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Showing posts from 2018

Summer 2018: Days 107-111, the last days of summer

I jumped off. Actually, on the diving board, I really just step off. I go from the warm air to the cool water, use my arms and legs to surface with all my might, and swim back to the side. Another last time on the diving board, another summer concludes. This was actually Sunday; Ben and I went to the JCC, and after attempting a BodyPump class (my first in at least a year, I didn't make it the whole way and wasn't helped by a broken inahler), we sat by the pool for four hours. It felt great lounging in the sun, staying cool in the water. Monday was Labor Day, and I tried not to labor. Cleaned up some email accounts while relaxing in the backyard, took the dog for a walk in the evening. Tuesday was a long day of work and a long walk in the evening. Today was working downtown and at Ben's first swim practice of the new season, co-oping, an unsatisfying salad at Harmon's, and a short evening walk. The first NFL game of the season is tomorrow, which, according to my

Summer 2018: Days 102-106

The rest of the week was kind of a slog. Honestly, it wasn't terrible, just tiring. Had two fantasy football drafts, co-oped on Wednesday, ran soccer practice Thursday, and seemed to work whenever I didn't have something else going. I'm glad the week concluded. Ben and I played Small World: Underworld last night to kick off the weekend (after I grilled burgers for dinner), and I took the dog for a five-mile walk this morning. I lounged the rest of the afternoon, napping and sitting in the lawn chair in the sun, doing puzzles and listening to '70s music. This was the Saturday I needed, and it makes me a little sad that summer is wrapping up. Tonight, we went to the wedding reception of Ben's swim coaches who eloped a couple months ago. It was a nice low-key affair. I'm thoroughly stuffed from the taco bar, a cupcake and a churro, and a couple glasses of wine. Going to finish off the night listening to my iPod and doing a logic puzzle.

Summer 2018: Days 96-101

Summer is officially in the home stretch. The weather has even cooled. Today was a slow Monday. The weekend was lazy. We had a soccer practice last week. I took the dog on a long walk yesterday. Lori's aunt visited yesterday and today. I lounged in the sun for a little while Saturday. Work seems to be trudging along. We had a cloud day that is a sure sign of August and that summer is concluding. And last week, a good friend from the boys' school who had been battling leukemia and finally winning against the disease developed meningitis and died kind of suddenly. I read the news while standing outside my car, waiting for Ben after school, and yelled out an audible "Fuck!" Her death was a gut punch to everyone. So maybe we call summer here. I've done this before: a tragedy drains any enthusiasm I had left for the season. I'll keep writing about these last days, and I want to get to the pool one more time. And I'm not going to stop enjoying working in

Summer 2018: Day 95

The last two days for work have just seemed slow. I'm not sure what it is, but I'm needing long time to get chugging along. I'm hoping tomorrow is more productive, even though I'm co-oping for Ben's class in the morning. A mild storm rolled in this evening, with a lot of thunder but only a little rain. Still, it feels nice outside right now, with a nice breeze pushing through. I helped Michael trim back the wisteria that had been wrapping itself around what we think is the internet cable. Made macaroni and cheese and kielbasa for dinner. Ben and I played a game of Queendomino to cap off the night (I won).

Summer 2018: Days 88-94

Another week down. It's at that point of summer when I'm sad that I know it's coming to an end, but I'm ready for the routine of fall. Just a few weeks left, and that feeling of inevitability and focusing on the next thing is setting in. The last seven days weren't that eventful anyway. Ben started school today; Michael has survived his first whole week of high school. Lori and I went to the parent orientation on Friday and stayed for the football game (which Judge lost 41-0, but we only stayed for half when a thunderstorm moved through; it was only 13-0 at halftime, and I was surprised they even got the second half in. Ben's first soccer practices of the season were last week, and his first game was Saturday (we lost 8-3; we need more work passing and getting back on defense). The two of us played many board games the last week. I lounged in the yard a little bit over the weekend, and it felt good. The weather cooled off a little, and the haze set in over t

The Summer Project: The bat and the face (1979)

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I had a love-hate relationship playing baseball when I was young. Besides enjoying watching the Cubs on TV, collecting baseball cards, watching "This Week in Baseball" every Saturday, playing All-Star Baseball and Strat-o-Matic, and going to the ballpark, I also generally loved playing the game. Unfortunately, sometimes, the game didn't love me back ... In 1978, I played in a baseball league for the first time, t-ball at Norwood Park. I'm not sure why my parents just didn't sign me up to play ball at Oriole Park, which was closer, but I had fun nonetheless. The next spring, Dad signed me up to play at Oriole, and I was ready to move up to a league in which I could bat without a tee. This is from the year before Instructional League, when I enjoyed playing t-ball and avoided busting my face. However, because of my birthday and the fact it was my first year playing at Oriole Park, I was placed in the Instructional League. We went to the informational night f

Summer 2018: Day 87

Another Monday, another week of summer. Michael had his first real day of school, outside of orientation (although the schedule only went to 1:30). He'll get used to the routine soon enough, but at least today, he didn't come home with homework. Ben starts up next Monday. My day went well. Worked on the porch and backyard, walked the dog around the block twice and then for an hour in the evening, and ate well (and began tracking what I eat again). Plus, I didn't cough much; the haze wasn't quite as bad today. Ben and I played Ticket to Ride: The Card Game (he won) and 7 Wonders Duel (I won twice) after dinner.

Summer 2018: Days 83-86

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Thursday, I was a dad with two grade-schoolers. Friday, of my two boys, only one is in grammar school. Michael's first day of high school was Friday, and I'm still in disbelief that my little dude nearly 15 years after he was born is a freshman. Lori and I drove him to school and walked him down to where the orientation was starting. Upperclassmen were helping guide people through, and then lined the halls as the new freshmen walked into the auditorium. We didn't follow him in -- just said goodbye and headed to the cafeteria where parents could congregate for coffee. Lori and I hung out and talked to some other parents, which was perfect because we didn't have time to be sad over Michael's momentous milestone. Instead, we drove home and started our workday. We managed to get some details out of him when he got home, but in typical Michael fashion, he didn't share too much. And I must admit, after nine years at his old school, where parents could be involve

The Summer Project: The Waterslide (1985)

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I've written before about my fear of water as a kid and how the stress of it was almost as bad as the fear itself. As the 1980s progressed, I gradually -- very gradually -- overcame some of that fear to the point that in fall 1989, I actually was taking swim lessons at the YMCA that doubled as a Marquette dorm. Furthermore, I was always fascinated by water slides -- they looked like a lot of fun and I knew I was missing out. In the summer of 1985, my friends somehow convinced me to try a water slide for the first time. It didn't go quite exactly as I hoped. In suburban Oak Brook Terrace, Ebenezer Floppen Slopper's operated two stone water slides embedded into the hillside. You pretty much don't see these kinds of water slides anymore. Basically, they were concrete tracks at ground level, smoothed over so water would flow over them, and gravity would do the rest over a couple hundred twisting yards. This differed from the traditional fiberglass water slide that was

Summer 2018: Day 82

Today was just a plain work day, and I wasn't even in the backyard much. I had a project I wanted to finish, and it just felt I could achieve more focus at Beans and Brews than at home. Michael spent the day with a friend at Lagoon, and Ben spent another day inside -- I think he might be going a little stir crazy (he couldn't sleep last night, so I walked him around the block to wind down, but he was practically sprinting). I picked up pizzas for dinner and worked a little outside, then let Popcorn play with neighbor dogs. Ben and I played Alhambra to conclude the night (I won).

Summer 2018: Day 81

Well, I did manage a few hours sleep after my middle-of-the-night blog recapping Monday. However, I wasn't quite as dragging today as I thought. I'm tired now and will go to bed soon (and hopefully fall asleep easily), but my Tuesday wasn't as bad as I worried it would be. I worked in the backyard most of the day. The skies cleared a little bit and I could actually see blue instead of haze. I sneaked in a little nap during the afternoon. Michael and I went to Costco in the evening (where I became irritated with my doctor/the pharmacist/our insurance), then we went to Del Taco for Taco Tuesday. The wait for tacos was long, but by that point I wasn't in a rush. After dinner I took the dog for a walk. My only other complaint today was I'm in the bronchitis stage of my cold, meaning I'm coughing up crap from my lungs. It's not too bad but annoying. I'm hoping it's over tomorrow. I sick of being sick during the summer.

Summer 2018: Day 80

This post is coming to you from insomnia land. I'm having trouble falling asleep tonight, I think because I worked a little late and my brain never unwound. The haze is still hanging around the valley and I've been reluctant to take the dog on a longer walk, but I think I need to so I can properly unwind. I'm going to be dragging all day Tuesday ... As for Monday, it was a Monday of work in which I felt like worked a lot but didn't get enough done. I did meet my old friend Ryan and his wife for lunch at Wasatch Brewery, which was nice. I grilled burgers for dinner. With that, I'm going to try to get some sleep.

The Summer Project: The last Wisconsin July (2000)

Most of these summer recollections have been from my youth. After 18 years out west, I wanted to share one from my adulthood: the summer we moved from Madison to Utah. Lori and I had known a change was coming. I had interviewed in Salt Lake in early June, and other newspapers were calling. Initially, The Salt Lake Tribune didn't hire me -- I found out later the paper was looking to hire a little cheaper than what I was already at. But there was no rush. Lori and I settled into another Madison summer ... and summers in Madison and Wisconsin were always great. Then around the beginning of July, I got a call asking if I still wanted the job. Another opening happened, and they now needed someone experienced to come in to fill the void. I got the offer on a Saturday, Lori and I took all day Sunday to decide if we wanted to make such a bold move, and Monday, I accepted. We had a little more three weeks before I started, and we would make the big move in about six weeks so Lori could

Summer 2018: Days 68-79

Another long break in summer blogging, but in this case, I didn't have the energy to write instead of just being lazy. The last two weeks have been busy: Ben swam at the state meet and swam well, finishing sixth in state in the 50 back and seventh in the 100 back. He also led off a relay that took fourth. The state meet is a long affair -- four days -- but we've got the routine down pretty well. His team swam great as well. On the last night, we all went to Wasatch Brewery in Sugar House to celebrate another successful state meet and long-course season.  Michael played in a basketball tournament in Vegas without us. He was asked to play up with the U15s again, and one family drove him down and back, and another took care of him for four days. He played well in the tourney -- nothing like getting a text from a dad saying Michael had a great game.  Last Thursday and Friday, Michael swam in the conference meet for his rec team and took home a trophy for being the third-highe

Summer 2018: Days 60-67

Unfailingly, the days after you return from vacation go fast. You get back. You wonder how the trip went so fast but are happy to sleep in your own bed. You start realizing that, wow, you just did something fun a week ago. Then you realize, wow, two weeks have already passed since vacation started. That first day seemed so fun, but it's already a memory. And then, you get back into your routine  Summer continues ... This is what has transpired the past week: Michael swam a meet last Tuesday, got three season bests despite not practicing for two weeks. Ben swam a meet over the weekend at Cottonwood Heights Pool but wasn't as successful. He broke his toe last week and it was still hurting, plus he was still getting into his practice routine after vacation. He did get one PR. Salt Lake is hot again. I did manage to open the windows last night because it was breezy out, but tonight it's back to sweltering. Ben and his swim team had a pool party at another family'

Summer 2018: Day 59; Vacation, Day 9

And just like that, vacation is over. The ride back seemed amazingly swift today, even though it took 10 hours. Lori drove the whole way and was happy, especially because she passed Michael to win Slug Bug after he led most of the week (he never knew what hit him ...). We picked up Starbucks in Barstow, bought McDonald's in Las Vegas, and filled up at Costco in St. George. After arriving home, I brought home Noodles for dinner. The cat was happy to see us, and we listened to the remainder of the audiobook of Ready Player One as we ate. Vacation always goes too fast. Michael starts school in less than a month, and I'll be back at work shortly. But this is one trip that truly was rejuvenating and unforgettable. Until the next adventure ...

Summer 2018: Day 58; Vacation Day 8

We left Seal Beach this morning, and it was bittersweet. The week was fantastic, and the house was a great find, but wrapping up vacation is always sad. Ben literally was sad, crying a little bit as we drove away from the house. If we come back to California next year for a basketball tournament, we want to rent this house again. Ah, yes, basketball: Michael played four games today. The first two were with his regular team, and they lost the first, struggling with turnovers and getting screwed by terrible refereeing. The second game they won easily and finished the tourney with a 3-1 record. Afterward, we headed to Irvine, where he played two more games with the U15 team. Both games were losses, but Michael again held his own, averaging 11 points a game and showing he can play with high schoolers. He did get stepped on once and has a bruise/scrape/mark on the side of his chest. With basketball concluded, our trip back to Utah started with earnest by traveling to Pasadena. We chec

Summer 2018: Day 57; Vacation Day 7

More basketball today, but some fun, too. Michael's regular team played two games today and won both, one in a nail-biter, the other in a blowout. Between games, most of the team ate at Denny's, with eight players getting their own table. I don't remember Denny's being as expensive as it was -- for the average quality of food you shouldn't get Chili's prices. And of course, Ben ordered a cherry limeade, perhaps the most expensive drink on the menu short of a milkshake After the game, many of the families met at Seal Beach so the boys could get a chance to hang out together. The weather was perfect, as were the waves. The waves were actually pretty huge; topping me a couple times when I was only in water up to my knees. The boys had a blast. This is what is best about the travel tournaments: Not so much the basketball, but the fun the players have and the memories they make. We walked back to the house with one of Michael's teammates we were managing (h

Summer 2018: Day 56; Vacation Day 6

We originally thought Michael would have basketball games Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but to our surprise, no games were scheduled for Friday. Instead of being disappointed, we viewed this as an opportunity to enjoy another full vacation day near the ocean. After a sleepy morning, we began pondering what to do with our unexpected free day. About two minutes into our discussion on what to do, we received a text asking if Michael could play three games up with the U15s. Our free day disappeared, replaced with some incredible basketball experience for Michael. This tournament features a crazy amount of good teams, and the competition is top-notch high school players -- who he'll be facing for the next four years. He held his own, though he was tired in a ridiculously hot gym complex. In three games (alas, all losses), he averaged about 8 points and held his own against older, sometimes bigger, sometimes stronger competition. He definitely proved he could play at this level, and t

Summer 2018: Day 55; Vacation Day 5

Today was the sort of vacation day Lori and I will remember forever. And hopefully, the boys will remember it too. Visiting Catalina Island had been the centerpiece of Lori's California plans. We woke up early to head to the ferry dock to board a boat that would take us across the channel 25 miles from San Pedro to Avalon on the island. The ride across was pleasant although a little chilly. We sat on the top level of the ferry, which was open air and breezy as the boat raced across the water. About halfway through the 70-minute ride, the mountains of Catalina were visible in the distance. We were almost there! As we pulled into port, we saw two seals swimming in the harbor -- a nice welcome to the island. We collected ourselves and took the short walk into town. After visiting the Catalina Island Conservancy, we decided we would hike the Garden-to-Sky Trail first. We stocked up on sparkling water and caught a bus to the Wrigley Memorial and Botanical Gardens above the city. Fro

Summer 2018: Day 54, Vacation, day 4

Even a mellow day on this vacation turned out to be awesome. We needed a mellow day after driving Sunday followed by two nonstop days. But our day was far from boring. Lori took the boys for coffee in the morning, and I chilled with math puzzles. I then went for a walk down to the shore and then to CVS. After I watched Croatia defeat England in the World Cup semifinals, we headed to the beach. This trip, I actually went in the ocean. The waves were fun, though I had to work hard so as not to get knocked over (I felt like one of the trees in "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" that braces itself when the flood is about to hit). We bought a cheap body board at CVS, and Michael got the hang of it right away, but Ben couldn' quite figure it out. After a couple hours, we left the beach exhausted, tan, and sandy. We ate dinner at home, with me grilling steaks. Ben and I played a few games of the Ticket to Ride card game, and I ran to get gas so we'll be ready for

Summer 2018: Day 53; Vacation, Day 3

We definitely are not taking this vacation lying down! Today we did all the tourist-type things in Los Angeles proper. We started by riding the funicular in downtown LA  (featured in "La La Land" and admiring the above-average view from the top. It was a short ride and just $2 round trip, but it was definitely an experience -- a "Guess what we did?" moment. And it also was a neat start to a busy day. Our next destination was the Farmer's Market, one of Lori's favorite spots in Los Angeles. We didn't wander it too much, but we did eat lunch (boys got sushi, Lori ate Thai, I ordered fried clam strips). I bought a puzzle magazine and a lottery ticket (we didn't win). As we were leaving, we saw a huge line emanating from a nearby pizza restaurant -- LeBron James was rumored to be visiting there that day and Laker fans went crazy (he never showed). From the Farmer's Market we headed down Sunset Boulevard and back down Hollywood Boulevard. We cou

Summer 2018: Day 52; Vacation Day 2

Today is what a family vacation is supposed to be all about. I slept a blessed eight hours last night, then woke up to sit on the patio of our Airbnb and do a math puzzle (which, for the record, I've been struggling with lately, from Kakuros to logic puzzles). Lori made everyone breakfast, and we got out the door around 10 for some adventuring. Michael had found online a shipwreck somewhat nearby he wanted to take pictures of. We got to the location in Rancho Palos Verde , but the area, known as Rocky Point, was pretty much a cliff overlooking a cove. There as a mildly treacherous path down, and a local out for a walk told us the shipwreck was cleaned up and was no longer there (it wasn't visible from the top; we would have needed to walk beyond the cove). The drive through Long Beach to the area was scenic, and though Michael was disappointed, we plotted our next adventure. We didn't need to go far to find it: Abalone Cove Shoreline Trail, just back down the seaside

Summer 2018: Day 51; Vacation Day 1

Let the vacation begin! The drive to Seal Beach, California, was long but really not too bad. We encountered a little traffice around the Nevada/California border, then a bit more once we approached Orange County, but we still made decent time. Lori drove the whole way and I tried to nap a little at times in back. We listened to the audiobook of Ready Player One, and we even stopped at an abandoned waterpark near Barstow so Michael could take some pictures. After arriving at the Airbnb in Seal Beach, we bought groceries and then walked down to the pier and beach. The view was nice, and just being on vacation and near the ocean is nice as well. For dinner, we ate at Burgers and Brews on Main Street. I writing on the patio right now and would write more but I'm exhausted. I have all week ...

Summer 2018: Day 50

The day before vacation is always a bit nutty; at least this year we weren't also dealing with a swim meet. I took Popcorn for an early walk before it got too hot, went to Costco, went to the post office and Walmart, went to Home Depot and TJ Maxx, packed, took Popcorn to her vacation sitter, and finally was able to settle down before we leave in the wee hours. Also watched an episode of "Band of Brothers" amid all that. This was all worth it because vacation starts tomorrow! This is going to be a great trip.

Summer 2018: days 48-49

Two days of work. Two days of heat. Those are these two days in a nutshell. I'm sitting on my porch typing and it feels like it is still 90 degrees at 10 p.m. I did manage some good writing yesterday and walked the dog early this morning. Also worked outside in the shade, but it was still hot. In the shade, it's not so bad, and cooling off under a cold hose has risen to a level of fun in the middle of the workday. We had pizza for dinner tonight from Papa Murphy's, and I watched "Indian Summer" on the DVR. The weekend has arrived, and vacation is imminent. And the heat I can live with.

The Summer Project: Rum (1988)

The Summer Project is back! Three years ago I started writing posts detailing memories of summer past . Some were broad general memories, and some were of specific events. I loved the effort, but as my diligence blogging waned, so did the project. Tonight I resume, starting with the first time I ever threw up drinking. I graduated high school in May 1988 and started college three months later. In between was perhaps the most fun summer I would enjoy between the early '80s and when Lori and I were first dating. So many more stories are available from this time -- and I'd like to get to them all -- but I'm going to start with maybe the last memory of that summer before I made it to school. My friends and I planned one more party before we all departed for college. I'm not sure how we did it, but we got a suite at the Residence Inn over in Rosemont, I want to say by Lawrence and River Road (why this is important will become evident later). It had two bedrooms and a

Summer 2018: Day 47

My Fourth of July started early: Ben had swim practice at 8 a.m., and I took him in and hiked with the dog for about 90 minutes. I have this goal to hike to the top of a mini-peak near the JCC, but the path up it is narrow, currently surrounded by tall grass on both sides, and has the potential of a "Princess Bride" moment rolling down the mountainside if you make a wrong step. I didn't want to run into a rattlesnake this morning, so instead we walked along the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. That was more than enough for Popcorn because the sun was already beating down on her at 9 a.m. When we got home, we attended the neighborhood parade for what I think is the 15th time -- I believe we have gone every year since we moved here. Nothing to spectacular this year, and we didn't stay too long; we were tired, and I had already eaten when I got home from the hike. Still, the parade is always nice, and this year had an added bonus unusual for what normally is a majority LDS

Summer 2018: Days 45-46

This is a weird week with a holiday smack dab in the middle. The last two days of work have felt a bit disjointed as a result -- especially with vacation coming up. With that in mind, these two days were uneventful. I was tired for both, even dozing off for a few minutes on a lounge chair during Ben's swim practice this morning. I got Popcorn out for a walk tonight. Michael and I started watching "Band of Brothers." And that's pretty much it for excitement. I'm looking forward to the holiday tomorrow.

Summer 2018: days 34-44

A long break between blogging, but an eventful 11 days. Here we go ... Michael had two basketball tournaments in this time span, and his teams (he also played up with one of his club's ninth-grade teams for two games) went 10-1 and won a championship. His regular team should have won two, but a last-second three-pointer sunk its chances for a title last weekend. Except for a few blips, he played great. I attended my company's annual meeting/retreat/party at Deer Valley. These three days were filled with conversation, great food, some alcohol, productive work (for one day), and fun. I led co-workers on a hike to Peak 10420 at Guardsman's Pass (whew, it was a little challenging but well worth it), and Lori and the boys came up to hang out by the pool on Tuesday. I was so pleased this was held in my backyard, and I was not bummed at all that I didn't get to travel. My only complaint was it went by too fast ... The weather is hot again. Cooled off for the weekend, but

Back on the hillside ...

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Every summer solstice (or around the solstice if something got in the way), since 2007 , I've come to a hillside at Donner Park to watch the gorgeous sunset, listen to "Sister Golden Hair" by America, and write about the year that just passed. I got here tonight to find ... sprinklers running! I found a bench, but it was underneath a blooming tree and the bumblebees were loud and ominous. I found a dry spot on the hillside ... but now I'm suddenly paranoid about rattlesnakes (they have been low on the mountain benches this summer). So I might skip America on headphones and just play it on my computer as I type. Last year I lamented how the previous year had been a blur. Compared with this last year, that complaint was nothing, because it's gone beyond blur to whirlwind. The last five years have been the fastest of my life, and there's nothing I can do to slow it down. I made it through another year, and it was a good year, watching the boys grow, being r

Summer 2018: Day 33

Today was a typical workday Wednesday. I worked for three hours in the morning during the boys' swim practices, went to the dentist, dropped Ben off at a friend's house, then worked at a coffee shop for a few more hours. It's not cooling off tonight, but I'm still writing on the porch after Popcorn and I took a long walk that included returning something to the library. Lori and Ben go to Montana in the morning, and I'm staying here with Michael and taking him to his basketball tournament early. Tomorrow is the summer solstice, but I'll wait for the evening to write about that. Goodnight, and good luck.

Summer 2018: Day 32

Now this is the definition of a gorgeous summer day: highs in the low 80s, no clouds, and no pressure to get a million things done. After some storms rolled through on Monday, the weather cooled to a comfortable level after many hot days. I worked outside for some of the afternoon and didn't have to worry about my Mac overheating. Michael went to Lagoon with his friends, and I took Ben to the swim team's buddy night in the evening while I worked. I also finally finished watching the first season of "The Handmaid's Tale" on DVD. Not the most exciting of days, but pleasant for sure.

Summer 2018: days 28-31

How can four days be busy and relaxing at the same time? Let me tell you ... Friday was a certification day for work, in which we all just train toward the various certifications the software our agency uses offers. This isn't an easy day, but it's a mellow day -- a chance to kick back and not worry about deadlines. The little break was more than welcome, and I managed to take four certification tests. Saturday, I dropped Ben off at swim practice and checked out some yard sales. Didn't find too much, but did pick up the last four seasons of "Friends" that I didn't have on DVD yet. Also found two records at Deseret Industries. After I picked Ben up, we met Lori and Michael and Fort Douglas Days, then went to Red Robin for lunch. The afternoon was sort of productive (trimming weeds and resetting the wasp traps, though I spilled wasp attractant on me), and Lori, Ben and I made a quick trip to Costco before it closed later. Ben and I finished the evening by pl

Summer 2018, day 27

Ben's birthday fell on the craziest weekend of the year, with grandparents in town and Michael's confirmation on deck. Then the next weekend was Memorial Day. Then the next weekend was Michael's graduation and the last soccer game of the season. Then last week school ended and had a swim meet. Today, we finally threw Ben a little birthday celebration, just four weeks later ... We had contemplated taking Ben's friends either bowling or swimming on a weekday and settled on day at the pool. We had about 10 kids come, and they had so much fun. Five hours in 97-degree heat, a cool pool, and pizza is the perfect summer day for a group of 12-year-olds. I wasn't even in the water for that long today (less than an hour) and came home exhausted. I did manage to get the dog out for a walk tonight. This is the type of summer day I hope Ben never forgets. I hope he cherishes these days the way I used to and still do.

Summer 2018: Day 26

Heat. Hot. Steamy. Scorching. The weather doesn't usually get into the high 90s this early in June. Soon, but not this soon. But that heat has set in, and I sense this will be a hot, hot summer. This morning began with swim practice for both boys, and I sat poolside and worked. We came and I did my 30-minute workout, then made two Egg McMuffins for breakfast/lunch. I worked outside for some of the day, and in the shade, the heat wasn't so bad. Michael had basketball practice in late afternoon, then we ate nachos for dinner and watched "Queer Eye." We then introduced Michael to the first three episodes of "Arrested Development." Popcorn and I went for a half-hour walk, though it's barely cooling off outside. More writing is coming, I promise ...

Summer 2018, days 1-25

Oops. In summers past, I enthusiastically blog every day (or as much as possible), highlighting all the great moments of my favorite time of year. And each year, I artificially pick some day in May that feels summery and declare it the first day of summer. So imagine my surprise when I got to June and realized ... I missed picking a first day of summer, much less blogging about it. The last few weeks have been busy for sure. Ben's birthday was May 19, with my mom and stepdad in town for Michael's confirmation. School ended, and we enjoyed a fun Memorial Day weekend Saturday followed by two rainy days. Michael graduated eighth grade, and then had a basketball tournament the next day. Ben had a swim meet and Michael already has had two. The weather got really hot, killing some of the new grass I had been growing. I've resumed working from the pool in the morning and in the backyard or porch in the afternoon. And just like that, we're nearly halfway through June. I&#

A quarter-century

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"I can't remember when you weren't there ..." OK, maybe starting a blog post with a Kenny Rogers lyric is a little questionable, especially considering he's been married five times. But that line sums up perfectly what I'm thinking about today, the 25th anniversary of the day Lori and I first met. We were living in Milwaukee and had talked on the phone a few times but hadn't met in person. I worked all day, I think I watched the Bulls playoff game, and I gave her a call. We decided to meet spur of the moment that night, and I drove my little Honda Civic hatchback to Wauwatosa to the Chancery, where we could talk at their relatively quiet bar over a couple drinks. I'll never forget the first moment I saw Lori -- her smile, her blue eyes, what she was wearing (a black jacket over a white T-shirt and jeans), and that she was as tall as she said she was. She didn't mind that I kept glancing up at the TV to see how the Lakers-Suns game was goin

Sabotage

About seven weeks to summer, and my goal is to lose weight before then. I'm thoroughly chunky at the moment, and it feels like too much is conspiring against me. I should say, I'm my own worst enemy. Working indoors, mindlessly munching is too easy. Grabbing something to eat when I'm not quite hungry has been too easy. Making a sandwich when I should opt for something with less carbs has been too easy. I felt like I ate better last week, but ultimately, I need to track calories -- it seems the only way I truly stick to not eating stupid. But ... I get lazy with the calorie tracking, even though it's just on my phone. Ridiculous, I know, because every time I've been super diligent with this strategy, I've lost weight. The busy schedule isn't helping. Yesterday we had sporting events spread out all day. I was good about not eating until about 11 (intermittent fasting works for me as well), had Arby's for lunch and thought I was good ... but the Little

Weekend warriors

The weekend ended -- a relatively mellow weekend. No extra work, only one sporting event, and plenty of down time, which all of us need. We watched two Marvel Comics Universe movies ("Spider-Man" and "Doctor Strange") in advance of "Infinity War" next month. Ben and I played a lot the board game Smash Up. Ben's soccer team won their first game of the spring. I put brake fluid in the car. And I never felt stressed or anxious about the week ahead. The weather wasn't great, but that will come. Future weekends won't be like this, but they surely will be great, too. You take what you can and try to enjoy every moment.

Music for the next generation

Inevitably, some of the songs your parents liked are ones also like today. I'm proud to say, that is holding true for the next generation. In the early '80s, my parents loved listening to oldies stations, at a time when the format was just becoming popular. These stations played oldies my sisters and I had never heard, stuff from the 1950s that we wouldn't occasionally hear on more mainstream stations such as WLS. And my parents loved it, because in the days before MP3s, music videos, and even CDs, there wasn't much of way to relive those memories. I remember their excitement one Saturday night in the car of hearing " Leader of the Laundromat" for probably the first time in a couple decades. Did I pick up a love of those old, old songs? Not really, but I did emerge from my childhood loving the Beatles, just like my parents did. There's sometimes no way around it -- the things your parents love become the things you love. Today, our kids cannot avoid

Break over

Our family has a busy schedule with school, sports, and work. For a few weeks every March, that schedule takes a little break. Break over. Here comes the next crush. Michael had a three-week break from his club basketball team. Although he was playing with his future high school's eighth-grade team, that was just one practice a week. That break is over. His feeder team begins games this week, his club team resumed practice, and he's playing in the first of many tournaments next week. Ben is wrapping a month-long break from swim meets that ends next week. I'm coaching his rec soccer team again, and that has started up for the spring. There was no work break. We went to Pocatello for a basketball tournament for Ben a few weeks ago, and that was the only day off. Spring is always crazy but always encouraging because the weather is warmer and summer is just around the corner. Ben isn't playing baseball, so that gives us a little respite, but that also takes away t

A plan and a plot

One of my bigger regrets lately is I'm so far off the writing train. I work with words all day that I get to the evening and don't have the mental energy to pound out several hundred more words. Yet, I know I should be blogging, pursuing the side blog I never seem to find time for, and get the fiction I want to write out of my brain and onto a Word document. I was lamenting this to my boss yesterday, and he came up with the most sage advice/encouragement that I needed to hear (and I'm paraphrasing here): "Before you look at your emails every day, take some time to write. The emails can wait 30 minutes." So that's the new plan, a new course to plot: Writing every morning instead of the afternoon. Everything else can wait a few minutes longer. I already turn the computer on after dinner to finish up the work day amid the crazy busy schedule. Just like exercise, the me time is just as important -- and just as detrimental to miss. Therefore, I'm taking 1

Juneuary?

The whole eastern two-thirds of the country continues to suffer through bitter cold temperatures and a miserable winter. Welcome to Salt Lake City, where it climbed beyond 50 degrees today. It's barely snowed here this month. We've had some rain, but it hasn't been cold enough to turn into the snow the mountains need. It feels closer to March than January. And if you consider March about halfway between January and June, it's Juneuary! OK, I'm not trademarking that ... I despise January, so the warmer weather isn't so bad. Popcorn and I went for a run today in Liberty Park and I actually wore shorts. But I know we need the snow, but it doesn't look like we are going to get it anytime soon. On the bright side, January is halfway over. With weather like this, for once with this miserable month, no rush.

2018 ...

The Facebook memory from yesterday said it all. On New Year's Eve 2009, the day before the new decade, I declared that the '00s were a blur. Here on the first day of 2018, I realize that nine years ago, I had no real idea what a blur really was. Our New Year's Day was mellow. Ben went bowling with his swim team, and the two of us picked up a few things at WinCo afterward. I took the dog for a long walk and listened to some podcasts (two of my resolutions for 2018 -- more exercise and more podcasts). The basketball schedules finally were released for the winter, and Lori and I tried sorting through that. Lori made us ham scalloped potatoes for dinner, and we watched a little football (Georgia beating Oklahoma in double overtime). My wish for the new year, after its first day, is that it's anything but a blur.