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Post by inger on Jun 4, 2023 12:43:26 GMT -5
One short self-indulgent squib here. I'm broadcasting today from Zermatt, world-renowned skiing venue which sits below the Matterhorn. The Matterhorn is the tallest peak in Europe at over 14,000 feet, which means it is usually under cloud cover, which it has been so far during our two days here. We got one brief glimpse for about a minute and people gasped as if they had seen the Aurora Borealis. I actually did get a good look at it in 1971, but you know after over half a century I'd like a little refresher. Plus my wife has never seen it (other than at Disneyland and Disney World, and somehow this is a little different.) Switzerland is stupidly gorgeous so I won't go over that again -- this is my fifth visit but my wife had only passed briefly through Zurich and I needed to share it with her. One more literary note -- Mark Twain wrote about visiting this area in 1878 in "A Tramp Abroad." We followed his footsteps by hiking from Zermatt up to Riffleberg, where he stayed in a hotel that is still there at over 8,000 feet. In fact the trail is called the Mark Twain Trail. People in those days were pretty rugged -- I can't imagine a tour group making that 3,000 foot ascent over three miles dressed in what was available at that time over far more primitive paths than we used. And Twain was a chain-smoking, hard-drinking middle-aged writer when he did this. I found my new favorite bar in Zermatt -- it's called Paul's Cocktails and the sign in the window says "Cocktails -- because what great story ever begins with someone eating a salad?" Reading this gives me such an appreciation for where I get to live today and hope to live out my life. The house sits at 7,630 feet, and we stare directly out the front windows to view 14,300 Mt. Blanca, which is only occasionally shrouded in clouds, along with a generous sprinkling of other 10,000-13,000 foot peaks. Then behind us, but a bit further away are the San Juan’s, also topping out around 14,000 feet. We also have lesser views of the Spanish Peaks to the south, and the LaGarita range to our north east. It’s certainly not comparable to Switzerland, but it’s not a bad poor man’s substitute… |
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Post by pippsheadache on Jun 4, 2023 12:52:33 GMT -5
One short self-indulgent squib here. I'm broadcasting today from Zermatt, world-renowned skiing venue which sits below the Matterhorn. The Matterhorn is the tallest peak in Europe at over 14,000 feet, which means it is usually under cloud cover, which it has been so far during our two days here. We got one brief glimpse for about a minute and people gasped as if they had seen the Aurora Borealis. I actually did get a good look at it in 1971, but you know after over half a century I'd like a little refresher. Plus my wife has never seen it (other than at Disneyland and Disney World, and somehow this is a little different.) Switzerland is stupidly gorgeous so I won't go over that again -- this is my fifth visit but my wife had only passed briefly through Zurich and I needed to share it with her. One more literary note -- Mark Twain wrote about visiting this area in 1878 in "A Tramp Abroad." We followed his footsteps by hiking from Zermatt up to Riffleberg, where he stayed in a hotel that is still there at over 8,000 feet. In fact the trail is called the Mark Twain Trail. People in those days were pretty rugged -- I can't imagine a tour group making that 3,000 foot ascent over three miles dressed in what was available at that time over far more primitive paths than we used. And Twain was a chain-smoking, hard-drinking middle-aged writer when he did this. I found my new favorite bar in Zermatt -- it's called Paul's Cocktails and the sign in the window says "Cocktails -- because what great story ever begins with someone eating a salad?" Sounds majestic pipps! If you ever want to send me pictures later I can post them. Wow five visits to Switzerland! No doubt negotiating some secret world diplomacy in a neutral country  . Stay safe on those trails! We're looking forward to having you back! Thanks Kaybli. I'll at least send a picture of the Fart Bus! Yeah, that's it, negotiating secret treaties between heads of state like Frank Drebbin. Strictly hush hush, involving numbered Swiss Bank accounts and blood oaths of secrecy. Sounds a lot more exotic than touring cheese manufacturers in Gruyeres (my cover story.) The trails are very safe -- we're well past the stage of rappelling -- but they do give the legs and lungs a good workout. We've never felt better in our lives. Thanks for the kind wishes, and we should be back home by next weekend. Although we're hoping our flight back is overbooked and we will jump on any offer of cash money and a few extra days over here! |
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Post by pippsheadache on Jun 4, 2023 12:59:04 GMT -5
One short self-indulgent squib here. I'm broadcasting today from Zermatt, world-renowned skiing venue which sits below the Matterhorn. The Matterhorn is the tallest peak in Europe at over 14,000 feet, which means it is usually under cloud cover, which it has been so far during our two days here. We got one brief glimpse for about a minute and people gasped as if they had seen the Aurora Borealis. I actually did get a good look at it in 1971, but you know after over half a century I'd like a little refresher. Plus my wife has never seen it (other than at Disneyland and Disney World, and somehow this is a little different.) Switzerland is stupidly gorgeous so I won't go over that again -- this is my fifth visit but my wife had only passed briefly through Zurich and I needed to share it with her. One more literary note -- Mark Twain wrote about visiting this area in 1878 in "A Tramp Abroad." We followed his footsteps by hiking from Zermatt up to Riffleberg, where he stayed in a hotel that is still there at over 8,000 feet. In fact the trail is called the Mark Twain Trail. People in those days were pretty rugged -- I can't imagine a tour group making that 3,000 foot ascent over three miles dressed in what was available at that time over far more primitive paths than we used. And Twain was a chain-smoking, hard-drinking middle-aged writer when he did this. I found my new favorite bar in Zermatt -- it's called Paul's Cocktails and the sign in the window says "Cocktails -- because what great story ever begins with someone eating a salad?" Reading this gives me such an appreciation for where I get to live today and hope to live out my life. The house dots at 7,630 feet, and we stare directly out the front windows to view 14,300 Mt. Blanca, which is only occasionally shrouded in clouds, along with a generous sprinkling of other 10,000-13,000 foot peaks. Then behind us, but a bit further away are the San Juan’s, also topping out around 14,000 feet. We also have lesser views of the Spanish Peaks to the south, and the LaGarita range to our north east. It’s certainly not comparable to Switzerland, but it’s not a bad poor man’s substitute… Inger, the Rockies hold their own with any place on Earth. Every bit as much grandeur as the Alps, just a different feel. The Alps probably have more contrast between valley and mountain and have an older tradition of trails connecting towns. But there are more 14,000 footers in the Rockies, and it has its own unique history. Both areas are stunningly beautiful. |
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Post by inger on Jun 4, 2023 13:00:51 GMT -5
Sounds majestic pipps! If you ever want to send me pictures later I can post them. Wow five visits to Switzerland! No doubt negotiating some secret world diplomacy in a neutral country . Stay safe on those trails! We're looking forward to having you back! Thanks Kaybli. I'll at least send a picture of the Fart Bus! Yeah, that's it, negotiating secret treaties between heads of state like Frank Drebbin. Strictly hush hush, involving numbered Swiss Bank accounts and blood oaths of secrecy. Sounds a lot more exotic than touring cheese manufacturers in Gruyeres (my cover story.) The trails are very safe -- we're well past the stage of rappelling -- but they do give the legs and lungs a good workout. We've never felt better in our lives. Thanks for the kind wishes, and we should be back home by next weekend. Although we're hoping our flight back is overbooked and we will jump on any offer of cash money and a few extra days over here! And therein the biggest difference between Switzerland and existence of Mosca, CO.. Today I’ll be pulling weeds, planting a few flowers, and some seeds, hopefully before our afternoon storms. Not quite as glamorous of an agenda… 😂 Have fun, you kids! I’ll think of Matterhorn today when I glance over a Blanca! … |
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Post by pippsheadache on Jun 4, 2023 13:03:04 GMT -5
Thanks Kaybli. I'll at least send a picture of the Fart Bus! Yeah, that's it, negotiating secret treaties between heads of state like Frank Drebbin. Strictly hush hush, involving numbered Swiss Bank accounts and blood oaths of secrecy. Sounds a lot more exotic than touring cheese manufacturers in Gruyeres (my cover story.) The trails are very safe -- we're well past the stage of rappelling -- but they do give the legs and lungs a good workout. We've never felt better in our lives. Thanks for the kind wishes, and we should be back home by next weekend. Although we're hoping our flight back is overbooked and we will jump on any offer of cash money and a few extra days over here! And therein the biggest difference between Switzerland and existence of Mosca, CO.. Today I’ll be pulling weeds, planting a few flowers, and some seeds, hopefully before our afternoon storms. Not quite as glamorous of an agenda… 😂 Have fun, you kids! I’ll think of Matterhorn today when I glance over a Blanca! … Well if we lived here we'd probably be doing the same thing! |
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Post by inger on Jun 4, 2023 13:03:59 GMT -5
Reading this gives me such an appreciation for where I get to live today and hope to live out my life. The house dots at 7,630 feet, and we stare directly out the front windows to view 14,300 Mt. Blanca, which is only occasionally shrouded in clouds, along with a generous sprinkling of other 10,000-13,000 foot peaks. Then behind us, but a bit further away are the San Juan’s, also topping out around 14,000 feet. We also have lesser views of the Spanish Peaks to the south, and the LaGarita range to our north east. It’s certainly not comparable to Switzerland, but it’s not a bad poor man’s substitute… Inger, the Rockies hold their own with any place on Earth. Every bit as much grandeur as the Alps, just a different feel. The Alps probably have more contrast between valley and mountain and have an older tradition of trails connecting towns. But there are more 14,000 footers in the Rockies, and it has its own unique history. Both areas are stunningly beautiful. There are more beautiful views in Colorado than ours, no doubt. But this is the best bang for buck view in the state. This valley has no ski amenities so speak of and lacks development. That’s part of the appeal to us… |
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Post by rizzuto on Jun 4, 2023 13:18:49 GMT -5
One short self-indulgent squib here. I'm broadcasting today from Zermatt, world-renowned skiing venue which sits below the Matterhorn. The Matterhorn is the tallest peak in Europe at over 14,000 feet, which means it is usually under cloud cover, which it has been so far during our two days here. We got one brief glimpse for about a minute and people gasped as if they had seen the Aurora Borealis. I actually did get a good look at it in 1971, but you know after over half a century I'd like a little refresher. Plus my wife has never seen it (other than at Disneyland and Disney World, and somehow this is a little different.) Switzerland is stupidly gorgeous so I won't go over that again -- this is my fifth visit but my wife had only passed briefly through Zurich and I needed to share it with her. One more literary note -- Mark Twain wrote about visiting this area in 1878 in "A Tramp Abroad." We followed his footsteps by hiking from Zermatt up to Riffleberg, where he stayed in a hotel that is still there at over 8,000 feet. In fact the trail is called the Mark Twain Trail. People in those days were pretty rugged -- I can't imagine a tour group making that 3,000 foot ascent over three miles dressed in what was available at that time over far more primitive paths than we used. And Twain was a chain-smoking, hard-drinking middle-aged writer when he did this. I found my new favorite bar in Zermatt -- it's called Paul's Cocktails and the sign in the window says "Cocktails -- because what great story ever begins with someone eating a salad?" Sounds majestic pipps! If you ever want to send me pictures later I can post them. Wow five visits to Switzerland! No doubt negotiating some secret world diplomacy in a neutral country . Stay safe on those trails! We're looking forward to having you back! I may just have to sharpen up the old pencil and begin a series of short stories of Pipps' adventures. Pipps may just be the Forest Gump of spies, both purposely and randomly brushing up against the most influential circumstances and personalities that led to the end of the Cold War, all the while uncovering the greatest cocktails, bands, and sporting events. A more athletic and well-rounded James Bond.  |
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Post by rizzuto on Jun 4, 2023 13:28:52 GMT -5
One short self-indulgent squib here. I'm broadcasting today from Zermatt, world-renowned skiing venue which sits below the Matterhorn. The Matterhorn is the tallest peak in Europe at over 14,000 feet, which means it is usually under cloud cover, which it has been so far during our two days here. We got one brief glimpse for about a minute and people gasped as if they had seen the Aurora Borealis. I actually did get a good look at it in 1971, but you know after over half a century I'd like a little refresher. Plus my wife has never seen it (other than at Disneyland and Disney World, and somehow this is a little different.) Switzerland is stupidly gorgeous so I won't go over that again -- this is my fifth visit but my wife had only passed briefly through Zurich and I needed to share it with her. One more literary note -- Mark Twain wrote about visiting this area in 1878 in "A Tramp Abroad." We followed his footsteps by hiking from Zermatt up to Riffleberg, where he stayed in a hotel that is still there at over 8,000 feet. In fact the trail is called the Mark Twain Trail. People in those days were pretty rugged -- I can't imagine a tour group making that 3,000 foot ascent over three miles dressed in what was available at that time over far more primitive paths than we used. And Twain was a chain-smoking, hard-drinking middle-aged writer when he did this. I found my new favorite bar in Zermatt -- it's called Paul's Cocktails and the sign in the window says "Cocktails -- because what great story ever begins with someone eating a salad?" It has been more than twenty years since I read "Following the Equator," which is sometimes entitled "More Tramps Abroad." Mostly, I read it in a hammock between two trees in my back yard in Hanford, California. A Jimmy Buffet song actually led me to the book. Later this afternoon, I'm going to Half-Price Books, and I may see if they have "A Tramp Abroad" in stock. |
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Post by pippsheadache on Jun 4, 2023 13:32:09 GMT -5
Sounds majestic pipps! If you ever want to send me pictures later I can post them. Wow five visits to Switzerland! No doubt negotiating some secret world diplomacy in a neutral country . Stay safe on those trails! We're looking forward to having you back! I may just have to sharpen up the old pencil and begin a series of short stories of Pipps' adventures. Pipps may just be the Forest Gump of spies, both purposely and randomly brushing up against the most influential circumstances and personalities that led to the end of the Cold War, all the while uncovering the greatest cocktails, bands, and sporting events. A more athletic and well-rounded James Bond. Hah! I probably have more in common with Ward Bond than James Bond, but I love the exaggerated story line. I am sure you know that Ian Fleming came up with the name James Bond from a renowned British ornithologist of that name who was a friend of Fleming's in Jamaica. And birding was actually my very first intellectual interest, even before baseball, so maybe you’re on to something. But I like Ward Bond more than James Bond. I even had a Wagon Train lunchbox in second grade. |
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Post by pippsheadache on Jun 4, 2023 13:39:27 GMT -5
One short self-indulgent squib here. I'm broadcasting today from Zermatt, world-renowned skiing venue which sits below the Matterhorn. The Matterhorn is the tallest peak in Europe at over 14,000 feet, which means it is usually under cloud cover, which it has been so far during our two days here. We got one brief glimpse for about a minute and people gasped as if they had seen the Aurora Borealis. I actually did get a good look at it in 1971, but you know after over half a century I'd like a little refresher. Plus my wife has never seen it (other than at Disneyland and Disney World, and somehow this is a little different.) Switzerland is stupidly gorgeous so I won't go over that again -- this is my fifth visit but my wife had only passed briefly through Zurich and I needed to share it with her. One more literary note -- Mark Twain wrote about visiting this area in 1878 in "A Tramp Abroad." We followed his footsteps by hiking from Zermatt up to Riffleberg, where he stayed in a hotel that is still there at over 8,000 feet. In fact the trail is called the Mark Twain Trail. People in those days were pretty rugged -- I can't imagine a tour group making that 3,000 foot ascent over three miles dressed in what was available at that time over far more primitive paths than we used. And Twain was a chain-smoking, hard-drinking middle-aged writer when he did this. I found my new favorite bar in Zermatt -- it's called Paul's Cocktails and the sign in the window says "Cocktails -- because what great story ever begins with someone eating a salad?" It has been more than twenty years since I read "Following the Equator," which is sometimes entitled "More Tramps Abroad." Mostly, I read it in a hammock between two trees in my back yard in Hanford, California. A Jimmy Buffet song actually led me to the book. Later this afternoon, I'm going to Half-Price Books, and I may see if they have "A Tramp Abroad" in stock. Twain's travel writings are both hilarious and compelling. "The Innocents Abroad" is so spot-on about Americans traveling overseas. If I were only permitted to read one author for the rest of my life, I think I would choose Mark Twain. Either that or the collection of Mad Magazine. |
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Post by rizzuto on Jun 4, 2023 15:22:10 GMT -5
I may just have to sharpen up the old pencil and begin a series of short stories of Pipps' adventures. Pipps may just be the Forest Gump of spies, both purposely and randomly brushing up against the most influential circumstances and personalities that led to the end of the Cold War, all the while uncovering the greatest cocktails, bands, and sporting events. A more athletic and well-rounded James Bond. Hah! I probably have more in common with Ward Bond than James Bond, but I love the exaggerated story line. I am sure you know that Ian Fleming came up with the name James Bond from a renowned British ornithologist of that name who was a friend of Fleming's in Jamaica. And birding was actually my very first intellectual interest, even before baseball, so maybe you’re on to something. But I like Ward Bond more than James Bond. I even had a Wagon Train lunchbox in second grade. Ward Bond died much too soon at age 57 after attending a football game in Dallas, Texas. He was a wonderful character actor, but he was also rather like a grand inquisitor during the blacklisting of suspected communists - or as J. Edgar Hoover pronounced it "commanist" - in Hollywood. Played football at USC along side John Wayne, which is how Bond found his way to John Ford and into film. |
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Post by inger on Jun 4, 2023 17:10:01 GMT -5
I may just have to sharpen up the old pencil and begin a series of short stories of Pipps' adventures. Pipps may just be the Forest Gump of spies, both purposely and randomly brushing up against the most influential circumstances and personalities that led to the end of the Cold War, all the while uncovering the greatest cocktails, bands, and sporting events. A more athletic and well-rounded James Bond. Hah! I probably have more in common with Ward Bond than James Bond, but I love the exaggerated story line. I am sure you know that Ian Fleming came up with the name James Bond from a renowned British ornithologist of that name who was a friend of Fleming's in Jamaica. And birding was actually my very first intellectual interest, even before baseball, so maybe you’re on to something. But I like Ward Bond more than James Bond. I even had a Wagon Train lunchbox in second grade. Ward Bond was everyone’s grand father. Even for me that never knew a grandparent. He also may hold the world’s record for most white hair growing out of a set of human ears. I had an acquaintance once that had to shave his ear lobes. Damnedest thing you ever saw when he’d get about three days growth on them… |
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Post by rizzuto on Jun 7, 2023 18:53:20 GMT -5
Has anyone here used CHAT GPT for fun or for work?
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Post by kaybli on Jun 7, 2023 19:18:16 GMT -5
Has anyone here used CHAT GPT for fun or for work? Just for fun. I used it to make rhyming poems making fun of my friends. And then used it for song recommendations. It can do a whole lot more of course but haven’t dove fully into it yet. |
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Post by inger on Jun 7, 2023 19:27:23 GMT -5
Has anyone here used CHAT GPT for fun or for work? Just for fun. I used it to make rhyming poems making fun of my friends. And then used it for song recommendations. It can do a whole lot more of course but haven’t dove fully into it yet. So what you’re saying is that you’re actually a bot and all of your posts are AI. I get it now… |
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. Stay safe on those trails! We're looking forward to having you back! 
