Train in Vain

Back at home, Jake’s morning routine never varies: He gets up when we do. Bolts to the front door. Runs out to pee on a bush and then fetches the paper. (He used to make two trips but, sadly, Denver is now a one-newspaper town.) Brings it back to the kitchen. It’s his only real job and he is paid with one scoop of dog food. It’s the canine version of “Groundhog Day”…rain or shine or snow. He woke me up at the hotel 6:15 am this morning, probably wondering how this was going to work at the Westin. I threw on some jeans and a cap, got his leash and plastic food dish, and headed outside to a grassy area on the side. Breakfast al fresco on a crisp mountain morning. We walked across the street so I could get a coffee and a pastry. I took this photo on the railroad tracks on the way back.

Let's Go to Bed

Jake enjoying the Westin Heavenly Dog Bed in front of the fireplace.

To All New Arrivals

Beautiful, brand new resort right on the river. Check-in was a breeze and everyone was so welcoming. I had booked a one-bedroom suite and was really impressed. Spectacular mountain views. Massive living room area. Full kitchen. Flat screen tv's and fireplace. Jake headed straight for the Heavenly Bath. OK, so maybe the tile floor was just a tiny bit larger than the one he has at home. I ordered room service for us and turned on the Nuggets game.

All the Roadrunning

Jake loves the outdoors so I thought it would be fun to head up to the mountains for the weekend. Starwood Hotels has a great program called “Love That Dog”. Pet-friendly policies that include beds and bowls in your room. I booked a room at the Westin Riverfront Resort in Avon, Colorado and we got on the road. Have you ever packed a suitcase for a dog before? Leash…check…dog food…check…medicine…check…squeaky stuffed squirrel…check. A couple hours later, we were at the hotel. Amazing place. There will be lots of photos this weekend.

Doctor Doctor

We went to see Jake’s primary care vet today. Dr. Hedlin is fantastic and he has always loved coming here. He needed x-rays before we could consider any additional steps. The good news is that it looks like the cancer has not spread internally. However, the bump on his leg is still growing rapidly and will soon cause other problems. We meet with his oncologist on Thursday to see if radiation is an option to slow it down. As long as we’re waiting, let’s do something constructive. Time for a road trip...

Denver Parks #15

This is one you probably already know about. Great football field here. Always busy.

Lunch Break

Ah, much better. The Tokyo Joe’s on Grant Street. Paul and Jake waited outside while I checked with their staff on their pet policy. “Of course your dog is welcome on the patio! Can I bring him a bowl of water?” According to their website: “Colorado Grown. Colorado Owned.” Right on. We shoulda come here first. Wonderful, healthy food. Smart attitude towards hiring the right people. And love the commitment to cycling.

Lunch Break

Jake, Paul and I headed into the Capitol Hill area for a late lunch. First stop…oops…well, I guess we’re not welcome here…let’s try next door…

Denver Parks #14

Technically we’ve already been here (for the Furry Scurry). But that was before I took my first photo at a park sign. Now, the completionist in me wants the whole set. Paul took him back there last weekend and snapped this one for me.

Coat of Many Colors

I worked for the Denver Nuggets/Colorado Avalanche from 1986 to 1996. Made some really lasting friendships there. Absolutely LOVE the fact that the community is finally on the Nuggets bandwagon. Where have you guys been??? Jake’s wearing the jersey of my all-time favorite NBA player, Walter Davis. That ain’t no replica or “authentic” jersey. It was really his. And no, it’s not for sale, even though people are suddenly kookoo for the old school stuff. You could not give that Crayola merchandise away back in the day. Did you know Walt’s nickname was “The Greyhound”? Um, and oh yeah…BEAT L.A.!

Soak Up the Sun

One more Red Rocks pic and story. I worked the Sheryl Crow concert that summer. Shortly before the show started, I was walking around the private outdoor area behind the stage, and Sheryl was playing fetch with her dog. Just the two of them…no roadies, no managers, no production crew. I thought the idea of taking your dog on tour and having them ride on the bus to your next gig was so perfect.

Red Dirt Girl

Worked at Fey Concerts for a bit. Spent many nights here. Best...Summer...Job...Ever. I saw so many great live acts during that period, at so many venues. Fiddler’s Green, Odgen Theatre, Bluebird Theatre, Macky Auditorium, Paramount Theatre and so on. However, nothing beats Red Rocks for live music. I still go to a few shows here every summer. My favorite show last year was Emmylou Harris. Jake is sitting in the exact same seat I had at that show. Yep, I’m one of those obsessive types that saves every ticket stub. Emmylou’s cover versions are always better than the originals but I’m partial to her own material. This is at the top of my list. She played it at that show. Although I must admit…I’m a sucker for any song that mentions a dog in the first line.

Me and my best friend Lillian and her blue tick hound dog Gideon,
Sittin on the front porch cooling in the shade
Singin every song the radio played
Waitin for the Alabama sun to go down
Two red dirt girls in a red dirt town
Me and Lillian
Just across the line and a little southeast of Meridian.

“Red Dirt Girl” by Emmylou Harris

Lunch Break

Red Rocks was definitely on Jake’s bucket list. You already know it’s the best outdoor concert venue in the world, right? Unfortunately, you can’t bring your dog to a show but you can go up there during the day. Our first stop was the Ship Rock Grille for lunch. Knockout views on the patio. Fantastic, friendly staff. They brought Jake some water the second we sat down. We ordered the Bison Sliders…2 for me and 1 for him. Jake’s vet just happened to call and check in while we were there. I told her we were up here enjoying life (and a beer). Next: the photo shoot. More pics inside the bowl coming up…

Denver Parks #13

Good smells at this one.

Blue Monday

Ah, the Blue Bear at the Colorado Convention Center. Here’s a piece of public artwork that everyone raves about. It’s “I See What You Mean” by Lawrence Argent. We stopped here in the morning when people were rushing to their jobs downtown. Some in suits. Some in sensible white tennis shoes that they change out of when they hit the office. They always smile when they see Jake. Nobody expects to see a dog on a workday. I love the scale of this photo. This tiny little white shape in front of a 40-foot blue wall.

Denver Parks #12

Right off Quebec Street. Jake has the routine nailed down. Sees a green sign…hits the mark…waits for his glamour shot…then off to explore the rest of the park. What a pro.

London Conversations

I meant to be in London tonight. Second coolest city in the world after Denver. One of my favorite bands, Saint Etienne, is playing a rare live show there. In February 2006, I flew to San Francisco with some friends to see them at The Fillmore. It’s the only time I’ve seen them perform. The show was incredible and I have lots of memories from that weekend. I bought tickets to the London show several months ago thinking it would be a fun trip but I think I’d like to stay in town with Jake right now. Hopefully, they'll play in the U.S. later this year. If they do, I will definitely be there.

I love the feeling of being slightly lost

To find new spaces, new routes, new areas

I love the lack of logic

I love the feeling of being slightly lost

“Finisterre” by Saint Etienne

Denver Parks #11

Bonus! Two landmarks in one shot! We crossed another park off the list and got the home of the Denver Broncos, too. Well, at least the exterior. Say, are dogs allowed in the stadium during the off-season? I bet he’d look pretty damn fine on that Kentucky Bluegrass.

Lunch Break

Time for a female date. Not all of my friends are cursed with Y chromosomes. Steph and I shared an office together at my last job. We hit it off the moment we met. I guess technically I was her boss but she’s way smarter than I’ll ever be. The roles should have been reversed. She’s working on a project at The Children’s Museum so I picked her up there and she suggested Masterpiece Delicatessen in Highland, right on the other side of the pedestrian bridge over I-25. Wow. The sandwiches are HUGE and delicious. The patio isn’t that large, and could use a bit of shade, but what an amazing view of downtown. Jake and I will be back for sure.

Take the Long Way Home

A couple more photos from Crescent Park.

Denver Parks #10

Jackpot. I wasn’t expecting much when we parked the car but ended up being pleasantly surprised. Absolutely beautiful space. True to the name, it’s crescent-shaped and slopes down in the center like a natural amphitheatre. I really liked the higher elevation area at the east end. It has a path that leads to an overlook lined with boulders. We stayed up there for quite awhile and enjoyed the view. I even asked someone to take a pic of me and Jake which I almost never do. I’ll post that one next.

Denver Parks #9

This is in the Lowry area and is named after one of Denver’s 9 sister cities. Jake and I saw the one for Cuernavaca (Mexico) on Tuesday. The other ones on our list are Brest (France), Takayama (Japan), Nairobi (Kenya), Karmiel (Israel), Potenza (Italy), Chennai (India), Kunming (China) and Axum (Ethiopia).

Lunch Break

Lunch today with my friend, Jay. As usual, I was cruising for dog-friendly patios with Jake in the backseat of the car. I turned into the University Hills Shopping Center, spotted the Einstein Bagels and called Jay to confirm. He and I worked together at the Denver Nuggets for almost 10 years and share the same passion for music. Jay plays guitar. I play awful one-note synthesizer. The idea of a band was always tempting but probably not on the short list of great musical collaborations. If Social Distortion and Kraftwerk had a child…well, you get the picture. While we were eating, another friend that worked with us in those days walked by. I had not seen Lou in years and it was wonderful to catch up. So random and out-of-the-blue. Driving home, I realized that taking Jake around town was much better at reconnecting with old friends than Facebook.

Aliens vs. Predator

Everyone refers to this sculpture at the Denver Performing Arts Complex as the “dancing naked aliens”. It’s really called “The Dancers” by Jonathan Borofsky. I might be in the minority but I love driving on Speer Boulevard and seeing these guys. They’re perfect for the site. Denver requires 1% of any city capital improvement project over $1M to go to public art. Such a great idea. Oh, and count me in as one of the few that also likes “Mustang” at DIA. I’ve got to figure a way to get Jake out to that one.

Denver Parks #8

Dandelions are everywhere this year. I have pulled hundreds out of my yard but I actually like the way they look in all of these photos. Whenever I see one next spring, I know it will make me think of Jake, just like marigolds remind me of my grandmother, and shamrocks remind me of my mom.

Lunch Break

OK, so this was actually more of a coffee break. Jake and I got an early start this morning. We left the house at 7:30 am and headed into downtown Denver. I’m not sure he’s ever been in the actual city. He loved it, of course. So much activity…people, cars, light rail, buses…lots of sights & sounds. In addition to the Ogden Theatre, we made 3 other stops. Those pics will be up soon. On the way back, we stopped at the Dazbog Coffee in Congress Park. Great patio in a great neighborhood.

Music Matters

Two weeks into this and I haven’t written anything about my favorite topic, music. Surprising. Tonight, Dan and I are going to see one of my favorite bands for the first time. They’re a British trio called Keane and they’re playing at the Ogden Theatre. I got up early this morning so I could take a picture of Jake in front of the building when traffic on Colfax Avenue would be lighter. He won’t be at the show tonight but I will be thinking about him.

We said "When you are alone and afraid, I will come to your aid"
Well, was it just a dream, just a dream?
Because it was real to me

“Again and Again” – Keane

Unfortunately the prognosis is not good. The vet oncologist doesn’t think any combination of surgery, chemotherapy or radiation is going to help at this stage. She did start Jake on Piroxicam, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug which also provides pain relief. He takes 10mg/day with dinner. I thought it was wild that the vet just called in the prescription to the King Soopers pharmacy. She thinks we have about 4 months left. However, he is doing great right now and acts completely normal. He does not even notice this bump, even though it’s getting larger. In the May 4th photo, it was 7” (17.75cm) in circumference but now it’s 7.5” (19.00cm). I am hoping the medication will slow it down.

Denver Parks #7

Sat under a tree on a perfect blustery summer-like day and shared a turkey sandwich with the dog. Watched the bikers and runners along the paths and the river. I love the view of the Flour Mill Lofts. He was beat when we got home and slept on the cool bathroom tile.

Lunch Break

I stumbled on Jay’s Parkside Cafe yesterday with some friends and brought Jake back today. It’s in the flashy Riverfront Park area. We stopped at Colorado Petfitters first (to restock our treat supply at home but also ended up buying a handy collapsible water bowl). Then on to the café. I ordered the same thing both days…a Chipotle Turkey sandwich. You know a restaurant is good if you eat there two days a row and order the exact same thing. Jake and I brown-bagged it over to the park to eat.

Artists Only

I thought it might be nice to add some variety to the images occasionally. Dan used one of my photos to create this piece of artwork. It reminds me of a contemporary German artist named Daniel Richter.

Denver Parks #6

Some people collect 14ers. We collect parks.

Denver Parks #5

Driven by this one hundreds of times but never stopped before. The playground area was empty so Jake posed for a bunch of photos there. I’ll post a couple later. He loves kids so he’s easily distracted when they’re around. Tough to get a good pic then. When he’s alone, you can put him in any position and he will hold the pose for you. Especially for a treat afterwards.

Happy Mother's Day

Moms and their sons. You know that connection. They do know everything about you, don’t they? The first photo is one of Jake as a puppy with his mom, Sentara. The next is one of me with my mom, Jean. She passed away on August 16th, 2001 after a long illness. Three weeks later, Jake came home from the breeder. Having a brand-new puppy in the house made the next few months a little easier. So stop reading this and go call your mom. Now.

Denver Parks #4

Probably one of my favorite parks in Denver. We drove in and parked by the sundial. It’s on a slight hill so you have a great view of the mountains. The houses around the perimeter are pretty amazing, too. When I win Powerball…

Lunch Break

Totally random stop. We were driving down Colfax Avenue looking for dog-capable patios and spotted Jersey Mike’s Subs. It’s in the Lowenstein Theatre Development…also home of the Tattered Cover Book Store and Twist & Shout (which is the only place in town I can ever find the most recent copy of the British music publication, Q Magazine). Shared a tasty hoagie with Jake and then headed home.

Denver Parks #3

This is very close to one of Jake’s houses. It’s the first time we’ve been here. You’ll be hearing that a lot.

Bath Time

This was the last stop of the day yesterday. This is the coolest idea! It’s a Self-Serve Dog Wash at The Wag Shop. I tried it out a couple weeks ago and I’m hooked. For $14, you get to use one of their stalls with an elevated tub to wash your dog. They provide the shampoo, conditioner, brushes, towels and blow dryer. It’s SO much easier than doing it at home AND they clean up after you’re gone. Jake is so white and so soft after a bath.

Swimming After Eating

Chatfield State Park has a popular off-leash area for dogs. It cost $7 per car but is well worth it. There are a couple small lakes and paths that wander all over the place. Dogs go crazy here. The constant moisture of the last few weeks has really paid off. The park was greener than I’ve ever seen it. Watching Jake swim got me thinking about ways to get him to a real beach. Hmm. That would be a fun puzzle to solve. One summer, I lived in a house on the water in Florida and the dogs I had at the time loved to swim. They’d run out into the surf, trying to jump waves and getting knocked over unexpectedly. Then they’d rush back onshore and roll on the sand, until it was so deep in their coats, you’d swear it would never come out. I have no doubt that Jake would be the same. We brought old sheets and towels for the back of the car since he’s always a muddy mess when we leave. Wet dog smells good to me now. Another slice of springtime, like fresh-cut lawns and burgers cooking on the grill.

Time for a bath...

Lunch Break

The day Jake got his cancer diagnosis, the two of us stopped for lunch on the way home. I ordered two hot dogs, one Chicago-style for me and a plain one for him. We sat at a picnic table on a busy street and wolfed them down. Suddenly I felt guilty for all the times that I ran out for lunch and left him at home alone. I started making a list of the dog-friendly restaurants in Denver. I’d like to start taking him somewhere at least once a week. (If you’re got a recommendation, we’re taking requests!)

Yesterday, Paul and I took him to Racines. The food is always great, the menu is extensive and the staff is so friendly and efficient. As soon as we sat down on the patio our server, David, brought Jake a bowl of water. The weather was perfect. Nothing beats outdoor dining in Denver this time of year. Jake snacked on green beans and French fries while we ate. That dog will eat anything except tomatoes.
Next up: Off to Chatfield Park for a swim...

Denver Parks #2

Two busy days in a row. Jake has been all over town and I’ve taken more than 200 pictures. I’ll do a bunch of updates over the next couple days and get caught up. In the meantime, here’s the next one in the "Denver Parks" series. I love the way he looks so comfortable in this one. He got tired of posing and just took a break.

Buddy Check

Great day today. Too much to go into right now. I'd like to keep these updates frequent, but brief. We’ll keep these digestible for those of you with short attention spans. Jake met another yellow lab at the park. His name is Jed, he’s 13 and he has cancer, too. He’s much further along than Jake, with very pronounced growth, but he seems content and active. I’m hoping Jake’s spirits are as high at that point. His owner walked by our house a bit later and I came outside to give him this website address. I’d love to take a picture of Jed and Jake to share with you sometime. Jake paid more attention to Jed than he usually does to other dogs. I wonder if they know something when they meet. Maybe dogs have their own version of support groups.

This is the bump on his leg after the biopsy. There are two stitches which will come out this week. Jake has a soft tissue sarcoma. Unfortunately, it is a stage 3 tumor. The treatment options are not great but we’ll make a decision very soon. According to the Animal Cancer Center at CSU, dogs develop cancer at the same rate as humans. One in five dogs will develop cancer, which results in 47% of fatal diseases in all canines. I did not know that.

Denver Parks #1

Denver has over 260 parks, including seven dog parks with off-leash areas. I moved here in 1986 and that’s one of my favorite things about living here. This city has always been so dedicated to providing this amenity for almost 100 years, starting with Robert Speer who was Denver’s mayor from 1904 until 1918. (He died of pneumonia halfway through his third term.) It seems like you’re never more than a few blocks away from greenspace. Mayfair Park is very close to one of Jake’s houses (he has two, by the way). You can find him here several times a week, around 5:00 pm. Say “hello” if you see us there.