As if missing a day of burlesque on Main Avenue weren’t enough, The Summit decided this would be a good weekend to book a couple of nights that would actually get me out of my house had I stayed around. On Friday night, Drag the River returns, always a good thing, and The Freeman Social will be softening up the crowd for them. I’m sure the whole evening will suck, and I hear Bubba’s hot wife went and gained 45 pounds working at Red Lobster, so I don’t imagine I’ll be bitter or anything while I’m trying to rent carpet space to hippies to raise the necessary $75 to get a decent breakfast in Telluride. It gets even worse on Saturday. If for some reason you don’t check out the Tour, you can still experience the Yard Dog thing that night at the Summit. I bet it gets even weirder after they’ve been drinking all day and night. And did I mention the dancing girls? (See photo, again). Jerks.

Election season is coming, and with it comes a chance to abuse the unique privilege I’ve been given to voice my opinion in a public forum. At a certain level of government, I truly believe that partisan politics become so blurred as to be indistinguishable. Bush, Kerry, Allard, Pol Pot – the upper echelon of the ruling classes are equally Machiavellian in what they want and how they get it. So be it. But at the local level, you can still bump into your elected officials at Joel’s during happy hour, and if you’ve been there long enough you could even take a swing at them. I mentioned a few weeks back that the venom that was so evident in 2004 could be tempered a bit, as the candidates tend to be a bit more moderate this time around, which is nice. And so I can lend my endorsements to Joelle Riddle and Joe Colgan. It’s nice to get back to political debate conducted above the belt. Most importantly, vote. If you’re not registered, get registered – there’s still plenty of time before November happens. I bet you could even register at the Karyn Gabaldon Gallery on Saturday evening at 6 p.m. Coincidentally, Joelle and Joe will both be there admiring paintings and asking people for money. So will John Salazar. OK, you caught me. It’s actually a fund-raiser. But unless you’re planning on catching Lou Reed in Telluride for one of his only six performances this year (I knew there was a legitimate reason I was going there), maybe stop by and pick up a T-shirt or bumper sticker or something. There’s also a fund-raiser on Friday night, but I’d be shocked if anyone who reads this column goes to events that cost 100 bucks a pop. But if I’m wrong, it’s at the Ellis Crane Gallery at 5:30 p.m.

Your rumor printed here as fact. egholteen@hotmail.com. I think I was too generous with the Broncos – let’s call it six wins for now. •