenfolk in my casa would certainly enjoy a cup of fresh java if they desire.  Not only that, but Santa also brought me a package of hot apple cider K-cups.  Geogal and Geoana sampled those this morning.  Luscious.  Smells and tastes like liquid apple pie. 

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Question of the day:  So just how do you greet people today?  Seems odd to say "Merry Christmas" but also appears a bit early to wish one "Happy New Year." 

How about today I give all of my readers both? 

Almost Christmas

As befitting a working adult, I want Christmas to get here for different reasons than when I was a youngster. 

I have things at work that are due by the end of the month. 

I still need to give my co-workers (particularly those I supervise) their gifts of baked goods. 

I gotta get the stocking stuffers. 

And I need to get this blog updated with the latest news. 

(I guess I can consider that last one just about done.) 

_________________________________

I already wrote about my iPhone upgrade. 

Well, the womenfolk in the Geohouse decided they didn't want me to have all the joy of a fast phone with plenty of cool features. 

So two Saturdays ago Geogal and I trekked to Kearney and made our last stop of the day at the Verizon store. 

A while later we walked out of there with two Christmas gifts.  A gold iPhone 5S for Geogal and a blue iPhone 5C for Geoana.  And my wallet was a lot lighter. 

Enjoy your early presents gals!! 

Then the fun really began.  It already was dark when we hit the highway back to town. 

But wait!  Are those snowflakes?

Yes.

About an hour into the drive Geogal is struggling to see where the highway centerline is.  And I'm keeping track of how large the white patches are on the roadway.

We got home just fine.  Never even lost traction.

________________________________

Just about all of that snow has since melted.  In fact the temps were downright mild until yesterday.  Then a blast of Arctic air hit us with a vengeance.

However the forecast does not include snow for X-mas.  Sigh.

________________________________

Here's hoping the weekend can be productive, relaxing, and joyous.

You can call that my early Christmas wish.  

Finishing the thought

After posting I realized my last entry didn't finish the story of my Apple upgrades and what devices I want in what order. 

Since I got an iPhone on my trip out west the next cool item on my wish list is a MacBook Air (13-inch).  Upgraded to 8 GB of RAM.  Should work well for everything I need to replace my still-working-but-really-showing-its-age 2006-era MacBook. 

THEN I will set my sights on an iPad Mini with Retina Display (Space Gray to match the iPhone). 

____________________________

It's really cold today.  The type where if my deep freeze unit failed I can just toss everything out in the backyard with no spoilage.  Not even anything thawing out, for that matter.  Still technically autumn but winter is no doubt here. 

At least this is the fun part of the cold season.  After the holidays are over, after the last football games are played for the season, after hunting season comes to a close, then we have the cruddy part of winter.  February and March especially. 

But I'll enjoy the temps for right now.  And no time like the present to enjoy dishes such as soups, stews, and spicy chile. 

Change in the desired devices

You remember this entry in which I hinted I wanted an iPad mini with Retina display under the Christmas tree on December 25. 

Scratch that. 

Originally I didn't intend to upgrade the iPhone for at least the near future.  In my mindset my venerable iPhone 4 still needed it do everything I expected. 

However during one of my evening constitutionals during July or August I dropped it.  I figured the Otterbox case protected it.  At first nothing seemed damaged.  However I soon learned that the upper speaker (the one you use to listen to your phone calls) didn't work. 

Drat. 

I figured I could get around that by using the "speaker" function whenever I got an incoming call.  Yeah right, like I was going to remember that every time. 

Then about two days later the upper speaker worked again with no explanation.  So far, so good. 

Until recently.  Shortly before the weekend of November 15-17 the old "can't hear my phone calls" problem again reared its head. 

Given I was planning a trip to Denver anyway I figured it was time to break down and buy me an iPhone 5S while there.  Geogal was certainly OK with the idea (she tried to answer incoming calls for me during times when I couldn't--such as washing dishes) and was obviously frustrated with sliding the bar for "answer" then not hearing anything when she put the phone to her ear. 

So I am now the proud and happy owner of a Space Gray iPhone 5S. 

And it's a really cool device. 

I've already shot slo-mo video at one of Geoana's basketball games.  Speaking of Geoana she seems taken with my new phone and is now trying to see how many philosophical questions she can ask Siri. 

___________________________________

As I alluded above, I went to Denver in mid-November.  The occasion?  Geogal and Geoana were headed to Kansas City that weekend for a church youth group function so I chose to head the other direction.  I'd been longing for a road trip anyway and this seemed the perfect opportunity. 

As if I need an excuse. 

On my list, in addition to the task mentioned earlier, was to visit an Apple store, go to some outdoor retailers to get a new pair of hiking boots, and hit The Tattered Cover bookstore.  Also needed to pick up some New Mexico spicy southwest cooking ingredients that I can't obtain in here in The Land Of Dorothy.  You know, red chile pods, green chile sauce, and the like. 

I actually got my iPhone at a Verizon store that Friday afternoon so my visit to an Apple store didn't take place until the following day.  Went to Cherry Creek Mall.  Crowded as one would expect on a Saturday afternoon.  I'm surprised I even got a chance to pick up and hold an iPad Air. 

On my way out of this gaggle of pretentious stores I noticed Microsoft also has a presence at this mall. 

Well, a kiosk anyway. 

That could be a joke right there.  But I just couldn't resist snapping a couple of pics to show the folks back home just how different the interest in the products is between the Apple offerings and the devices from Redmond, Washington:

Gotta love how the sales guys are just standing around off to the side in that top pic.  But I'm sure Steve Ballmer (if he was not in the process of stepping down) would continue to pontificate how the Surface is going to dethrone the iPad. 

Oh and by the way I did get my hiking boots.  Broke them in that afternoon at Red Rocks Park.  I decided to keep to an easy trail given this location is 6000 feet above sea level (according to my GPS device) and I am nowhere near acclimated to the altitude.  Also got some pictures to make other people envious. 

One enjoyable trip!  But it was still good to get home.