Give Thanks...For A Good Deal, Even If They Never Get Used

 Hard to pass up a good deal.

It's probably been half a decade since I last went skiing. If my 59-year old self told my 17-year old self that I rarely go skiing during ski season, my younger self would not believe it. It would seem so strange. Then again, I doubt my 17-year old self would understand that things would change...

Namely, the cost of the sport.

Back in the day, you could go to almost any Northern Utah resort and ski all area/all day for under $12. If you wanted to spend more, you could go to Snowbird or Park City of Deer Valley. When we had a little extra cash, we'd go to Snowbird and ski all area w/o the tram for $16. That's mind-blowing now. The most expensive part of skiing back then was the equipment.

That's why when I go to our local thrift store and I see practically new(ish...), unused skis for $12, I buy them, even if I don't need them or even if I may never actually use them. 

At my age, people don't do things they used to do. I know a lot of people my age or older who ski and good for them. I'd like to think I'd still be able to successfully navigate from the top of the mountain to the lodge. But, you never know. Plus, there's the ever-increasing costs. That's not going to change.

I'm thankful for a good deal. I'm thankful for my childhood memories of skiing with my family and friends. I'm thankful that others enjoy the sport so much. I don't know how good the Rossignols are that I bought, but I know the underside are almost pristine...not a lot of rock skiing were done. This year's ski season has just begun. Hopefully, I'll get a chance to take these babies out and give them a run or two. 

Time will tell.

Give Thanks...The View Eleven Years Ago

 This photo popped up in my social media memories (okay, it was Facebook...). Eleven years.

A lot has changed.

You could not replicate this photo even if you tried. First of all, the amusement park in the distance no longer has that skyline. They've added to it. Now, a ride called Cannibal towers over the Ferris Wheel. The trees you see in front of the rides have changed, too. There are now homes where the trees used to be and many of those pines are gone.

Speaking of trees, where we once had an incredible western views, the trees planted on that side of the house grew taller. We felt like we were being surrounded by trees. Normally, this isn't a bad thing, but when it slowly removes one of the advantages of living on a hillside, it makes a difference.

Still, I miss those sunsets. I enjoyed them for five decades while living on that street. The island, the lake (when it was there...) all added up to some spectacular views.

I'm thankful for those views, for the amusement park, the trees, the sunsets that made those memories. I'm thankful for the beautiful world I'm fortunate enough to experience and enjoy. I'm thankful I was able to call that street and mountainside home, a place where I grew up, learned so many things.

Eleven years...

So much has changed.

Looks Like We're...Leader-Less

 Sad day...No, the local newspaper is not going under, but we've decided to stop our subscription. I have mixed feelings about it. As you can see, the paper's only $1.50 per issue and they print The Leader once a week, but it does cost to have it delivered, and by delivered, I mean by the US Postal Service, not by a boy on a bicycle chucking editions and hoping they hit the front porch.

Times have certainly changed.

We decided to subscribe when we first moved in. We thought it would help us get a feel and flavor for the community. And, in many ways, it has. I've learned much about the local sports teams at Bear River High School--Go Bears!--like for example, they have the best girls lacrosse team in the state, and they are competitive in other sports, too.

The paper has brought us news concerning the multiple tax increases coming our way and the latest in local politics. There's a community input section, a place for obituaries, and a TV guide. I didn't know they printed TV guides anymore, but, well...there you go.

I don't know if it's seasonable, but the past couple of editions of The Leader have been scaled down to four pages...front page, inside front, inside back, and back page. There is no inserted pages...just four.

As I write this, I'm watching a Christmas movie that was filmed twenty years ago. Newspapers play a pivotal role forwarding the story. There's even a scene where a boy on his bike is throwing papers onto lawns. Newspapers were so central in our access to information back then. It's amazing how in only a decade or so, we've completely changed. 

Since we've recently made the decision to stop the paper, we may change our mind depending on if we miss it or not. I'm not saying, it'll never happen, but we may have subscribed to our last paper.

Sad day.

The Cost Of Doing Take-Out...

 Two weeks ago I found myself in downtown Salt Lake City. I also found myself in need of food. About two blocks away was a hamburger joint that I really like. I thought I might as well get lunch there because I'm not in SLC very much anymore.

I arrived at the restaurant, took out my wallet, glanced at the menu on the wall...

And my jaw hit the floor.

Now, I understand millions of people pay a lot more for stuff than I do. Because of where I live the cost of living is relatively low. Years ago I remember a co-worker went to New York City. We asked about his trip after he returned and he told us what a great experience it was...except for the food prices, especially in restaurants. He said it cost around $20 for lunch for each person. That surprised me, but I understood that living in one of the biggest cities in the world would cost more than it did in Utah. That was almost two decades ago.

When we moved from a suburb of Salt Lake City a few years back, we moved into a bubble. Yes, all things cost more than they used to, but I can't imagine going into a local eatery for a burger and being asked to pay $8.29 plus tax.

We all know inflation affects literally everything having to do with commerce. And we know that employers must pass on the rising costs of food and labor, rent and insurance in order to stay in business. I guess I suffered culture shock going back to a place I thought I knew.

Such is the rising cost of take-out.

Oh...How Things Have Changed

 I've only been away from working daily in downtown Salt Lake City six years.

A lot can happen in six years.

Just look around.

I had a meeting in a building where I worked for fourteen years. When you work in one building for almost a decade and a half, you get to know not only the building, but the surrounding buildings, streets, even people. It's hard not to. We would take walks around the neighborhood on breaks, I would see the progress made as I took public transportation to and from work almost every work day.

Man, have things changed. 

I knew of many of the changes. There's a building where previously the was a small patch of grass next to the new Harmons Grocery Store. There's a new building going up where the Hardees/Carls Jr restaurant once stood. I didn't know there's an entire block of small bohemian second-hand stores that are gone...completely gone, being replaced by apartment buildings. There were other new things as well.

And perhaps the most iconic change is what's happening to the city's most recognizable structure...the Salt Lake LDS Temple. It's going through major renovations to make it earthquake-proof. If you didn't know it was the temple, you might not recognize it at all. 

As I drove home, traffic patterns remained the same (I guess some things never change...), though the cars/trucks/suvs/motorcycles were newer. I thought about all those differences as I left. The world--is in a constant stage of change, not just downtown. And time and change is relative. A bug may only live a day, or a building may survive centuries. I suppose if you lived forever, change would be on an entirely different level of amazing.

I don't know the next time I'll be downtown. Even if it's only a year, in some places it'll be a completely different place.