Happy Birthday Son...Hope it was great!

Our youngest had a birthday today. During the past week more than one asked us how we felt that our "baby" was getting older.

And, to be honest, it makes me a little sad that our youngest is getting older. This year is a big year for our son, big changes for him.

We had a birthday party for him on Thursday. He wanted to go bowling, and hey--who doesn't want to go bowling? Exactly. We had a blast. He got to invite his friends. My son and I were able to get done with work early so we could participate. The bowling was fun (except for a few hurt fingers...) and afterword we took everyone out for dinner. Today we had another birthday celebration, this time at his grandparent's house where we had a great dinner, delicious desserts, and presents.

But the question of how we felt about him getting older keeps coming up. And I thought about that as I watched him on Thursday and again today. Sure, he's getting older--we all are. And yes, we'll miss him being younger like we've missed all our kids as they've grown. But just because we're missing that shouldn't impact him. I remember when I was his age. I was excited about the new things taking place. Of course, I wasn't the youngest child in my family so maybe I didn't catch the "Oh, aren't you sad your son's getting older?" vibe that I know my son's heard. 

So I'm going to not think about how my son's birthday affects me, but rather, will try and focus on how he's doing, what he's feeling. After all, it's his birthday today. Happy birthday son!

It's Not Everyday World-Class Athletes Race Through Your Town...

Sure, I've heard of The Tour of Utah--it's a bike race, right?

Yesterday we got to see it first-hand.

And it was awesome!

I don't really follow cycling. I could--it's got a lot of things I like in a sport. It's a team sport, but also an individual one. The courses they ride change depending where they race, and it's human-powered transportation. All cool stuff!

We knew the race was coming through our town so we checked the live feed as the group went through Ogden Canyon. We watched as the leaders kept their distance from the peloton (I am learning the lingo...), and we followed the bikers as they went over Trapper's Loop and up I-84. That's when we decided to drive down the hill and wait for the race to come to us.

There were a lot of people who waited with us. The excitement built and soon cop cars and motorcycles filled the road.

Then came the first group, almost a dozen. I tried videotaping them and taking pictures at the same time. After a few minutes, the main group rode through. In our little town, it's not unusual to see half a dozen bikers on our streets, but I've never seen anything like the main group riding up the road.

We came home and rewound the live feed and watched on the internet what we had just watched live. They raced from Antelope Island to Bountiful, and the last two hills those poor bikers had to climb are brutal! It's hard to climb that hill in my car.

And the bikers did it twice.

No, I haven't really been a fan of the sport, but after seeing my first race, I just might be.

"Chariots Of Fire"...One Of The All-Time Great Movies

While channel surfing the other night I came across the last half of a movie that I've admired from the moment I first saw it. It's one of my all-time favorite movies. It's Chariots of Fire.

The film came out in 1981. I was in high school then and I did a lot of running. But if you think this movie is only about running, you have missed the most important part. It's about principles and standing up for them. It's about fighting for glory.

The film focuses on two main characters, Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams. These men participated in the 1924 British Men's Track Team for the VIII Olympic Games in Paris. Liddell is a devout Christian who runs for God. Abrahams is a Jew trying to find his place in the very established Christian society of England.

Both possess great athletic talent.

Both face decisions that test their resolve.

I only caught the last half hour or so the other night, but to me, that's the best part. The British Olympic team's about to depart for the games across the channel when Liddell is informed that his preliminary race is scheduled for Sunday.

That's a problem.

Liddell won't run on Sunday.

Liddell's race is the 100 meters. That's Abrahams's race, too. Previously, Liddell beat Abrahams, something that never happens. The need to be the best eats Abrahams alive inside. He's got to win. You'd think that since Liddell won't run on Sunday, and therefore disqualifying him for the race, it would be the best news for Abrahams. If you've seen the film (and I'm assuming most of you have...), you know that Abrahams wins; he's the best in the world.

Or is he?

Liddell gets a chance to run the 400 meters. He runs and wins. As he runs a voice-over proclaims his testimony of faith. He runs for God. After he wins Liddell is carried off the track atop this teammates, his spirits flying. The crowd goes wild. A man of principles triumphs.

But what of Abrahams? Though he wins, he knows he's not the best. Had Liddell's preliminary race not been on Sunday, Abrahams probably would have lost. He can never truly claim to be the best. I may be reading  more into this than what's there. Harold Abrahams may have been completely satisfied with his medal and the race. But the message I got from the film told a different story.

The show has that 1980s electro-synth soundtrack, which is a little corny. But overall the film holds up well. It tells a story of men fighting for glory, the glory of men and the glory of God. Chariots of Fire, it's just a great film!

Shooting A Movie...In Our Hometown

I saw the commotion from blocks away as I drove home from work Tuesday. "Great," I said. There's been an accident.

Nope.

A film crew had shut down the street. I took a detour and snapped a couple of pictures. The next night the street was open, but they were still shooting and I was amazed at the huge lights they had outside the building for their inside shots. It was amazing.

I live in Utah. Utah used to be a "go-to" place to film. I don't know the numbers, but back in the 1990s, so many things were filmed here. Movies, TV series, everything. It was great. I even worked on a couple of shows as an extra. Don't look for me in IMDb (even though I have a writing credit at IMDb under Scott Taylor XXXII--yeah, that's me...), but I was part of the action. I had some face time on a CBS miniseries, Nothing Lasts Forever. It was a lot of fun.

Now it seems like so many productions are filmed in Canada. Again, I don't know the numbers, but it feels that way, even though Utah can give Canada a run for its money. I'd love to see more filming done here. It means jobs for my friends and a shot in the arm for our economy.

On the interwebs, news spread of the filming in our town. Mark Hamill's name popped up. Apparently they were filming a show called Brigsby Bear, release date 2017. Along with Hamill there's some other big names, Clair Danes, Andy Samberg, and Greg Kinnear. Now, I have no idea if I was only feet away from any of these stars as I walked around the county courthouse (or covrthovse...), but just knowing someone was filming here was pretty cool.

Fauxthenic...A Fun New Podcast

It's been a while since I blogged about a podcast. I used to do it all the time. I guess I've gotten comfortable with the ones I've selected and have only latched on to a few new ones lately.

But when someone you know launches something new, you check it out. At least, that's what I did this week.

If you follow social media in Utah--especially if you're a Star Wars fan--you've probably heard of Bryan Young. I met him back in 2013 at the very first Salt Lake Comic Con. He and I were on a panel for filmmaking on a budget, I believe, and I was impressed with the guy. Not only had he written screenplays and made movies, he also wrote books and contributed to national publications and blogs. He was well accomplished then and even more so now. I was even more impressed when we ran into each other at the next convention he remembered me (and if he didn't, he pretended he did...).  We've chatted several times since. If you ever get a chance to hear him speak at a convention or otherwise, take advantage of it. He knows his stuff.

When I heard about the Fauxthentic History podcast, I quickly subscribed. Bryan, along with Holly Frey, co-host of the The Stuff You Missed in History podcast (another podcast to which I subscribe...), the two discussed the Battle of Hoth, the first battle in Star Wars: Episode V, The Empire Strikes Back. The podcast's "hook" is that the pair cover the event the same way commentators would describing a battle in WWII, for example. They give names of the participants and the consequences of their actions. They describe the scene as if it really took place. My guess is if you like learning about history and are a nerd, this podcast is for you. If it bothers you to hear about events that never occurred in real life but only in films or in literature, you might want to pass. However, Holly and Bryan speak as informed professionals on the subject, and they make it so fun, if you like history, you might want to give it a chance. It might surprise you.

Like I said, I was already impressed with the many talents of Bryan. But as it goes with talented people, they end up doing something that makes you admire them even more.

Broadchurch...Another Quality British Production

I should have known the show would be good. It was headlined by David Tennant, after all. Of course, you may not be a David Tennant fan--I know some people aren't, but I don't personally know any of those people.

I'd seen the ads, but we never got around to watching it. My wife was telling me the other day that she had run out of a series to watch, and I suggested Broadchurch. 

And it blew us away.

A few months ago I gushed over another British production, Wallander. The Brits re-worked the show from the original Swedish (we haven't seen the Swedish version yet...). In my opinion, the British know how to make a proper drama. They take their time.. They do it right. They don't appear to sacrifice art for profit. And I'm glad we live during a time where we can instantly see shows from all around the world.

Broadchurch is the name of a town where an eleven-year old boy is murdered and his body left on a beach. Tennant's character is put in charge of the investigation. Good stories connect on a human level. I live in what I consider a small town, or at least, it used to be. We definitely see how this tragedy affects more than the family and the police. It affects everyone, and the show captures that feeling. I especially like how the two main characters, the investigator and his assistant interact. She should have gotten Tennant's job and her son was friends with the dead child. Their relationship is fascinating.

I don't watch or read a lot of mysteries, so I wasn't able to foresee who committed the crime. We know as much as the police and we learn as the show progresses. Again, if you're interested, it's a sleepy, drawn-out show. But if you've got the time and you like that sort of thing, I highly recommend it.

We Didn't Know We Needed It...Until We Saw It At Home Depot

We saw it at the hardware store and we had to look twice to realize just what it was. We had one of those experiences you sometimes have in a store when you see something and you imagine all the possibilities you can do after seeing something you didn't know existed.

So we bought it.

And Saturday I used it.

The Ryobi 6 Amp 8" Electric Pole Saw (that extends up to 9 ft...) lived up to those expectation--yea, dare I say, it exceeded them.

We live in a desert. Because of managed water use, we have brought the desert to live. Well, as much as possible under the circumstances. I mean, it's no western Washington State, but in pockets, it's pretty green. I can't imagine living in an area where things just grow and you need to spend many hours each week just keeping the vegetation at bay. Sure, we have weeds, but that's nothing compared to what other people deal with.

I took a before and after shot. You can see the difference a little 8" chainsaw can do. I couldn't quite reach some of the branches--maybe I'll get to them. Next, I'll be tackling the pine trees encroaching on our house. Amazing what power tools can do!