Chocolate Prayer Hands...Never Saw That Before

 At first, I thought seeing chocolate prayer hands was weird. I mean, it's not unusual to see seasonal chocolate items around Easter (and Christmas, and Halloween, and any other holiday they can sell all things chocolate...). But, I'd never seen chocolate prayer hands before.

Then I thought...

Why is that weird?

Since as long as I can remember, Easter has always been associated with chocolate and other tasty treats. Easter morning we found countless calories in a basket dedicated to each of us. We'd chow down, then save some for later, then we'd chow down again. Easter, as far as a kid goes, was great.

Of course, binging on chocolate had absolutely nothing to do with the reason for the holiday or the reason I should have been honoring the holiday. As I've gotten older, holidays mean more. I've matured, so much so, I think if I didn't get any presents on Christmas or any treats on Easter, I don't think I'd care. Those two days are not about what you get to eat, but so much more. 

I think I'd still be bummed with no candy on Halloween.

When I saw the chocolate praying hands at the store, I thought they were weird. But, I should have thought just the opposite. It's chocolate bunnies and eggs that should be considered weird on Easter, not hands closed in prayer.

Came Across An Awesome Picture...How Many Do You Recognize?

 I was posting pictures on social media earlier this week when I came across a photo. I had to stop and take a closer look. It was a picture celebrating Paramount Pictures's 75th Anniversary.

And it was awesome!

I think the first person I recognized was Charlton Heston, then Elizabeth Taylor, then Tom Cruise, then more and more, and it just kept going and going. It's odd to see so many stars in one photo. I did a little searching and I found a website that lists everyone in the photo. You can access the site by clicking: HERE.

Back in 1987 I was twenty-two. I had just begun attending classes at the University of Utah. I was just starting out--those in the picture, almost all older than me, had already been involved in their careers for years, decades. Some were nearing the end of their entertaining days, and even their lives. Others had scores of entertaining to do, movies to make, memories to create.

What I like most about the picture, is when I recognize a face, I remember seeing them in a film or show and the memories come flooding back. Deforest Kelley and the other Star Trek actors conjures reminds me of the days after school watching re-runs of the show in syndication, then later in their films. Kevin Costner, Harrison Ford, Olivia Newton John...there's just so many, each conjuring memories of the art of they created.

It also takes me back to a simpler time, a time of my youth. I know, of course, that no time is actually "simple." Every time has its challenges...I suppose it's normal to reflect of earlier times as better. Maybe it's best we forget the bad and hold on to the good. Looking at this picture, I remember a lot of the good.

Check out the website. See how you did recognizing. Maybe it'll bring back good memories for you, too.

Things Aren't Always As They Seem...

 Growing up, it was the biggest ride in the park...people would stand in line just to ride the old roller coaster. You could see it from the freeway as you flew by at 70 m.p.h., then 55 m.p.h. in the 1970s, then at whatever speed was allowed by the highway patrol.

I saw the ride everyday I worked at the park as a teenager, and in my twenties, thirties, forties, and fifties. It's an icon, a symbol of one family's dedication to having fun. When you see something everyday, you see what shape it's in. It's been years since I actually rode the ride, but I still notice, and from my vantage point, it looked like the old ride was in disrepair, as if the whole thing was one strong wind away from falling down and becoming a pile of toothpicks.

I was wrong.

Last week I had a meeting at the Biergarten. I parked right next to the roller coaster and the first thing I saw was not dilapidated old wood, but new boards holding it all together. That I didn't expect. From a distance, the roller coaster looks neglected, even though I know that's not true. I personally know many of the men and women who work on those rides and I know they would not allow an unsafe--or neglected--ride to operate in the park. Still, it just looked that way.

I realized something else as well. The reason I thought the ride wasn't up to snuff was because it wasn't white. For as long as I can remember, the coaster was painted white. Whenever they replaced boards on the ride, they were painted. I can't even imagine how much it would cost to paint that thing, and maybe I'm the only one who feels like the ride looks run down and painting it because of my opinion is a lot of money just to satisfy me.

When I took a closer look at the coster last week I realized most of the wood was new, or newer. It could be in the best shape it's been in in a long time. So, next time I drive by the park, I'll know different. I'll know the ride is in good shape. Things aren't always as they seem.

Give Thanks...Preserving History

 Before--and after--I visited my dentist who dug out an old filling and replaced it with a new non-metal one, I noticed something. In my old home town, they like to preserve history. I saw it inside the dentist's office--a photo montage of famous buildings in the city, and I saw it outside the office--restoring buildings and putting up markers.

Without history, you cannot understand the future.

One could say I've tried to preserve history, and in some small way I have. As I get older I can't seem to get enough of historical photos, memorabilia, basically anything having to do with history. I wish I had studied it more in my youth.

There's an effort to re-write history. I'm not going to get into the pros and cons, but I think it's a dangerous thing. History, even uncomfortable history (especially uncomfortable history...) must be preserved. It must be studied and known so it will not be repeated. 

It was refreshing and comforting to see the lengths at which the small town is going to preserve history. I'm sure it's happening where we now live--I just need to go check it out. I"m thankful for those who chose to do the work it takes to preserve history.

I have no idea if my blog posts or journal entries will be preserved. I mean, I'll do my best to preserve them, but once I'm gone, what will happen to them? I'll have no control at that point. Heck, every digital entry I've ever written could be erased in the blink of an eye. And all my journals could fly away in a tornado or get destroyed in a fire. The important thing is to do what we can to remember the way things used to be.

Yeah...But Which One?

 

My sons and I found ourselves yesterday in a Game Stop store. If you're unfamiliar with the store, it's full of video games, game-related items, and pop culture knick-knacks. It's Geek Nirvana. My sons were looking for things to buy. To be honest, when I go inside, I see things that would be cool to have, but since I'm not a big video gamer, I usually leave the store having bought nothing for me.

But, I did see a couple of items I thought maybe I'd want.

Mini-Pop keychain figures. Harry Dunne and Lloyd Christmas, in party attire.

Dumb and Dumber is one of my guilty pleasures. It's a classic film...crude, yes, but a classic. The fact that part of it was filmed in Utah and has some local actors in it that I know is a bonus.

I thought about getting a keychain, but which one? 

The obvious answer is Lloyd. Jim Carrey is a comedic genius. Jeff Daniels puts in a good performance, but next to Carrey, almost anyone would pale in comparison. As I held them both, I felt I could not split them up, and I didn't need, nor was I going to buy two keychains (truth be told, I didn't need even one keychain...). Plus, since it was a keychain, I was going to put in on my keyring. Two would be too many.

There were a few others from which to choose, but none as awesome at these two. My son was checking out the one thing he picked, and as an impulse, I grabbed a keychain on the rack and bought it. Was it Harry? Was it Lloyd?

Nope.

I walked out with C-3PO.

A solid choice.

Things You Learn By Posting Photos...

 I was looking for something to photograph for my "Pic Of The Day" last week and I came across something at one of our local grocery stores. 

Necco wafers.

You may have never heard of Necco, The Original Candy Wafer, before. It was a candy found in every store when I was a kid--I even remember getting mini-packs of them at Halloween. It's one of those things you may think might have disappeared because you haven't seen it in a while. To be honest, I hadn't thought about this particular brand of candy in decades possibly. Then, I spotted some packs of Necco wafers in a store and I realized, they haven't completely disappeared...they're just not in every store like they once were.

I snapped and posted the picture.

Then, the surprises hit.

People began posting comments, many of them in support of the product. Personally, I like them, too. I didn't think others necessarily liked them. I thought I'd get a similar reaction if I posted a picture of black licorice (which I also like...). Apparently, people still like the Neccos.

Getting interesting reactions to photos is nothing new. I never know how thing things I post will be taken by those who see them. It hasn't stopped me in the ten-plus years I've posted pictures or blog posts. Hopefully, people like what I post...

They way they like Neccos. ;)

The World Has One Less Place For Birds To Next...

 A few weeks back we noticed on the corner of our house a switch box up in the eaves, an uncovered switch box. We noticed the wiring and we weren't completely sure what the box was for. It's perhaps for a flood light or a security light, or maybe an outlet box to put up Christmas lights.

Don't know for sure.

We wired our last house so we're not afraid to install a light or an outlet. Sure, it's up a ways, but no where near some of the eaves on our last house. I thought it was interesting that the box was uncovered, then I forgot about it.

Forgot about it until last Sunday when we heard the birds.

That corner of the house is near the master bedroom, so when we woke up the other day hearing birds on the roof, I remembered the uncovered box. We could see the birds from the window. I saw one starling on the roof, then I saw another starling fly away and as it flew away, bits of insulation came away with it.

The bird wasn't on the roof...it was inside the eave.

Sharing a house with birds is nothing new to our family. Our last house and a place where birds nested almost every year. The opening was so inaccessible, we could never stop them. One year we had kestrel falcons. They raised three chicks and we got the see them close up. That was cool! Most of the time, starlings nested in the roof.

There's no way we were going to have the same thing happen at the new house.

I looked around for something to plug up the hole. It was Sunday morning so I couldn't (or, didn't want to...) go to the store and get a proper cover. I found a light switch we had that we were not using, so I climbed up the ladder and stopped the hole. Now, if you are in our yard and look up, you'll see a light switch in the eave, a switch that controls nothing...

Nothing, but birds, I guess.

March Sadness...

 I wish there could have been three teams from Utah in the NCAA March Madness Men's Basketball Tournament. But, it was not to be. However, two strong teams represented the Beehive State, Brigham Young University and Utah State University.

Unfortunately, both were one and done.

I used to watch more college hoops. When I attended Utah State before my mission, I went to many USU games that season. That 84 - 85 team beat both BYU and Utah twice, home and away. It's the last USU team to win in Provo.

I was there.

It was great.

When I attended the U, we had season tickets in the Huntsman Center most of the years I attended. One year, we had tickets on the second row. Back then, you got in free as a student. After Rick Majerus and the Final Four team, I think the days of attending for free was over. My Utes have not made the tournament in several years. Now, they're looking for a new coach. We fans hope more successful days are ahead.

I was rooting for the local teams. I watched part of the USU game--strong first half, then Texas Tech began hitting the shots they missed in the second half and that was all it took. I watched the BYU game and it was closer than the score indicated. The Cougars played hard, but a few of the UCLA players were hitting everything and anything they put up...bummer.

Fans can always say, "There's always next year." It's the retort of fans of teams that did not end the season with a win, and there's only one team and one team's fans who don't have to say that...

Unless they think they'll win it all again next year.

BJ Salmond's "Grudges And Grace"...Available Today

 It's been a few years since I last saw Brad, or BJ as it's printed on the book cover. About twenty years ago he and I worked on the same floor in the same building, each work day, Monday through Friday. Several weeks ago I ran across a post on a Facebook writer group of which I am a part.

Brad was asking for advice for his new book.

Dude's an author! I had no idea.

BJ Salmond's Grudges and Grace came out today. You can order the book for yourself by clicking: HERE. Since I got into this writing world, I've met many authors. BJ is the first I met that I already knew.

Grudges and Grace is historical fiction set in the mid-nineteenth-century middle America. We meet William Chestnut, a young man who wants more than a life on the farm. He dreams of the business world. What I found interesting in Salmond's storytelling are the details. If you were to take a snapshot of a person's life, they may be interested in sports, or politics, or their career, or even thinking about downtime. Salmond includes details that put me not only in the scene, but in the time of these people.

The novel is based on a true story. Historical fiction is a genre I enjoy, even though I don't read it often anymore. The good news is Grudges and Grace is only the beginning. I look forward to see more books from BJ Salmond.

The First Tree...First Of Many, Hopefully

 We weren't looking for fruit trees to put in the yard--it's still a little early. We don't even have a sprinkling system installed, but we saw the tree and snagged it. A few days later, we dug a hole and stuck it in the ground.

Tree Number 1.

In a tree-less yard.

Back before 1847 the valley in which we live was uninhabited. That summer Mormons entered the valley and set up shop. It was part of Mexico back then and had the valley been more appealing, it might have already been occupied. But, because no one else wanted it, it was available. I haven't done a lot of research about the area before the Mormons arrived, but I have heard that the people who first saw the valley said there were no trees...tree-less.

On the hill where we moved, there's not a lot of trees...kind of how it looked almost two-hundred years ago. One of the first things we planted at our old home were fruit trees. We're hoping to do the same here. We started with an apricot tree. We'll be looking for other fruit trees--those that do well in our climate. When we're done we plan on having a little orchard, like we had before.

It's just one tree. We'll have to water it by hand until the sprinklers are installed and we're glad to do it. It's strange living in an area where trees are few and far between. Maybe in the coming years, the little hill will have many trees. That's the goal.

Give Thanks...Small Towns

 Another Sunday, another Sunday drive. Last week we ventured a little north and a little east and found ourselves driving through the quaint hamlet of Beaver Dam, Utah. We'd driven past it several times going from Tremonton to Logan on State Road 30.

But, you can't see the town unless you leave the road.

We're surrounded by small towns. We've visited many of them over the past several months on our little Sunday drives. There's a feeling you get when you travel along the small, two-lane roads, pass by the small-ish (mostly...) homes, see how people live in these towns. 

I grew up in a small town--it was much smaller back then. Back then, we'd have to leave to go see a movie, to pick up speciality items (think hardware store...), and the like. Now, things have completely changed. That small town isn't small anymore. When we travel through these small Northern Utah towns, I think of the kids who grow up in them. The parents...well, they probably chose to live there and they stay because it suits them. But the kids...they don't have a choice.

I've met many people who have grown up in small towns. I've met them because they left those towns and moved into a larger city. The opinions I heard are most likely biased because those with whom I spoke didn't like the small town life. They left. When I drive through these small towns, I wonder if the kids want to leave or are they content to stay. I'm sure there are those that hate living where they are--there are always unhappy people.

Things have changed since I was a kid (cue old man voice...). We couldn't wait until we were sixteen, had our drivers license in our velcro wallets, and had a car to get us places, movies, dances, eating out. Life at home was...in a word to a teenager...boring. Now, life at home is anything but. The entire world is available to a teenager. Many not only don't want a license, they don't necessarily want to drive at all. The whole concept seems so foreign.

Beaver Dam is halfway between Tremonton and Logan...three places most in the wold have never heard of. I'm grateful for small towns. The people there choose a different life, tougher in some ways, but much simpler in others. They are independent, proud and humble at the same time. In many ways I envy them, envy that simplicity. Many of the people I know who left small towns because it wasn't their thing might not understand our decision to leave "civilization" for cleaner air and less traffic. I'm glad these small towns still exist. They're really special.

Hey You Short Story Writers...Here's A Call For Your Story!

 Life, The Universe, And Everything, a.k.a LTUE has announced a call for submissions for an anthology. It's called, I Have a Sidequest For You. You can access the announcement website: HERE. For you writers out there, you should check it out.

LTUE has a soft spot in my heart. It was one of the first writing conferences I ever attended. It's one of the first conferences that invited me to participate as a panelist. It's been almost a decade since I first attended LTUE. It was the cheapest convention out there, which I always appreciate, and they seemed to have a lighter and more fun atmosphere than other conferences.

Because writing symposiums attract creative people, those people like to...well, create things. This anthology is an example of what happens when you assemble people who like to write.

From the website:

Since its beginnings in the early 1980s, the Life, the Universe, & Everything Symposium has been a staple of the Utah and Intermountain West author and artist community. Many authors, artists, and editors have found inspiration for their careers at the feet of scores of symposium guests. Influential professors and others have mentored those planning and running the symposium, but many of these mentors have passed on.

The symposium helps students of all ages by providing greatly discounted student memberships. Hemelein Publications—in conjunction with LTUE Press—created a series of memorial benefit/charity anthologies to help the symposium continue to help these aspiring creators learn about their crafts at a reasonable cost. Author, artist, and editor proceeds from the anthology go to LTUE to help students attend for a very low cost.

The fifth of these anthologies, I Have a Sidequest for You, is a science fiction and fantasy sidekick adventure anthology, created in honor of Tom Grover. Tom was always helping out with LTUE, volunteering for anything and everything. He always seemed to be there when help was needed, and he was tireless in his efforts to make LTUE a success. He passed away in 1988 following a mountain climbing accident.

If you're interested, here's more information: 

• Science fiction and fantasy sidekick stories (including superhero, fantasy adventure, and so on) where the main character is the sidekick in a larger story. These are stories of the sidekicks, the plucky comic-relief guy, and the not-so-chosen ones. The “main” story should only be referenced in this story about the sidekick. We want stories featuring the sidekick-type character—janitors, lunch ladies, innkeepers, librarians, the type that don’t go on adventures or become heroes and chosen ones—stories that feature the sidekick as a hero-character.
  For example, a story about Will Scarlet instead of Robin Hood and Little John? Or a story about one of the lesser-known knights of the Round Table? These don’t have to be big adventures or even save-the-world stories, just stories where the sidekick gets to shine instead of the “main” hero.
• The characters in the story must be your own, original characters. Do not use other creators’ characters.
• Any length up to 17,500 words
• Unpublished or reprint stories
• Up to two submissions per author
• This is a benefit/charity anthology, so stories are donated and author receives no monetary compensation
• Authors receive a print copy of the anthology and an electronic copy
• Meet the content guidelines described on the Submission Guidelines page
• Stories are due by June 20, 2021 at 11:59pm Mountain Time.

It's been a while, but I've had several stories published in anthologies. They are not the biggest money-makers, but they can open so many doors. They're a great place to start or help a writing career. Come on--give it a shot. Check out the site, write a little story, and send it in.

Who knows what can happen?

Met The New Neighbors...

 In our backyard...well, in our backyard and across the foot path, a foundation for a new house has been constructed. Just south of the new foundation is a home less than a year old--to the north, a house being built, a few months ahead of the foundation.

Today, we met the owners of the foundation--soon to be house.

And we're no longer the "newbies."

We moved from a street where I lived off-and-on for fifty years. I saw homes go up where only fields and weeds existed before. I saw people build houses, move away, have others move into that house, move away, and so on. Basically, I knew the history of my little town for half a century. Almost all my neighbors, save a handful, were "new" to the area--even those who had been there for decades.

It's a strange feeling being the new and not the other way around.

It's even stranger because we haven't been able to meet many of our neighbors, covid and all. The subdivision next to ours is twenty years old. I'm sure many of them have been there the whole time. I suppose they would be those who've seen growth over the years. I could ask them about a town event from the past two decades and they'd probably remember it. They are what I was. I'd love to get to know them better.

The owners of the foundation and I had a good chat. They're relocating from down south--not as south as us, but south. They're also moving close to a parent, just like us. It's good to be able to help your elders. They're slated to move in the fall, but hopefully their foundation + house will be completed before that. Once they're in, we'll have a fence between us, so I don't know how much contact we'll have when it's all said and done. Fences make good neighbors...just not connected ones.

I hope the new neighbors find what they're looking for in their new house on the hill. I know we have.

Sometimes Reaching 50K Takes A Month...Sometimes Eight Years

 When I updated my Mac a few updates ago, my Microsoft Word software no longer worked. Changes over at Microsoft mean if I want to continue using their product, I need to purchase an annual license (at least, I think it's annual...I never paid for the license so I'm not sure).

Without Word I needed new writing software. I chose Scrivener. I'm liking it so far, liking it a lot. I don't utilize all the bells and whistles of Scrivener (I didn't with Word, either...). But, it does what I need it to do. 

Because I took the novel I was working on in Word and cut it up into chapters in Scrivener, I had no idea how many words I'd written, since I had added several chapters using the new software. I did a search--turns out I've surpassed 50k.

That's a milestone.

Every November, writers all over the world try and write a complete novel during the month, and if not a novel, at least write fifty-thousand words. It's called NaNoWriMo and the only time I took the challenge seriously, I was able to do it. I wrote my first published novel before November ended. That took less than four weeks. This latest story I stopped working on in 2013 before I started up again. That's eight years for me to reach 50k.

Quite a difference.

After I completed my first NaNoWriMo challenge, the story flowed so easily. I was sure I could duplicate it. And maybe I can with another story, but every time I've tried, it's been tough. That's why I haven't done it again.

Now that I've hit that mark, I can begin to wrap it up. I finally figured out my ending a few weeks ago so now it's just a matter of putting in the work and getting the first draft finished. Of course, many writers say once the first draft is done, that's when the writing process really gets going. It's true...once the first draft is done, so many of the things that turns a good story into a great story begin. I do like that part of the process. I'm glad I can see the end of at least this part of the journey.

Dad Tests...Not Quite Fair

 Can't remember where I saw this one (that happens a lot when you see a lot of memes...), but I thought it was funny so I snapped a picture of it and sent it to a friend. I ended up sharing it with my wife and family.

They all laughed. 

Which, I suppose, made the meme successful. But, to me, it was a tad unfair.

Most have heard of dad jokes. They're similar to puns...the worse they are the better they are. This is my opinion--others would disagree. To them, the worse dad jokes/puns are, the worse they are. There's a simplicity to this type of humor. It's understandable...maybe too much so.

I have a few stand-by dad jokes. The above Dad Test contains things I myself have said, and that I will continue to say. "Look, horses," I say that all the time. When I read the test to my family, they thought it was hilarious. But then, I heard some say, "That's something I say." My kids (and wife...) who admitted to saying some of the things on the test were not dads, so that's why I felt the test was a little unfair.

Maybe the title of the test should be, "How Prone To Saying Silly And/Or Dumb Things Are You?" But, the focus is on dads. Dads say silly and/or dumb things all the time. I know I do. It's part of the job, in my opinion. The world can survive without humor, but it's a far worse place to be.

I thought, as I started reading the dad test questions, there would be one thing dads say, one silly thing I expected to be on the list--one thing I say almost every time I can. Whenever I pass a cemetery, I always say, "Look--a cemetery. People are dying to get in there."

I say it...the family groans. It's a deal and we play our part. It works for us.

At least, it works for me. I guess I pass the dad test.

Spring College Football...Love It!

 The game should have taken place last fall...

Lots of things should have happened last fall.

But, because of circumstances beyond their control, the game took place Saturday afternoon in Ogden Utah. And it was great. About this time of year, I've usually had my fill of football. This, however, was no ordinary sports year. I didn't watch any pro football, and the team I like to watch the most--the University of Utah Utes--only played part of a season. Then, their superstar freshman passed away...it sort of sours things.

Usually, I'm okay with no football. Then, in the summer, I start to get itchy. I even search out and watch Canadian pro football. It's not a bad product, especially considering there's no other football to watch. The summer's the worst part--with college football ramping up, they keep pumping out stories from college summer camps, anticipation builds...got to watch something.

I thoroughly loved watching Weber State--one of my alma maters--beat UC Davis on Saturday. They looked lethargic in the first half, but came back strong in the second. It would have been fun to attend. The commentators on TV discussed how much they enjoyed watching spring ball, too. They listed some of the"pros" having the smaller football conferences play in the spring. I agreed with them. Schools playing in the spring could bring attention to their programs, because it would be the only game in town.

I doubt spring ball will happen...change is difficult. But, these are not ordinary times. 

There's More Than Just Clouds Up There...

 My wife, mom-in-law and I were outside this afternoon when I noticed something in the sky. At first I only saw a few birds, so I climbed up on a rock wall to get a better view. What I saw was amazing--the biggest flock of birds flying in a V-formation I'd ever seen.

It's difficult to see from the photo, but you can spot the front of the V just left and above the apex of the roof. The lines of birds continue both up and to the right and down to the right. We--as amateur bird watchers/spotters figure there were around one-hundred birds in that flock headed north...

Migrating.

There's a lot of cool things to see here. Before we moved, I'd lived in the same place for so long, I guess I'd seen so much of it, nothing seemed new. Now, everything we see seems new. I suppose that will wear off in time, but for now, it's exciting--you don't know what's next.

I've heard from friends who lived in this valley years ago. One specifically pointed out all the amazing birds there are to see up here. Since I'm an amateur watcher/spotter, I haven't been seeking out the birds that can be found in the skies above the valley. Who knows...maybe I might be a little more active in that area.

Give Thanks...For Those Planes

We traveled south last week, had a few errands to run. We stopped at a store in Ogden, my wife ran inside and that's when the F-35s flew overhead. I watched them circle, then fly to Hill Air Force Base where they landed.

Man, I miss those planes.

Those planes were my childhood, or my childhood from my teenage years up. When I went to jr. high school in Kaysville, we heard the roar of those jets everyday. I think back then they flew F-4s, then F-16s. Now, they fly F-35s (the F-16s are my favorite...). We'd be in class. The teacher would have to stop his or her lecture until the roar dimmed, then they would resume. I was only a student--others who lived in southern Weber County and northern Davis County dealt with the jets all the time. I'm sure they just accepted it, like us student did.

When I worked in Clearfield, we had a huge window facing north. We saw the planes take off and land, and once, we even saw the planes practicing for an air show, something people used to put on and attend before everything went to crap.

I'm grateful for those planes, what they represent, what they mean to the community and for the country. I'm grateful for the men and women who dedicate themselves to the service of others. I hope those in the planes screaming overhead and the crews keeping them aloft know that we're grateful and we love seeing them up there.

We now live north and the only planes I've seen are the passenger jets 35k feet in the air or small single-engine Cessnas. 

Not the same...

Folks...I Don't Know If I'll Ever Eat Another Crumbl Cookie Again

 Thursday, we were out and about, running errands and picking up stuff. We had some time to kill before our appointed time to get our groceries so we decided to stop and get a treat. I mentioned that Crumbl Cookies had a store in a strip mall near the grocery store. I'd never been, but I'm not one to turn down a cookie. They must be pretty good, I thought, since they can stay in business selling only cookies.

That's where I was wrong.

The cookie I had wasn't pretty good.

It was amazing.

As a kid, I ate so much junk food. My mom used to buy the gallon ice cream tubs and I would have a bowl of ice cream almost every day. Back then, I could not gain weight to save my life. On my first drivers license I got when I was sixteen-years old it listed my official weight as 103 lbs (times sure have changed...). I was sent on a church mission to Denmark. You know what they have in Denmark besides Lutherans who don't want to convert?

Danish pastry.

And, boy--did I eat my share of Danish pastry while I was there (still couldn't gain weight...). I have so many delicious memories of the Danish people and their food.

But I digress...

I brought my raspberry and cream cheese Crumbl cookie home and dug into it. A thought...as I get older, I'm realizing I can't do some things I used to do, or if I can still do things, I don't do them as well. Eating huge delicious desserts appears to be one of those things. I could not finish the cookie in one sitting so I had to put the uneaten half of the cookie in the fridge. I devoured it the next night. The reason I may never eat another one is because it was so good and so rich, it sort of sat in my stomach the rest of the night.

As many things go, I'll probably change my mind if I'm ever near a Crumble Cookie store and feeling a bit peckish. I may try one again--never say never. But, in all seriousness, I can understand the franchise's success....they make a good cookie.

New Is Great...But Antique Is Classic

 My wife and I just exited one of the local hardware stores in our little town...that's when I saw it. Parked across the lot was a classic truck, extended, old.

When I first saw it, I didn't even know who made it.

Years ago, I used to know my VW beetles. I could identify the year just from the taillights. Of course, other things like the windows, the bumpers, the seats can also give away a bug's age. For me, I always tried to see the taillights. 

But the truck...the first thing I noticed was the extended cab. I figured the truck was from the 1960s, or early 1970s. I didn't know they made extended cabs that early. Then again, why not? I'm sure they made lots of models and variations I've never seen. And, it's possible someone extended the truck themselves. I doubt it, though. It looked pretty clean.

Maybe because I'm getting so old, I appreciate things that are as old as me. My first car was produced the same year as I was, and there are fewer and fewer old cars on the road (in the case of my bug, that's probably for the best--it was not the safest care to begin with...). 

I stopped and just looked at the truck. I snapped a picture, but didn't want to linger or get too close so as not to draw attention to myself. Some owners can get protective of their vehicles, especially truck owners. Still, I wanted to get the picture, to remember it. Would I want to own a truck like that? Perhaps. Having owned old cars, you must be dedicated to preserving them...or you should be. There's a price to pay for taking on the responsibility of owning a classic car or truck. 

As it should be.

Of course, if someone came and offered me a 1965 VW beetle (preferably green...), there's no way I'd refuse. New is great, but antique is classic...and also beautiful.

I'm Seeing Sasquatches Everywhere...

 I saw the first one a few weeks ago on one of our Sunday drives. Someone put up a huge metal Bigfoot near his mailbox. I only saw it and realized what it was as we drove by. I made a mental note to try and snap a picture of it on the trip back home. The problem was, we took another way home so I missed out on preserving the memory of the metal Sasquatch.

Turns out, these metal Bigfeet are much more abundant than the actual Bigfoot.

We started seeing them everywhere.

Okay, when I say "everywhere," I don't literally mean everywhere, even though we have seen more than I would have thought possible. The next week on our next weekly Sunday drive, we saw another one--this time, on the side of a garage. Once again, I was unable to get a picture of it. However, I did make sure to drive by it on our way home. We pulled over and I took a couple of pictures.

The other night my son had an activity with the church youth and as I drove out of the parking lot after dropping him off, a metal Bigfoot stood there, across the street in the yard of a house. And these things are not small--they must be six feet tall, at least. Then, as we traveled home tonight, a van passed us with a Bigfoot sticker in the back window.

Maybe there's a secret group that manufactures and distributes these large Sasquatches and eventually, once we're residents long enough, we'll be able to join those who proudly display their metal monuments.

And if we can, that'll be cool.

It's Like An Old Friend...That's Wearing Out

 I always do it...I'll wear a hat while working in the yard or doing some other activity and the hat gets funky, so I'll toss it in the wash. Can't have a funky hat, now, can we?

I should not wear my favorite hats while working up a sweat so I won't need to toss them into the washer and dryer where they get chewed up but good. And once they start to fray, well...it's only a matter of time.

Being a bald man, I have a certain affinity to hats. They're not just head coverings. They have their own personalities, their own characteristics. No two hats are the same, even if they follow one another off an assembly line. Hats protect me from sunburns in the summer (which totally suck...), and a frozen head in the winter. Back in my father's day, all men--no matter if they had hair or not--wore hats. They were as much a part of a gentleman's wardrobe as a pair of shoes. Personally, I'd love to see that return because the hats were wicked cool, but those days never will return...it's a shame.

All things wear out. In the grand scheme of things, hats last a relatively short time, as compared to, say, rocks, or  VW beetles, or grudges between sports teams and their fans. And if you wear those hats overly, it expedites the deterioration process.

If I'm careful, I can nurse the collection of fabric and stitching and see how long it'll last. Hopefully, a bit longer. But, when it's time, I'll go the way of all things. It'll have no future--no one will necessarily want it, even though it's a trophy of sorts...A Koval Award from 2018. And when it's retired, I'll hold fond memories of the hat.

For it will be replaced by another selection...most likely not a trophy, but another friend to offer comfort, to shield me from dangerous rays, or bitter cold, or the revelation to the world of my lack of hair. For many, it's just an old hat. To me, it's something more.

The Killing Floor...

 

Dogs are weird.

We are dog people, but not "dog people." For a majority of my life, I've lived with a dog in the house, but we had multiple dogs only once. The first dog I remember was Waldo, a black lab that was big (we were little kids then and the dog was HUGE...), and uncontrollable. Waldo didn't last long. Then came Tasha. She lived for seventeen years. I got her when I was a barely a teenager and she passed away after I graduated from high school, finished college, got married, and had our first child. Great dog.

Next came Patch. She was another wonderful dog. She only lived thirteen years, and we had to put her down last year due to health reasons. She was my kid's dog, a great example of a family pet. Now, we have Bec. He's really my son's dog, but he's also a family dog. He's a poodle, which is a much smarter breed than Patch, a shih tzu.

The poodle is scary smart.

But, still weird sometimes (I'm sure they think the same of us, on occasion...).

Dogs are famous for destroying things, furniture, homework, shoes. Thankfully, our poodle has been good, but there's one thing we allow him to chew up...junk mail. For some reason, the dog will take his prized possessions to the killing floor, which happens to be the landing on our staircase. I don't know why he's chosen that particular spot to destroy his victims. But, that's how things go.

It's possible the poodle will continue to tear apart junk mail (and bones...) on the landing. He may choose someplace else to wreak carnage. Maybe we'll have a Killing Basement, or Killing Couch. For now, though, a small part of the stairs works just fine.

I Thought These Things Would Go Fast...I Guess Not

 I cannot believe how much stuff we had crammed into our old house. It's more than a little embarrassing. We moved most of it up with us, having sold some of it and donated some of it, but we still seemed to fill up the new house.

We don't need it all.

So, we're still giving stuff away.

Last week I blogged about a couch we had that needed to go. At the same time, I posted in our neighborhood church congregation Facebook page that we had a couch that needed to go to a good home. Later that day, a neighbor (that we had not yet met...) messaged us letting us know she wanted the couch.

Score!

A few days later, the couch was gone, hopefully being used by a new family. Great, we thought. What else can we put on the Facebook page that someone can use and bring great joy to yet another family or families? I know--we have a couple of IKEA reversible beds, disassembled, but all the parts (almost...) are there. I found a picture of what they looked like when assembled, and I even tracked down the PDF detailing the assembly instructions for whomever would want to come and get these cool beds. We posted the beds on Facebook, and...

Crickets.

We got the beds fifteen years ago. They served us well. The kids loved them when we first got them--they can either be raised and the kids can sleep above the ground and have a play place underneath, or they can be reversed and they can sleep on the ground with some storage underneath. It's a win-win-win in my book. I thought they'd get snapped up pretty quick, considering we have a lot of young families in the neighborhood.

Before we posted these items, I would have thought the beds would be more desirable and the couch would be something we'd end up donating to the local thrift store. Now, the couch is gone and the beds are in the garage waiting for their new owners. Strange how things work out sometimes...

Give Thanks...We've Got Family History Hanging On Our Wall

 One things we have avoided after being in the new house for just over five months is hanging things on the walls. In our old house--since we were going to live there forever--I didn't care about putting holes in the walls, which was evident by the way the walls looked after we cleared out.

We're a little gun-shy about recreating that look here.

But, yesterday, I felt I needed to hang a picture that was passed down from my mother to me, a painting of Mt. Moran, one of the picturesque beautiful mountains in the Grand Teton National Park, a painting created by a family member.

Today, I'm thankful for several things. I'm thankful that my Uncle Claude (actually, he was my mother's uncle, so my great-uncle...) made the decision to take up painting and put the time and effort into the craft so that we--along with others, I'm sure---can have beautiful art to enrich their lives.

I don't know the date of the painting I put up yesterday. I imagine it was done in the 1950s or 1960s. I also believe it was done while Charles Claudius Dalley sat next to the lake and painted what he saw. I could be wrong--he could have taken a picture and painted it from that, or from memory, but when I consider how the painting came to be, I can see a man, born in the nineteenth century and having survived two world wars, the Spanish Flu, and the Great Depression, sitting humbly with paint and brushes creating art.

I think I only met Uncle Claude once. I was young so I don't remember much. There was an art studio, or a place with art supplies. Maybe that's when we got the picture. I don't know for sure. I do know I can't remember my childhood home without the painting of Mt. Moran. We took it from that house when my mother died, and we took it with us when we moved last year. Yesterday, I hammered a nail into the pristine, hole-less wall and hung the picture.

I wish I could have known him better--I read some of his history online this afternoon. Because I hung up his painting, the house is a better place because of my decision, and we are better for having a relative work so hard to create something so lovely.

Americana...A Little Different, But Still Out There

 We pulled up to the diner, put the van in park. We weren't there but a minute when the young girl emerged from the building and came to the driver's side window, which I lowered. I asked for recommendations and ordered a shake, just a shake. As we waited, I gazed into the the diner, at red and white benches, formica-covered tables, and chairs unused to a year.

It was a snapshot into what life used to be, the way things once were.

In that space--at those tables--people fell in love, and hearts were broken...all over greasy food and ice cream, served in a myriad of colors and flavors. Teens met friends and parents ordered food at this singular location, a place replicated all over the country, thousands and thousands of destinations, in every city, in every state.

And it's survived for decades.

I haven't spent much time outside the United States, though I did live in Europe for a few years back in the 1980s. They can build a Pizza Hut in Copenhagen, but it's not the same. You don't have a wicked big-block 1970s muscle car pulling up, reviving the engine, and having both teenagers and the adults turn their heads in admiration or disgust (but, really admiration...). It can never be the same thing.

I don't know the history of Brigham City's Peach City, but I can imagine it's similar to that of all the other places in big cities and small towns across America. Thousands upon thousands of people consuming tons and tons of food...and the memories that endure.

We weren't allowed in the building, so we joined the other auto-bound patrons waiting for our food. I know somethings will never return to what we once considered "normal," but when all this crap has settled, I hope at least the neighborhood diner can return...to what it once was.

A New Ski Resort...In Utah

 My son returned from a youth activity earlier in the week. They traveled to a ski resort in the area to do some tubing.

Ah...to ski is to live.

Too bad it costs so much to live.

I was one of the fortunate generation that could afford to ski in my youth. I mostly skied Snow Basin...a place that's grown immensely since the late 1970s when an all-day, all area pass cost around $8.50. Snow Basin is a first-class resort now. In fact, almost all the resorts in Utah are first-class. Back in the day the most expensive part of skiing was the equipment. Now, you can find used skis relatively cheap--the cost of a ticket is what costs now.

In Northern Utah, there's always been one ski resort, Beaver Mountain. It's located east of Logan. I've never been--lots of Utah State University students go there. What I didn't know until recently is there's a new kid in town, Cherry Peak. I've not been to this one, either. It's north and east of Logan, close enough for a group of teenagers to go for an activity. I checked them out on-line. Their prices seem reasonable. I don't believe it's a large resort, mostly because it's so new.

I don't need a big place to ski--sure, it'd be nice, but since I've only gone three times in the past 25 years, I think I can get enjoyment out of a small hill. Also, not sure how the ol' body will adapt to strapping on heavy ski boots and controlling two long skis so I don't do major damage to myself.

It's good to see a new resort begin operations. I can't imagine how much money it would take to open one of those things. I'd love to see more of them, but maybe we'll just have to do with what we have. One day, perhaps next season, I'll get up to Cherry Peak. Because, to ski is to live.

You Can't Take The...Gym...From Me

 When I worked in an office building there were times when I took advantage of the gyms located on the premises. I wasn't an everyday gym user, mostly because it involved changing clothes, working out, showering (when they had showers...), and all those things took time.

Amazing what a change of venue can do.

Our little gym is nowhere near as nice as the gyms in those office buildings. We have three machines, a mini-trampoline, and a yoga ball. We do, however, have a TV and a library of DVDs. I've been spending at least fifteen minutes in our gym every workday. I chose, for my workout entertainment, the 1994 miniseries, The Stand. I finished that last week. This week, it's Joss Whedon's, Firefly.

I'd forgotten how good it is.

I've watched the movie from the series, Serenity, several times. Great show, but I didn't watch the series when it was on years ago, and when I did watch the series after buying it, I liked it, but like most Firefly fans, I wanted more. Unfortunately, no more were made.

I know many people who work out to music--not a bad choice, something I can definitely get behind. But, when I watch part of a show, it helps me want to come back and keep watching. It's like the opposite of bing-watching. It's slow-watching.

There's multiple Firefly DVDs. If I continue to work out in our little gym (which I totally plan on doing...), I'll get through the entire series probably next month. Then, as I was the first time I watched the series, I'll be sad it's over.

Crystal Hot Springs...A Cozy Place To Go

 "Hey," my wife said to me last week. "Let's go to Crystal Hot Springs on Friday."

"Sure," I said.

One of the things we looked forward to when we knew we were moving to Northern Utah was the close proximity to Chrystal Hot Springs in Honeyville, Utah. I'd never been, but my wife has and she is a fan.

After going, now I'm a fan, too.

It's been a while since I've been swimming. As a kid, I swam everyday in the summers (except Sundays...). I was a fish in search of water. Not that the hot springs is foremost a pool for swimming, but it's been a while since I donned a bathing suit and immersed myself in water. When I first saw our fellow hot springers, I thought in order to gain entrance to the facility I needed facial hair and several tattoos and that somehow, they overlooked that I had neither when we arrived, but they let me in anyway. Growing up, if someone had a beard and tattoos at the Lagoon pool, they were either ex-military or in a biker gang.

Times have changed.

But, I digress. The hot springs...were heavenly. 

Because it was cold outside, we hurried to one of the small pools first. What struck me most--after the incredible relaxing feeling of the water--was the minerals. There was a film on my skin when I got out of the water. I've been told the minerals in the water do more good than the heat or the steam.

While we were there, it snowed lightly. That was cool. Also, while we were there, a fellow hot springs patron struck up a conversation with us. We found out where he's from, that he's getting a divorce, that he's invested in Game Stop, and that Utah lawyers are not kind to husbands/fathers.

I don't know if the heat of the water or the materials causes a tongue to loosen, or just joints.

All in all, the experience was wonderful. We will be back. I will--once again--be beard-less and tattoo-less (the one I can't control, the other I can...). I'm glad we decided to drive the ten miles to the hot springs...a very cozy place.