I Don't Recommend the Bronchitis

Well we made it. There were times I had my doubts. The allergy sniffles I'd had for a couple weeks evolved into a nasty case of bronchitis they day before we were supposed to depart Las Vegas. While I know now that it's possible to load a truck, drive it 700 miles through a blizzard, and unload it, all while breathing at a greatly reduced capacity and hacking disgusting stuff out of one's lungs, I can hardly recommend it as a regular practice. It did make for an interesting Christmas Eve. The antibiotics eventually did their job, and I'm busily unpacking and setting things up.

As much as the wife and I love it here, the dogs aren't the least bit pleased. I'm guessing they miss the warmth of Las Vegas, and having a yard that isn't under several inches of snow. They've elevated misbehavior to a high art, so we're locked in a battle of wills. I'm hoping that several thousand years of animal domestication by humans means the odds are in my favor.

Amidst all the unpacking, we've made several forays into the community to set up utilities, change our driver's licenses and whatnot. We thought Las Vegas was a pretty hospital place, but the folks of Glenwood Springs are almost freakishly friendly. Better yet, they're efficient, an attribute we've not experienced for some time, and certainly weren't expecting in a resort community.

Classes start in just over a week, so I've got a lot to do. I'm trusting that things will continue to go smoothly. I feel almost guilty for the opportunity to live in such a beautiful place and do what I love doing.

We're oh-so-close to being done with the packing. I even had some success with downsizing my collection of useless belongings. During our recent house-hunting trip we found a place in town: mid-century modern sans the modern. From the orange carpet to the knotty pine paneling, it's a time-warp back to my childhood. Perhaps we're weird, but my wife an I prefer retro-kitsch to the soullessness of sleeker contemporary aesthete. Bonus: lots of space in the basement. I'll have a room just for painting and drawing, another for my library and other resources, and a third for technology. I hope I don't get lost wandering around the palatial surroundings. It's a block from the grocery store; a block from the Ride Glenwood stop; and best of all, a block from our new fave dining spot, The 19th Street Diner, where they know how to cook the fries long enough to be properly crispy.

I have to say goodbye to my DVR tomorrow and wait almost an entire week before the new one from the cable company in Glenwood Springs arrive. We've had a passionate, if obsessive relationship for the past several years. The real tragedy is the entire current season of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" that I have recorded, but not yet watched. I guess I'll have to wait until the DVD comes out indulge that particular guilty pleasure. My wife doesn't share my appreciation of people behaving horribly on TV, and assures me that I'll survive. She might be right. Besides, I managed to burn through all the episodes of Tosh.0 at one sitting last week, so I've ingested an adequate helping of non-PC snark for December.

I've been thinking about the 9.5 hour drive back to Las Vegas that I made Tuesday evening. We had dry roads and no traffic the entire way, so it wasn't at all bad. This coming week, I'll be repeating the trip going the other direction in a U-Haul truck. I anticipate an entirely different (and much more unpleasant) experience. Speed governors and mountainous terrain aren't comfortable companions. Based on my last U-Haul/Rocky Mountain journey, where a jogger in Vail passed the truck I was laboring up a slope, I'm betting on at least 15 hours driving time. Oh well -- I'll sleep when I'm dead.

Physician, Heal Thyself

We’re sorting through our stuff as we pack for our move to Colorado. As you can see, the house is completely trashed as we go through this process. As I’m up to my elbows in this mess, it occurs to me that I’m a complete hypocrite. I often admonish my students with the “keep it simple” and “less is more” mantras. Yet, I’m obviously not practicing what I’m preaching. While I’ve sold, gifted, or tossed out countless boxes of stuff in the past few weeks, I’m still going schlep a shameful volume of questionable belongings to our new home.

I rationalize to myself that the original French Speckletone paper promo brochure designed by Charles Spencer Anderson in the mid-80’s is a piece of history worth saving. But can I also make the same case for an N64 game cartridge that reminds me of having my butt spanked by at Mario Kart gradeschool-age sons many years ago? Or a pair of acid-washed jeans that I convince myself will someday return to style — and that I’ll someday be able to fit into them again?

I’m self-aware enough to recognize that I possess a pack rat gene of impressive proportions, but self-delusional enough to convince myself that I’ll have another chance to throw stuff out as we unpack. I’m going to wallow in that fantasy for another couple weeks before facing the harsh reality that I’m likely to place that broken elbow lamp on a shelf in my new Colorado garage with the same intent to repair it that I’ve had every year for the past 5 years since it broke. I have met the enemy, and he is me.

Winding Down/Ramping Up

The packed boxes are starting to stack up around the house. Tomorrow’s garage sale will see the disappearance of a sofa, dinette, bedroom furniture, and more. We’ll be “camping out” in the house for a bit. That may prove to be good practice for the future, as we may be living in temporary quarters for awhile after our move to the high country.

I’ve had some interesting conversations with students as word of my departure has begun to spread. I will certainly miss my students and colleagues at The Art Institute. It has been a very rewarding experience for me to contribute to the growth and development of these aspiring designers, and to see their efforts result in pieces like the magazine cover and spread design shown here.

Lao-tzu would be proud

My journey of a thousand miles (490 miles, actually) began when I accepted new faculty position in the graphic design program at Colorado Mountain College, near Glenwood Springs, Colorado. I’ve been an instructor at The Art Institute of Las Vegas for seven years. I also teach a course in the journalism program at University of Nevada Las Vegas. I’ve enjoyed both of these positions immensely, but felt the call of a new challenge. Beside, who wouldn't want to live in the Glenwood Springs area? I’ve been in Las Vegas for 19 years. That‘s a lot of triple-digit summers, and a long time being surrounded by thousands of square miles of dusty brown nothing. Casinos bore me, so apart from the entertainment, there’s not much I like about Las Vegas, apart from the fact that it’s been good to me and my family.

My family lived in Colorado Springs while I attended Cheyenne Mountain Jr. High. And of all the places I’ve lived (San Diego, central Indiana, Chicago, Nashville, Oklahoma City, Reno, Lake Tahoe and Las Vegas) I enjoyed Colorado the most. There’s just so much to do. I’m too wretched a downhill skier to waste the time doing it, but I enjoy cross-country skiing, hiking, fishing, hunting, and off-roading. I might try some mountain biking, but I spent too much of my youth riding a bike out of necessity to find it very recreational.

One thing that my vagabond early life has taught me is that great design happens everywhere, not just in major metropolitan areas. Of course the ying and yang of the universe is impossible to escape: bad design happens everywhere, too. I look forward to helping my new students explore design on the Western Slope. But before I do that, my wife and I need to find a place to live.

We’re driving East deal with the housing situation later this month. We were there in early November, and my wife really likes Glenwood itself. It’s got a small-town vibe and it’s easily walkable. But we also want to check out Carbondale, since the Spring Valley campus of Colorado Mountain College campus is halfway between the two.

The campus is nicely place on top of a mesa overlooking the valley where Carbondale is nestled. There are spectacular views of Mt. Sopris and the Elk Mountains. I wonder if the natural beauty is distracting? There’s an admin/classroom building with tricked-out computer and digital photo labs. There’s a library building with some more classroom space. There’s a student center with a cafeteria and gym. And there’s a residence hall. It’s only a few minutes from town, but you feel like you’re way out in the alpine countryside.