Skip to main content

I Wonder What Folks in LPR do for Donuts?

Friends,
Have you ever wondered how the Arkansas capital got its name? Little Rock. I mean, if I were the one doing the naming, I would have probably gone with some massive or impressive landmark or feature –think Mammoth Hot Springs or Grand Prairie (I’d even accept Boulder as semi-legitimate name). But Little Rock? Wouldn’t there be LOTS of little rocks (i.e. pebbles) in the same vicinity? So, of course, on my trip to HQ earlier this month I was determined to find-out from the locals. Fortunately, an opportunity presented itself at happy hour –admittedly, not the best time for a history lesson— so, take this with a grain of salt. While there were different versions (details such as whether it was the French or the Native Americans who gave the place its name), the consensus was that the French had settled  “Le Petite Rocher” (a clever French toponym meaning “The Little Rock”). The name itself derives from a small outcropping of rock where the Arkansas river could be forded (in contrast to the Big Rock, a 200 foot bluff just upstream). This knowledge makes me slightly more comfortable with the name and has inspired me to set forth a proposal for your consideration. Ready? I would like to start abbreviating Little Rock as “LPR” (short for La Petite Rocher). Not to toot my own horn, but I think it’s genius! It hails to the city’s roots, has the familiar “L” and “R” at the beginning and end, making it intuitive and the added letter “P” gives it a distinguished cachet (think FDR or JFK). Granted, three letter acronyms don’t always work (I wouldn’t try one for LPR’s most celebrated child, Bill Jefferson Clinton –something about “BJC” just doesn’t sound right). So next time you need to refer to the beloved city where our headquarters resides, casually throw-in an LPR and see what happens.
 
Of course, the real reason I’m writing you today is that donuts have arrived in DEN. Not to say we’re holier than thou, but a dozen delicious Holy Donuts are sitting in their usual spot . So come grab yours. Now if only there was a Round Rock donuts less than 900 miles away from here, that would have been perfect.
Happy Friday!
JPG at the BJC/HRC airport in LPR

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Donut Doodle Dandy

Dear Members and Constituents, In trying to figure-out Wednesday’s cool-looking Google Doodle ( Jorge Luis Borges’ 112 th birthday ), I stumbled across a list of Google Doodles you’ll never see. This, and a Rockies game later that day, were sufficient inspiration to get my head spinning around what other doodles Google might never noodle? I’m sure you’ll probably have a few ideas of your own, but I was able to come-up with a couple. How about a former Colorado Rockies player whose unfortunate encounter with a moth put him in the news this week? The Matt Holliday doodle might look something like this… Another item which, surprisingly enough, has not been made into a doodle are donuts. Although I was slightly taken aback to find this delicious pastry has not been featured, after the initial disappointment, I decided to take matters into my own hands and take a stab at one (perhaps Google can use it next year for national donut day )… or to celebrate Greek police having “ blown a ho...
Post a Comment
Read more

Gilding the Donut

Friends, Despite writing about donuts (sort of) for over 20 years, I don’t believe in sugar coating, after all, honesty is the best policy. Gilding, on the other hand I’m good with. Take the church of the Society of Jesus in Quito, (AKA La Compañía). Built in fits and starts between 1597 and 1765, the volcanic rock baroque facade conceals a spectacular interior. I had the chance to go inside this week and although I had heard about the gold leaf work inside, the descriptions had not done it justice. The details from floor to ceiling transport you to another world, perhaps that’s the point. If you’re ever there, be sure to visit. And while you’re there stop by one of the many panaderías … if you’re lucky they might even have a donut. Happy Friday!
Post a Comment
Read more

Bring your own Geiger counter!

Friends, This week’s news were literally radioactive -and I’m not talking about the fallout from the Trump-Putin summit. I’m talking mutate your DNA-exciting news. I’m talking Marie Curie-worthy news. I’m talking Geiger-counter-tilting news. I’m talking… well, you get the (glow in the dark) picture. A study about a lone wolf collared near Chernobyl and tracked on a long trek spawned the headline “ Could Chernobyl Wolves Be Spreading Mutations? ” While one can be forgiven for envisioning a flying wolf with laser eyes and a green aura about it, the disappointing story basically says most mutations are harmful to an animal’s health -and unhealthy animals are unlikely to travel 250 miles and mate with other wolves, contaminating the gene pool. So, much ado about nothing. The desire to open Rocky Flats (a nuclear weapons facility turned wildlife refuge) to the public has triggered some litigation from an environmentalist group. At st...
Post a Comment
Read more