Friday Donuts

Friends, I’m not much for making New Year’s resolutions. I figure if you want to do better, why wait for an arbitrary date to set a goal? Perhaps that’s why a whopping  91 percent  of such resolutions are not accomplished. I prefer to look back and examine the year that was. What went right? What might I do better? Most importantly, what effigy might best represent the previous 12 months so that we might burn it at midnight on New Year’s Eve at our annual Año Viejo celebration? This year, Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine weighed heavily on the world. Atrocities, suffering, inflation, recession, you name it. So, I thought it was high time for some poetic justice (if only symbolic). Putin will be getting a taste of his own medicine. How are you planning to welcome 2023? If you don’t have plans, feel free to swing by. And, if you’re the resolution-making type, I hope one involves patronizing a donut shop more frequently (perhaps accompanied by yours truly... hint, hint). Happy New Year!

Friends, Christmas Day will be here overmorrow and, with the arctic cold here to preserve yesterday’s flakes, what a white one it will be! While I have neglected to send cards (I may yet do so before MLK Jr day), on this Christmas Eve’s Eve, I wish to wish you all a merry, Merry Christmas—the holiday my family and I happily celebrate. Whatever your happy holiday may be, I hope your feet stay as toasty as your heart; your dreams as clear as the Colorado sky and your donuts as frosted as the fresh blanket of snow we received yesterday. Merry Christmas!

Friends, This World Cup final pits Paris against the Paris of South America. The blue jerseys vs. the light blue (and white) jerseys. The reigning champ facing the greatest active player, whose last chance to win a World Cup comes on Sunday. Both teams boast two titles. One thing is certain, only one team will win. As a citizen of the Americas, I’ll be rooting for Argentina to bring the cup back to our continent for the tenth time, and narrow the gap with Europe, who has twelve. That said, no matter the winner, it’s just a game. So grab some donuts and get ready for some early Sunday thrills (the game starts at 8 AM MST). If donuts are not your thing, then grab some donut holes, they are, after all, shaped like little footballs. Not sure which shade of blue this alien at DIA was rooting for...​ Happy Friday!

Friends, A lifetime is not enough, yet, a couple of hours is a lot, if only one could decide what to do. It's sufficient time for a good hike, a gourmet meal, or a refreshing siesta. It's also long enough to experience some art. That's the ticket! I let the light Madrid drizzle soak me as I await entry to the Reina Sofía museum and ponder the meaning of art. Why are some works more enjoyable than others, and why does the cult of personality persist around certain artists? Why do crowds gather around Salvador Dali's paintings and not Gerard Vulliami or Oscar Dominguez, whose surreal art is equally intriguing? Or why are Mondrian's abstract lines and colors more popular than Leger or Gleizes? Two hours is long enough to decide I don't care for Margarita Azurdia, and that I prefer Picsso's later work to his early paintings. It's also long enough for many other things. You just have to decide. Perhaps you can have a great conversation and enjoy a donut (or t

Friends, Time travel is a delicate matter, so I did some research in anticipation of traveling across eight time zones this week. Melatonin. Sleep en route. Stay awake at your destination. As an extra precaution, I figured a little voodoo couldn't hurt--Voodoo Doughnuts, that is. They no longer stock their infamous nyquil donuts, so I went for the next best thing: a maple bacon bar, in hopes the food coma might help me sleep on the plane. In any event, I must have done something right with my mitigation plan. While some jet lag is unavoidable, and I’m no longer the young "I'll sleep when I'm dead" maverick I once was, I feel pretty good! So good in fact that I got up early this morning and had my daughter take me to sample some of Madrid's best donuts. Unfortunately, donut shops don't open until 10:30, except Dunkin' --and I can do that in my backyard. So, we settled for some churros instead... at the oldest Churrería in Madrid! When in Spain... Happy