Re-defining "High Adventure"

We find an apt headline on this morning's Standard-Examiner front page. "Adventure defined" blares this morning's Std-Ex story title. "Re-defined" would possibly be an even more apt description, but (as our regular readers already know) we really do hate to nit-pick.

Scott Schwewbe reports that Boss Godfrey held an exclusive media press conference yesterday at the downtown "Rec Center." We use the term "exclusive," because reporters from Weber County Forum were for some reason not invited to attend. We're sure that this was merely an inadvertant oversight. We're sure we weren't overlooked on purpose. It matters not however that we were thus unable to send our own reporter to cover this event, because our adopted surrogate reporter, Ace Reporter Schwebke, apparently showed up, notepad in hand, to do the reporting for us.

Our favorite Std-Ex reporter provides this morning a journalistc walk-through of the two-story "crown jewel," and describes a series of "high adventure" features. We won't wast band-width enumerating them again, but we confess a couple of the the listed features caught our adventuresome eye, particularly this one -- which definitely got the adrenaline flowing:

"Glow-in-the-dark miniature golf" (no, we did not make this up -- read Scott's article.)

Conjure up in your gentle minds this image, if you will:

Boss Godfrey... navigating our little indoor, dayglo miniature golf course dressed to the nines in tradtional golfing attire, tiny knickers, miniature argyle sweater-vest and tam o' shanter, with Bill Glasmann (borrowed from the Emerald City Economic Development Department,) trailing behind as caddy, hauling a set of "junior" golf clubs, (rented from the "sports store" pro shop.)

And we'll note in passing the addition of another Mexican restaurant and pizza joint to the downtown Emerald City landscape. JUST what's needed in downtown Emerald City we think. We truly don't know how Boss Godfrey and his minions manage to come up with all these wonderful ideas.

We've re-read this morning's article several times, and can't really find any of these features we would call "high adventure." Of course we're mainly into outdoor receational sports, however. Being buffeted around in a 120 mph wind tunnel thirty feet above the floor may be something close to adventure, we guess, especially taking the $15/minute cost into account. We suppose the latter includes all insurance premiums.

Still, we think calling Peewee's new playhouse a "high adventure" venue has been pushing the definition of that term more than a little bit. It was smart for the suits on the ninth floor to rename the place the Salomon Center, we think. A Weber County Forum tip o' the Tam o' Shanter to Boss Godfrey for talking Salomon into slapping their brand name on it.

Today's article reports the center will open for business in May. We hope it works. It's gotta work. The taxpayers on on the hook for this to the tune of $19 million and change. We'll probably know a year or so from now whether the folks from Amer Corp. will wnat to keep the Salomon trade-name on the front door.

So how about it, gentle readers? Can we see, by a show of hands, how many will be rushing down there at the grand opening? Day-glo miniature golf, anyone? High scorer picks up the tab for margaritas at the Costa Vida Grill!

And no! We are NOT irked that we didn't get invited to yesterday's media press conference... not unless we missed out on free sandwiches and hors d'ouvres.

Don't let the cat get your tongues.