Friday, August 17, 2012

Homeless population in Cheyenne

I never see the newspaper until about 2 weeks after it's too late for me to do any good, but a couple of folks in my Scrabble club yesterday were commenting about an article in the Cheyenne Tribune on Thursday, all about how Cheyenne has become a magnet for homeless folks.

This happens during the summer and I saw it last year, too. I didn't realize the people were homeless, I thought they were just passing through on their way elsewhere -  hitchhiking.

Anyone who goes into our Walmart will see them, standing on the corner of Dell Range and the entrance way to the store, holding up a sign with a variation of Broke. Hungry. Anything will help.  Some will say Stranded and out of gas.

They're even up on College at the exit from Highway 25 to the various gas stations and restaurants.

Occasionally there's an old person - but usually they're young and fully capable of working. But they prefer not to, obviously.

Watch out for a variety of scams, by the way. If you're in a store parking lot and someone points out their van to you and says, "Hey, we're travelling and we're out of gas, could you lend us a $20 - rest assured they're scamming you." Those folks who really need money will be at a church or something - not begging in a store parking lot.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Little America Resort and Conference Center

Little America resort, located way out on Lincolnway past "hotel row" is a very nice, large place. Very classy. All the servers seem to be foreign - Russia or somewhere of that nature, with a smattering of British...

Sumptuous decorations in all the meeting rooms.

I was there for the AARP spelling bee and saw someone teeing off behind the building. I didn't take the time to go there to look to see if I could see the rest of the golf course (hidden by trees) but one day I shall.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

60 is the new 40

On August 10, 2012, the Cheyenne chapter of the AARP hosted a seminar called Gray Matters - which was free and provided a free lunch - unfortunately fish and cheesecake, blech - from 4 to 6 was a reception for all travelers who had come in for the AARP National Spelling Bee to be held on the 11th.

I attended that and it was a lot of fun. The emcee introduced a few folks, we talked about words, there was a "mock" spelling bee (which only consisted of about 20 people getting up and being questioned on one word...._ and so on. And there were finger foods there - Chinese food to be precise. Don't know where they got it from or if they cooked it on site (Little America is a hotel and resort where people come to play golf among other things) but it was delish.

The spelling bee started at the ungodly hour of 8:30 am (Well...8:30 is not so ungodly but I had to get up at the ungodly hour of 6:30 to get there in time for registration, etc.) It started with 4 rounds of 25 words each - which was a Written Test.

The first 25 words were extremely easy. They asked words like "Greetings" and "Navel" and "Mince." I suppose a few might have been considered difficult... "Animus" and "Lacuna."


The second 25 words were equally easy, but I did miss MUGWUMP.


I assume they did this just to help everyone settle the nerves and get new people used to what was going on. People had trouble hearing some of the words (hey, they were all over 50 and most over 60) and the Pronouncer  would come down and tell them the word face to face and have them say it back, etc. Indeed, the Pronouncer did an excellent job.


Third round was where they started asking the difficult words.


I missed:
QUESTIONARY INERCALATE
TUATARA
SKOSH
VIRIDITY
WIMBLE

The fourth round was the real killer. I only got 12 out of 25 right. I missed:

FELICIFIC
DOVEKIE
FLYTING
NAPERY
COTYLEDONARY
WELTSCHMERRZ
OPPUGNER
AECIOSPORE
SYNCYTIAL
KNUR
IRIDIUM
TUYERE
HYOSCYAMINE

I then stayed for the Oral rounds and was joined by one of my friends from my Scrabble Club. (I think an audience could have assembled for the Written rounds, too. There were chairs there and family were in them...but I think most people only wanted to come see the Oral rounds where you actually saw the speller's faces as opposed to their backs, etc.)

Two of the people I met last night at the reception made it to the Orals. One of them it was his first trip to the Bee and he was successful his first time out. Made it through about 10 rounds. (In the Orals, you miss two words and you're out.) Another one was an elderly woman from Minnesota who also got through about 10 rounds before being knocked out.

There were three sisters and a brother who had come as a sort of family reunion. The eldest sister made it to the Oral rounds but was bounced after only two rounds. This was too bad and it was because she was a bit unlucky - she got two 6-syllable words in a row while some of the others were getting much easier ones (but still, not ones I could have spelled). But she was disqualified along with several other people in the same round, so hopefully she didn't feel too bad.

The words in the Oral Rounds were extremely difficult. Several times more difficult than the toughest words in the final round of the Written.


But, had I studied for a year, I think I could have handled them.


And it is my intention to study for a year and  get into the Orals next year.


So, why is the title of this blog entry 60 is thenew 40?


Because it is.


People are living longer. You don't want to outlive your money and more importantly you don't want to outlive your sense of enjoyment of life. And learning new things every day is enjoyment and keeps the mind active.


The AARP Spelling Bee is held every year, and it gives you an excellent reason to travel to Cheyenne and see The Cowboy State. You'll meet lots of interesting people.


You do have to study.


I studied very desultorily for about a month...combine all the time I studied and it was about 10 hours. Not nearly enough, but then, I'm a good speller so the Written Rounds were relatively easy - except for that killer last round.


Why learn words that you'll never, ever say in real life?Well, because they're interesting. And the concepts of what you'll learn, you can apply in other areas. So it's a win win.


So start planning to live a long, healthy, active, intellectual life, and do it now, however old you might be!

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Attend the AARP SPelling Bee Aug 11

The written rounds take place ridiculously early - from 7 am! to about 1, then it's the oral rounds where they let in spectators. That starts at 1 pm.

It's at Little America.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Re-O-Na Sushi & Thai Restaurant

My sister and I went to Re-O-Na yesterday for lunch..

Ambiance - wonderful. Long tanks of water with paper flowers floating in them. Very large building. Each booth had curtains one could draw if one desired.

Presentation - the Japanese always present their food well. White, square plates, lots of food, etc. Sturdy black chopsticks. (presumably washed after every meal - as opposed to the cheap ones you get at other restaurants.)

Service - Very good. Everyone smiling. attentive, eager to please.

Food - sucked.

I had the chicken teriyaki. Lots of little unbreaded chicken pieces, in a teriyaki sauce. Unfortunately, it was dark meat and I do not like dark meat. Also found it rather tough. I also had tempura vegetables. Now, if I'd liked fish I might have liked these, the batter had a very distinct fishy smell. But since I hate fish... I couldn't eat them.

My sister had chicken pad thai. She found the chicken bland...and over all the dish was mediocre.

They also served little pieces of sushi for a dessert. My sister ate both of them - surprised they didn't come with wasabi to dip them into, and was not impressed.

So overall, a disappointment. We might go back and try another dish, just to see... but for now, we cannot recommend it for the food.