Like a dog with a bone

I just can't let go of this 7 Eleven thing. Anyway, I took a little Xmas bike ride yesterday to further document the proliferation of 7 Elevens in central Denver. This is a 7 Eleven under construction just 2 blocks away from the 7 Eleven documented here and here.




I'm wondering what the concept is here. Two stories? Or just the illusion of two stories? Maybe a new "urban concept store." I'll have to go take a closer look at that as construction continues.

Meanwhile, an old store operates just across the street.



It seems like an awful lot of 7 Eleven love in a 2-block radius.

Otherwise, it was just another crappy December day in Denver.

Merry Christmas!

KAScott_20101217_9268_HdExab, originally uploaded by Ken Scott.

7 Eleven, continued

In reference to my previous post, here is evidence of the slow but steady 7-11 takeover of the Denver market. This was previously an old service station, which is pretty evident. This re-use of the building is definitely an improvement on that, although I can't say that it's an optimal use. Parking in front, bad. And does it contribute to the overall health of this particular section of Colfax? Probably not. And did I mention that there's another 7-11 two blocks to the east? I'm curious as to whether the outlet at Colfax and York will give way to this Colfax/Race store or if the takeover will not be complete until there's a 7-11 located every two blocks for the length of Colfax.






These are the weighty issues of our modern times.

And a beer in a tree

Believe what you want to, nothing's really true

Happy Solstice!

KAScott_20061001_9861bb, originally uploaded by Ken Scott.

I had to lift this picture because, of course, we have no snow here. Anyway, mercifully the days will start getting longer now...

Holiday-ish

While I envisioned Soup Sundays as being lazy days with a pot of soup cooking all day, it generally is not that at all. After doing various chores around the house, the last thing I'm in the mood to do is get into some laborious kitchen project. So, it's about all I can do to open some cans and dump them in a pot. Don't get me wrong, it's still a fun tradition and there's been hardly a disappointing creation in the bunch. Maybe I'll get more ambitious, and I do promise to get some new recipes going in the coming weeks.

I made posole this week. It's very colorful, if nothing else. Plus it's very satisfying.



And, for something new and festive, I made Cranberry Orange Bread.



Tasty! I had my doubts, as the batter was pretty thick and dry. But it turned out great. This bread will be perfect with a cup of coffee. Definitely a keeper.

The spirit of Christmas

Profanity and poo can really get a gal prepped for Yule time.

Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo
Tags: SOUTH
PARKmore...

Where young people go to retire

FAC

For those of you not in the know, FAC = Friday Afternoon Club, aka happy hour! Did I date myself by using that term? I'm kind of out of the happy hour circuit these days, so I don't really know what jargon the kids are using these days.

I was dismissed early today, so of course I came home and made a festive drink.

Vegan eggnog.



I added bourbon. Bourbon is fat-free, right? Anyway, I should have put in more--I'm not even buzzed, man. Note to self for next time. More hooch.

Nummers

Butternut rancheros.



Fantastic. Both the rancheros (which I was too uninspired to blend, as called for in the recipe and it made no difference, IMO) and the charbroiled squash were great on their own. Put them together and it was doubly delicious. Make this recipe.

Bike graffiti

Yehuda's offering today...



While I haven't formulated an opinion on sharrows just yet, this cartoon does illustrate the issue of whether paint on pavement actually encourages cycling (plus I really like the term "bike graffiti"). Those who are already riding and are comfortable in traffic are going to ride regardless of pavement markings--and those who aren't comfortable in traffic probably aren't going to be soothed by a sharrow. No doubt there are studies out there that could shed some light and clearly I am writing on a hunch. And I'm way too lazy to search for said data. Perhaps there's some academic type out there who might weigh in.

The holidays have arrived

Ah, the social obligations of the season (minimal as they are for me) have passed, and now I can relax and enjoy. With that, we got our tree yesterday. There was a slight snafu, in that the place we have gotten our tree for the past 16 years isn't selling them this year. So, after some floundering and confusion, we managed to secure a tree from another establishment. Had I known we'd be getting the tree so close to home, I could have strapped it to the bike trailer and gone about it that way. How cool would that be, bringing home an Xmas tree by bike? But I digress. Maybe next year.

Here's the tree in its lighted glory:



This may be one of the oddest things you'll read on this blog, but I like to remove all corrective lenses (contacts or glasses) and look at the tree. My nearsightedness and astigmatism create a sparkly halo effect on the lights that I find quite pleasing. This is the sole benefit I've discovered of being visually impaired.

And, some soup sustenance for decorating the tree:



Mushroom Wild Rice Soup from Happy Herbivore. Sorry, I can't find the recipe online. Trust me when I tell you that it's delicious.

It's holiday bliss from here on out.

Mount your studs

KAScott_20101205_3964_fhdrab, originally uploaded by Ken Scott.

Studded bike tires, you pervs.

And here we sit with nary a flake in Denver. Although I can't really complain about that.

It's that time of year again

I am required to post this annually.



Is 10:00 a.m. too early for me to have a beer?

Love this

So will you.



I heart fixed gears.

Soup Sunday, a day late

Events yesterday precluded me from having the energy or wherewithal to make dinner. So today was mulligan day.



More tomato soup! This is an old recipe that I haven't made since going vegan. But thanks to the miracle of cashew cream, I decided to give it a try. The balsamic vinegar and sun-dried tomatoes make it pleasantly tangy. And the baking soda makes it foamy! Fun and tasty. What more could you want from soup?

Showing my vintage here

But I can't get this song out of my head today.

Oh, Thank Heaven?

Is it just me, or is there a plethora of new 7 Elevens sprouting here in Denver?

There's an old gas/service station at Colfax and Race that has been an eyesore for years. When I saw that someone was rehabbing it (and doing a pretty good job of it), I was excited and hopeful that something fun would go in there. Maybe a coffee shop or something like that. I was more than a little disappointed to see a 7 Eleven going in, especially given that there is one 2 blocks away. I'll try to get a pic of the new store in the next couple of days. Really, though, my preference is that the rehab job was done tastefully--that the structure has good bones because theoretically 7 Eleven won't be there forever (but then again, do 7 Elevens ever go away?)...That's another topic, as I can think of more than one dearly departed 7 Eleven that's now abandoned or serving another use.

Perhaps I should be grateful that yet another medical marijuana dispensary didn't locate there (not that there's anything wrong with that, but not the best enterprise for that part of town).

Another 7 Eleven went in at 14th and Krameria. And another at 18th & Lawrence. There are probably more if the infiltration is as deep as I suspect. I guess Denverites are more devoted to Slurpees than I thought.

Since there's no snow here

KAScott_20061001_9863b, originally uploaded by Ken Scott.

Not that I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of quantities of snow, but this picture makes it seem not so bad.

Cookies!

I haven't made cookies in a month of Sundays, and had been feeling the call, so I got off my tail end and whipped up a batch of chocolate chip cookies (okay, technically they are chocolate chunks). And they have walnuts in them. Must. Have. Walnuts. These will be the highlight of my day tomorrow.