Checking Out The XFL...

Almost one year ago--to the day--I wrote a blog about a new American football league. The AAF, the Alliance for American Football League began playing in several cities, Salt Lake City being one of them. It had coaches, reporters, TV rights, and even some fans.

Two months later I wrote another blog post...about the end of the AAF.

Sad.

New year, new league...well, kind of new. We've seen the XFL before. Back in 2001 the XFL had one season. You can say that's not very long (and it isn't...), but it lasted longer than the AAF.

So, how will the XFL version 2.0 do?

Good question.

I watched a majority of both games on Saturday (they broadcast two games on Saturday and two on Sunday...). I didn't watch as much on Sunday, not because I was disinterested, but because I was doing other things. The games I did see impressed me. Sure, it's not the quality of the NFL, but let's just say, they didn't embarrass themselves too badly. They played with heart. You could tell these were guys wanting to keep doing the thing they loved, even after someone told them they were done.  Of course, I'm not an expert of the quality of a football team, but I've watched my share of games over the past fifty-four years. 

I don't know if I'll be a die-hard fan. Last year, we had a local team, the Salt Lake Stallions. This year, no local team...same as the NFL.

If the new XFL survives past its inaugural season and we see professional football after the Superbowl in 2021, the new XFL will have outlived its two predecessors. I hope it does. But just like in 2001 and 2019, time will tell.

Playing Around With My Phone's Panorama Camera Function...Shooting Up

It took a me a long time to figure out that the panorama camera function on my phone wasn't just for shooting a wide landscape shot.

It can also shoot up....

Or, I suppose, down, if needs be.

Of course, you have to turn your camera horizontal to take a vertical panorama shot, which, is weird because you have to turn your camera horizontal to take a horizontal shot in normal mode.

Tonight's sunset didn't have much color near the western horizon, but higher up, it was gorgeous. Taking a normal vertical shot would not have done it justice, so I utilized the panorama function and I think it turned out well.

Here's a few examples.

I use my phone everyday (like most of us...) and a majoritty of my Pics Of The Day are from my phone. It's an old phone, too--ancient in technological years--but I'll keep using it. It keeps taking pictures I'm glad to share.

Happy Twenty-Eighth First-Meeting-My-Wife Anniversary...Plus One Day

There's an advantage to keeping a daily journal...

For thirty-five years.

Pick a day going back to January 25th, 1985, and I can tell you something about that day. Most of what's in those seventy journals is straight-up boring, not interesting at all. Then, because it's all written down, there's facts and stories that--if they weren't written down--I'm sure I'd forget.

Case in point, the day I met my future wife.

Twenty-eight years ago I was finishing up my senior year of college. I was in a university choir, one of three at the U of U. A friend had a brilliant idea. She organized a retreat and invited all the choirs to attend. I went, so did my wife-to-be. She was in another choir. Had that retreat at Sherwood Hills up Sardine Canyon in Northern Utah not occurred, chances are we may not have ever met.

Today, my wife said it was the twenty-eighth anniversary of the day we met. I climbed up and retrieved the journal that covered that period of time. I found February 9th, 1992 and realized...yes, it was the  twenty-eighth anniversary of the day we first met, plus a day. We met February 8th, 1992.

So, we're a day off. The important thing is it's something between us. We first met and started dating in February. We were married later that year in 1992. February's a good month for us.

The journals sit on the shelf, all in a row. There are some volumes that I put on the shelf and I haven't touched them since. Yes, there's a lot of facts and stories contained in those journals. Sometimes they tell us important things, like anniversaries when our lives changed forever.

The Secret To Eternal Happiness...Or One Of Them, Anyway

I saw this meme posted on Facebook earlier today. Don't ask me who posted it because, as you know, when you see something on Facebook and you leave the site, it's impossible to find it again.

It's funny.

It's profound.

It's pretty much true.

One thing I'd love to pass along to my kids is the fact that being happy is mostly an exercise in perception and we decide what that perception will be. Life can be great or crappy depending on how you look at things. The adage of "Count Your Blessings" has real power.

And it's so easy to get into arguments nowadays. In the past, for the most part, you actually had to be in the same room when you argued. Now, you can make a fool of yourself in front of the whole world. And more and more of us are doing just that.

There's a scripture in Proverbs that talks about this:

A soft answer turneth away wrath; but grievous words stir up anger (Proverbs 15:1)

We hear all the time about our society. We blame governments, political parties, religions, schools, and basically everyone and everything for our lack of civility. Do we ever stop and wonder how much we ourselves contribute to this downturn? Do we argue with fools? Do we stir up anger? Do we put the blame on others?

I know I don't follow my own advice every time. I fail to see the positives. I choose the perception that doesn't highlight positivity. I don't always count my blessings. But, there's one thing I try to never do, and that's argue with people, online or otherwise. It's a philosophy that's treated me well these many years.

Just Hanging With The Pets...

The other day I found myself in the company of our pets. This is not unusual, but on this particular day, it was like the animals wanted their pictures taken. To be honest, I have no idea if pets ever want their pictures taken. That didn't stop me from doing it, though.

First, the poodle. He's just a joy to be around. Yes, he's also a handful, but that's what makes him so much fun. It's his personality and we are lucky to have him. He had his favorite squishy ball in his mouth and we ended up on the couch. I took out my phone and snapped a selfie. I don't take a lot of selfies and we don't take many pictures of the dog--he does tend to move around a lot.

A few hours later, I was sitting in my room when our cat came climbing up on the bed. He nestled into his favorite spot and I thought it would be a good time to snap another picture. The cat is our newest addition. He's actually my daughter and youngest son's pet, but he likes hanging around people, and since he's settled down (he no longer wants to rip us to shreds, or if he does, he refrains...), it's nice to have him close.

Last week we had four pets, two cats and two dogs. Now, we're down to three. There's a lot of joy and happy times when we welcome a new member into the family, and there's a lot of pain and tears when one leaves. I'm glad we have the ones we have. They add a lot to the craziness that is our lives. And as long as they want to hang out with us--and I have my phone--I'll probably keep taking pictures.

A Right Place...To Write

I think every writer dreams of a couple of things. They dream of seeing their book on a bookstore shelf. They dream of having the title of their book listed on a NYT bestseller list. They dream of receiving a notice from a fan telling them how much they loved their story. And they would love to see the story turned into a major motion picture.

Okay, maybe not every writer dreams of these things, but I can imagine they dream of some of those things. I personally know a few authors who have done so well, they've upgraded their homes, and when they do, they create--as best they can--a perfect place to write. They build these rooms where the muse is always invited and will hopefully, reside in the space full-time.

When we designed and built our home in 2003, I had no aspirations of being a writer. So, I didn't think about having a home office. But the other day, I think I found a good spot to write.

Normally, I do most of my writing in bedroom. It's a good place to write for me, when the cat isn't climbing on my computer. Of course, the cat could climb on my computer wherever I ended up writing. The room is good, but there could be better locations. The place I found was our loft.

The loft in our house was built as a place to homeschool our kids. For six years, before we moved in, we lived in a basement apartment. One thing we wanted when we built our house was a homeschool room with windows. We definitely got that.

That morning was the only morning I wrote up there. I'd like to think I'll do it again someday. And who knows, if I ever see my book on a bookstore shelf, or see the title on the NYT bestseller list, or see my story be made into a movie, maybe I'll build that perfect writing space. I'd like to think it would be in a loft.

What Really Is The Best Pizza Deal...?

With certain things, I'm what some call frugal, or what others call cheap. Personally, I don't mind either title. Hopefully, my kids will carry on the tradition. It's good to appreciate the value of things.

Looking for clothes at thrift stores is one example of my frugalness (or cheapness...). Getting the most out of a meal, is another.

Take, for example, pizza.

My wife and I had a Date Night last Friday. We went to a local pizza place, Blaze Pizza. If you're not familiar with the eatery, think of it as getting a personalized pizza in almost the same amount of time as it takes to get a burger at McDonald's or a sub at Subway. They have the process down and it's pretty slick.

The pizzas are not big--usually only big enough for a single meal. Me? No--there's no single meal for what I order. They have a build-your-own option, and I take full advantage. I get the thicker crust and load it up with all the meat topics they got. Throw in some veggies and I'm good. It's so thick, I can usually only eat about a third of the thing in one sitting. My math skills are not great, but even I know, that means I can get three meals out of this thing.

I was texting with a friend on Monday. I told him I was having leftover Blaze Pizza. He didn't know about Blaze. I explained who they were and the product. Then he said, "You can't beat the Hot-and-Ready Little Caesars Pizza Deal."

That's where I beg to differ.

I think you can.

I should be honest here. I haven't had a Little Caesar's Pizza in years. Personally, I like their pizzas, but food sensitivities have kept us from the restaurant. Their small pizza is 10" and the Blaze personal pizzas I think are 8". Because I get the thick crust it's a couple of dollars more so we're looking at a Blaze pizza around $10. I can get three meals out of that pizza. I don't know if the came could be said for the Hot-and-Ready option.

All of this doesn't really mean anything, really. My friend stops by his Little Caesar's place on the way home. He gets food for his family and they like it. I order my favorite pizza at a place that's local to us and I like it multiple times. As long as we're both happy, right?

If you haven't tried Blaze, I say give it a shot. But, if you do, the place is packed on the weekends--at least, ours is. That's usually a sign people like the food, and therefore, agree with me.