Think Good Wine Has to Come With a Cork? Screw That! by Ballantine Communications

art entertainment food drink music nightlife Thursday, January 21, 2016

DGO

FREE!

think good wine has to come with a cork?

Screw that And other myth-busting sentiments on cheap vino. Plus: Recommendations for five wines under $20

Also: Loving and hating reality TV, an ’80s fashion shoot, bangin’ bloody marys, Second Story Books, Cash’d Out, and secrets of a weed shop worker

dgomag.com

HIGH EXPECTATIONS

GREEN LIGHT - SEASON 2

DGO Magazine

Staff

What’s inside Volume 1 Number 12

January 21, 2016

Chief Executive Officer

10 Why books matter in Durango

Douglas Bennett V.P. of Finance and Operations

Denny Rahilly, owner of Second Story Used Books, discusses why real books trump e-readers and Durango’s surprisingly bookish populace.

Bob Ganley V.P. of Advertising David Habrat V.P. of Marketing Kricket Lewis Founding Editors Amy Maestas

Editor/ designer/ art director David Holub

David Holub/DGO

»» Molly Fererra models vintage ’80s fashions outside Sideshow Emporium in dowtown Durango on Sunday.

dholub@bcimedia.com 375-4551 Staff writer Anya Jaremko-Greenwold

5 Get Smart about coffee roasting OK, Fancy Pants. You like single-origin, fair trade, bird-friendly coffee from places you can neither pronounce, nor point to on a map. But let’s face it, you don’t know your ass from Ecuador when it comes to roasting the stuff. Let owner/head roaster Sage Anderson of 81301 Coffee Roasters set you straight.

Contributors Katie Cahill Caitlin Cannon Meghan Doenges Christopher Gallagher Bryant Liggett Jon E. Lynch Heather Narwid Cyle Talley

247-3504 Reader Services 375-4570

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.

Style Fetish: ’80s fashion shoot

Sound

Album Review 7 Downtown Lowdown

Beer

Seeing Through the Smoke 18

Strain of the week

High-ass recipes 19 20 Savage Love

/dgomag

’80s urban, Rainbow Brite, Breakfast Clubbin’: It seemed a totally awesome idea to highlight some of Sideshow’s vintage collection in a photo shoot for inspiration for upcoming Snowdown: Back to the Eighties.

18 Weed

People make wild assumptions about what goes on inside a weed shop. But it’s not the lawless, smoke-infused free-for-all you might be imagining; the environment at Durango Organics is both regulated and professional.

Advertising

Love it or Hate it

16 Movies

17 Secrets of a weed shop employee

Robert Alan Wendeborn

10 Pages

Alan Cuenca, owner of the wine shop Put a Cork in It, discusses cheap wine, the unfair negativity surrounding boxes and screw-cap tops and much more.

Katie Klingsporn

From the Editor

12 All about cheap wine

David Holub

21 Happening 23 Horoscope/ puzzles/ Bizarro

/dgomag @dgo_mag

On the cover Screw-top wine doesn’t carry the stigma it once did, especially if you’re looking for some vino on the cheap-o.

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

Illustration by David Holub/DGO

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

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@dg

[CTRL-A]

[ love it or hate it ]

David Holub |DGO editor

Reality TV Love it

Embracing ambiguity: How to avoid the world’s letdowns

iving with ambiguity can be hard. Look no further than the dating scene, where no one involved can figure out if that thing that just happened was a date, and where shadows of “she likes me ... but does she like-me like-me?” loom. Overall, there seems to be a general reluctance with ambiguity in our culture, in favor of good/bad, black/white binaries, where everything either sucks or doesn’t, where the lines in the sand are clear, where our for-it-oragainst-it political system is so polarized and devoid of nuance to the point of crippling dysfunction, where there is always an us and always a them. And, at times, for good reason: Distinction, clear answers, single tracks, road maps and a one-or-the-other mentalities can make life simpler. There’s less to think about and worry about. There is security in clinging to what we already know. If it was a date and I know that she definitely likesme likes-me, or even if she simply just likes me (the dreaded friend zone), how to proceed becomes clearer. If nobody knows if it was a date and she’s throwing out mixed signals, then the possibilities for proceeding become infinite, which is when I start Googling the nearest monasteries. But eschewing ambiguity can also be limiting, where we close ourselves off to new ideas, possibilities and experiences in favor of what is simple, conceivable and known. I found myself thinking about ambiguity after a conversation I had with Ryan Shriver, philosophy professor at Fort Lewis College with a particular interest in aesthetics. I met Shriver in that Durango kind of way, where you’re hanging with a friend, and then a friend of that friend joins and suddenly you’re in a conversation with the new friend about the nature of beauty in the context of Japanese aesthetics. Shriver spoke eloquently on the dynamic and complex culture of aesthet-

ics in places like Japan, which he has studied extensively. For instance, they have a word – mono no aware – that means a mix of pleasurable sweetness and melancholy sadness that comes with the eternal passing of things; or the word yogen, which translates loosely to when you see something and it alludes to something bigger, deeper and darker than what’s actually shown. Ultimately, the conversation kept coming back to ambiguity, mainly when it comes to viewing and appreciating art. For Shriver, aesthetics is about making efforts to see the world as it is and on its own terms instead of forcing things into a box made of the subjective experiences and the arbitrary beliefs each of us brings when examining and evaluating anything: Art, music, political issues, potential mates. “If you come in with a bunch of baggage of ‘This is what an art object should look like,’ then you’re bound to be upset all the time,” Shriver said. Shriver said the key to aesthetic appreciation is approaching everything with openness, availability and disinterestedness. When we get beyond those good/bad binaries, “We begin to see the world in terms of a pluralism or multiplicity, which opens up possibilities and makes for a richer context if you don’t reduce everything to good/bad,” he said. Like any good professor, Shriver brought all the abstractions into the real world, demonstrating why something like aesthetics are relevant to all of us. “It’s all about becoming comfortable with ambiguity. It’s not always easy. It’s a lot easier when you have an answer and something definite. I don’t think the world is the way we’d like it to be, like simple answers,” he said. “The world seems to be nonreducable. It’s always upsetting your expectations. When you think you’ve got it down, you don’t. It always slips through your fingers. I feel like the more you fight that, the more internally you’re not at ease.”

It’s not that I looove reality TV. It’s that I hate to love it, for providing so many otherwise out-of-work actors with jobs, for starters. And nothing delights me more than when one of them accuses the other of going on a show like “The Bachelor” for the “wrong reasons.” What could be more honorable than going on a televised dating show to accrue overnight fame, whilst taking a helicopter ride with a sexy stranger to a remote hot tub somewhere on ABC’s dime? Perhaps you reveal a dark past and secure a book deal or your own talk show down the line. There’s much more integrity in that objective than there would be in broadcasting surprise at your own ability to develop true intimacy with a stranger. This over a six-week period, mind you, in which he narrows down potential brides through the trial and error of various make-out sessions with nary a camera present. I mean, I suppose one could fall in love with 1 out of 25 perfect asses in less time than that, but really I’m just grateful the opportunity exists to watch these “average” people try to make something more of their lives, when I’m too lazy to get up off the couch and do so myself. I so hate to love that. And I’ve also found RTV to be the most reliable news source. OMG. Like the other night on “The Real Housewives” when Hillary grabbed Donald by the weave and wrestled him to the ground. Oh, wait. That was Fox News. Never mind. —— Caitlin Cannon

Hate it I will save the argument that we all figured out five minutes into the first reality TV show that ever aired, that these shows are just about the opposite of how most of us would define “reality,” so sliced and diced, the drama so manufactured, the editing so manipulative, the stars so hand-picked, so often caricatures and stereotypes, promoting values that are the worst this country has to offer: conspicuous and grotesque consumption, greed, shallowness, wealthworship, celebrity-worship, infidelity, incompatibility, combative competitiveness and so on. I mean, I get it from a guilty-pleasure standpoint, that we have that one trashy reality show that we hate to love, that we know is a time suck, but it’s nice to dial our intelligence down for an hour so we can watch human “misery,” “joy,” “drama,” “triumphs” and “failures.” Let’s not forget the real reason why these shows exist in the first place: Because they’re cheap to produce compared with a scripted series with real actors (who are playing characters in earnest, as opposed to reality stars, who are often playing the contrived role of “reality star”). It doesn’t hurt that millions lap up these shows like bacon gravy, prompting more reality shows that get perpetually more outrageous and scandalous, prompting a vicious cycle of dog waste. —— David Holub

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[Get Smart: Expert Advice on Trivial Affairs]

Coffee roasting OK, Fancy Pants. You like single-origin, fair trade, bird-friendly coffee from places you can neither pronounce, nor point to on a map. But let’s face it, you don’t know your ass from Ecuador when it comes to roasting the stuff. Let owner/head roaster Sage Anderson of 81301 Coffee Roasters set you straight. How long have you been at this? My parents own a coffee shop in Winter Park, so I grew up around coffee. In high school, my dad taught me how to roast, and I was his summertime go-to roaster. Tell us a bit about the roasting process That’s a big question. There are lots of ways to roast, and everyone has a different opinion. There’s sort of a general agreement on the basics, but from there, everybody has a style. It’s sort of like making a pizza. We all have our own twists. Walk us through the process a little bit At 81301, we really only do two kinds of roasts: medium and dark. Nothing here is going to be super light because I haven’t been happy with the results of my experimentation yet. So until I like it, we won’t have it. For a dark roast, the raw coffee is roasted longer, which gives you those nice oils on the ends of the bean. As it sits for the next five to 10 days, it develops more oil and flavor. That’s when it gets really good. You let the medium roast out sooner, so it’s not as dark or smoky flavored, and it won’t have nearly the oil that a dark roast will. Is it the same bean for everything? No, no. It varies a lot. For the darks, I tend toward the Colombian or Guatemalan beans. Something that’s really mellow and low in acidity, so that when it’s roasted, you get a lot of oils and not so much of the bean flavor. I want something that sits really nicely on the tongue. If I were to use a Tanzanian for a dark roast, it would come out really spicy and the oils wouldn’t be ... pleasant. Describe the differences in flavor between a dark and a medium roast. Dark roasts typically are really smooth, shouldn’t have any acidity and should never turn bitter, even as they cool. Ideally, you’d see some of the oils floating on the top of the cup. A good dark roast shouldn’t be hard on your stomach or have any bitterness or bad

David Holub/DGO

»» Owner and head roaster Sage Anderson stands in the Roasting Lab at 81301 Coffee Roasters.

aftertaste. A medium has a lot of the same characteristics, actually, but that might just be me. I think coffee should be really smooth, and I like coffee to have a developed body to it. I don’t do a light roast because they tend to get sour as they cool, so I’ve tested both of my roasts time and time again to make sure that they’re enjoyable all the way through the cup. Which of your roasts are you most proud of? Our Morning Stoke blend, for sure. It’s Guatemalan, mixed with a little bit of the French roast. It’s not totally dark, but it’s definitely enough to get you started in the morning. I created that one when I was still in high school. I liked the taste of the dark roasts, but couldn’t drink a full cup. It was just too much for me. I also liked the Guatemalan, so I started mixing the two until I came on the right proportion. It’s by far

our most popular. There are several roasters in town – what makes you and 81301 different? Truthfully, my roasting is a little different in profiling and we tend to roast longer than other places. I think that other roasters are so focused on light roasts that they might under-roast a little bit. They’re doing 12- or 14-minutes roasts, and we’re consistently at or a little over 20. You gotta let it cook a little, you know? Let it develop a nice, solid flavor. True or false: The lighter the roast, the more caffeine? True. The longer you roast, the more caffeine you kill. Which is more potent: drip coffee or espresso? Depends on how dark the espresso bean is roasted, and what it consists

of – whether it’s a blend, a single origin light roast, whatever. I don’t think one is more potent than the other. How many espresso shots can a person drink before they start to get weird? I don’t know. Probably eight to 10? I’ve seen people have a lot of espresso. What’s most satisfying for you as a roaster? I really enjoy watching people discover our coffee here. Seeing people try it for the first time – I really like watching their face. Typically their response is, “Oh my God!” That’s really, really satisfying. Cyle Talley would really like to watch someone drink eight-10 shots of espresso. If you have plans to or if you have anything you’d like to Get Smart about, you can email him at: cyle@cyletalley.com.

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[Sartorial over-enthusiasm with Heather of Sideshow]

Style Fetish | Heather Narwid

’80s inspiration It seemed a totally awesome idea to highlight some of Sideshow’s vintage collection in a photo shoot for inspiration for the upcoming Durango Snowdown: Back to the Eighties. The idea evolved and expanded into a serendipitous and fun networking project. My vintage-freak colleague Tirzah Camacho, jewelry designer Brande Thorpe, gorgeous girl-about-town Molly Ferrer, Susan Livingston of Magic Brush face painting, and myself joyfully collaborated to promote our businesses, talents and endeavors all in support of Snowdown. ’80s urban Tirzah (left) channels early hip-hop in red faux-vinyl pants (high-waisted, pleated, pegged) with leopard and lace blouse under a pimpin’-fresh vintage leather and rabbit fur cocoon coat. Skinny-brim fedora (eeehheee insert Michael Jackson shriek here), iconic rapper glasses, Brandelyon retro chain and leather necklace and earrings complete her look except for a baby leopard on a leash. Google “Dapper Dan Harlem” right now for a fascinating look into the history of ’80s early urban and hip-hop style and the businessman who started it. Molly was backstage at Mötley Crüe in this cropped, wide-shouldered shiny vinyl motorcycle jacket and leopard top, ’80s “trifecta” skirt (short, tight, shiny) and wrapped-scarf wristband (do this on your thigh or calf, too: Americana bandanna a la Springsteen, sparkly Steven Tyler and pop-bright Punky Brewster styles were all happening). Madonna/ Ozzy cross and leather necklace and earrings made locally by Brandelyon Designs. Stackedheel brown suede sandals contrast with dark hose (the ’80s say it’s OK if there are rips and runs, because goth and post-punk). Her shoes are off because it’s 5:30 a.m. and she’s been dancing onstage at the Crüe show all night, remember? But Molly’s look still holds like the silver-can Aqua Net in her gorgeous, video-vixen-sized bighair. Bold, bright eye makeup continues onto the cheekbone in multicolored leopard spots, applied by Magic Brush face-painting of Durango. Feels like: Run DMC, Queen Latifah, SaltN-Pepa with Spinderella, Tawny Kitaen, Whitesnake, Lita Ford, hair bands.

Rainbow Brite Brande is a futuristic New Wave Rainbow in a white leather mini with teal tights, rainbow laser pleated top with low-slung wide, white leather belt and silver headband. She could just as easily wear a scrunched-down flat boot, ankle-socks and pumps, or colorful high-tops with this. A perfect outfit for roller skating to the “Xanadu” soundtrack. Brande’s leather and multichain necklace and wristband are of her own Brandelyon Designs and are locally made and available in Durango. Makeup by Susan Livingston of Magic Brush. Feels like: Jem and the Holograms, Rainbow Brite, valley girls, Boy George and Missing Persons.

When purple rained Splashy, oversized prints were a must in the Age of Exaggeration. A flattering fit-and-flare shape in bright, romantic florals, tiered miniskirt and offshoulder cap-sleeves make this the perfect ’80s party dress. Shiny satin opera gloves and big round shades (in popular purple – all seen on both Prince and Madonna in the ’80s) are making Heather just wanna have fun until she gags on the proverbial spoon. Chokers were as popular as headbands; this one is sequins with a romantic satin rose. Eightiesout your head by pushing your short hair into a fauxhawk, spike it out with crunchy gel or slick it back like the ladies in Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love” video. Long hair? Make it big! Tease, crimp and then sculpt a Jersey Claw out of those bangs, hairspray, then hairspray again. Then spray one more time, because ... ’80s!

Photo shoot styling credits: Clothing and accessories from Sideshow Emporium; face painting and makeup by Susan Livingston of Magic Brush; handmade retro ’80s jewelry by Brandelyon Designs; styling by Heather Narwid and Tirzah Camacho. Photos by David Holub/DGO, shot in downtown Durango and at Sideshow Emporium on Sunday.

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[sound] What’s new Wray,“Hypatia” Available: now via Communicating Vessels on cd and limited-edition vinyl The Birmingham, Alabama, trio Wray has released its second album of dream-pop shoegaze on the Commutating Vessels label, solidifying a strong Southern music scene in an atypical approach. Southern Rock as a descriptor has tended to connote a subset of rock ’n’ roll and genre classification more aligned with The Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd or, more recently, bands like The Drive-By Truckers or Lucero. Wray band members, through a shared love of bands such as NEU!, Can and My Bloody Valentine, crafted an indie rock-leaning record in a geographic region perhaps best known for its country, roots-rock and Americana. It’s cinematic, lush music that is described by the band themselves as “music for an audience, for a rock show. It’s got a beat and you can dance to it.” “Hypatia” was engineered by Lynn Bridges (who has worked with Dan Sartain, Devendra Banhart and Jack Oblivian, among others) at Communi-

cating Vessels Studio and many times capturing and using the first take. When asked about the lyrical approach to the record, band member David Brown said, “A lot of times my lyrical inspiration comes from documentaries or listening to science podcasts. ‘Hypatia,’ she was a fourth century scientist/ philosopher/ mathematician. Meanwhile, a lot of the lyrics I write also have romantic undertones, similar to New Wave and postpunk bands as well.” Recommended if you’re a fan of DIIV, Alex G, The Stone Roses, Slowdive, Ride or Happyness. — Jon E. Lynch KDUR_PD@fortlewis.edu

Breakfast Clubbin’ in a spectrum of styles Here I am in ’80s-trendy, daywear mode: little round brimmed hat, strongshouldered Sassoon blazer with lapel-flair (the more the better), plaid crop-top over high-waisted jeans, leopard wristband, vintage ivory leather booties with neon laces and no socks. She’ll just read the Cliffs Notes, instead of that whole Gremlins book. Feels like: Any heroine in a John Hughes movie, Debbie Gibson. Molly’s scarlet-red post-disco boho jumpsuit looks bitchin’ with suede scrunch booties and a ’70s ultrasuede snap jacket (because she didn’t just stop wearing last year’s garments once Reagan was elected). A skinny metal stretch belt and a chunky gold chain bring the required ’80s gleam and are a rich contrast to the suede. Feels like: Stevie Nicks, post-hippie/pre-New Age bohemian, Janice from the Muppets, Sloane Petersen in “Ferris Bueller.” Tirzah’s ensemble is volcanic with the oversized graphic ’80s bigshirt with a popped collar, tightly-belted over a stretchy pencil skirt. Hot pink was de rigeur, even on a Lady Dundee-fabulous wool fedora. Preppy elements like Wayfarer-style shades and shiny loafers looked even cooler, because smoking cigs was cool back then. Feels like: Extras in any John Hughes movie, the movie “Mannequin,” the shopping montage (post-apocalyptic edition) from the movie “Night of the Comet,” ladies in the Benson & Hedges ads. New Wave Brande popped on a neon green fanny pack to hold her Walkman so she could roller skate and listen to the Psychedelic Furs on cassette while kissing Richard Butler’s pic on the record cover. Side-swept hair, silver headband (also wear while aerobicizing!), multiple long dangle chains (or use pearls or beads a la early Madonna) over a batwing-sleeved top (a nice element that’s still being designed now), leather mini, studded belt stolen from the punks, and elaborately asymmetrical makeup almost guarantees a marriage proposal from any ’80s eyeliner’d rocker you may be crushin’ on. �� Thursday, January 21, 2016 | 7

[sound]

Downtown Lowdown | Bryant Liggett

Cash’d Out honors the Man in Black

ohnny Cash was a largerthan-life working-class hero and musician who lived life with a devil on his right shoulder and an angel on his left. He had quite the life. A poor cotton picker, Air Force veteran and, after signing with Sam Phillips and Sun Records, he became 1/4th of one of the greatest rosters on any record label at a time that’s still recognized for its influence and impact. Substance abuser, faithful and unfaithful husband, champion of the down-trodden, big-hearted degenerate, celebrated star of music and the screen; he was a walking contradiction who did it all. Since passing in 2003, Cash has exceeded icon status, as generations of folkies, rockers and people new to authentic country music realized his music was a crossing of genres and timeless reflection of the human condition with all its hardships and happiness. It is also recognized as some of the best American music of any and all decades of the modern recording era. The touring circuit is dotted with bands honoring legendary musicians, as the real things die off quicker than we like. There’s probably a few honoring Cash, including San Diego’s Cash’d Out, performing Saturday at the Animas City Theatre. Doug Benson –the man with the Cash voice – was not a musician, or a Cash fan, save for a slight familiarity with the staples. On a camping trip in the ’90s, after a Cash release stayed in the boombox all weekend long, Benson was hooked. “It played for four days. Nobody would take it out,” said Benson in a recent interview. “By the end of the

Courtesy of Cash’d Out

»» Doug Benson performs as Johnny Cash for the tribute band Cash’d Out.

Bryant’s best first day I knew all the songs. I was sitting by the campfire singing and a buddy said ‘you sound like him.’ I fell in love with it.” That led to Benson hitting up karaoke nights. He always sang Cash, and the result was always free drinks and admiration because of the vocal comparison. Unexpected unemployment led to Benson picking up a guitar and learning a few of the 3,500 songs Cash recorded. Forming a band followed, which has paid off. Cash’d Out continues to be recognized as a true representation of Cash’s legacy. The band digs into Sun Records and Columbia Recordings era of Cash, but will also touch on the rest of his deep catalog, including later recordings with Rick Rubin, the era that resulted in scores of aging punk rockers and Generation X’ers realizing that early country music was, in fact, cool. Johnny Cash was a working-

class, man-of-the-people musician, now being represented by a working-class band. Benson has done his homework, delivering the music and some encyclopedic knowledge on the hard-living, pill-popping and god-fearing life Cash lived. “It’s amazing to me that people spend their hard-earned money to come out and let us do Johnny Cash for them, and we in turn try to give them the best show we can,” Benson said. “On top of giving the best performance we can, we like to educate them a little bit about Johnny Cash. It’s fun and informative sometimes, too.” Bryant Liggett is a freelance writer and KDUR station manager. liggett_b@ fortlewis.edu.

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Saturday: Johnny Cash tribute with Cash’d Out, 8:30 p.m. $15. Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Drive. Information: 799-2281. Sunday: Irish and celtic music jam session, 12:30 p.m. No cover. Irish Embassy, 900 Main Ave. Information: 403-1200.

New at Southwest Sound New releases for Jan. 22 »»Megadeth, “Dystopia” »»Abbath, “Abbath” »»Casualties, “Chaos Sound” »»Jesu/Sun Kil Moon, “SelfTitled” »»Aoife O’Donovan, “In The Magic Hour” »»Savages, “Adore Life” »»Steven Wilson, “4.5”

[beer]

First Draughts | Robert Alan Wendeborn

Want to acquire a taste for bloody marys? Here’s how

can. Don’t wait till you eat a little or till you hen I was a kid, during feel a little better. If you need food, eat the the holidays, my parents celery. And drink it faster if you want to feel would let me try drinking better. the grown-up drinks: a »» 3. Get it with everything. The more shit glass of wine (Mom), a screwdriver (Dad), they put in it the better. Don’t like celery or olor Bud or Miller Lite, (uncles and dad’s ives? You’ll eat those if you hurt bad enough. friends). I’d undoubtedly turn my nose up »» 4. Try it with the straw and without. to it, and the old people would say, “It’s Sometimes it’s a little spicier on the bottom, an acquired taste.” That sounded like sometimes the vodka floats a little more on too much work, but they were right. The the top. Finding that balance is key. best way to acquire a taste for alcohol is »» 5. Drink enough to get drunk again. to drink a lot of it. In the words of Frank You’re happier when you’ve got a solid buzz from “Old School,” “Once it hits your lips, and so you’ll like anything that’s happening if it’s so good.” you’ve got a few in you. And I found this to be true for most alcohol, So where in Durango do you get a bomb most of my life. There were some exceptions bloody mary? My favorite is J-Bo’s Football that needed strong mixers or chasers, and Brunch Bloody. I’m sure they’ll make a fine some that always needed a lime, but there was bloody any other day, but on Sundays during the one drink that, no matter how many times football season, the bloody comes with a link I tried it, no matter how many additions or of sausage and all the football you can handle. subtractions I made, I couldn’t acquire a taste I often go to Carver’s as well, and their Defor: The bloody mary. luxe Bloody is definitely a close second. With I kept trying and trying, but it was never for a strip of bacon and a sidecar of beer, it’s defime and I always wanted to like it, I wanted to nitely an awesome brunch drink. fit in, but I never got it. Why would anyone like Another great spot downtown is El Moro. a drink with tomato and pepper and horserad(Can I write about cocktails without menish and Worcestershire sauce? It sounds more tioning El Moro?) With five bloodys on their like a recipe for roast beef than a delicious brunch cocktail menu, there is surely somecocktail. But I never gave up and finally had thing for everyone. Bartender Sara Moxam the epiphany one fateful and dreadful mornrecommends the Bloody Maria, a bloody ing: my first full-blown apocalyptic hangover. made with tequila and jalapeño hot sauce. It was a Christmas break, and the day beDavid Holub/DGO Not the most spectacular bloody with all fore, I had another first – a little dabble with »» Carver Brewing’s Deluxe Bloody Mary, made Durango Craft Spirits’ the fancy toppings, nor the most extravagant psychedelic drugs – and had come down by Soiled Doves vodka, house-made bloody mix, celery, pepperoncini, olive, environs, but my favorite place to drink a drinking copious amounts of alcohol. I woke bacon and pickle, accompanied by a sidecar of Lightner Creek Lager. bloody is El Rancho. Watching Aimee, Paul, up in a hurt locker so intense that I couldn’t Andrew, Angie or Beach line up 20 or 30 imagine living with that kind of pain. I’m bloody marys on the rail of the overly-crowdpretty sure I Googled whether a hangover ed bar is definitely a beautiful sight. The best had won me over and cured my illness. could be fatal. To escape the seemingly perpart is, all my friends are always there. If you have never liked a bloody mary but want to, petual shame and agony, I walked with a friend to an this is how I would acquire the taste: extremely close hotel bar where another friend was »» 1. Wake up drunk. This is important. You need bartending. We had bloody marys, and because my Robert Alan Wendeborn puts the bubbles in the beer to be in enough pain that you’ll do anything to make still-dead taste buds couldn’t tell if I was drinking a at Ska Brewing Co. His first book of poetry, The Blank it go away. Desperation is key. Like winning at anyvodka drink or sipping soup, I put it down easily and Target, was published this past spring by The Lettered thing, you have to want it. wanted another. After the second, I felt awesome Streets Press and is available at Maria’s Bookshop. rob»» 2. Start drinking bloody marys as soon as you and needed a third. The savory, salty deliciousness bie@skabrewing.com

�� Thursday, January 21, 2016 | 9

[pages]

Why books matter in Durango »» Second Story Books’ Denny Rahilly: ‘If you can find it at the airport, I probably don’t have it’ Starting off as a book hoarder – he also has a storage unit that’s full and creaking – Denny Rahilly, owner of Second Story Used Books, eventually decided to share his collection with the world. He runs the place alone (coming up on three years), accompanied by a sweet little dog, Bean. The location is a bit tricky to find: 862 Main Ave on the second story, above Chimayo. But the shop’s selection is well worth the effort of a staircase. DGO spoke with Rahilly about why real books trump e-readers and Durango’s surprisingly bookish populace. Durango is a small town perhaps better known for outdoor activities than literary culture. Why did you open a bookstore here? I have a problem with collecting and buying and hoarding books – it really is a problem – and eventually, it got to the point where I had to do something with them. Durango is a strange town; it’s known for the outdoor and Wild West stuff, and the tourism board has done a great job of branding it that way. But the reality of it is, there are five bookstores here! (Maria’s Bookshop, White Rabbit Books and Curiosities, The Book Hutch, the Southwest Book Trader). We all do our own thing. Plus there’s Magpie’s, which is a newsstand; a throwback, as you don’t see those much anymore. The idea of the printed word ... it’s not all on screens here. Durango is able to support five bookstores and a newsstand, and they’ve got a relatively brand new library. Ignacio has a nice library, too, and so do Cortez, Mancos, Dolores. And Bayfield just won an award for the best small library in America. Friends of the Library has another little bookstore right in the lobby of our library, which is ongoing. On the second floor of the Durango Arts Center there’s a free lending library. So there’s a lot of printed word circulating in this community. How did you amass your giant book collection? You name it. Thrift stores, garage sales, library sales. Now it’s to the point where people just drop books off. I find homes for them. My brother (Scott) has a nonprofit, the Durango Book Rescue. So people in Durango are big readers? They seem to be. Maria’s does gangbusters, really well. The Book Trader has been around for ... I’m guessing 30 years at that location, he has two or three copies of everything. Part of it is Fort Lewis College, which helps, with professors and people like that in the college community. It’s also a retirement and second-home community for a lot of people, and you need money in order to do that, so maybe you come with your library and then you downsize. I don’t know! It’s a strange phenomenon. What kind of books do you carry? My motto is, “If you can find it at the airport, I probably don’t have it.” What’s good about a real book versus e-readers and Kindles? It’s hard to fact-check a website without an actual book. The tangible aspects, the artwork and, of course, you can read it in the bathtub and not worry.

David Holub/DGO

»» Denny Rahilly at Second Story Used Books, 862 Main Ave., second floor, on Tuesday. You can underline. I read off a screen all the time, but not books. My brain doesn’t work that way. I like the historical side of it; I like the look, smell, the story of the story when you find a used book that’s been written in or inscribed to someone. Adds a little something to the actual story that you’re going to read. There’s a depth to it. You can’t share e-readers either, can you? You can’t say “Here, you’ve gotta read this.” I guess you can give them your Kindle. But then you don’t have your library, for just one book. Lending someone a book is kind of an intimate, personal gesture that you can’t get with e-readers. Though sometimes when you lend people books, you never get them back.

Yeah, but that’s a cheap way to find out who’s your friend. Do you get a lot of foot traffic, or is your upstairs location a hindrance? I know there are other businesses up and down Main located on the second floor that are kind of off people’s radar. Like my friend has Hummingbird Herbals, been around for 20 years. And there’s plenty more! That’s the only way you can do it in this town; the rent at the bottom of the stairs is easily four times higher. I couldn’t do this on the first floor of Main. Maybe we should all band together and try to promote ourselves, do a second floor festival or something. —— Anya Jaremko-Greenwold DGO Staff Writer

10 | Thursday, January 21, 2016 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

[pages] This week’s Maria’s staff pick A Strangeness in My Mind, by Orhan Pamuk A nostalgically sweet novel, A Strangeness in My Mind is a story about the inevitability of change we all face as humans. It is a story about the unrelenting shift in Istanbul, Turkey, from an early 20th century community steeped in ancient traditions, to a fastpaced, modernized, hectic and corrupt city that has grown in epic proportions by the early 1970s. And finally, though the readers might not know it until the end, A Strangeness in my Mind is most of all a story about love and the unexpected ways in which it can shape our lives.

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As the 2006 Nobel Prize winner, Pamuk’s work is unique in a multitude of ways designed to draw the reader in emotionally, spiritually and mentally. Pamuk challenges us to understand what protagonist Melvut calls “the strangeness in his mind” that has followed him all of his life; as the novel progresses, the reader begins to feel such a strangeness as if it is real. The strangeness consists of boza, a hot drink sold for hundreds of years in Turkey each night on the cobblestoned streets by those dedicated to make their way in the growing city. The strangeness is a confused elopement in which Melvut believes he is running away with a hauntingly beautiful girl encountered at a cousin’s wedding, only to discover too late that the woman he has been writing hopeless love letters to all along is actually her sister. The strangeness is the growing social intensity in Istanbul through complex political upheavals and religious persecutions. It is the one-room dirt floor shack that houses Melvut and his father that they have no real rights to and that could be “rightfully” taken from them at any minute.

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It is a story told by Melvut, but also through the view of each intertwining character who at times decide to directly address the reader as the story begins to become even more tangible. It is no surprise Pamuk won the Nobel Prize, as he artfully weaves a complex history of a lesser-known place into a heart-wrenching story of its inhabitants. The reader will taste the cinnamon sweet of the boza through every page as Pamuk painstakingly illustrates what it means to be human, to always be moving forward and never back. — Meghan Doenges

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�� Thursday, January 21, 2016 | 11

Can’t afford to fork over the big bucks for good-quality wine? Good news – you don’t have By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold | DGO Staff Writer

Everything you always wanted to know about

cheap wine

(but were afraid to ask)

12 | Thursday, January 21, 2016 •

lan Cuenca is a qualified wine connoisseur and owner of Put a Cork in It, an intimate Durango wine shop. He keeps his operation small, opting for quality over quantity (he doesn’t carry Budweiser, Coors or Jim Beam). The customer service Cuenca offers is highly personalized; customers are asked about the flavors they prefer, their price range and whether the bottle is for them or for a party. The wine store owner’s responsibility is vast: Alcohol is expensive, and the product Cuenca puts in someone’s glass can make or break an evening. It’s important to build a level of trust with regulars – you come to know their tastes and predict their future favorites. DGO sat down with Cuenca to discuss cheap wine, the unfair negativity surrounding boxes and screw-cap tops and what you’re supposed to do when a server pours you a snifter of vino at a restaurant.

Can cheap wine be good wine? Ninety percent of wine sales here are under $20 a bottle. My demographic is age 21 to 70, from all backgrounds. Right after the recession, everyone spent the same amount of money on wine, but they bought more inexpensive bottles. Now we’re starting to see average bottle sales coming up again. I get nurses, engineers, musicians, college students – though I get less college students, because they go to Wagon Wheel and Star Liquors. I don’t carry big bottles of Barefoot. We never discriminate against someone who says Cuenca they want to buy a $10 bottle that will fit within their budget. We ask everyone “how much do you want to spend?” As a wine professional, you never want to make people feel bad about what they like. A lot of stores put ratings on their wines, which help sell stuff – but I don’t do that. I want to hand-sell it and talk to people. I know what my regulars like. I’m trying to train people not to trust ratings. Should we care about the stigma surrounding boxed wine? There’s some phenomenal boxed wines out there! It’s for somebody that wants a glass of wine or two a night, that can’t finish a bottle. It gets your cost down to $5 a bottle. The days of Franzia are over, even though it’s still on the market. We’re going to be seeing, over the next 10 years, a huge increase in the quality of boxed wines. There’s less recycling, lower shipping weight because there’s no glass, less spoilage. It’s not very romantic, but it’s a preconceived notion of status. I personally don’t give a shit about that. That’s why I named my store Put a Cork In It. What makes the wine industry function is everyday wine drinkers, who want to be in the $10 to $15 range. They are the norm. Nobody likes wine snobs – at the end of the day, it’s just fer-

mented grapes. (Side note: during the course of this interview, a woman bought a Folonari box of Pinot Noir. Alan recommended the brand, describing it as “very light, bright, delicate and silky.”) What about the contempt for screw-cap wines? It’s not very romantic if you go out to Eolus or Seasons for fine dining, and they bring your bottle of wine and it’s [screw-cap sound] as opposed to [cork-popping sound.] But the imagery around screw caps is definitely changing for the better. Hands down, it’s the best closure for wine. You have very few spoilage issues. In my biweekly column for the Herald, I just wrote about flawed wine. Wines sealed with traditional corks can become flawed (maderized, oxidized, corked) and that affects 7 percent of wine – so one out of 12 bottles is flawed! You can’t tell until you open the bottle and pour it into a glass. Screw caps have a failure rate that is minimal to nil. If you’re going to have one bottle of wine in the house, make sure it’s a screw cap. A few years ago, it was way more common for people to snub screw caps. Now it’s rare; typically the person that snubs just hasn’t been taught otherwise yet. So what are corks good for? There’s still nothing better for aging wine than a cork; a cork slowly breathes, to gracefully age the wine. The cliché goes “wine gets better with age.” What’s the benefit of aging wine? It gets softer, turns to a liquid silk. Becomes more subtle, nuanced, delicate. And it’s amazing to drink a wine that’s 20 years old. You’re enjoying a moment in time. When wines are young, they’re pretty up-front. The fruit hits you in the face, the tannins and the acids are up front. As a wine ages, those elements integrate and become seamless. But not all wines are ageable. Most wine can Continued on Page 14 �� Thursday, January 21, 2016 | 13

From Page 13

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When you go out to dinner, the server pours you an ounce or two of wine for you to approve. Most people, because they’re nervous, don’t know what to do. The server hates doing wine service. Everyone is confused by it. Most people just kick the sample back and say “It’s fine,” because they want that experience over as fast as possible. The server will put the cork in front of you, and you should inspect the cork. A cork can tell you a lot about a wine. It can be dried out, and then it shrinks – which opens the possibility for wine to get out and air to get in, which will oxidize the wine and turn it to vinegar. We live in a dry climate; the Southwest is hard on corks. Don’t smell the cork; you see in movies people smell the cork and say, “Mmm, good vintage!” It’s just a bunch of Hollywood shit. It smells like cork. Then they’ll pour a sip in your glass; you want to smell it – does it smell like cork or vinegar? If it’s a red wine and you smell fruits, then you’re pretty confident the wine is good. If it’s a white wine, if you smell tropical fruits, then you know the wine is good. Taste to confirm what you smell. Why are some wines wildly more expensive than others?

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First and foremost, place. Is it coming from a reputable, famous region? Is it a hillside vineyard or on the valley floor? Hillside is better for sun and drainage; on the valley floor, roots are sitting in a water table, which waters down the concentration of the grapes. Barrel aging – how long were they aged in a barrel? How many barrels were new oak versus old oak? What was the yield of the harvest; if it was a single vineyard wine. The broader the range of where the grapes come from, the less expensive the wine. The more pinpointed you get, the more expensive, so it’s site-specific. Vineyards even three miles apart will have radically different conditions and will taste different. The cheaper wines aren’t meant to be collector wines. There’s a difference between making a wine that won’t be drinkable for 10 or 20 years, versus making a wine that will be drinkable upon release. I’m confident that the average person could tell the difference between a $10

Ballot battle on beer On the Colorado ballot this year, voters will mostly likely be weighing in on whether to change Prohibition-era laws and allow full-strength beer and wine sales at supermarkets. Alan Cuenca gave us some insight into the negative ramifications of these potential changes. What would happen if the beer laws changed: »» You’ll be able to buy beer and wine in grocery stores. Getting booze will be a lot more convenient because you won’t have to make a separate stop. »» Grocery stores will probably want to work with fewer distributors, which will mean fewer eventual beverage choices. »» Smaller distributors may be forced to close or get bought up, so we’ll be left with only mainstream alcohol options. »» Many smaller wine and liquor shops will go out of business (though Cuenca suspects big stores like Star Liquors will adapt without as much trouble). Why you should care: »» “The industry will be decimated,” says Cuenca. »» There’s a good chance grocery stores will jack up their prices once they’ve taken over. »» Coloradans will lose jobs (we’re a state with a booming local alcohol industry, and lots of craft breweries). Opening sales to chain stores owned by out-ofstate companies will put locally owned stores out of business. It will be harder for small breweries to get their products on shelves if they have to go through national corporate buyers. Chardonnay and a $150 bottle from Burgundy, France. You’d be like, “Damn it, now I’m ruined.” Why aren’t more young people into wine? It’s expensive. How many sandwiches can you buy with $20? You can get four meals or four glasses of wine. I personally think a $20 bottle of wine is expensive. But there’s this idea that people have to spend a lot of money on wine, and that’s not the case. It’s perception, the common mentality on the street. We can sell you a $10 or $12 bottle of wine that you will feel good about.

14 | Thursday, January 21, 2016 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Jerry McBride/BCI Media

Drinking on a budget? Alan Cuenca knows his wine. We asked the owner of Durango’s Put a Cork In It for five great wine selections under $20. If you like to keep things thrifty, this list is for you. Sineann ‘Pisa Terrace’ Pinot Noir 2013

Frey Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2014

This black cherry gem comes from Central Otago, New Zealand. Dark cherries, baking spices, vanilla and an elegant silky long finish. Organically farmed with minimal SO2.

Delightfully clean and crisp with notes of lemon and pineapple. This wine is organically farmed and vinified with no added sulfites. An excellent choice for sushi, Thai or halibut.

Price: $19.99

Price: $14.99

Chateau Laval 2012

High Valley Zinfandel 2012

Very unique wine from the Costieres de Nimes in the Rhone Valley of France. This medium-bodied blend of syrah/ grenache/mourvedre offers a complex array of flavors of black pepper, raspberries, baking spices and high-toned acidity. Excellent cocktail or food wine that is organically farmed.

Amazing value! This fullbodied, spicy wine offers everything a Zin aficionado seeks with notes of black pepper, raspberries and a smooth vanilla finish. Also sustainably farmed.

Price: $16.99

Price: $15.99

Lander Jenkins Chardonnay 2013 Classic California-styled chardonnay. This family-owned and farmed chardonnay hits the mark with classic tropical fruits, toasty oak, a touch of vibrant acidity and a smooth creamy finish. Best of all, it’s sustainably farmed! Price: $12.99

�� Thursday, January 21, 2016 | 15

[ movies ]

Dirty Grandpa Playing at Stadium 9 Rating: R Genre: Comedy Directed by: Dan

Mazer Written by: John

Phillips Runtime: 1 hr. 42 min. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: Not available Synopsis: Jason Kelly is tricked into

driving his foul-mouthed grandfather, Dick, to Daytona for spring break. Between riotous frat parties, bar fights and an epic night of karaoke, Dick is on a quest to live his life to the fullest and bring Jason along for the ride.

The 5th Wave Playing at Stadium 9 Rating: PG-13 Genre: Action &

adventure, mystery & suspense, science fiction & fantasy Directed by: J Blakeson Written by: Susannah Grant, Akiva

Goldsman, Jeff Pinkner Runtime: 1 hr. 52 min. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 20% Synopsis: Cassie Sullivan tries to

survive in a world devastated by an alien invasion that has already decimated the population and knocked humankind back to the Stone Age.

The Boy Playing at Stadium 9 Rating: PG-13 Genre: Mystery &

suspense, horror Directed by: Wil-

liam Brent Bell Written by: Stacey Menear Runtime: 1 hr. 37 min. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: Not available Synopsis: Greta is a young American

woman who takes a job as a nanny in an English village, only to discover that the family’s 8-year-old is a lifesized doll the parents care for just like a real boy.

Courtesy of movies.com

»» “Spotlight” explores the investigative team of reporters who worked to uncover the story about abusive priests in the Catholic Church.

‘Spotlight’: Reporters at work By Richard Roeper The Chicago Sun-Times

Tom McCarthy’s “Spotlight” is one of the best movies I’ve ever seen about the art and the science of newspaper reporting – and in particular that special breed of journalist who does important investigative work that involves a detective’s instinct, soul-sucking research, fierce determination, exhaustive hours and accepting the fact that almost nobody is happy to hear from you when you call them and identify yourself. The Boston Globe’s Spotlight crew consisted of an editor and a small handful of reporters who toiled in a subterranean office of the paper, working major stories for weeks or even months. When the Spotlight logo appeared in the Globe, there was a good chance someone was going to be indicted, or major changes would be enacted – or the greater Boston community would learn something they never knew about their beloved city. “Spotlight” kicks off in 2001, as Liev Schreiber’s Marty Baron, formerly of the Miami Herald, arrived as the Globe’s new editor-in-chief. More than 50 percent of the

Spotlight Playing at Animas City Theatre Rating: R Genre: Mystery & suspense,

drama Directed by: Tom McCarthy Written by: Tom McCarthy,

Josh Singer Runtime: 2 hr. 7 min. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 97%

Globe’s readership was Catholic; Marty was Jewish. Nearly everyone in the newsroom was from Boston or had family ties to the city; Marty didn’t. He was the ultimate outsider – not necessarily a disadvantage when it comes to marshaling objective reporting that could target previously untouchable institutions and figures, i.e., Cardinal Law and the Catholic Church. Intrigued by a story about an abrasive, wild-card Armenian attorney named Mitchell Garabedian (Stanley Tucci), who is representing numerous families alleging their children were abused by priests, and tales of the church responding to these allegations by offering small cash settlements and

transferring the offending priests to other parishes where they would have access to more children, Baron assigns the Spotlight team to investigate. Is there a wide-ranging conspiracy to suppress the truth? Is the church hierarchy actually complicit in allowing monsters in collars to molest children? And would the Globe actually have the, um, nerve to go after the most revered and powerful institution in the city? Michael Keaton (who starred as an ink-stained wretch in Ron Howard’s excellent “The Paper” in 1994) is Walter “Robby” Robinson, the beloved editor of the Spotlight team, which consists of Rachel McAdams’ Sacha Pfeiffer, Mark Ruffalo’s Michael Rezendes and Brian d’Arcy James’ Matt Carroll. What a fine team of actors portraying such a fine team of journalists. I believed every inch of all four performances, from Pfeiffer’s utter indifference to her wardrobe and her dogged efforts to obtain key interviews; to Rezendes’ obnoxiously aggressive methods; to Carroll’s feelings of conflict when family and journalistic ethics collide – to the terrible eating habits of one and all. Yep, they’re journalists all right.

16 | Thursday, January 21, 2016 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

[weed]

Secrets of a weed shop employee People make wild assumptions about what goes on inside a weed shop. But it’s not the lawless, smoke-infused free-for-all you might be imagining; the environment at Durango Organics is both regulated and professional. To enter, you need to show ID (21 and older), there are cameras in the store with live feed to the Durango Police Department, and you’re definitely not allowed to get high on the job. Adam Clapp has worked as a budtender at Durango Organics for more than one and a half years. He knows all the tips and tricks (having trouble remembering the difference between indica and sativa? When you pronounce indica, think “in da couch,” because that’s the mellow, sink-into-the-couch one). We asked him some questions we’ve always had about the weed biz. If somebody has never tried it, how do you recommend they ingest cannabis for their first time? That’s when we start laying down the questions. If they have zero experience, we ask if you’d rather eat a cookie or smoke, but we always recommend less is more. Five to 10 milligrams, even for seasoned smokers if they’re trying edibles for the first time, is what we recommend. Like, “I know you’ve been smoking for 40 years, but this cookie has quite a kick to it.” Do you get weird questions from customers? One frequent question that we get, mainly from females, is they’ll ask what’s good for intimacy. “Hey, what strain is going to get me in the mood ... ?” My mind is blown every time. It’s extremely personal to what people like and how they do things! I usually try to gauge the customer, give it my best guess. We’ll have some people come in asking what the best strain for their cat is. We’ll tell them no, we can’t advocate that. Intoxicating animals is not the best idea. But they make versions, like tincture, which is a liquidbased cannabis-infused product, that’s really good for dogs and cats; it won’t get your animal high, but it still has all the medicinal value. If your pet has cancer or tumors or bad hot spots, it can help. Do people ever come back and complain if they have a bad experience? Absolutely. I can guarantee all of our budtenders recommend proper dosing and make sure people are leaving well-informed, but a lot of people won’t listen. Like, “I’m going to eat this whole cookie anyway. I’ve been smoking for 40 years.” And then they come back, and they’re like “I was way too high for like, two days!” It’s not our fault, it’s not their fault, it’s just a bad experience. Any recommendation for what to do if you accidentally get too high? Get a big glass of water, lay down on the couch and watch some TV. You’re in for the ride, so you might as well enjoy it. There’s not too much you can do, though there’s some remedies that will kind of help soften the high. There’s a company, Mary’s Medicinals, which makes a drink; if you’re too high, you can supposedly drink it and it will help you get sober quicker. Some people, we’ll ask if they’re interested in edibles, and they’ll say “absolutely never again.” What’s the demographic of people who come in? Young, old, men, women. As many people as you see

Anya Jaremko-Greenwold/DGO

»» Adam Clapp has worked as a budtender at Durango Organics for more than one and a half years.

that are young and just want to smoke some weed, you see a ton of older people who can barely walk, too. The oldest customers we have are probably upper-80s, potentially 90s. You see a little bit of everybody. What’s your favorite method of getting high? Are you familiar with dabbing? You can get a butaneextracted hash oil, or they’re starting to come out with new solventless methods. Just the THC gets extracted out of the organic plant matter; you basically heat up a little metal nail and you drop your oil on it, and it vaporizes. You can smoke that out of a bong or a little pen vaporizer. It’s mostly a vapor, so you don’t have to smoke as much because you’re getting a higher quantity of THC in one hit. One hit could be equivalent to smoking a whole joint to yourself. I’ve personally got baby lungs, I cough a ton when I smoke herb, so the whole dabbing aspect is beneficial to me. And for edibles, the high does last longer. That can be extremely beneficial on your days off. It works from your inside out, so those really help with pain management, or falling asleep and staying asleep if that’s

what you need. Do you think legalization has benefited Colorado communities? It’s bringing a lot more tourism in, which is awesome. Studies have shown that teenage use has gone down ever since it’s been legalized. Everyone was worried that it would just be easier for kids to get it. But it’s been the opposite. Are employees allowed to smoke at work? No, absolutely not. People ask that all the time. I believe if an employee even brings their own marijuana product from outside in, the fines start in the tens of thousands. It’s not really like the Wild West that people make it out to be. It’s honestly way more regulated than alcohol at this point. All of our cameras have direct live feed to the local police department. They can access our footage anytime they want. I definitely understand the intense regulation; it’s a new thing. It’s a booming industry. —— By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold DGO Staff Writer

�� Thursday, January 21, 2016 | 17

[ weed ] Seeing Through the Smoke Christopher Gallagher

Lights, clones and seeds: More tips to get growing

rowing your own cannabis: So many questions, so little time. Next week’s going to be Snowdown and the only thoughts on anybody’s mind will revolve around consuming the weed in order to get out and have some fun. Until then, there are a few final topics to cover before everyone goes traipsing their ways back to the 1980s. Last week, soil was the focus. This week, we’ll address your options to start plants, lighting needs and a few tips that will make things easier. The first thing you’ll need to decide on is an area to grow; while “closet grows” can be complicated to take from sprout to harvest because issues like space and heat become problematic, a few square feet is all you need to get some gorgeous, healthy plants prepared for the outdoor season. Your main consideration will be deciding what you want to use as a light source. While full-scale grow

lighting systems are undoubtedly better for a full-scale indoor grow, they are costly, they use a lot of electricity, create a lot of heat and are probably more trouble than they’re worth in order to start six plants or fewer. The good news is that there are several very good, low-cost options for starter plants that maintain their effectiveness throughout the entire vegetative phase. These lights will not need to be changed until your beauties are ready to enter their flowering phase when you transplant them outdoors to use the ultimate light source in late May. There are, again, endless tutorials online documenting the use of T5 shop lights and CFL (compact fluorescent lighting) setups. These lights will run 24 hours a day, so the reduced wattage will save you money. Many folks have used these arrangements over the years and some longtime growers swear by them, eschewing the metal halide and high pressure sodium lighting

systems favored by most industrialsized grows. Whatever space you decide to use, you will maximize your use of light by painting it using flat white latex paint. This will allow some light to bounce off the surfaces without creating a harsh environment. Your next big choice will involve whether you will begin your grow using clones – “baby” plants trimmed from a fully developed “mother” plant and delivered sometime in their first month or so of life – or from seed, which involves a couple of extra steps but is pretty straightforward. The benefit of keeping mother plants is that you will always have access to potential clones. All you have to do is trim them, dip them in cloning medium (which costs just a few bucks at the grow shop) and let them soak in water in a “clone sponge” until their roots show and they’re ready to go into dirt. You’ll know where your babies came from and have reasonable expec-

tations of how they’ll develop. Plus, you can keep those mothers growing for months and months (years, even) before deciding to plant them outdoors – their strong root and stalk systems can deliver excellent yields once that decision has been made. The upside of growing from seed is that you can grow six different strains in six different pots. This raises the level of complexity slightly because each strain has different durations of growth and some superficial differences in appearance and rates of development. But an enterprise of that nature could be a fun and interesting science experiment with a very cool payoff in the autumn. However you do it, be very gentle with your plants in the early stages of their development. Christopher Gallagher lives with his wife and their four dogs and two horses. Life is pretty darn good. Contact him at chrstphrgallagher@gmail.com

Animas Herbal, your Cannabis Connoisseurs 1111 CAMINO DEL RIO #5 • 970.385.8622 ANIMASHERBAL.COM

EDIBLES • HASH • VAPES • SEEDS • PIPES & BONGS JOINTS • CLOTHING & MORE

18 | Thursday, January 21, 2016 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

[review]

[high-ass recipes]

Wana Hot Cocoa

High-ella

What is it? This is the perfect warm-you-up hot cocoa for those chilly Snowdown days. It’s a single serving 10mg cannabisinfused powder you can mix with hot water or milk to keep you cozy at any event. It’s very stealth, but should always be used in legal places and kept away from kids who might mistake it for the less potent storebought mixes. The effects Like most edible or drinkable marijuana products, Wana uses trim in its extraction process so you can expect a hybrid feeling from this product. The high comes on quickly. I noticed it within five minutes, and it seemed to peak at the 30-minute mark. It was a very nice, relaxed all-over high in the beginning, but seemed to be more psychoactive later on. The smell It actually smelled like any normal hot chocolate. I never noticed the weed odor at any time. The look

It’s rice, vegetables, meat and spices. It’s kind of like jambalaya with its Cajun-y-ness, and it’s also kind of like paella. Put the two together with some optional high-assiness, and you have high-ella ... or maybe it should be called jumbalhigh-ya. Regardless, when it’s done, all you need is a bowl and spoon and a high-definition television for mesmerizing atmosphere.

What you’ll need: Around a pound of your favorite meat, seafood or veggie patty (we used a 12-ounce tube of smoked sausage).

It’s actually better than most powder mixes you buy at the local market with only a hint of marijuana taste. The final verdict I love the idea of a warm cup of hot cocoa during a cold day on the Western Slope, but adding a single dose of legal goodness makes this great. You can easily make your own hot chocolate and add a peppermint marijuana tincture, but this is an easy all-in-one mix that definitely does the job. The buzz is solid, and I can’t think of anything I’d like in my thermos more than this during Snowdown. Have fun! Be safe!

Directions:

2 bell peppers (get different colors because it’s pretty), chopped large 1 large onion, chopped large 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 can diced tomatoes (with green chilies if you can find them) 2 cups rice, cooked 2 tablespoons butter (for the rice) 2 tablespoons oil 2 tablespoons paprika

YD L L A C LOWN & OWNE GRO BESTUES AL V & D BU

Like milk chocolate with white foam on top. I added the obligatory marshmallows just for effect. The taste

1½ tablespoons Cajun spice

Winter Hours 9-7 · 7 days a week

Get the rice going first, because if everything else is done and you’re just waiting on the rice, then your high ass will just start eating everything else and you’ll say, “This doesn’t even need rice” and find yourself eating out of the pan 30 minutes later.

soggy. When done, toss the alreadydone rice in the skillet along with the spices and mix until blended. Turn off the stove and let the flavors mingle a bit.

Heat a massive skillet on medium high. Toss in the oil then everything else (this is why we chose sausage … sooooo much easier) and stir regularly for about 10 minutes or so, not letting the vegetables get

Not sufficiently high-ass for you? You can always add some grated cheese, some barbecue sauce or maybe some sour cream. We’ve never added them, but it sounds good, right?

ile

Meanwh

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1644 Cty Rd 203 - Old Sweeneys Bldg

THIS

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27 • Jan

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80’S WN DO TEST W O SN CON

Wed

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LIP-S

/dgomag

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10pm • 2 an 2

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�� Thursday, January 21, 2016 | 19

[love and sex]

Is there a good way to recycle or donate used sex toys? Savage Love | Dan Savage

I am no longer sexually active, but I have a significant collection of sex toys from earlier years. I’m thinking of getting rid of most of them, and it seems such a waste for them to end up in the landfill. What’s an environmentally responsible way to dispose of dildos? I wish there was a place I could donate the dildos where they could be used again. Many of them are quality silicone types, they’ve never been used on a person without a condom, and they’ve been thoroughly cleaned. I’d be happy to donate them to impoverished dildo users in need, if only I knew where to send them. —— Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Your question comes up frequently, RRR, and there really isn’t a satisfactory answer. In Seattle, where I live, a community tool bank recently opened in my neighborhood – but they don’t collect and lend the kind of tools you’re looking to donate. I’ve heard about dildo graveyards in other cities (spots in parks where people bury their used sex toys), but burying sex toys isn’t environmentally responsible. And while high-quality dildos can be cleaned and safely reused, most people are pretty squeamish about the idea. Which is odd, considering that we routinely reuse actual cocks that have been enjoyed by others – so why not the fake ones? But even if I can’t tell you what to do with your dildos, RRR, I can tell you what not to do with them: Do not ship your used dildos to the antigovernment militia currently occupying a federal wildlife refuge in rural Oregon. After militia members asked supporters to send them supplies – via the U.S. Postal Service – their spokesperson complained bitterly about all the dildos they were getting in the mail. So if you decide to put your used dildos in a box and send them somewhere, RRR, please make sure the address on the box doesn’t

read: Bundy Militia, c/o Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, 36391 Sodhouse Lane, Princeton, OR, 97721. I understand that monogamy is not something people are good at – and that’s fine. In fact, most of the people I know are in healthy poly or monogamish relationships. Here’s the thing: I’m monogamous. Not the “I’m attracted to other people but won’t act on it because it makes me uncomfortable or believe it’s wrong” kind of monogamous, but the “I genuinely have ZERO desire to [bleep] anyone but my partner” kind of monogamous. Fantasizing about others is fun, so is looking, so is porn and role-play. There’s a world of deliciously kinky, weird and wonderful sex stuff I’d LOVE to explore until my sexy bits fall off. But I want to do those things with one partner and one partner only in a monogamous, intimate relationship. Here’s the kicker: I’d like my partner to feel the same way. I don’t want someone to enter into a monogamous relationship with me if in their heart/groin they’d genuinely like to [bleep] other people. Am I a lost cause? Surely I can’t be the only genuinely monogamous person there is? I’m 31 and still turn heads, but I worry my quest for a partner who feels as I do is impossible and a waste of my time. —— One 4 One You value monogamy, you want a monogamous commitment and you want someone who feels the same. That’s great, O4O, and you have my full support. But you do acknowledge that fantasies about others can be fun, as can looking, as can porn (watching others) and role-play (pretending to be others). So while you may wanna [bleep] other people – hence the looking and fantasizing and role-playing – you have no desire to actually [bleep] other people. If you’re having a hard time finding

partners who want what you want – a monogamous commitment without the stress of maintaining the monogamous pretense/facade/fraud, i.e., pretending they don’t at least think about [bleep] ing other people – either you’re living in some sort of poly parallel universe where nonmonogamy is the default setting or you’re not giving others the same benefit of the doubt you’ve given yourself. You wanna [bleep] other people and you don’t seem to think that disqualifies you from making, honoring and genuinely wanting both a monogamous commitment and a monogamous sex life. (The two don’t always go hand in hand.) If you’re breaking up with people for admitting to the same things you’ve admitted to in your question – you might think about [bleep]ing other people, but you don’t want to actually [bleep] other people – then you’re the reason your quest to find a partner has been so frustrating. I’m 33, blah blah blah, and live in a big city. I’ve been dating an ageappropriate person for a year and a half. Everything seemed fine (great sex, common interests and hobbies, similar work ethic, we even talked about raising children), but my partner is so damn angry and full of hate. Mostly it manifests itself in racism, and I really don’t like it. He says that I “don’t understand,” like he’s gone through experiences that would justify wholesale prejudice against entire groups of people. The passing of David Bowie has accentuated these differences between us. I want to live better and brighter, to love more, but my boyfriend just keeps hating. He’s unrelentingly racist. I shouldn’t have children with him – right? Better to be 33 and alone – right? This racist stuff is a deal breaker – right? DTMFA – right?

she’s part of the LGBT community too and because gay people can get married now. As a gay man, Dan, do you oppose bachelorette parties in gay bars? —— Queer And Questioning I oppose bachelorette parties in gay bars – or anywhere else, QAQ, and I feel the exact same way about bachelor parties. A few weeks ago, you answered a letter from Seeks Discreet Call Service, a woman in an open marriage who was having Tinder hookups in hotel rooms while traveling for work. She was concerned about her safety and wanted to have someone check in on her, but she couldn’t tell her partner about her hookups (DADT arrangement) or her friends (she’s not out about her open marriage). She specifically asked if there was an app that might help, and you told her there wasn’t an app for that. You were wrong, Dan! There are actually several apps. PCWorld published a roundup of a few of them a couple of years ago (“5 Personal Safety Apps That Watch Your Back,” by Amber Bouman), and there’s an app called Kitestring (kitestring.io) that has gotten some glowing reviews. The gist is that you use the app to set a timer, and when it goes off, you have to alert the app that you are OK. Otherwise, the app automatically contacts emergency services or a predetermined contact and lets them know you are in trouble at your location. So technology does have a solution for SDCS’s problem! —— Technological Enhancements Can Help

Right.

Man, I really blew that response – so thanks to TECH and everyone else who clued me in to Kitestring, StaySafe, Watch Over Me, bSafe and all the other apps out there that are exactly what SDCS was looking for.

My best female friend is marrying her boyfriend in March and wants to go on a gay bar crawl on the night of her bachelorette party. She says it won’t be a problem because, as a bi woman,

Dan Savage is a nationally syndicated sex advice columnist writing for The Stranger in Seattle. Contact Dan Savage at mail@ savagelove.net or @fakedansavage on Twitter and listen to his podcast every week at savagelovecast.com.

—— Racist Anger Gradually Ends Relationship

20 | Thursday, January 21, 2016 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

[happening] Thursday Durango Friends of the Art general membership meeting, social 10 a.m.;

meeting 10:30 a.m., Center for Southwest Studies at the Fort Lewis College. “Thunder in Our Voices” exhibition opening reception, 5 - 7 p.m., Center of

Southwest Studies FLC, http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu. Karaoke with DJ Crazy Charlie, 9 p.m.,

Wild Horse Saloon, 601 East Second Ave., 3752568. Karaoke, 9 p.m., 8th Avenue Tavern, 509

East Eighth Ave., 259-8801.

Friday Pete Giuliani solo acoustic show,

11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Dante’s Bistro, Purgatory. Opening reception: Site Unseen: Anna Hepler, 4:30 -6 p.m., Fort Lewis Col-

lege Gallery, fortlewis.edu/art-design/ArtGallery.aspx. Eric Hisaw, 7p.m.,$15/18, Sunflower Theatre, 8 E Main Street, Cortez, 516-1818, sunflowertheatre.org. Karaoke, 8 p.m., 8th Avenue Tavern, 509 East Eighth Ave., 259-8801. Dj Kaztro, 9 p.m. - 2 a.m., Moe’s, 937 Main Ave., 259-9018.

Saturday “On Communion: Acting Is Interacting- An Introduction to ‘Moscow Art Theatre’Techniques” workshop, 11 Photos courtesy of Hillary Raab

»» Artist Anna Hepler works on the installation for her solo show “Site Unseen: Anna Hepler,” which will open Friday at the Fort Lewis College Art Gallery and run through Feb. 19.

The Crags, 7 p.m., $3, Mancos Valley Distillery, 116 N. Main St., Mancos. Karaoke, 8 p.m., 8th Avenue Tavern, 509

‘Site Unseen’ something to see at FLC art gallery Artist Anna Hepler will open her show “Site Unseen: Anna Hepler” this weekend at the Fort Lewis College Art Gallery. No slouch in the art world, Hepler has had her work displayed in galleries from Santa Fe to Seoul, South Korea. Her installations feature large, inflated sculptures that, according to her artist statement on her website, slowly deflate, allowing for the exploration between two and three dimensions. She then creates other works based on the sculptures to “honor the serendipitous nature of the original effort.” Cool. Hepler’s exhibit will be on display from Friday through Feb. 19. An opening reception will be held to celebrate the exhibit from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Friday at the gallery. For more information, call 247-7167.

a.m. - 2 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 East Second Ave, DurangoArts.org/performing-adults.

East Eighth Ave., 259-8801. Dj Noonz, 9 p.m.-2 a.m., Moe’s, 937 Main

Ave., 259-9018.

Sunday Irish music jam session, 12:30 p.m.,

Irish Embassy Pub, 900 Main Ave., 403-1200, www.theirishembassypub.com. Informal tango practice and instruction, 5-7 p.m., Groove U Durango,

26369 U.S. Highway 160, tangodurango.info, 533-7231. Jazz church (experienced musician drop-in session), 6 p.m., Derailed Pour

House, 725 Main Ave., 247-5440, www.derailedpourhouse.com. Karaoke, 8 p.m., 8th Avenue Tavern, 509

East Eighth Ave., 259-8801.

»» “Cyanotype 15,” inkjet print on rag paper, 2009, by Anna Hepler.

Latin music night, 8 p.m., Moe’s, 937

Main Ave., 259-9018.

Monday Four Corners Arts Forum, 9 a.m., KDUR

91.9/93.9 FM, www.kdur.org. Happy Hour Yoga, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Ska

Brewing Co., 225 Girard St., yoga and a pint of beer for $10, www.skabrewing.com. Continued on Page 22

�� Thursday, January 21, 2016 | 21

[happening]

Courtesy of Farmington Hill

Where should we

DGO tonight?

Farmington Hill serves up country-fried indie rock for Johnny Cash To get to Farmington Hill this weekend, you don’t have to drive out of town to the actual hill, you just have to haul your sorry carcass down to Animas City Theatre, where the band Farmington Hill will be opening for Cash’d Out (Johnny Cash Tribute). Serving up its brand of country-fried indie rock and with songs that span the spectrum of emotions from the first crazy blush of love to cryin’ in yer

From Page 21

Tuesday

Your #1 source for what’s going on around Durango dgomag.com/calendar

Super Ted’s Super Trivia, 6:12 p.m., free, Ska Brewing Co., 225 Girard St., 2475792. Open Mic Night, 8 p.m., Moe’s, 937 Main Ave., 259-9018.

Wednesday Ace Revel, 6-8 p.m., Eno Wine Bar and Cocktail Lounge, 723 East Second Ave., 385-0105. Open studio figure drawing, 6:30-8:30 p.m., $15/$10, Durango Arts Center, 802 East Second Ave., www.durangoarts.org. Two-step dance lessons, 6:30-7:30 p.m., $10, Wild Horse Saloon, 601 East Second Ave., 799-8832. Geeks Who Drink trivia, 6:30 p.m., BREW

+ Add an Event

to the DGO calendar with

Pub & Kitchen, 117 W. College Drive, 259-5959. Pub quiz, 6:30 p.m., Irish Embassy Pub, 900 Main Ave., 403-1200. Karaoke with DJ Crazy Charlie, 9 p.m.,

beer after she leaves you for someone richer, tougher and much better looking, Farmington Hill is the prefect choice to open a Johnny Cash tribute show. The show will start at 8:30 p.m. Saturday at the Animas City Theatre; doors will open at 7:30. This is an 18 and older show. Tickets are $15 and are available at www.animascitytheatre.com/event/227115. For more information, call 7992281.

Wild Horse Saloon, 601 East Second Ave., 3752568.

Ongoing “The White Season,” Celebrating the ephemeral beauty of winter, Jan. 8-30, Durango Arts Center, 802 East Second Ave., durangoarts.org. “Irregularities” by Jen Pack, Jan.

8-Feb. 20, Durango Arts Center Art Library, 802 East Second Ave., durangoarts.org. Site Unseen: Anna Hepler, Jan. 22-Feb. 19, Fort Lewis College Art Gallery, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Friday, fortlewis.edu/art-design/ ArtGallery.aspx.

Submissions To submit listings for publication in DGO and dgomag. com, go to www.swscene.com and click “Add Your Event,” fill out the form with all your event info and submit. Listings at swscene.com will appear both at dgomag.com and in our weekly print edition. Posting events at swscene.com is free and takes about one business day to process.

22 | Thursday, January 21, 2016 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Horoscope ARIES (March 21 to April 19)

LEO (July 23 to Aug. 22)

Past issues with parents or old bosses seem to be back on your plate again. Maybe this is your chance to fix them?

Your efficiency at work has suffered in the past few weeks and will continue to be this way for the next few days. Mixed-up communications, delays and goofy mistakes are maddening!

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Travel delays are likely, as you have no doubt experienced. However, this delaying quality will help those of you who need to finish a school paper or wrap up writing a book. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) This is an excellent time to wrap up loose details regarding taxes, debt, inheritances and shared property. Get as much done as you can today. CANCER (June 21 to July 22)

Bizarro

Ex-partners have been back on the scene again, which might be difficult for some of you. However, this could be an opportunity to settle unfinished business.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 to Sept. 22) Old flames might appear out of nowhere. This can be a mixed blessing, can’t it? Sometimes, it’s thrilling, but often it’s chilling. Oy vey. LIBRA (Sept. 23 to Oct. 22)

There are only a few more days of this left. Courage!

greater ease. You have one more week left of this advantage.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 to Dec. 21)

PISCES (Feb. 19 to March 20)

Checks have been late in the mail, and financial matters have been full of mistakes and silly errors. (It’s almost embarrassing.) Fortunately, this is the last week of Mercury retrograde. Whew! CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 to Jan. 19)

Use the next few days to wrap up family business matters and talk to relatives you haven’t seen for a while. You will be productive.

Mercury is now retrograde in your sign, which is why you are misplacing items, running late and looking a bit disorganized. It’s not you. Relax. This will be over by next Monday.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23 to Nov. 21)

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 to Feb. 18)

Recently, transportation delays and silly mistakes with daily communications have driven you around the bend.

Mercury has been retrograde, which is harsh for some signs; but for you, it has allowed you to research anything with

Friends from the past are back in your life again, which is good or bad depending on the relationship. But mostly, it’s good to have history with others, isn’t it? BORN TODAY You are memorable because you are colorful. You set high standards for yourself because you want to be excellent at whatever you do. This year is one of growth and building. Initially, this will take place quietly beneath the surface. Wait until next year to make major changes. If you can reduce your overhead, you will strengthen your financial position. © 2016 King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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[ overheard ] My uterus feels like a washing machine. 81301

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You know when you get ED? That’s how old he is. Henry Strater Theatre

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Do you want some of this pretzel bun with butter? No, I already had adderral and french fries. Old Tymer’s

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I think my farts are stuck in my underwear and every time I move they come out. Macho’s North

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�� Thursday, January 21, 2016 | 23

Grand Opening

$12 Chewbacca Grams $5 Â½ Gram Joints

HAPPY SNOWDOWN

145 EAST COLLEGE DR. Downtown Durango - One Block From The Train 970 -764-4087