This week's post is a brief report on a family vacation to Durango CO. If you, the reader, happen
to hate families, hate vacations, or just plain hate fun........then this post is not for you.
Spike overlooks our motel, The Residence Inn, on the outskirts of Durango.
Spike and I are on top of Durango Mountain which happens to be the highest mountain in Colorado, next to Pikes Peak. Below is the city of Durango.
VACATION PARTICIPANTS
(Listed below)
THE MARCONI FAMILY
(Listed below)
THE MARCONI FAMILY
Willow, Marconi, Little Georgia, Derek, and Piper at supper.
(Derek is Piper's boyfriend)
THE WOLF FAMILY
Wyatt, Little Martha, Wolf, and Riley at lunch.
Clover during one of her very infrequent texting time-outs.
Lindsey....Wyatt's girlfriend.
THE MURDOCKS
(Not really family, but just about the same as.)
(Not really family, but just about the same as.)
Naloni (Ted) and Richard (Moochie)
Kadin and Bodie......... brats.
THE WIRE NUT FAMILY
Alex, Opie, Madi, and Hurricane
Littlest Wire Nut.... Lane
THE VOO FAMILY
Zoobie and VooFOOD FIGHT
As so often happens, when we all get together, there are a few family members who have trouble behaving respectfully in public places. More and more it seems like Marconi and Little Martha are the instigators of this type of trouble that subsequently effects all of us. This happened to be the case on the second night we were there. Thanks to the Wolf, we had great seats at a fantastic Mexican restaurant. We were all at one table with the exception of Marconi and Lane. (see below)
As so often happens, when we all get together, there are a few family members who have trouble behaving respectfully in public places. More and more it seems like Marconi and Little Martha are the instigators of this type of trouble that subsequently effects all of us. This happened to be the case on the second night we were there. Thanks to the Wolf, we had great seats at a fantastic Mexican restaurant. We were all at one table with the exception of Marconi and Lane. (see below)
Marconi became increasingly distraught because Lane was the only one who would sit by him. Before long, as always happens at Marconi's table, Lane became extremely bored with the conversation and was looking for another place to sit. This infuriated Marconi. Suddenly for no apparent reason, he grabbed a tortilla, covered it in whipped cream, and threw it accross the room hitting Little Martha right in the face.
(see below)
Little Martha, as usual, by this time had been hitting the wine pretty good. She had already stolen the chef's hat was being asked to leave by two security guards.
Soon food was flying everywhere. Polly got hit with a burrito. Oppie got a daiquiri dumped on her head. Moochie got a face full of refried beans. Piper got guacamole dumped down her back. Martha tried to laugh it off but the owner of the restrauant did not think it was so funny
Our entire group was escorted out of the restaurant.... even the kids.
We were all officially banned from the premises for one full year with the contigency that we will only be welcomed there if we don't bring Marconi, Little Martha, or Lane.
EIGHT BALL TOURNAMENT
Many of us had great fun playing pool on two of the three nights we were there.
The Wolf and I took on his boys, at least his boys that he has had in wedlock. The boys played a great game of 8 ball, but after two nights of fierce competition the final score stood at eight games to seven in favor of me and Wolfie. As the Wolf said, it was time for the boys to climb on board the L Train. (Losers Train)
Many of us had great fun playing pool on two of the three nights we were there.
The Wolf and I took on his boys, at least his boys that he has had in wedlock. The boys played a great game of 8 ball, but after two nights of fierce competition the final score stood at eight games to seven in favor of me and Wolfie. As the Wolf said, it was time for the boys to climb on board the L Train. (Losers Train)
WINNERS
Wolf and Voo with someone indicating that they are number one.
LOSERS
Recent passengers on the L Train
Riley and Wyatt after a valiant attempt to drink away their sorrow.
THE W TWINS
Wolf and Willow during a short break at the pool hall.
POOL PALS
Lindsey and Willow formed a terrific friendship while playing 8 ball. Lindsey gave Willow a fake ID, taught Willow how to drink alcohol and saw to it that Willow was never without a drink in her hand. (see above) Lindsey is blending into the family real well.
Wolf basks in the glory.
SKIING IN COLORADO
Some of us spent Saturday on the slopes on our skis. Some of us spent Saturday on the slopes on our asses. The bottom line..... it was a great day.
Some of us spent Saturday on the slopes on our skis. Some of us spent Saturday on the slopes on our asses. The bottom line..... it was a great day.
Here sits the Wolf beaming with self confidence. He certainly doesn't need his ego stroked and I hate to admit it, but next to his dad, Karl, he is the most elegant skier I have ever seen. Even with tin knees he skies with great daring and style.
He makes it look as easy as Oil Can eating a double cheesburger.
Ted and Little Martha
Kadin and Bodie are really good skiers considering they live in the middle of the New Mexico desert.
Alex and Madi skied with the big guys.
Madi
The Murdocks are excellent skiers too. Moochie used to be a member of the Park City
Ski Patrol.
Voo landing from a nordic jump.
Opie, Madi, and Clover. (Notice Clover isn't texting)
Opie, Madi, and Hurricane doing what Hurricane does best... riding the ski lift.
Opie, Madi, Clover, and Alex take a lunch break.
Tiny Terrors, Clover, and Voo at the end of a fabulous day of skiing.
Opie, Wolf, and Clover.
Voo doing one of his better jumps.
Wolf doing one of his better spills.
Editor's Note: Sorry that I didn't get any photos of Riley and Wyatt on the slopes, but the little bastards are so fearless and go so fast and that I couldn't keep them in my lens.
Editor's Note: Sorry that I didn't get any photos of Riley and Wyatt on the slopes, but the little bastards are so fearless and go so fast and that I couldn't keep them in my lens.
SLUMMIN IN DURANGO
Spike sitting by some homeless guy.
Madi, Willow, Alex, Voo, and Spike hoping that someone will buy them some ice cream.
TIME TO GO HOME
Vacation ended too quickly. Everybody is looking forward to next year.
Vacation ended too quickly. Everybody is looking forward to next year.
Spike driving us home to Utah.
NEXT BLOG (I promise)
1. F Bomb's movies
2. Jack Forman's cowboy movies.
3. Spike's mailbag
No, this is not the South Sanpete School Administrators at work. These deceased young men are members of the famous western outlaw gang called the Dalton Brothers Gang. They had been very successful as train robbers but decided to take a fling at robbing banks. On Oct. 5, 1892 the gang rode into Coffeyville, Kansas, with the intent of outdoing the James gang by robbing two banks at once.
The C.M. Condon Bank and The First National Bank were the intended targets. Several of the townspeople recognized the Daltons who were wearing fake beards. The alarmed town folks armed themselves from the local hardware stores and a shootout occurred. Four town people were killed along with the four gang members pictured above. A fifth gang member, Emmet Dalton, was also shot 23 times but survived and went to prison.
Bob and Grat Dalton are held up by citizens for this photo op right before they went to the other side. 
Jackie Jensen could do it all. He was a gold glove right fielder and had a powerful arm. He was very fast and led the league in stolen bases one year. In 1958, as a team mate of Ted Williams, he hit 35 home runs and won the American League MVP. However, Jackie had an intense fear of flying and retired from baseball in his prime because of the Western expansion of baseball, which required long flights. He tragically died in his fifties of a heart attack.
THE BRIDGES OF TOKO-RI (1954)
One of the great war stories by James Michner. The movie version stars Holden, Grace Kelly, Fredrick March and Mickey Rooney. An attorney from Denver is called back to active duty during the Korean war. He flies from an aircraft carrier and is assigned the dangerous mission of bombing some highly defended bridges in Korea. Holden is the pilot. He does not want to be there and is full of anxiety about his assigned mission, but does it anyway.
Holden and his buddies end up getting shot in a ditch in Korea. Tragic ending.
Gene Vincent and The Blue Caps
SKULL SHIRT OF THE WEEK
F Bomb and Joe The Plumber are two family members who served honorably in our US Navy.
Widely considered the best of the Frankenstein movies starring Boris Karloff and Elsa Lanchester. Directed by James Whale.
Looking North from Union Street in 1974
Same view of Temple in 2009
Fairgrounds in 2009
House at 402 North Main where my famous sisters grew up. Photo above was taken in spring of 2008.
Same location after house was demolished in 2009.
North side of Temple in 1887
Same view 2009
Flooded Manti Main Street in late 1800s. (looking South)
Manti Temple in 1948 ( notice the wall)
Temple in 1950s. (No wall but many trees)
Temple in 2009 (No wall, no trees, just an ugly damn chain link fence.)
This photo of Joyce and Joanne was taken when they were professional tag team wrestlers working their way through college. They were known as the Manti Maulers. They were undefeated in Sanpete and Sevier Counties and lost only one match in Wayne County to the Brinkerhoff Bitches.
