Snowdown 2018: Who's Ready To Tie One On?

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What’s inside Volume 3 Number 15 Thursday, February 1, 2018

Editor/ creative director

Snowdown 40 years in: Drunken revelry and staying DIY

David Holub dholub@bcimedia.com 375-4551 Staff writer Patty Templeton

Katie Cahill

How did Durango turn into a day-drinking, hot-air-ballooning, hell-raising, pet-costuming, pants-off-dance-off, outhouse-stuffing winter wild town?

Christopher Gallagher

Find out on Page 23

ptempleton@bcimedia.com Sales Liz Demko 375-4553 Contributors

4

From the Editor

4

Love it or Hate it

5

Gaming

7

Street Style

8

Sound

Downtown Lowdown

10 Beer

Bryant Liggett Jon E. Lynch

11 Travel

Brett Massé

Lindsay Mattison

Get Outta Town 11

Sean Moriarty

16 Weed

Lucy Schaefer

16 Pages

Cooper Stapleton

18 Life Hax

Robert Alan Wendeborn Reader Services 375-4570

8

Album Reviews 9

5

Chief Executive Officer

Talking with PostSecret’s Frank Warren Fourteen years ago, Warren started the PostSecret blog. The site features secrets scrawled on postcards that have been anonymously mailed to Warren at a rate of about 1,000 per week. The show comes to Durango Feb. 7.

Douglas Bennett V.P. of Advertising David Habrat V.P. of Marketing Kricket Lewis Founding Editors

19 Happening

23 The green tide

keeps rolling

20 DGO Deals

Governor Phil Scott of Vermont recently signed his state’s legalization bill into law, the first time that a state has sanctioned recreational marijuana use through the standard lawmaking process.

Amy Maestas

22 Horoscope/ puzzles

/dgomag

@dg

David Holub

6

DGO is a free weekly publication distributed by Ballantine Communications Inc., and is available for one copy per person. Taking more than five copies of an edition from a distribution location is illegal and is punishable by law according to Colorado Revised Statute 18-9-314.

Ursula K. Le Guin and seeing the world anew Shortly after widening my mental horizons with Le Guin’s writings, I began to look at almost everything differently, especially video games.

Tell us what you think!

Got something on your mind? Have a joke or a story idea or just something that the world needs to know?

Send everything to editor@dgomag.com

/dgomag

@dgo_mag

ON THE COVER Bow tie found at Sideshow Emporium via the great Heather Narwid.

Photo and illustration by David Holub/DGO

DGO Magazine is published by Ballantine Communications Inc., P.O. Drawer A, Durango, CO 81302

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CARRY DGO IN YOUR BUSINESS ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Thursday, February 1, 2018 | 3

dg

[CTRL-A]

[ love it or hate it ]

David Holub |DGO editor

Guys: If you sit, stand up and be heard

I

t was early in our relationship, that period where you’re still sharing and discovering attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. This time, with this one, I had pledged to be forthcoming about all the things, to not hide parts of myself out of fear of rejection. This time, I was going to be my imperfect, sometimes eccentric, sometimestoo-much self.

Things appeared heading in a serious direction (because, above all, I’m a serious man), and so I needed to tell her. We sat down on the couch; I cleared my throat. “I have something I need to tell you.” She cocked her head in that way people do in movies when they’re really open and ready to truly listen.

“I pee sitting down.”

----The idea settled into my head long before the action began. It was an episode of Larry David’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” I’d seen sometime in 2004. In the episode, Larry first requests that his visiting dad put the toilet seat down when he’s finished because Larry pees sitting down. His dad says, “What are you, pussy-whipped?”

Later, in a bit of irony, Larry falls in the toilet and hurts his back while attempting to pee at night because his wife left the seat up (she had been sick and vomiting). When his friends ask how it happened, he admits the truth: It was dark and he pees sitting down. The exchange continues with his business manager, Jeff: Jeff: You pee sitting DOWN? Larry: Yeah! Have you ever tried it?

Jeff: No! Larry: It’s more comfortable. When you get up during the night, you don’t have to turn the light on and wake up. And you get to read.

Jeff: What are you reading!?

Larry: I’m reading a lot of stuff.

Jeff: What stuff ?

Larry: If I pee 20 times during a day, I can get through the whole New York Times for God’s sake!

Jeff: 20 times?

Larry: Yeah! Hey buddy, while you’re peeing all over your shoe, I’m learning something!

Larry makes some excellent points that began to make more and more sense, ideas that began to incubate for the next eight years. Along the way, I encountered information that discussed the body’s reaction to light and how turning one on in the middle of the night, say, to use the bathroom, can disrupt sleep cycles. By not turning on a light, and by not having to concentrate on aim, one can

stay as close to asleep as you’d want to be while sitting on a toilet.

Perhaps the bigger issue was cleanliness. I don’t care if you think yourself a sniper when it comes to urination: sometimes you’re going to miss. You might hit too high on the side of the bowl and it splashes out. You might hit the water too cannon-like and it splashes out. You might have that weird thing happen where it mysteriously comes out at a 90-degree angle. You either clean your bathroom every other day, guys, or you sit.

I finally made the decision around 2012 or so.

It just made too much sense (above all, I’m a serious, logical man). But I was always afraid people would find out. I’d excuse myself to the bathroom in a pee situation and they would hear ... nothing. Somehow, peeing standing up has been firmly tied to masculinity. Sitting and peeing is something women do. So, was I a man or woman?

Which is a ridiculous question. Only an insecure man with legitimate questions about his fragile virility, and gender and sexuality identities would be so hung up on peeing sitting down.

So I began sharing my habits with those men closest to me. I won’t out any sitters, but let’s just say it wasn’t scorn, laughter and humiliation I was met with, but commonality and shared experience. Not only did it make sense to people, many did it too.

In fact, recently, while hanging among my best of male friends, I quieted the room and announced that I had something sensitive to share.

It was a big moment; all eyes were on me. “I pee sitting down.” “Oh yeah. That’s normal for me,” one said. “I do that all the time,” said another.

Everyone went back to their conversations as if I had announced that I indeed wear my underpants under my pants instead of on top.

It is my guess that many more men pee sitting down than would admit to it. It’s understandable.

Just last weekend, I went to use the bathroom at the Loungin’ Lizard in Cortez. One door said “For those who sit,” and the other said, “For those who stand.” Good thing each sign also had the recognizable man and woman figures or who knows which one I would have used. It’s this kind of masculinity-shaming that needs to stop.

--So when I decided to be open about my pee practices with the woman I would eventually decide to marry, after all the build-up and fears of rejection, after I fully admitted that I pee sitting down, she said with an understanding smile, “So do I.”

Tuxedos Love It

Dudes ain’t the only ones that look foxy in a tux.

I mean, they do, but I have 16 suits bookmarked for when I win the lottery and can splurge on buying gunmetal grey three-pieces, floral cummerbunds, and wingtips. There’s just something sleek about a tuxedo.

The outfit has a level of effort and certain eras, holy f, they did it right. My dream tuxedo is Marlene Dietrich’s Weimar-era, form-fitting, high-collared tux with top hat.

Going back to those that identify as gentlemen, sometimes I hear dudes complain about their lack of formal options. I am a firm believer that tuxedos don’t have to be the same-old, same-old. Ever see a man in a hot pink tux? It’ll make you wet, warm, and wild. What about a black tie with a gold tux? What about a black tux with purple satin lining? Or a teal 1970s ruffle tux that’s so vintage porny it’s scumbag sexy? These are not bland options, but hell, gents, if you’re still not feeling your tux, I’ll gladly trade you your suit for my gown with absolutely no pockets.

—— Patty Templeton

Hate it I will defer to Jerry Seinfeld on this one: “The idea behind the tuxedo is the woman’s point of view that men are all the same; so we might as well dress them that way. That’s why a wedding is like the joining together of a beautiful, glowing bride ... and some guy.

The tuxedo is a wedding safety device, created by women because they know that men are undependable. So in case the groom chickens out, everybody just takes one step over, and she marries the next guy.”

All joking aside, the tuxedo IS a joke. It takes the world of fashion and all the infinite possibilities, and boxes it into a few approved accessories. It’s like decorating a Mr. Potato Head: If there’s not a hole for it, he ain’t wearing it.

I like a little more choice when piecing together a costume. What’s the craziest thing you can do with a tuxedo – “Oooh, his jacket has tails. How gutsy!”

With formal wear, women have endless options, and men have, what, three? Four tops? And then you show up and you look all but exactly the same as every other idiot guy at the party. I don’t care what James Bond wore, get me outta this thing.

—— David Holub

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[stage]

Secrets build bridges, not walls »» Strangers sent him thousands

of secrets on postcards for his blog. Now, Frank Warren brings PostSecret: The Show to Durango

Warren

Every heart holds a shadow, and if you’re fortunate, there’s a spark in that dark as well. We all keep horrifying, joyful, and mundane secrets that we don’t usually think to share. Frank Warren, the creator of PostSecret, believes that these secrets can make us, break us, and bring us together. Fourteen years ago, Warren started the PostSecret blog. The site features secrets scrawled on postcards that have been anonymously mailed to Warren at a rate of about 1,000 per week.

Since then, the PostSecret blog has had over 780 million visitors, spawned six best-selling books, museum exhibits, a TED Talk, and, most recently, PostSecret: The Show.

PostSecret: The Show will pass through Durango on Wednesday, Feb. 7., at FLC’s Community Concert Hall and Warren will be present for an after-show talk-back. DGO spoke to Warren about what it’s been like being an archivist of privacies and how to make a stage show outta secrets.

What’s the power of writing a secret into the world on a postcard, rather than sending it through email?

I think there’s something powerful when you take a secret that’s staring at you and physically let it go to a stranger, passing through all these hands along the way, being exposed the whole time. There’s something more instigating. When you take that step, it is much easier for you to take following steps to tell a friend or a family member or see it on the website and realize it isn’t as big when it’s exposed anonymously as you might have imagined it when you were carrying it deep inside your soul.

It allows people to release their secrets in a safe way, which may be a first step to letting it go and changing their life.

it shared with the audience from the stage in the second act. The actors themselves, there’s a line in the script, where they each have to tell the audience a real and true secret for the first time. Not even the actors know what they’re going to share or what their colleagues are going to disclose.

In a number of ways we try to break down walls of traditional storytelling on stage and do things in a new way, to bring to the stage some of what’s worked so well in the digital world.

What does that multi-faceted storytelling approach look like?

What does PostSecret: The Show demand from its audience? Is it immersive?

Even in this new tour, I added new secrets that have never been seen before. The production itself is alive.

Every performance and every tour, we tweak it to make it poignant and memorable.

It is immersive, in so far as, if the audience wants to participate. We don’t force anyone to participate in any way.

There is an opportunity at intermission to put a secret on a postcard and have

An example, at the end of the performance, we share reactions. After the play, we invite audience members to take a marker and whiteboard and write a response to a secret that really

GO! Where: FLC Community Concert Hall When: 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 7 Ages: all ages Cost: $28-$42 Info: www.durangoconcerts.com

touched them in the show on the board ... People who come to watch the secrets can become a part of the show when those photos are shown at the end of the play at a future date.

People are usually alone when consuming PostSecret on their computers, but the show gives people a chance to come together in a physical space and speak as one as a community.

There’s video, music, voicemail messages, images of postcards that have never been seen.

We’re trying to shift the whole idea of secret-keeping as a balance of power and the idea that sometimes when you think you’re keeping a secret, that secret is actually keeping you. If we can create examples of courage and vulnerability, we can move to a place where we start to see that it has always been an illusion, that idea that secrets separate us. They don’t. They’re not walls. They’re bridges. When people start to tell their stories that becomes clear as day.

How does the digital world connect to that?

Before the show even starts, on the screen, there’s a TweetWall. It’s an interaction between the cast, the audience, and myself tweeting. At one point I might say, “There’s a PostSecret book on the stage, the first one to go up and grab it gets to keep it.” People don’t know what to do but then someone jumps on stage and grabs the book and everyone applauds. People mention birthdays or we get a tweet from a guy who says, “The only reason I’m here tonight is because my girlfriend dragged me.” Everyone cracks up and it creates this cohesiveness in the audience.

What is the power of turning PostSecret into a live event?

And, there’s that connection you feel sometimes when watching a live performance. There’s research [done at the University College London] that audience members’ hearts start to align.

They start to beat as one.

Interview edited and condensed for clarity.

—— Patty Templeton

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[gaming]

Extra Life | Brett Massé

How Ursula K. Le Guin showed me a new way to see video games and the world

U

rsula K. Le Guin died this week. Perhaps you have heard of her or maybe some of her writings have crossed your path. If you love reading about sci-fi, politics, or gender and class issues, then chances are good that Le Guin has something for you. She was 88 years old when she passed away and kept writing practically to the very end, even keeping up with her blog on her website.

My first introduction to Le Guin’s writings was by a very close friend

who shared “A Wizard of Earthsea” with me. Though I had my reservations about reading it because of the ridiculous cover art of this particular edition, I read through it within about a month. The world that she constructed in that small book was deeper and more vivid than any other fantasy world I had read before. My interest and enjoyment from the book took me back to my friend who then gave me a copy of “The Dispossessed.”

Good. Lord.

Ever since reading through that book, I have made certain to always

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have at least two copies on hand so that I can give one to the next person I meet who hasn’t yet read it. Her thoughts and ideas on how vastly different cultures and societies can function is unparalleled. This sort of investigation and exploration into the human condition using fantasy and sci-fi as a vehicle to understand new concepts changed me. Shortly after widening my mental horizons with Le Guin’s writings, I began to look at almost everything differently, especially video games.

Before, I was what you might call a “gatekeeper” in the gaming world.

I had very limited ideas as to what made one a “gamer.” No, you could not have just played “Tetris” or “Super Mario Bros.” when you were young. No, you couldn’t be considered a gamer because you had a Wii in your house and enjoyed the sports games. You most certainly were not a gamer if you just really enjoyed playing “Rock Band” with your friends.

I believed there was a “right” way to enjoy video games. I thought you had to have suffered through what I had, memorized the “Megaman” level codes, practiced the fighting combos in “Street Fighter,” understood what it meant to clock dozens upon dozens of hours into a “Final Fantasy” game before starting it all over again.

Thinking back on this makes me a little embarrassed.

After putting down that first book

by Le Guin and booting up a similarly themed fantasy game, I found myself analyzing the story, the world, and the characters in a way I hadn’t before. I began playing games as though I was reading a book or watching a movie.

This simple shift in perspective of learning to read something anew rather than playing to “win” made the library of games I had on my computer

suddenly infinitely more rich. How could I have ever felt that the video game world was meant for a select few?

Perhaps Le Guin did not necessarily teach me to do any of this directly; she didn’t write a how-to on ways to see things. But I was opened to a new way of learning through her books. In this day and age especially, it seems that we can know what to expect from any given game. We know how the gameplay is going to direct us through a level, or perhaps what different characters’ roles will be in a story, years of playing games has sort of trained us to know what to look for. However, hidden between the big releases and “AAA” titles, there’s a vibrantly lush world of games pushing that envelope and exploring what more the medium is capable of. I only began to seek it out when I found that there was so much more worth investigating within video games.

From reading her interviews and essays, it doesn’t seem like Le Guin cared for or had much to say about video games. In fact, the few things I have found seem to highlight her distaste for them, or maybe just disinterest in them. That’s fine because the crux of what makes her so important to me is that she never stopped thinking and learning. A short column in dedication to her is the absolute least I could do to explain just how important her creative mind and works are to me, how her work introduced an immensely rewarding way of seeing the world. I suppose it is just enough for you to know that she will be sorely missed and I will always have a copy of “The Dispossessed” for you to read sometime.

Brett Massé is currently playing “The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim” and pretending to be Sparrowhawk.

One FREE fountain soda w/ purchase of two entrees.

ourhealthycommunities.org

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Love.

[Durango street style]

FEBRUARY 14

Feb. 14 - 5:30 p.m.

Powerhouse Science Center 1333 Camino del Rio Sponsored by The Durango Herald

Lily Russo and Oliver Scott-Tomlin Met on vacation in Mexico Courtesy of Chris Mendoza

»» Chris Mendoza

Loud colors + fashion as a political nudge Chris Mendoza has kind eyes, a wide smile, and an open heart. He has an intellectual, easy-going vibe and a warmth that makes chatting with him a damn pleasure. Mendoza studies sociology at Fort Lewis College and you’re as likely to find him participating in a Save the Kids rally as ice climbing.

DGO spoke to Mendoza about his psychedelic outdoorsy style and how fashion choices can reflect personal politics.

“I’m a combination of outdoorsy and professional with a psychedelic thread in there, as well.

There’s definitely a level of politics reflected in my style. I guess that’s according to my own definition of politics, which includes challenging normative gender roles.

I intentionally try to challenge gender-normative fashion whether that be through wearing flamboyant colors, though I hesitate to use that word; it’s how my partner describes it, or painting my nails, or wearing some of my partner’s clothes. A big part of that is when someone in my social environment asks, ‘Why do you paint your nails?’ or makes comments about my clothing, it provides an opportunity for discussion on gender and heteronormative culture. I enjoy those conversations.

I think fashion is a fun way to express yourself, to play a unique role in

the social sphere. I feel like there is a really beautiful human complexity on display through expressive fashion ...

The more I get into gender studies, the more complicated fashion and the role it plays in our social environment becomes to me. It’s fascinating.

I remember being in the third grade and dying my hair a bright combination of blue, red, and purple and wearing unique color schemes. I’ve always had an interest in expressing myself artistically but not until my second year in college was I able to define and articulate what fashion means to me and the role it plays in my life.

There’s this scene in the popular climbing movie ‘Valley Uprising’ where Jim Bridwell [and friends] are standing in front of the meadow in front of El Capitan. They’re wearing really bright psychedelic outfits and the narrator is talking about how these climbers brought this dose of the Aquarian age to the climbing community in Yosemite. I thought it was a beautiful combination of bold climbing, connection to the land, and psychedelia. That resonated with me.”

Interview edited and condensed for clarity.

Got rad style or know someone who always looks fab? Send DGO a heads-up on who to interview next at editor@bcimedia.com.

Dan and Jon Bender Married for 45 years

David Sherman Couples counselor

Welcome to Durango Diaries, a speaker series about your community. Join speakers Lily Russo and Oliver Scott-Tomlin will share their story of falling in love after a chance meeting while both on vacation in Mexico; Dan and Jon Bender, who have been married nearly 45 years, will share their tale of falling in love at first sight (and marrying shortly after); David Sherman, a couples counselor, will reflect on the lighter side of what he’s seen in his years of counseling couples.

Durang

Diaries

Presented By:

durangoherald.com/durangodiaries

FREE. Kid-friendly. Beer and wine available for purchase.

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[sound]

Downtown Lowdown | Bryant Liggett

Furtado is less banjo twang, more slide-driven dark turns

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ony Furtado is not a bluegrass musician. His earlier records and his resume, which includes winning the National Bluegrass Banjo Championship at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas, in 1987 and 1991, earned him a place amongst the bluegrass elite.

But a close listen to any of the 15 or so records he’s been releasing since the late 1980s speaks otherwise.

His playing with Laurie Lewis, his time in jamgrass band Sugarbeat, and his solo performances that have found him playing in venues from coast to coast, including Durango every few years since the mid 1990s, reveals an exploration of acoustic blues, bluegrass, and up-beat folk that has a home at traditional bluegrass festivals as well as the folk and jam-band world.

The Tony Furtado Trio, which includes Eric Thorin on bass and Luke Price on fiddle, will perform Feb. 7 at the Henry Strater Theatre; opening the show is local pianist Jonas Grushkin.

“I’m not really a traditional bluegrass player, I never have been,” admitted Furtado. “I tried to fit into that mold back in the early ’90s when I was first releasing albums on Rounder records, but I felt like a square peg in a round hole. There were other things I was hearing and wanting to do.”

Less Flatt and Scruggs and more Ry Cooder, it’s safer to just give Furtado the title of songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His post-Rounder Records career has found Furtado continuing to play acoustic-based music, but ditching the bluegrass and banjo twang for darker, slide-driven instrumentation.

While his stellar playing is ripe with melodic and tempo drive, there’s also great depth to what he does while remaining quite subtle, whether the vehicle of the song is three-minute piece or a stretched-out narrative ripe for a soundtrack. It doesn’t matter if he’s playing a banjo, acoustic guitar, or something else.

GO! Wednesday (Feb. 7): KSUT Radio presents acoustic roots music with Tony Furtado, 7 p.m. $27 pre-sale, $32 day-of. Henry Strater Theatre, 699 Main Ave. Information: 375-7160.

“It’s not necessarily about the instrument anymore. I’ve been doing a lot of songwriting over the years so it’s mostly whatever instrument is working for that song,” he said. “It’s still kind of split, sometimes a little more heavy on the banjo now that I’m playing a cello banjo with some of the songs. ... The cello banjo sounds like a bass banjo; it’s got the thump but its still got a little bit of the twang. It’s a big statement when plugged in.”

Something long-time Furtado fans may not know is the other artistic ace he keeps up his sleeve: He’s a sculptor. It’s something he got into right around the same time he started playing banjo, but shelved when banjo playing became a full-time job. Since returning to the sculpture world, Furtado has discovered that it aids his creative drive. The solitude of making skull mugs or ceramic animals results in new sounds and melodies in his head, eventually working their way out via picking, pushing, hammering, and sliding his fingers on the strings of an instrument.

“Ten or 12 years ago, I got a studio and started focusing on what I would have learned had I stayed in college and it’s been great. It’s such a good outlet for me and one of those things I need to do. And it helps balance things out. Sometimes if I’m doing more of that I’ll have more musical ideas come to me while I’m sculpting, and then vice-versa. It’s the same side of the brain, and they definitely help each other.”

Bryant Liggett is a freelance writer and KDUR station manager. liggett_b@fortlewis.edu.

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[sound] What’s new Hookworms, “Microshift” Available: Friday, Feb. 2, via the Domino Recording Co, as a digital download on various high-quality formats (MP3, FLAC and more) and on compact disc. I’d also guess that a standard black vinyl version will become available after preorders of the limited-edition orange vinyl, with exclusive alternate artwork sleeve, and printed PVC outer sleeve, and bonus hand-numbered screenprint are gone, given they number a mere 500. Check in with your local independent record store, wherever that may be, to procure the version that best suits you.

There is a bit of refreshing mystery that surrounds the Leeds/Halifax, UK-based five piece Hookworms.

I’m sure one could very well venture down the inter-

New at

Feb. 2 Justin Timberlake,“Man of the Woods” No one can honestly claim to be completely ignorant of the work of Justin Timberlake. The man helped define what modern pop music is, while simultaneously transcending the limits he put on the genre to become something even more than pop.

It has been eight years since his last studio album (not including contributions to the soundtrack of “Trolls 2”), and it doesn’t seem like the break has dulled JT’s instincts, songwriting, or vocal chops in the slightest. A few weeks ago he released a little teaser, teeming with rustic Tennessee vistas, horses, beard scruff, and flannel. And then the first single, “Dirty,” released with a video of Timberlake playing a sexy Steve Jobs, with a beat made of dubstep-lite asking, “what are (we) going to do with all that meat?” Color me thematically confused. Maybe the second single will have that twang that was missing. Or maybe it’ll be a post-apocalyptic hellscape with Autotune and a hip-hop beat, complete with Pharrell ad-libs. I would be lying if I didn’t find the music video compelling but I was still confused.

Especially when Justin stared at the camera with the wide-eyed intensity

web rabbit hole to dig, dig, dig, and reveal each and every known factoid on monogrammed band members JN (drum, drum machines), JW (guitars), MB (bass, blips) , MJ (organ, lyrics, vocals, etc), and EO (guitars).

But, why? Why not simply enjoy the record for what it is: a meticulously crafted, dense, intricate, and expansively lush sonic swirl. Previous albums have been straightforward, riff-heavy psych akin to The Black Angels or Spaceman 3. There are still undercurrents of modern psychedelia, to be certain, but here the obvious has been

of a crack addict talking about how he could “be (my) generator, just turn (him) on when I need electricity.” Then, finally, came a single, “Say Something,” featuring country star Chris Stapleton, which actually captured the energy that the album announcement had. It has that country bent to it without crossing over into the pop-country territory of, say, Rascal Flatts and the like. Surprisingly, I actually found myself listening to this track while not just writing for this review. But don’t tell anyone – I don’t want to ruin my street cred. Overall, “Man of the Woods” is a good pop record. I found myself hoping for a little more exploration of the unconventional side of the sound, or maybe a little bit more knowledge of the growth that pop music has had over the past few years. Imagine a Timberlake album with the old soulful funk sound that Childish Gambino’s “Awaken, My Love” had. Now that would be something.

Awolnation,“Here Come The Runts” I am not too familiar with the back catalog of Awolnation. I’ve heard that “Sail” song, and that’s about the extent of my experience. It, and “Here Come The Runts,” strike me as those records that everyone seems to insist is rock music for some reason, but has always struck me as something more incomplete. The couple songs I have heard from “Here Come The Runts” read more like acoustic music made with all the instruments of a rock band, that

eschewed for a positive deviation into programmed, exploratory electro-fuzz. Established fans of the band might feel momentarily slighted, but that will pass.

There is so much happening on the record that both old and new fans alike will find something with each repeated (welcome and encouraged) listen.

Given the band’s attention to detail and overall approach to the aesthetics associated with their art, I imagine their live show is something to behold. While no U.S. dates have yet to be announced, stay in the know by checking in at https://hookworms.bandcamp. com/album/microshift and the interactive http:// hookworms.website for forthcoming info.

Recommended for fans of Devo, Animal Collective, LCD Soundsystem, Spiritualized, Liars, Oneida or Hot Chip.

sometimes builds and breaks into a rock section. The track “Seven Sticks of Dynamite” is a good example of this.

For the first few minutes, it’s the quiet vocalist and very minimal guitar lines, slowly building into some riffs that

—— Jon E. Lynch KDUR_PD@fortlewis.edu

would sound at home on a Weezer record. It’s entirely possible that I’m just missing the point. I feel like if you like “Sail” you’ll probably like this new record. It just isn’t for me.

—— Cooper Stapleton

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[beer]

First Draughts | Robert Alan Wendeborn

Stay classy Durango: How to do Snowdown right (and wrong)

O

f all the activities, adventures, and all-around good times that Durango offers, Snowdown is my absolute favorite. It’s so quintessentially small mountain town culture. It’s my favorite because it’s so hard to explain to non-Durangoans. It’s like Mardi Gras, Halloween, the Beer Olympics all rolled into one. How do you explain a week-long theme party in a mountain town to outsiders? You end up saying, “Ugh, it’s just so cool,” which no one believes. It’s so uniquely Durango even compared to other small mountain town festivals. There’s the parade with fire and lights, the only way to keep warm being a pocket stash of Fireball. There’s the costumes that get crazier and crazier as the week goes on. There’s the whole week of crazy events and bar games. There’s the putt-putt bar crawl. There’s the Follies, oh the Follies! There’s events at all hours; all over town it’s so hard to keep up and keep going. Like a lot of events in Durango, you can get lost in all the activity, so it’s best to have a strategy. Here are some pointers: Go with the flow: One way to experience the week is just completely go with the flow. Take Friday off work, wander around till you find an event that looks fun, then let the day take you the rest of the way.

My last year in Durango I got scooped up in the putt-putt bar crawl and ended up following that crew around for the rest of the day. The reality is that everyone participating in Snowdown is ready for a good time and

as long as you’re chill, you’ll fit in.

But plan some things: There is a program for Snowdown with all of the events listed for each day and it’s possible to do almost all of it just by showing up – events like the Follies, putt-putt,

and other more structured events. But most of them are free and most of them are open for walk-in participation. If you make yourself a list and try to hit a few specific events each day, you can enjoy some activities without feeling too overwhelmed. When scheduling conflicts between a few events happen, just pick the one that fits your vibe and be confident in your decision. Don’t fall into the FOMO trap. I highly recommend the opening fashion show at La Plata County Fairgrounds, bartenders contest at Moes, the Iron Mixologist at El Moro, and the Snowdown Jokedown at Derailed.

Do: Spend time with friends. Some of my best adventures in Durango have been Continued on Page 11

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[travel]

The Hanging Flume in western San Miguel County GET OUTTA TOWN Quirky & cool spots in the Four Corners and beyond Tucked into a redrock canyon in the remote western reaches of San Miguel County, four miles downstream from the confluence of the Dolores and San Miguel rivers, you’ll find a remnant of history that’s as baffling as it is amazing. There, a tidy row of wooden beams protrudes from the soaring sandstone walls, sometimes as high as hundreds of feet above the river below, for several astounding miles.

Welcome to The Hanging Flume, the longest historic structure in Colorado and most intact hanging flume left in North America.

What the heck is it, you ask? The Hanging Flume is what happens when mining heyday hubris mixes with a bit of ingenuity and what must have been incredibly hard labor.

Back in the late 1800s, when the mining frenzy was at its height in the San Juan Mountains, people began finding wealth in the placer deposits washed downstream from Telluride-area mines. But to make these claims profitable, miners needed to divert water for the sluicing and washing of the minerals.

One of these mining claims, known as the Bancroft, lay just out of reach of the flow of the nearby San Miguel and Dolores rivers. So mining bosses decided to build a flume. Which wouldn’t be unusual for a placer operation, except that this flume necessitated an incredible feat of engineering; to

From Page 10

Snowdown shenanigans with my friends.

Walking into a bar with your crew with all your costumes on point is super invigorating and the journey from place to place is often more important. Whether we were piling seven-deep into an Uber to go down the street, or walking 10 blocks to an after-party, having that tight group of friends was really awesome.

Don’t: Be afraid to hang out with strangers and make new friends. This is especially true at the more structured events like the Follies. It always helps to

Courtesy of Katie Klingsporn

»» This section of The Hanging Flume includes a section that was rebuilt by preservationists in 2012. complete the entire 12-mile route at the proper gradient, it would have to cling to sheer cliff faces for seven of those miles.

Few documents or photos remain from that period, but this much is known: construction of the flume took three years at a cost of a staggering $100,000. Most of the wood used was logged from local mountains, and workers who were suspended from ropes

have some ice breakers like a pre-rolled joint, some edibles, or nips of liquor on you to share. You’ll be everyone’s best friend.

Do: Dress up. I always liked having multiple costumes. The year the theme was the ’80s, I went as something different every night. I started as a high school PE coach, then coke dealer, then Tom Cruise in “Risky Business.” Seriously, such a blast.

This year’s theme is a little trickier, but I’d definitely suggest getting a tuxedo T-shirt so you can go out in costume on a whim.

I’d seriously consider renting a tux for the week (cheaper than buying an elabo-

chiseled iron rods and trestles into the rock to support the flume box. At six feet wide and four feet deep, that box was capable of conveying 80 million gallons of water a day while in use.

Despite the lofty ambitions and huge costs that went into it, the flume was only used for three years before it was abandoned, rendering it a failure in the realm of placer mining.

Today, much of the flume has dis-

appeared or fallen into disrepair. But preservationists rebuilt a small section of the flume in 2012, and what remains serves as a stark reminder of the crazy things humans will do for a buck.

—— Katie Klingsporn Katie Klingsporn is a former Arts and Entertainment editor at The Durango Herald, as well as involved with DGO in its very early days. She’s real great.

Do: Avoid your exes. Just kidding, that’s impossible in Durango! Buy them a shot and enjoy the party.

line to get drinks, and shit going down in bathrooms over the things that go down in bathrooms. The best thing to do is keep a little nip of liquor on you so you don’t get so angry over waiting in line to get drinks. Be patient in lines, don’t be a dick, and let things go when people are dicks to you. You’re going to be partying with these people all week and they are likely your neighbor. So chill out, and praise Ullr.

Don’t: Start shit. There are so many dumb fights during Snowdown over the dumbest stuff. I’ve seen shot glasses thrown through windows, people thrown out on their tukus over being too pushy in

Robbie Wendeborn is the head brewer at Svendæle Brewing in Millerton, New York.

He is also a former beer plumber at Ska Brewing.

rate costume). I’ve seen some awesome spandex body suit tuxedos on the cheap as well.

Don’t: Stress too hard about dressing up. In the end, it doesn’t really matter.

Just try and people will dig it.

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A selection of our favorite free-to-freakin’-cheap events for Snowdown 2018: A Black Tie Affair

SNOWDOWN EVENTS YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS

Snowdown is upon us and this year’s theme is A Black Tie Affair, and the chilly bacchanalia is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Put on your old-school prom dress, a slick suit, your elegant-ass opera gloves, or whatever the heck you love to fancypants around in, and head to the midwinter shindig.

Here’s a modest selection of our favorite, free-tofreakin’-cheap events to waltz through. There are SO MANY MORE. Head to www.snowdown.org for a full schedule.

A most elegant hot wing eating contest 4 p.m., Thursday, Cuckoo’s Chicken House, 128 E. College Drive Mouth-plow chicken, win prizes. It’s that simple. First prize wins a free pound a wings a month for a whole year. Second prize gets you a free pound of wings for six months. Gotta be 18 and up, $8 entry fee, sign-up is at the event, and space is limited to 20 poultry pounders.

Dandy doughnut bobbing 6 p.m., Thursday, Rendezvous Doughnuts, 139 E. Fifth St. Lemme blindfold you. Now I’ma tie yer hands behind your back and dangle something sweet to eat in front of you. It might have sprinkles. OK. It’s a doughnut hanging from the ceiling. Eat yours fastest and you could win a free doughnut redeemable whenever. All ages,

no sign-up, and free.

Salsa dancing 7 p.m., Thursday, Cerda 7 Cantina y Comida, 639 Main Ave. Get on your feet and step to the beat. Come solo or with a partner, just be ready to dance.

Cerda 7’s having a salsa night.

Best dancers will receive prizes at this free, 21-and-over event.

Entry deadline is 30 minutes before the salsa dancing starts.

BCI Media file

»» The Snowdown Hot wing Eating Contest at Animas City Theatre during Snowdown 2017.

Drag race and fashion show

American Stilleto Warrior

8 p.m., Thursday, El Rancho Tavern, 975 Main Ave.

7 p.m., Thursday, Billy Goat Saloon, 39848 US HWY 160

Tuck and tape what you need to, then slay, baby, SLAY at El Rancho’s annual drag show. First prize is an hour massage from The Spaaah Shop and Day Spa. Sign-up is 30 minutes prior to fashion show, free entry, and a DJ dance party to follow.

Men, women, bring your fourinch-tall heels (or taller!) to the Billy Goat for American Stiletto Warrior! You’ll wind through an indoor obstacle course while holding a server tray fulla junk.

Top two tall-shoe heroes get prizes at this free, 21-and-over event. Deadline for sign-up is 30 minutes before the wobble-stepping starts.

Snowdown champagne pong 11:40 a.m., Friday, VFW,

1550 Main Ave. Start your Snowdown classy by getting shammered on champagne at the VFW before lunch. Entry is $20 bucks a person and that includes balls and bubbley to fill your pong cups, brunch, and all-you-candrink champagne. Limited space, so if you wanna buy your tix early, they’re at the Wine Shop. One person will win a grand prize, but everyone’s getting schnockered at this 21-and-over event.

Continued on Page 14

Jerry McBride/BCI Media file

»» Snowdown 2017’s Drag Race & Fashion Show at El Rancho Tavern.

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[Snowdown events] From Page 13

Server races 2 p.m., Friday, Steamworks Brewing Co., 801 East Second Ave. The alley behind Steamworks will turn into an obstacle course for servers to haul ass through. If you wanna join in, teams must work at local restaurants and be made up of two folks who identify as female and two who identify as male. Free to watch or participate, 21 and over, sign-up deadline is 30 minutes before event, and first prize is a keg of Steamworks beer.

Snowdown firework and light parade 6 p.m., Friday, Main Ave. from College Drive to 12th St. A single firework signifies the start of the parade at twilight. Then the light parade will prance its classy ass down Main. Free to see and all ages.

BCI Media file

Pants off dance off

»» The Server Races at Snowdown 2017.

9 p.m., Friday, Moe’s Lounge, 932 Main Ave.

Park at Animas Valley Elementary School and watch hot air balloons sky-dance across the Animas Valley. It’s pretty AF, free, and all ages. Grab you some sky poetry.

Take off your pants then bust a move at Moe’s dance contest. Wear a skirt, a loincloth, a top hat over your junk, anything except pants. Must be 21 or over, free entry. No sign-up necessary for participants.

Prizes are bar tabs ranging from $25-$75.

Pole dancing contest 10 p.m., Friday, Ponga’s, 121 W. Eighth St. Can you slip, slide, and curl around a pole like no one else? Do you just wanna watch? Both men and women are allowed to throw down their sexy best.

Sign-up is an hour before, $5 entry (free for dancers), 21 and over, and prizes ranging from $25 to $100 beer tabs.

Snowdown balloon rally and mass ascension 8 a.m., Saturday, U.S. Highway 550 North, north side of Hermosa Meadows Rd.

Black tie book games Noon, Saturday, Maria’s Bookshop, 960 Main Ave. Book nerds, Snowdown hasn’t forgotten you!

Gather at Maria’s for speed alphabetization, literary trivia, and more. Sign-up is 15 minutes before event, all ages, free, plus prizes!

Snowdown chili cook-off Noon, Saturday, LPC Fairgrounds, Exhibit Hall, 2500 Main Ave. Nom nom nom, CHILI! Samples start at noon and are 50 cents a pop. Proceeds benefit Snowdown. If you have a badass chili, sign up early by calling Greg Yucha at 382-0788 or when doors open at 7 a.m. day-of. Prizes for first through third place in varied categories.

Dog fashion show 1 p.m., Saturday, McDonald’s parking lot, 201 W. College Drive PUPPERS IN COSTUMES! Put your dog in a fancy costume to enter or lurk around with the rest of us who are falling in love with pets since you can’t afford your own. Free, all ages, entry deadline is 30 minutes before event, and trophies awarded for Funniest, Most Formal, Most Look-Alike, and Best Snowdown-themed costume.

Outhouse stuffing 1 p.m., Saturday, Gazpacho’s, 431 East Second Ave. Get your port-a-potty fetish on with a gaggle of your closest, cleanest friends in a newly sanitized outhouse at the 18th Annual Outhouse Stuffing Contest. Must be 21 or over and sign up at least 10 minutes before the free event. You got two minutes to cram in and have to last 10 Continued on Page 15

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BCI Media file

»» Flags and floats are prepared for the 2017 Snowdown Light Parade.

From Page 14

Pour House, 725 Main Ave.

seconds with the door shut for a chance to win Gazpacho’s gift card prizes.

Derailed gets m-effin fancy with the Ninth Annual Costume Gala. Dress to the nines for this free, 21-and-over event and you can win prizes.

1 p.m., American Legion, 878 East Second Ave. CORNHOLE! It really is meant to be shouted. If you’re prepped to cornhole the hell outta Snowdown, head to the American Legion for their bags tournament. Prizes for first through third at this all-ages, free event, but enter early.

Contact Steve Frost at 247-1590 to sign-up on or before Thursday, Feb. 1.

How well do you know (y)our wine?

5 p.m., Saturday, Four Leaves Winery, 528 Main Ave. Five bucks to enter and you get to sample four wines at Four Leaves Winery. If you can name three wines correctly, you win a coupon for a glass of wine.

Name all four? Get a free bottle-o-wine.

21 and over, obvs. No sign-up needed.

Booty shakin’ contest 7 p.m., Saturday, Wild Horse Saloon, 601 East Second Ave. Twerk it, bump it, grind it, work it – move your ass. You’ll go head-to-head in this bootypalooza in three timed heats. You gotta be 18 or over to enter, $5 entry fee, and prizes for best male and female rear-work.

Costume gala 8 p.m., Saturday, Derailed

The Guinness Games – Yahtzee 8 p.m., Irish Embassy Pub, 900 Main Ave. You can have a team of four or come solo to the Irish Embassy for Yahtzee!

Be there 15 minutes before the event to sign up because board-gaming is starting on time. Free event for the 21-and-over crowd with prizes for first through third place.

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Pancake breakfast and silent auction 7 a.m.-noon, Sunday, LPC Fairgrounds, Exhibit Building, 2500 Main Ave. It’s Sunday. Shove all-you-can-eat pancakes on top of that hangover.

For $10 you get pancakes, ham, eggs, coffee, and juice with proceeds going to Snowdown and LPC Search and Rescue.

Bonus Think you could do better on a Snowdown theme? Submit ideas for the 2020 Snowdown to Magpie’s, 707 Main Ave., no later than noon on Sunday, Feb. 4. No obscene ideas or themes repeated from previous years.

—— Patty Templeton

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[ weed ]

[pages]

Can one person live without using money? (a two hour walk In a world preoccufrom town) and pied by the almighty with Sundeen’s cudollar, Daniel Suelo riosity piqued, the sought more.“The Man book took shape.

Who Quit Money,”

by Mark Sundeen, is Far from being a thought-provoking a hermit, Suelo account of one man’s has long been an journey toward radical influential charsimplicity – from funacter in the Moab damentalist student to scene. Accessing White Rabbit cave-dwelling sadhu. the internet via book review: In the fall of 2000, the public library, Suelo gave away the “The Man Who Quit he eloquently 30 bucks in his pocket, Money,” by Mark expresses his hasn’t spent a dime opinions about Sundeen since, yet wants for capitalism and nothing. He enthusiasreligion through tically shares what he’s learned about his blog and other social networking moneyless abundance. platforms. His story is as complex as In the early ’90s, Sundeen and Suelo briefly worked together in Moab, Utah. More than a decade after learning of Suelo’s moneyless lifestyle, Sundeen was struck by the different paths they’d chosen. They reconnected by gleaning enough free food together to last for several days in Suleo’s cave

it is compelling, a simple yet complicated path of spiritual reflection and living through example, one we can all learn from. To check out his blog, visit https://zerocurrency.blogspot.com.

—— Keena Kimmel Owner of White Rabbit Book and Curiosities

[Odd Rot, by Patty Templeton]

‘I’m a Hungry Man But I Don’t Want Pizza’ Patty Templeton just read the lyrics to Alice Cooper’s “Feed My Frankenstein” and laughed out loud so loud she caused a scene at work. Ever heard the phrase “fur teacup” in reference to a vag? You have now. More of Templeton’s obsessions and work can be found at www.instagram.com/pattytempleton or http://pattytempleton.tumblr.

Seeing Through the Smoke Christopher Gallagher

In the Green Mountain State, the green tide keeps rolling

2

,236.8 miles from Durango, 19 days after Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded the Cole Memo, an Obama administration holdover concerning federal enforcement of the law concerning cannabis in states where it has been legalized, Gov. Phil Scott of Vermont signed his state’s legalization bill into law.

It was the first time that a state has sanctioned recreational marijuana use through the standard lawmaking process.

The Green Mountain State joins Colorado, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Maine, and its neighbor Massachusetts in the growing cohort of states rapidly becoming the focus of eyes from coast to coast as the conflicts between state and federal policy present themselves in ever-sharper contrast. Like Colorado, every other state on the list of recreational locales except Vermont gave citizens the right to grow and use cannabis without a physician’s recommendation only as a result of citizen-initiated referenda.

The program being set up in Vermont will have a different vibe from that here in Colorado, at least in the beginning. Vermont’s legislation, which goes into effect on July 31, calls for the right of adults over the age of 21 to carry up to 1 ounce of dried flower and grants the ability to grow two mature and four immature plants, but there is no current provision enabling a commercial retail sales system. The potential next step of an open and regulated market for the distribution of the herb is being explored and examined by an advisory board appointed to study the topic and to report back to Gov. Scott by Dec. 15.

This is not the first go-round for cannabis legislation in Vermont.

Scott, just last year, vetoed the bill, citing public safety issues in the areas of impaired driving and child protection.

The passage of this law in Vermont creates an interesting dynamic in the

New England region where half the states – Vermont, Maine, and Massachusetts – have now legalized and the remaining three – Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire – do not have provisions for citizen initiatives and would need their legislators to craft and pass bills that would go to their respective governors for approval. Traditionally, “social experiment” laws like expanded liquor sales, staterun lottery systems, and casino sanctioning have traversed domino-effect movement across the region after one or two states enact them and lay the groundwork for other states to follow suit.

Another compelling offshoot created by yet another state’s decision to legalize cannabis is the tension building between these states and Sessions’ Department of Justice. The Cole Memo advises federal prosecutors to ignore the letter of the law with regard to enforcement of statutes as long as the operators of cannabis-centered companies in states where it has been legalized followed certain parameters, including blocking cannabis access to children, not being involved with organized crime, and refraining from crossing state lines with their products – conditions that have been met by an overwhelming majority of operators.

Other than keeping consistent with his traditional prohibitionist stance, it is unclear what the attorney general’s endgame might be in this business.

It is clear that with an expanding number of states with legal cannabis programs – be it medical or recreational – and a growing percentage of Americans, regardless of political affiliation, who support legalization, something has to give. For now, let’s sit back, spark one, and welcome Vermonters to the club.

Christopher Gallagher lives with his wife and their four dogs and two horses. Life is pretty darn good. Contact him at chrstphrgallagher@gmail.com.

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Now Available in Durango

year in California has surpassed our hopes and expectations,” says Whoopi & Maya co-founder Whoopi Goldberg. “Every new market we are able to expand into is a victory for women looking for relief from pain and menstrual discomfort, and we are thrilled we found such great partner to bring these products to Colorado.”

Whoopi & Maya’s product offerings in Colorado include: Savor. Raw Cacao: Organic raw cacao infused with cannabis and agave to create a delectable superfood that is both vegan and gluten free. You can spread it on fruit, blend it into your favorite hot beverage, or enjoy it straight from the spoon.

Relax. Herbal Tincture: A potent remedy blended from cannabis and healing herbs to help you relax both physically and mentally. Elderberries, red raspberry leaf, motherwort, and passionflower combine to soothe pain and discomfort associated with menstruation.

Soak. Lavender Bath Soak: Soak away stress, pain, and inflammation with organic lavender, cannabis, and restorative salts, while avocado and jojoba oils nourish and rejuvenate your skin.

Rub. Body Balm: This luxurious body balm includes a matrix of herbs that healers have used for thousands of years to help with muscle cramps, blended with cannabis to create a salve that provides unsurpassed relief.

RMZ Colorado (a licensed cannabis product manufacturer based in Denver) is the manufacturing partner for Whoopi & Maya Medicinal Cannabis in Colorado, and is currently offering the product line through Medical and Recreational dispensaries across the state. This includes two Recreational dispensaries in Durango – Durango Organics and Santé.

“With its focus on women’s health, quality ingredients, and elegant presentation, the Whoopi & Maya product line aligns perfectly with the values of RMZ Colorado. As former dispensary owners and managers, RMZ Colorado recognizes the growing demand for medicinally focused cannabis solutions, and we’re thrilled to introduce Whoopi & Maya to both medical and recreational patients in Colorado.” said Don Novak, CEO of RMZ Colorado.

More information on the product line, ingredients, and availability can be found at whoopiandmayaco.com.

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[advice]

Life Hax | Carolyn Hax

She wants to settle down, I want to saddle up. What now?

I’ve been dating my girlfriend for about a year, and she’s everything I could have ever asked for – brilliant, kind, sexy, fun, my best friend, and just an incredible human being.

What’s the problem? I still want to get to flirt and date and have sex with a bunch of people.

I’ve been really attracted to other women lately, probably in part because I know my girlfriend is ready to move toward marriage and I’m realizing I may never get to have sex with anyone else again.

I don’t want to hurt her, and I do like the idea of being married to her someday. How do I decide whether to break up with her over this? We’re both late 20s; she’s pretty straitlaced and doesn’t know how much I struggle with this.

Settling Down No, the problem is that you aren’t ready for an exclusive relationship with anyone and you’re lying by omission to your girlfriend.

And that your truth-telling won’t be what hurts her, because you’re hurting her already, now, by harboring doubts she knows nothing about.

Tell her exactly “how much I struggle with this.” Now, like, today. You don’t get to hold her under false pretenses of monogamous intent just because you think you’re going to want her later when you feel good and darn ready.

The only act of love here is honesty.

Anything short of it is just a way for you to achieve your selfish, have-andeat-cakish ends.

I’ve had a very good friend for several years who recently got a well-paying job. He describes himself as having more money than he knows what to do with, and he loves to travel.

In the past year, said friend and I have traveled cross-continent and have an overseas trip coming up, all on his dime. He says he’s just happy to have a travel companion, and we have a lot of fun on our trips, since we have very

compatible travel styles. I’m obviously very grateful and do what I can to “repay” his kindness with thoughtful gifts and by using my organizational skills to make our trips as stress-free as possible. However, some people really don’t get this arrangement.

My family keeps encouraging me to marry him, and other people have made comments questioning whether I’m “sure” he doesn’t expect anything romantic or sexual in exchange.

How do I respond to raised eyebrows, comments, questions or statements that imply or outright state that I owe my friend sex or a relationship in exchange for his generosity?

Just Friends The only people who need to “get” this arrangement are you and your friend.

So, answer nosy people’s questions accordingly: “Thanks for your concern.”

Even from your family. The effect of repeating this, verbatim, can be powerful.

If you’d prefer to mix it up: “I’ve got this”; “Interesting, thanks”; “I’ll keep that in mind”; “You do realize, I hope, that my standing here and nodding means only that I’m humoring you.”

Bon voyage.

My boyfriend and I have been dating for over a year. We dated senior year at different high schools, and now we go to colleges an hour and a half apart. We never really had problems in our relationship, but I have trust issues from past relationships.

Yes, but not because baby did a bad, bad thing.

Break up because you’re not ready for this. You’re not strong enough – yet – to pull off the high-wire trust act of accepting a lover’s autonomy without internalizing every possible negative outcome as your emotional undoing.

Does it hurt to be cheated on? Lied to, even by omission? Yes, it’s devastating.

But it doesn’t ruin people, it ruins relationships. (And not always that, but that’s for another time.) If your boyfriend’s occasional carousing is indeed the beginning of some nefarious end, and if the high school friend is indeed his catalyst, then he’s merely on an uglier-than-necessary path to the outcome you’ve already openly weighed: a breakup.

After which you will be sad and angry – but only for a while, as long as you let yourself recover and love and trust again, perhaps someone with more integrity.

This last sentence should get an asterisk, yes; you carried trust issues from past relationships into this one.

But that simply means you have another good reason to release your boyfriend to his youth while you do some emotional maintenance work.

Seriously. If a ban on certain bars and buddies is the only chance your love has, then your love doesn’t have a chance. To commit is to choose each other over an unremitting supply of

tempting alternatives.

Accordingly, it’s best saved for when people are both emotionally ready to accept the risk – of loss, of error, of disappointment, of humiliation, of betrayal – and fortunate enough to meet someone compatible who makes that risk worth taking. Commitments last when a couple’s respect and affection for each other negate most of those temptations, and when their maturity and impulse control are sufficient to withstand the rest.

It’s OK that you’re not there yet, especially so young. Trusting others takes an abundance of trust in your own resilience. But you need to direct your energy toward admitting that to yourself – not on shortening your boyfriend’s leash or badmouthing his friends.

We all have “stuff” in the form of painful memories or experiences that we carry with us. But you admit here that you can’t see past your old stuff well enough to manage the new – so it’s time to declutter.

Suggested framework: You can’t control what other people do, say, lie about, drink, or with whom. You just can’t. So, what change will it take – IN YOU – to be mindful of, yet not owned by, such risk?

Carolyn Hax is a syndicated advice columnist for The Washington Post. She started her advice column in 1997, after five years as a copy editor and news editor in Style and none as a therapist. Email her at tellme@washpost.com.

I just found out he has been going to the bars now and then and hanging out with a high school friend I absolutely hate. His high school friends were always players and cheated on their girlfriends. He was with these friends at the bars.

I trusted him before but because of these lies I don’t. He’s tried so hard to fix things but I can’t get over any of this and feel like our relationship will never be the same. Should I break up with him?

Trust Issues

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[happening]

DGO’s picks in and around Durango

Thursday Spring Job Fair, 10 a.m., Fort Lewis College, Student Union, Ballroom, 1000 Rim Drive, 247-7010.

Toddler story time, 10:30 a.m.,

MC & DJ battle Who has the sickest rhymes in Durango? Is it you? Get your ass to Moe’s for the MC and DJ battle to watch or sling crowd-rousing wordology and/or mad beats. Bring your own gear (mic provided). Prizes are for bar tabs from $25 to $75.

Details: Free, 21 and over, sign-up at 9:30 p.m., show at 10 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 1, Moe’s Lounge, 937 Main Ave., www.facebook.com/moesdurango

Booze and trivia at Powerhouse The Powerhouse Pub Trivia series continues, just in time for Snowdown. Trivia’s five rounds of 10 questions. Bring a team or fly solo. Brewskies by Carver Brewing Co.

Exercise class and Bible study, 9 a.m., Pine River Valley

burgh’s Alehouse and Kitchen, 640 Main Ave.

Baptist Church, 11942 State Highway 172, Ignacio.

Snowdown: DIY Formal Wear for Teens and Tweens,

Fundraiser for AHS Interact, 6:30 p.m., Animas City The-

4 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 East Third Ave., 375-3380.

Snowdown Euchre Tournament, 5 p.m., Durango Veterans of

Flip Cup Beer-Chugging Contest, 9 p.m., $5, Lady Falcon-

burgh’s Alehouse and Kitchen, 640 Main Ave. Malai Llama, 9:30 p.m., Balcony Backstage, 600 Main Ave.

Friday Women’s Hormone Clinic,

10 a.m., Durango Natural Medicine, 117 County Road 250.

Preschool story time, 10:30

a.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 East Third Ave. STEAM Lab, 3:30 p.m., Durango

Public Library, 1900 East Third Ave., 375-3380.

StillHouse Junkies, 5:30 p.m.,

Durango Crafts Spirit, 1120 Main Ave. Dustin Burley, 7 p.m., Office

Spiritorium, 699 Main Ave., 3757260.

The High Rollers, 8:30 p.m., $5,

Wild Horse Saloon, 601 East Second Ave., 375-2568.

Details: 21 and over, if you win, the acoustic show will be 4-5 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 5., www.prohibitionherb.com/ meet-chris-robinson-crb

The Workshy, 9:30 p.m., Balcony

Backstage, 600 Main Ave.

Funk at Balcony The Workshy outta Denver will bring their funk-groove rock to town.

It’s Snowdown. Get your smile and dance on.

Snowdown Der Stein Competition, 2 p.m., $5, Lady Falcon-

5:30 p.m., Four Corners Child Advocacy Center, 140 N. Linden St., Cortez.

The Chris Robinson Brotherhood show at Animas City Theatre is sold out, BUT you can win a chance to see Chris Robinson do an acoustic set at a secret location. This is NOT a public event. You have to win a ticket to be able to attend. For a chance at tix to this private meet and greet/show, buy a Prohibition Herb sticker (instore). Each sticker you buy is an entry into the drawing.

You have until Friday, Feb. 2 to enter. Drawing is at 4:20 p.m. (of course).

Associated Press file

»» Chris Robinson with Chris Robinson Brotherhood in 2014.

Details: Free, 21 and over, 9 p.m., Friday, Feb. 2, Balcony Backstage, 600 Main Ave., www.balconybarandgrill.com

Rock at 11th Street You know you’re going to end up at Snowdown’s light parade. Well, afterwards, hit up 11th Street Station for the jazzy soul stylings of Honeyhawk. Rad R&B music plus 11th Street’s latenight happy hour ($6 for a beer and a shot) will make for a badass Friday.

Details: Free entry, 21 and over, 8:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 2, 11th Street Station, 1101 Main Ave., http://11thstreetstation.com

Newsstand Cafe, 707 Main Ave.

Monday

Dynamics of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault,

Win a chance to see Chris Robinson

Ukulele jam, 4 p.m., Magpies

Durango Public Library, 1900 East Third Ave.

Foreign Wars, 1550 Main Ave.

Details: $5 suggested team donation, 21 and over, 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 1, Powerhouse Science Center, 1333 Camino Del Rio, https://powsci.org/events/trivia

Free book giveaway, noon, Downtown Security Storage, 923 Narrow Gauge Ave.

atre, 128 E. College Drive.

Introduction and Safety, 6 p.m., Powerhouse Science Center, MakerLab, 1295 Camino del Rio.

Tuesday Baby story time, 2 p.m., Duran-

go Public Library, 1900 East Third Ave., 375-3380.

Tuesday Jam, 6 p.m., Steaming

Bean, 900 Main Ave. Introduction to Sewing, 6

p.m., $20-$40, Powerhouse Science Center, MakerLab, 1295 Camino del Rio.

Wednesday T(w)een Time, 4 p.m., Durango

Public Library, 1900 East Third Ave. Free Legal Resource Fair, 4

p.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds, Exhibit Hall, 2500 Main Ave. SMART Recovery Durango,

5:30 p.m., Suttle Street Clinic, 72 Suttle St., Suite M. Mounds of the Lower Mississippi Valley, 7 p.m., Fort

Lewis College, Center of Southwest Studies, 1000 Rim Drive, 247-7456.

PostSecret Live, 7:30 p.m., $32$42, Fort Lewis College Community Concert Hall, 1000 Rim Drive.

Ongoing Durango Arts Center 10-Minute Play Contest submissions, accepted through

Saturday

Feb. 9. To submit, visit www.durangoartscenter.submittable.com/submit/98943/10-minute-play-contest.

Snowdown: Black Tie Preschool Dance Party, 10:30

“The Shape Of Water” exhibit by artist Julia Klema,

a.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 East Third Ave., 375-3380.

4D3, 5:30 p.m., Digs Restaurant and Bar, 125 Mercado St. The High Rollers, 8:30 p.m., $5,

Wild Horse Saloon, 601 East Second Ave., 375-2568.

High Country Hustle, 9:30

p.m., Balcony Backstage, 600 Main Ave.

Sunday Snowdown pancake breakfast, 7 a.m., La Plata County Fair-

grounds, 2500 Main Ave.

on display through Feb. 23 at Durango Arts Center, 802 East Second Ave.

Submissions To submit listings for publication in DGO and www. dgomag.com, visit www.

swscene.com, click “Add Your Event,” enter the event info into the form and submit. Listings at www.swscene.com will appear on www.dgomag.com and in our weekly print edition. Posting an event on www.swscene.com is free and takes one day to process.

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DEALS

Locally Blown Glass CBD Products Local Artwork Vaping Products Apparel, etc

entire purchase $

over 25!

Expiration Date: 02/28/2018

Must present coupon at time of purchase.

Not valid with any other offer. One per customer.

Open EVERYDAY! 10am-8pm

835 MAIN AVE, Durango, CO 81301

with any purchase!

Come visit us at our NEW location in Main Mall!

Expiration Date: 02/28/2018 Must present coupon at time of purchase.

Not valid with any other offer. One per customer.

Four Corners Foot & Ankle 575 Rivergate Lane, Suite 95, Durango, CO (970) 259-5303 www.4cornersfeet.com Let Dr. Kayse Lake at Four Corners Foot & Ankle provide relief from pain with custom orthotics so you can get on with your life! · Bunions · Heel pain · Arthritis of the foot · Ankle sprains · And so much more we can help with!

Accepting most insurances including Colorado medicaid.

Dog & Cat Food & Supplies Grooming & Dog Wash • Boarding Day Care

D G O

pipe or pack of rolling papers

$50 OFF A Pair of Custom Orthotics

Offer expires 2/28/18

249659

February Special

Pay in advance for

4 self service dog washes, Get 5th Free!

21738 Hwy 160W, Durango

970.375.9700

All washes must be used by 11/30/2018

healthyhoundsandfatcats.com

Expires 02/28/18. Cannot be combined with any other offer.

Last bath of the day must be started at least one hour before closing time.

275539

To advertise in DGO Deals contact us at 970-247-3504 20 | Thursday, February 1, 2018 •• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

“Suddenly Slender helped change my life”

After ››

Mummy Mondays

5 Pack $705 with the 6th Wrap

FREE! (exp Feb 28, 2018)

(exp Feb 28, 2018)

3701 N. Main 100B • Durango 970.259.6961 SuddenlySlenderNowDurango.com

‹‹ Before

D G O

Every Monday Wraps are priced at $130 Regularly priced $165

3 Course Dinner for $25.00!

Choose from our weekly selections.

Expiration Date: 02/28/18 Offer cannot be combined with other promotions.

Not valid on holidays.

725 E 2nd Ave, Durango, CO 81301 • (970) 385-6884 • Closed Sunday

Recommended by Bon Appetit, Sunset Magazine, The New York Times. Taste of Durango’s “Best Food” Award.

SERVICE SPECIALS LUBE, OIL & FILTER

OPEN SATURDAYS FOR FULL SERVICE 8AM-5PM Any Make/Any Model (970) 259-3940 • 20704 Highway 160 West Durango

29

$

MAINTENANCE SPECIAL!

15995

$

95

ONLY ONE COUPON PER VISIT. MUST BE PRESENT AT TIME OF WRITE UP. EXCLUDES TAX AND SHOP SUPPLIES. UP TO 6 QTS SYNTHETIC BLEND CONVENTIONAL MOTOR OIL. INCLUDES OIL, FILTER & LABOR. EXCLUDES DIESELS. SEE DEALER FOR DETAILS. CANNOT BE COMBINED WITH OTHER OFFERS. EXPIRES 02/28/18

DEALS

Enjoy an appetizer, entree and dessert all for $25.00

($190.00 VALUE)

· OIL & OIL FILTER REPLACEMENT · TIRE ROTATION · ANTIFREEZE REPLACEMENT SERVICE · BATTERY SERVICE · CHARGING SYSTEM TEST · 27 POINT INSPECTION ONLY ONE COUPON PER VISIT. MUST BE PRESENT AT TIME OF WRITE UP. EXCLUDES TAX AND SHOP SUPPLIES. SEE DEALER FOR DETAILS. CANNOT BE COMBINED WITH OTHER OFFERS. UP TO 7 QUARTS OF OIL/ GASOLINE ENGINE VEHICLES. CANNOT BE COMBINED WITH OTHER OFFERS. EXPIRES 02/28/18

To advertise in DGO Deals contact us at 970-247-3504 ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Thursday, February 1, 2018 | 21

Horoscope ARIES (March 21 to April 19)

from these negotiations. Be nice.

This is a popular time for you, especially with younger people and creative, artistic types. Nevertheless, be patient with co-workers this week. (Oh yeah.)

LEO (July 23 to Aug. 22)

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) You are high-viz now, and people admire you! You might even strike up a romance with your boss or someone in a position of authority. (Oh my.)

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Your desire to travel is strong now.

Nevertheless, this week, you might be annoyed with a partner or family member. Stay friendly.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22)

Bizarro

Because you are focused on shared property, inheritances and insurance issues, you might be at odds with someone this week. Actually, you can benefit

Remember to get more sleep now because you need it. Meanwhile, relationships with partners and close friends are supportive. Avoid disputes about money, especially with your kids.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 to Sept. 22) This week, the Moon is in your sign at odds with Mars, which can make you short-tempered. Fortunately, things go well at work and with co-workers.

That’s a blessing.

LIBRA (Sept. 23 to Oct. 22) This is a playful time for your sign! You want to party, enjoy sports events and have fun! Be patient if someone irritates you this week. (This is small stuff.)

SCORPIO (Oct. 23 to Nov. 21) Your focus on home, family and

redecorating where you live is strong now. You want to create a comfortable home for yourself. Avoid disputes about money this week.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 to Dec. 21) This is a fast-paced week for you. In addition, you are high-viz, especially in the eyes of bosses, parents, VIPs and the police.

Avoid disputes with bosses, parents and power figures because it’s not worth it.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 to Jan. 19) Your focus on money and cash flow is strong this week. In fact, you might boost your earnings! (Avoid controversial subjects like politics, religion and racial issues.)

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 to Feb. 18) Disputes about shared property and inheritances might arise briefly this week. Fear not, because your reputation is going to be fabulous for the rest

of this year!

PISCES (Feb. 19 to March 20) Be patient with partners and bosses this week. Instead, start to plan where you might travel this year. You want to expand your world in exciting ways through education and seeing new, exotic places.

BORN THIS WEEK You are honest, passionate and a born humanitarian. You are creative and feel very comfortable being rebellious. This year is a powerful year! There will be big decisions and major achievements!

Think about success, power and money.

It’s time to reap the benefits of the past decade. Expect to attain aspects of power and leadership in all your relationships with others. Activity is key! © 2018 King Features Syndicate Inc.

[Formalwear FAQ for your shitfaced Snowdown chats] »»If you wanna be a badass, wear a bow tie. In the 17th century, Croatian mercenaries created the cravat which shortly thereafter turned into the bow tie. »»In 1894, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals shut down a fashion trend in New York.

That trend? Chameleons as street style. The lil’ lizards were attached to womens’ bodices via tiny collars and chains. »»Phallic charms were often worn in ancient Rome. Winged penis charms were worn by boys to ward off evil. “Fist and phallus” pendants, i.e. a rock hard D with a fist gripped around it, were worn by soldiers for good luck. Heaven help you if you were in town for a Bacchanalia because dong baubles EVERYWHERE. »»Cummerbunds started during the British colonialization of India in about 1850. Brits didn’t consider cummerbunds formalwear but would wear them to dinner, they were dinner wear. The cummerbund mirrored the local custom of people wearing waist sashes and was much cooler than the British custom of wearing a waistcoat (vest).

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Snowdown 40 years in:

DRUNKEN REVELRY AND STAYING DIY How did Durango turn into a day-drinking, hot-air-ballooning, hell-raising, pet-costuming, pants-offdance-off, outhouse-stuffing winter wild town? The Durango Herald’s new biweekly speaker series, Durango Diaries, had a Snowdown edition on Monday, Jan. 29. Snowdown co-founder Linda Mannix, 34-year volunteer Mike Smedley, and current president of the Snowdown Board of Directors, Chip Lile, gave deets on history and the DIY nature of Snowdown.

Back in 1978, Linda Mannix, Terry Fiedler, and John Murrah sat down and, “Basically, it was a 12-pack of Budweiser, a Broncos game, and we talked about ideas ... We dreamed (Snowdown) up between November 1978 and January 1979 and we got the event rolling,” said Mannix. That’s right, kiddos, all you need to create a bacchanalia is fine friends, satiating beverages, two months, and a little starter cash from someone like the Durango Herald. According to Mannix, it’s been, “A lot of cocktails along the way and a lot of fun.”

Snowdown is built around four pillar events: The Follies, the light parade, the chili cook-off, and the Fashion Dos and Don’ts luncheon.

Over the years, other events have fallen by the wayside, like skiing Purg all day Sunday in your Follies costumes, according to Mannix. Also gone, the massive ping-pong tournament, dangerous ski jumping, and the Cream Pie Hit Squad.

“You could call in and order a ‘hit’ for a set amount of money ... and people dressed in their finest James Bond attire playing the James Bond (soundtrack) on a boombox would appear,” said Smedley. “But they weren’t evil. They weren’t mean. (The hit squad) would call you and warn you and you could buy the contract for an extra 10 bucks, at which point (the hit squad) would call the original buyer and these things could get into the hundreds of dollars, going back and forth.” Or, you could buy a cream pie immunity.

It wasn’t long before outside forces wanted to control Snowdown.

“The people from Budweiser were so impressed, and said, ‘This is great, we need to get the naming rights for this. The Budweiser Snowdown.’ That had as much life as a glass of weekold, cheap champagne sitting on your counter,” said Smedley.

Snowdown isn’t for sale. It remains a purposefully DIY, volunteer-run nonprofit so that its board of directors retain complete creative control of the event. The power of Snowdown is in its grassroots mentality. Without having major sponsors to please, the board can let fly whatever events are safe, legal, and organized by the idea-maker. “(Snowdown) touches everyone somehow, someway. I think that is the strength and beauty of Snowdown and that’s what’s going to get us through the next 40 years,” said Lile.

—— Patty Templeton

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