Though I Didn't Grow Up Eating Here...I Know What My Friend Is Talking About

 The first time we dined at El Toro Viejo, it wasn't in Logan, Utah, but Brigham City. We did not know it at the time, that the Brigham City location was not the original, but a satellite restaurant. We didn't get a chance to eat there often...it closed shortly after we found the place.

When we discovered another El Toro Viejo, this time in Logan, Utah, we rejoiced. We learned from our past mistakes and have eaten there many times.

The last time I took a picture of the name over the front door and posted it to social media. I thought I'd hear from a good friend who grew up in Cache Valley after posting the picture. I thought this because I'd discussed the restaurant in the past and he commented on it then.

The place remind him of his youth, so much so he commented even on the decor that once graced its walls.

Even though I never ate at that particular restaurant growing up, I knew exactly what he was talking about.

The same thing happened to me and my friends, though about ninety miles south of Logan.

For us, it was Robintinos. Even the name conjures memories--wonderful, incredible memories.

When I attended high school and later college, the eatery of choice for my friends and I was Robintinos on Fifth South in Bountiful. I must have eaten there hundreds of times. Only the home my dad built for our family and my family's first home have I eaten at more than Robintinos. Robintinos serves mostly Italian food, pizzas, pasta, soups, salads. I tried almost the entire menu at one point or another.

The restaurant moved from its Fifth South location years ago. Now it can be found a few blocks away on Fifth West where Brattens Fish Grotto once stood. I've been back a few times after the move and they have some of the original artwork hanging on the walls, paintings I recognized immediately, pictures that transported me back in time to those high school/college/Lagoon days...

Wonderful days.

My friend from Logan commented about his memories at El Toro Viejo and I knew exactly what he was talking about. I'll bet others have similar stories of their youth. Funny, how we're alike in so many ways.

Remembering The Small Things...

 We were only there a few minutes, but man...it felt good to be back. Immortal Works, a publisher to whom I owe so much, sponsored a homeschool conference this week. I was scheduled to sign books tonight (Friday...) but we had sod coming this afternoon so I was re-scheduled to sign on Thursday afternoon.

Haven't had the chance to do that in over a year.

Since 2013 I've attended at least a couple of conventions a year and been able to sign books at those events. Part of the fun of attending is hanging out with fellow authors, swapping stories, and just having a good time. Sometimes, it got boring--I'm not going to lie, and sometimes you tried and tried for hours on end to sell a book and it didn't happen, but there's a feeling you get when you pick up a pen and a book that you wrote and sign your name.

Those are the some of the small things you remember, and things you miss as an author, at least, they are for me.

Even though we didn't stay as long as we expected (because other vendors began shutting down for the day not long after we arrived...), the short time we were there...was great.

Just Hanging Out With A Friend I Hadn't Seen...In Almost Thirty Years

The text came in just after 5pm last Saturday night.

"How far away are you from Syracuse?"

I thought it interesting considering the text came from my friend who lives near San Diego, 750 miles away. I responded and he texted back.

"We're in town," he typed. "Come on over."

I found out where they were and met them at a Chilis. It's the first time I had seen my friend in twenty-nine years.

I first met Daren August, 1985. We were both LDS missionaries living in Denmark. Daren had been there about a year before. I was relatively new. He'd been in the city of Odense (the town of H.C. Anderson's birth...) a month before me. We served together for only two months. That's how things so sometimes. Since that summer, we saw each other multiple times until he went home, then only a few times after that.

Saturday we were both decades older, each with families of four kids, each having graduated college, both working a long time for our respective employers. I joined a dinner party already in progress. I met Daren's wife, son, and other family members. Had I not already eaten dinner, I would have pigged out.

I can honestly say it was such pleasure to be in their company. I had a great time.

I've always kind of been in awe of Daren. One of the first things I found out about him was he was a surfer before he came to Denmark. They guy was smooth, too. Fancy dresser, and had no trouble contacting people to see if they were interested in learning more about Jesus Christ. And now I found myself sitting across from him learning about his life. I was still in awe.

Before I left I got a picture with him and his wife. There's the three of us, two beautiful Californians, and me looking a few years away from becoming the grandfather in Up. We said our goodbyes and made possible plans for our family to visit, soak up the San Diego sun, and learn how to surf. I hope we can swing it. I hate the thought of waiting another three decades to hang out. Thanks for the invite Daren and Tammara--let's do it again sometime.

"Hyggeligt" Night With Friends...

I got a text earlier this evening from a good friend. He and his family were in town and wondered if I wanted to come over to his sister's house and hang out.

Ah...yeah!

Matt and family was here from the midwest. They're visiting family and friends. The get together was quickly assembled. It was, in a word, cozy. The Danes have a name for cozy. It's called "hygge" and a cozy evening is "hyggeligt." It's such a perfect word and there's really nothing that compares in English. If I had to describe hygge, imagine sitting in a room in the evening, lights lowered--not blaring or overpowering--perhaps a small fire in the fireplace, and with a winter wind blowing outside, you're sitting in a comfortable chair maybe engulfed in a warm blanket drinking tea or hot chocolate chatting with loved ones. That's hygge and it's a wonderful thing.

Of course, you don't have to have all those things to have a hyggeligt evening. We were missing a fire, a winter wind blowing outside, blankets, or warm beverages, but we did have the most important thing--spending time with loved ones, chatting about life, about jobs, family, movies, hobbies, books, and music. We did that tonight. It was great.

When you're young--high school, college-aged--you have a lot of time to just hang out. We would go to friends's homes and talk, or go to a restaurant, spend time with each other, and talk. All that time was not wasted; it was well spent. I think it would be hard to explain to me back then that in the future, doing that same thing--just hanging out--would be so seldom done, and so richly enjoyed. Thanks Matt, Melissa, Darin, Lisa, Amy, Chase, and the kids for a hyggeligt time.

And they even had a Danish chandelier.

As Summer Wanes...

The last weekend before school began, my wife and I went for a walk. I glanced back and saw several boys from the neighborhood with the same idea. I had my camera. I snapped a few pictures. Memories returned.

Maybe it was because, as a teenager, I walked that same street. With friends or alone, a person must go south to State Street in order to connect with the rest of the world. I remember being their age during the waning days of summer, excited, yet at the same time feeling melancholy, a little bummed that not all things I wished to accomplish when summer began came to pass.

Such is life.

Later, after coming in from our walk, I downloaded the pictures and I noticed--maybe for the first time--the beauty beyond the road. The trees, green proving they survived another hot summer. The weeds, long-turned yellow, their green disappeared months before. I wonder if any of the boys noticed the scene spread before them like a living canvas.

Probably not. I know I didn't when I was their age.

They didn't know I took their picture, and I doubt they would care if they had known. I don't know where they were headed. Destinations are sometimes limited for boys too young for their driver's licenses and access to a car, or that lack older siblings willing to taxi them to and fro. Most likely they walked down the hill, maybe stopped at the local gas station/convenience store. Perhaps they made it to one of their basements where they played video games and talked about school beginning only days away.

And when they disbanded as day turned to night, did they return as a group? Did they separate and find their homes separately? Were they more excited for the weekend to be over, or still wishing for more time. I don't know, but I do know, they'll get the chance to do it all over again in just under twelve months.

Hanging At The Harmons...

Last night I needed to do a late night store run. Thanks to our fine city planners a few years back, they approved the building of a supermarket about a mile or so from our house. There's another store farther away to the north. We don't really go there as much.

It's a nice store, where I went last night. If you're familiar with our area, you'll recognize the name, Harmons. The store is across the street from a huge outdoor mall--there because of even more approvals form the city council. Shopping centers attract teenagers like moths to a flame. It's no different for our little town. I have noticed the kids hanging out at Harmons were young, probably under sixteen-years old. My guess is, once they get their driver's license, they can go wherever they want--probably not necessarily the local grocery store.

I know the older generation (of which I am now a member...) never understands the younger generation. The same holds true for me. I DO understand hanging out with your friends. We would go to a park or ride out bikes, or find something else to do.

But what I don't understand is why the Harmons? Just across the way there are stores, restaurants, and even a little park complete with fountains and lights and lots of stuff to do.

I guess, if I had gone over to the mall last night, I probably would have seen scores of teenagers just hanging out, talking to their friends, and wishing they had more of their parent's money to spend on stuff. Maybe the teenagers that hang out at the grocery store are a different breed, those that don't care to be at the "hippest" place.

And maybe that's where we would have hung out if we had a nice, shinny, relative-new grocery store back in our day.

Cast Reunion...Babes In Toyland

A few weeks ago an event popped up on my Facebook feed advertising a little get together for the cast and crew of a show my daughter and I last winter. Because I'm working so much lately, I wasn't sure if we would be able to attend.

Turns out, we could. And so we did.

Each show is different and therefore, the way you feel while doing and after the show has ended is also different. There was something special about that show. Maybe it was because it was new and we created much of it ourselves, but something made us bond as few casts do. So, suggesting a cast reunion six months since and from Christmas sounded reasonable, almost expected.

We had food, conversation, catching up, all in an incredible home with an equally incredible backyard in which to enjoy each other's company. Not everyone made it--many expressing regrets that they couldn't come because of other commitments. They were missed.

Driving home with my daughter I felt like we were coming home from doing a show or having just finished a rehearsal. It's been a while since she and I were in a show together and I don't know when we'll get to do it again. So, not only did seeing everyone bring back a lot of good memories, the best part was spending time--again--with my daughter talking about shows and life. Thanks to everyone who organized the event. We're glad you did.