Are You From Colorado?

[lakeside #29]

NOW:
You're from Colorado if you'll eat ice cream in the winter.

When the weather report says it's going to be 65 degrees, you shave your legs and wear a skirt.

It snows 5 inches and you don't expect school to be canceled.

You'll wear flip flops every day of the year, regardless of temperature.

You have no accent at all, but can hear other people's. And then you make fun of them.

'Humid' is 25%.

Your sense of direction is: Toward the mountains and Away from the mountains.

You say The Valley Highway or The Boulder Turnpike and everybody knows what they are.

You think that May is a totally normal month for a blizzard.

You buy your flowers to set out on Mother's day, but try and hold off planting them until just before Father's day.

You plan your Halloween costumes around your coat.

You know what the Continental Divide is.

You don't think Coors beer is that big a deal.

You went to Casa Bonita as a kid, and as an adult with your own kids, or even your grandkids. But by then, you realize the actual name of the place is "Caca--don't eat it!"

You've gone off-roading in a vehicle that was never intended for such activities.

You always know the elevation of where you are.

You wake up to a beautiful, 80 degree day and you wonder if it's going to snow tomorrow.

You don't care that some company renamed it, the Broncos still play at Mile High Stadium.

Every movie theater has military and student discounts.

Everybody wears jeans to church.

You actually know that " South Park " is a real place not just a show on TV..

You know what a 'Trust Fund Hippy' is, and you know it's natural habitat is Boulder .

You know you're talking to a fellow Coloradoan when they call it Elitch's, not Six Flags.

A bear on your front porch doesn't bother you.

Your two favorite teams are the Broncos and whoever is beating the crap out of the Raiders.

When people out East tell you they have mountains in their state too, you just laugh.

You go anywhere else on the planet and the air feels 'sticky' and you notice the sky is no longer blue..


From Miss Peggy

[Olen McGuire]

Ahhh Miss Peggy, you don't know how I miss all of those things you say. I left about ten years ago, but spent over half my life there, and every thing that's said about Colorado (especially Denver) makes me homesick!!~Olen

[Mike Croley]

Thats great , thanks for the laugh . I was born and raised in Colorado Springs , and i can still relate to each and every one of those .

[Quick Time]

Thanks Miss Peggy,

I'm a native, born and raised in Colo. Went to school in Westminster. Moved to Southern Calif in 66 and like being in the sunshine. Actually live in Northern Calif in a town of 700, elevation and population.

My heart is still Colo partial and I loved all the references you made, relate to just about every single one. Spent several years at Lakeside watching and working on stock cars. Love of racing continues today. Been around over the years but never ever forgot the guys at Lakeside.

Love this site and all who make contributions.

Chuck

[VintageBuzz]

Hello Miss Peggy-- My wife & I spent 2 1/2 years in New Hampshire one decade and experienced thoughts very similar to your posting the whole time we were back east. The West is truly the Best for those of us who grew up in the Rocky Mountain states. Thanks for sharing & making us laugh! ~VB

[carc7]

Thanks Miss Peggy,

I'm a native, born and raised in Colo. Went to school in Westminster. Moved to Southern Calif in 66 and like being in the sunshine. Actually live in Northern Calif in a town of 700, elevation and population.

My heart is still Colo partial and I loved all the references you made, relate to just about every single one. Spent several years at Lakeside watching and working on stock cars. Love of racing continues today. Been around over the years but never ever forgot the guys at Lakeside.

Love this site and all who make contributions.

Chuck

Just wanted to know what years you worked on stock cars, and whose cars you worked on.

[Quick Time]

CARC 7,

Thanks for the question. 59, and early 60's...I was to young to get in the pits at that time, shortly afterword they dropped the age to 18. Hung out at an Enco station where Bud Potter kept his car and I started helping on that. About that time Paul Garrison moved out from, I think Iowa, and started helping. Got to be good friends, I'd go along to Cheyenne when we towed up there on Sat. Met quite a few of the heros during those several years. Pachello, Sammy, Lester Kelly and a few others.

Talked to Don Wilson at a track in Roseville, CA many years ago, I was surprised to see him touring and then ran into him as a spectator in Las Vegas when they opened the track.

Have seen a few tracks but Lakeside has always been the greatest.

Chuck

[superstroke]

Paul Garrison is still around and I will probably see him in late November. If you are not in touch with him currently, I will say "Hey" to him for you. I do not know if Paulie is computer literate, or if he even owns one. What is your last name Chuck?

Rick Losh

[Quick Time]

Hey Rick,

Thank you so much that would be great. Last name is Craig but in those days the crew called me "Charlie Brown", full of mischief I guess. I visited Paul about 15 years ago or so (probably longer), he was still doing late models and some touring. He too had run a local track, Rosevilles All American Speedway. We had quite a time with old beginning day stories.

If he does have e-mail you are welcome to pass along my personel contact:

cbcraig2@netzero.net.

I also will be happy to pass along my phone contact if needed.

Chuck (Charlie Brown)

[indybigjohn]

I liked the comment about the air quality. I'd been to Colorado before, but my wife hadn't. A few years ago we decided to take the train to Reno for the Racing Promotion Monthly workshop. When we stopped in Denver I told my wife to step of the train and see if she noticed anything different.

She came back in and said something was missing from the air.

[indybigjohn]

Here's something someone from my former home state sent me...

Here is what Jeff Foxworthy has to say about Hoosiers:

If your local Dairy Queen is closed from September through May, you may live in Indiana.

If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don't even work there, you may live in Indiana.

If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you may live in Indiana.

If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you may live in Indiana.

If "vacation" means going anywhere south of Muncie for the weekend, you may live in Indiana.

If you measure distance in hours, you may live in Indiana.

If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you may live in Indiana.

If you have switched from 'heat' to 'A/C' in the same day and back again, you may live in Indiana.

If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you may live in Indiana.

If you install security lights on your house and garage, but leave both doors unlocked, you may live in Indiana.

If you carry jumpers in your car and your wife knows how to use them, you may live in Indiana.

If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit, you may live in Indiana.

If the speed limit on the highway is 55 mph, you’re going 80, and everybody is passing you, you may live in Indiana.

If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow, you may live in Indiana.

If you know all 4 seasons as: almost winter, winter, still winter and, road construction, you may live in Indiana.

If you have more miles on your snow blower than your car, you may live in Indiana.

If you find 10 degrees "a little chilly", you may live in Indiana.

[webby]

indybigjohn, there are at least five of those that fit both Indy and Colorado. :D

[schafer1]

I was a native of North Denver and I still love the Denver area even though I dont get there much, I dearly miss lakeside speedway it was the best part of my life that old fifth mile put on some of the best racing with some of the best competetors in the whole U.S.A. The one thing I don't miss is working outside in the snow, I have been living the last 35 years in northern Az where it is warm and sunny most of the time, but no racing here, that bothers me, and nascar don't hold a candle to the old lakeside and englewood tracks, drivers and fans, I still dream about driving at lakeside and having guys like Don and Fritz Wilson my childhood heros passing me or Roy Jackson giving me the nerfing Iron tap every time he was there just to let me know he was there, and yes the Broncos are still my favorites, they used to practice on North High schools practice field when they first started while I was trying to practice track, I was so happy when John Elway didnt become a Colt, and won with his team in the superbowl, no more Elway and no more Lakeside speedway, what a terrible loss to the state of colorado and the city of Denver. Schafer1

[TheAssassin]

Isn't that the truth!!! I'm not too sure about the shaving my legs and wearing a skirt though. I don't remember ever doing that. I didn't shave and wore the skirt anyway.:chuckle: