Friday Field Trip: Mueller State Park

Blogger was 'out of order' for a while, so I couldn't get this post up. Actually, I'm not even sure it will post now, but these are pictures of last week's trip to Mueller State Park.

Friday Field Trip - Around the Yard

Hubster provided some of the pictures he's taken recently. He likes checking out all the wildlife, both flora and fauna. These shots are all from our yard, many taken from his window.

Reminders: Don't miss my grab bag contest (see contest tab above) or a chance to win my "mystery POV book" from Wednesday's post. Come back Sunday to see if you're a winner.

Friday Field Trip - USAF Academy Cadet Chapel

I'm welcoming Jason Odell back to host this week's Friday Field Trip. Click to enlarge the images. I know you won't be disappointed.

The Cadet Chapel is probably the most recognized architectural work in the Colorado Springs area. Its spires are visible from the freeway as you drive past the Academy grounds. The chapel was completed in 1962, and is open to the public. Its unique design is constructed from aluminum tetrahedrons. Between each segment, the gap is filled with stained glass panels. The chapel has seventeen spires that reach 150 feet in the air. The chapel actually houses three separate worship areas: the Protestant Chapel is the main floor, and on the lower levels you'll find Catholic and Jewish chapels.

I have visited the Cadet Chapel several times since moving to Colorado Springs, but only recently had the opportunity to go inside. I went on a late Monday afternoon and was rewarded with spectacular light and the good fortune to be the only one inside. The staff did not object to my tripod and they liked looking at the photographs, too.

What's in a Number?

Are you Triskaidekaphobic? Or just Paraskevidekatriaphobic?

The first refers to a fear of the number 13. It's common enough, which is why hotels often don't have a 13th floor (but of course they do, it's simply labeled 14), and some airlines don't have a 13th row. This isn't a universal fear, however.

In Italy, 17 is supposed to be an unlucky number. Tetraphobia, fear of the number 4 — (phonetically similar to 'death') in Korea, China, and Japan, as well as in many East-Asian and some Southeast-Asian countries, it's not uncommon for buildings (including offices, apartments, hotels) to lack floors with the number 4, and Finnish mobile phone manufacturer Nokia's 1xxx-9xxx series of mobile phones does not include any model numbers beginning with a 4. In Taiwan, tetraphobia is so common that there are no 4's or x4's for hospitals.

The second is more specific, a fear of Friday the 13th. If that's your fear, maybe you're hiding inside today (which explains why statistically, there are fewer accidents on a Friday the 13th – people aren't going out). It's been estimated that there's an $800 to $900 MILLION loss in business on a Friday the 13th.

Keep Reading...

Some interesting articles about Friday the 13th from NPR:

Friday the 13th: The Fear that Will Not Die

Who's Afraid of Friday the 13th?


I'm not particularly superstitious. I've never done anything differently on a Friday the 13th. In Walt Kelly's Pogo strip, there was a Friday the 13th every month. It just didn't always fall on a Friday. But in Romanian, Greek and Hispanic cultures, Tuesday the 13th is considered unlucky.

I don't avoid black cats, and if a ladder is blocking the sidewalk, I'll walk under it rather than risk stepping into the street.


The dryer saga: On Monday, I called the service company to tell them the parts they ordered had come in. They set up an appointment window of 8 AM to noon on Wednesday. When noon came and went, I called, because the previous time, the serviceman had called me to say he was running late. Ooops. "Sorry, we have no record of your appointment. We can reschedule for tomorrow." Why is it when the company screws up, the consumer gets screwed. What if I'd had to take a day off work to be home? As it was, I did have to juggle my schedule, not once, but twice. And then the best their supervisor could do was "request" that I be the first call of the day.

With luck, everything is fixed now. I haven't tested it yet – and maybe, since it's Friday the 13th, I'd be better off waiting a day.

After the dryer guy did his thing, I went downtown and met with Detective Hussey and ran my "would this be how a cop should handle this?" scenarios past him over lunch. Since he said I had the procedures right, and that my dialogue sounded appropriately "cop", I won't have to rewrite those scenes. I also learned a new term: "Protective Sweep." Gordon, my cop, did one; I just didn't know it had a name. And where else can you have lunch and get to listen to one side of a phone conversation where someone says, "Don't worry about it. Just tell them you dug the hole and you discovered the bones."

Detective Hussey's been busy, but he did say he'd be willing to answer questions. No promises as to how many he can handle at a time, or how long it'll take to get back with answers, but if you've read his case files and want to know more, shoot me an email (address in my sidebar) and I'll get them to him. Put Hussey Question in the subject line. And if you haven't read his case files, you've missed a treat. You can enter Homicide – Hussey in the search box. I ran them every Friday starting back in January.

So, for me, today is business as usual. I'm editing. Hubby is meeting with a tree trimmer to check into manicuring our oasis. We've got all the Realtor presentations laid out on the kitchen table, and we'll have to decide who gets our contract. Given their presentations, it's likely to be closing our eyes and drawing a name out of a hat. Or maybe throwing darts would be more cathartic.

Have a great weekend, everyone.