People are strange

/ July 26, 2015

We saw two odd things in one day in Estes Park, one by car and one on foot.

First my dear wife Karen, wonderful daughter Elisabeth and terrific boyfriend George Three and I were on the hunt for a store to buy some beer, a bottle of wine, maybe another beverage to stock the fridge …

One stop shopping.

One stop shopping.

And so we pulled the rental vehicle into the Safeway parking lot and found the Pharmacy Liquour store.

All in one.

All in one.

No kidding. We stepped inside to find rows of wine, plenty of beer and aisles of aspirin and advil.

I really wanted to spot this big motto up on the wall: We install and service hangovers. Nowhere to be found. Hire me for marketing.

Later we walked around town again. This time I spotted something up on the hill at the end of the three-block stretch.

Watching over the all.

Watching over all.

Riffing on the famous Notre Dame campus icon, I’m torn between two names for this Estes Park protector. I offer you Tourist Jesus. Or maybe T-Shirt Jesus.

What’s more interesting to you, the store combo or hillside icon? What would you be buying in the aisles? Which name do you fancy

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52 thoughts on “People are strange”

  6. Back for a short time Mark. Just wanted to let you know my Mom passed away Friday morning, after a short, painful illness. Bet you didn’t even notice I wasn’t posting anything new lately. I’ll probably shut my blog down, just not sure at this point. The books all say never make big decisions during times of mourning, but since when do books tell the truth? Still love ya brother, Keep up the good work.

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      • Bittersweet memories are being shared as we go thru her storage compartment bro Mark. She had moved to an assisted living home, and most of her things were in storage until she decided what to do with them. So now the 7 of us are making those decisions, keeping the things we want and donating what none of us wants, tossing stuff we wonder why she ever kept. Only one Aunt left from her family of 13 siblings. Loving your posts from the Rockies now that the shock has worn off here. Both of my sisters live in Co. Springs and Monument — about 17 miles straight up from the Springs. I’ve been there often, but not since learning about the MS. Mountains and MS don’t go well together. Life sucks at times little brother. First my grandson, now my Mom. Who is next? Drive carefully PLEASE.

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      • I can see why you couldn’t go to Colorado with the MS, sis Angie. The air really is quite thin, no fable there.

        I hope going through your mom’s storage provided some good memories for you and your two sisters. Cherish them, please.

        We were very careful driving, and we four are home in Syracuse, Karen and I in the Little Bitty and Elisabeth and George Three to their lives, too.

        You hang in there. You had your mom for a long, long life, sis Angie. Bittersweet, I realize.

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      • The funeral was this morning bro Mark, and I did okay until we got in church and were spreading the cloth over the casket. It hit me then that Mom made that for Dad’s funeral 16 years ago, because the one they already had was so ratty looking. The dam broke at that minute, and I sobbed all thru the rest of the service, even when the Bishop brought communion over to me. I’ll be blogging my memories for a long time probably, just so afraid I’ll forget now. But yes, the treasure is a buttermilk pitcher that has passed down from oldest daughter to oldest daughter for several generations. Now I’m so afraid I’ll drop it before my daughter rescues it and passes it down to her daughter.

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      • Each day is a little bit better brother, but each day also brings more reality. Words left unsaid, deeds left undone, cards left unsent. One day at a time now.

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  7. I remember a commercial for The Medicine Shoppe that poked fun at how many drug stores also sell booze and smokes… kinda contrary to the whole idea of them being places to seek wellness. Rocky Mountain High Pharmacy has got to be selling the “good stuff” that’s now legal there, or else they need to change their name pronto…

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  9. Well I live in the heartland, so Jesus is everywhere. (That’s not a spiritual joke.) I still think Jesus is the more interesting of the two. Our drug stores carry alcohol, too. Perhaps it’s an equalizer of sorts. Tourist Jesus works for me, Mark!
    A little hair of the dog always works for me as well 😀

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  11. It seems like there’s an emerging theme here that I can’t quite put my finger on with both the Jesus and the liquor store pharmacy. Kind of like the divine brought down to a consumer level.

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  12. interesting iconography. Your comment on installing and servicing hangovers reminded me of the Groucho line about his uncle who stuffed spaghetti with bicarbonate of soda; thereby causing and curing indigestion at the same time

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  13. They don’t really look strange to me. I’ve lived in the Bible belt where people have images like that in their yard and on billboards. I’ve lived in a dry town and towns where every type of store also had liquor for sale.

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  14. Whoa, Mark. I was listening to a mix tape from a lovely blogger in Australia (Tangerine Trees), when the Doors medley was playing and your post popped up in my Reader at exactly this spot. Interesting. And I love your post. Happy Sunday morning to you. ☺

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  17. The liquor store in the pharmacy is the strange one to me. Here in Ontario, the liquor stores and beer stores are government overseen/operated. There are a few wine shops mostly in supermarkets. We are just talking about experimenting with beer in corner stores. On the flip side, Quebec is very close and although they do sell alcohol everywhere, it is not uncommon to come across manifestations of Jesus. They love their statues and representations and lit up crosses. Some crosses on towers can be seen for miles – sort of a navigation aid : this way to Jesus. 😛

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  18. That is one unorthodox park, a liquor store selling liquor and Pharmacy items at the same outlet.
    One wonders how your Drug and Pharmaceutical laws operate.
    Interesting post Mark and vivid pics.

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  20. I think the image of Christ on a hillside is much more unique to me. I can’t image the reaction a drunk tourist would have stumbling upon it the first time.

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