Dear Diver,
The other day, while riding my bike on the river trail I found a small sum of money. I thought about putting an ad in the “found” section, but figured the headache of dealing with everybody in town trying to claim it would be more effort than it was worth. My question is, how to spend it? Do I consider the money a gift form the universe (thank you, universe) and spend it on something indulgent or do I donate it to charity and ease my conscience? And if the latter, which one?
-Money Bags

Dear Almost like Powerball,
You’re lucky day I’d say! Way better than finding pennies on the ground. There are a few different ways you can run with this one. Either you’re going to be stoked or someone else will be. You can put up a lost ad where you found the money and ask if anyone’s missing something, if someone calls and says cash then you will have the right person.  You will have made their day and you’re now a good Samaritan. You can spend the money on yourself but might not feel quite as good about it. Or you can work on your good karma and bring it to your favorite coffee shop and buy someone else, friend or stranger, a cup of Joe and a pastry.
– Cheers!

Dear Diver,
I know going to the grocery store is major social hour in Durango, but I find when talking to people at the store, it is really hard to multi-task, talk and shop at the same time. My eyes inevitably start scanning the shelves over their heads and my mind wanders to comparing the nutritional merits of sandwich bread or what kind of coffee to get. Then, I leave and realize I forgot half my list. How can I stay tuned to the conversation while not forgetting what it was I came there for in the first place?
–Too Many Eggs in My Basket

Dear Too Many Eggs,
I agree it can be overwhelming at the end of a long day when you’re trying to find everything on your list and socializing. Some people are masters of that, but for the rest of us, picking one or the other might work a little better. Either go to the store with the intention of socializing or try the following tactics:
- Wear a disguise.
- Pretend to talk on your cell phone, just make sure the ringer’s off in case someone actually calls.
- Hire your next door neighbor’s kids to find the items, it will be kind of like a scavenger hunt for them.
– Best of luck, H

Dear Diver,
In an effort to be a little lighter on my carbon footprint, I recently bought a scooter for errands around town that are too far to go on my bike. Only thing is, I am a little leery of driving it with all the construction, summer tourist traffic, etc. Is there a good place to go practice driving, to get the hang of things. And what sorts of rules of the road does the Diver suggest for staying safe?
– Road Warrior

 Dear soon to be Raging and Safe Road Warrior,
Way to be making an effort for cleaner air. Keep it up. CR 250 is a nice, straight stretch to practice on. Don’t be afraid to use your horn. Some people are oblivious to what’s going on around them. Or even better, I’d suggest a really loud air horn especially for these summer months while it’s busier than normal. Grow eyes in the back of your head, especially for those kiddies jacked up on sugar. Bubble wrap is awesome! Or did you forget about your hover board that’s been collecting dust in the garage.
– See you on the road

In a sticky situation?