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The new year and new decade are just three days away. The idea of 2020 seems so bizarre, given how far away that once seemed, say, when I was a teenager ... but here it is, three days away. The enormity of this milestone hasn't quite sunk in yet. I was blogging 10 years ago, when the last decade turned, and I wrote about the impending moment then . I declared, "This decade that is coming to a close was officially a blur." Wow, I didn't have a clue what a blur really was ... Compared with the past decade, the 2000s were relatively slow, because the 2010s were a blink of an eye. Yet, for my sons, the decade has probably felt like forever. Ten years ago, Michael was in kindergarten and Ben was in preschool. Time and its perception hasn't evolved for them yet. It's probably starting to for them as teenagers, but the time concept still varies widely to what adults -- especially parents with growing kids -- experience. I could pinpoint a few things that sp

Christmas 2019! Today was mellow and fun and moderately festive. We pretty much decided that the day would be relaxing, spent hanging out, playing games, watching "A Christmas Story" (which, after cutting the cord, we had to watch on Blu-Ray instead of TNT) and other holiday movies), eating at our leisure, and napping. Lori has a bit of a cold, Michael is still tired after finals, and I welcomed the day off. Ben got a new game, Mechs vs. Minions, from his godfather, and the two of us played that for a couple hours. I got two new pillows and tried them out in the form of a nap. Lori made a ham and rolls, which comprised our main meal of the day. The boys slept in, so we weren't opening presents until after 9 a.m. We all like the gifts we received. Oh, we got a dusting of snow overnight, so we had a slightly white Christmas. In the evening, we saw the new Star Wars movie, which was a heap of fun. I'm not sure why people aren't liking it. The movie isn't

Say goodbye to summer. It ended with a lot of heat. We don't get summer humidity too much here in Utah, but the last two days have been somewhat muggy as well as hot. Driving the Corolla with non-working air conditioning today didn't help. Ben had his first swim practice of the new season today, and I jumped into the pool (I brought trunks with) to cool off. Soccer practice was obnoxiously warm, too. And that's how summer concludes, not with a bang, but a swelter. The season was great, but too fast as usual, and almost a blur as we went from event to event to event, starting way back with Michael's basketball tournament on Memorial Day weekend. There was so much "What's up next?" -- not necessarily a bad thing, but the summer never felt so coherent. Our trips were great, and the days, weeks, and months were memorable. Yet after these two blistering days, and knowing fall is imminent, I'm ready for some cooler weather, more predictable routines, and

I've stopped apologizing for the gaps in my blogging. It happens, and at least I'm catching up on, of all days, Labor Day. The last 10 days have been so hot in Salt Lake City. Temperatures have been mid- to high-90s, and almost a month has passed since it last rained. We've spent a few days at the pool in some capacity, including today -- I don't mind baking a little -- but nights have not been cooling off at all. This evening, from my porch, humidity has set in. I never want summer to end, but I'm ready for some cooler weather, even if it's just 80s. Last week was spent trying to get back into a normal routine after the nutty summer, but I might need another week or two. I was also navigating a couple fantasy football drafts and running mock drafts to prepare. We saw Michael's high school finally win a football game Friday -- it was their first victory in almost two years. Today, Ben and I went to the JCC pool and soaked up the last rays and water of su

This was the last trip of the summer: four days in San Diego (Del Mar, to be exact) for my company retreat. I was determined to enjoy these four days, not just with hanging out with my coworkers and lapping up the luxury of a five-star hotel, but also to take advantage of the limited summer I have left. After arriving at the hotel and checking in (and gawking at the room), I put on swim trunks, called a Lyft, and headed to the beach. I was only there about 90 minutes, and it took a good 20 minutes before I warmed up enough to jump into a wave after wading into the water, but the ocean felt ... nourishing. I got a little drunk one night (my tolerance isn't what it once was ...) and swam in the pool and soaked in the hot tub a few times. One morning, I tried a Fit Float class that was fun but challenging -- I was in the water (and not on the board) a lot. Socializing with friends was the best part of the trip. An indicator of how much I enjoyed the experience (minus the trip

These four days have been a little unique, because they were sandwiched between vacation and my annual work conference/gathering/party, which this year is in San Diego. The four days have been mostly uneventful, if not a little relaxing. I worked Friday and Monday, trying to sort out everything I missed over the previous two weeks. I ran the first soccer practice of the season and drove down to Sandy to pick up the gear. Sunday, Ben and I hung out at our friend Maureen's pool, where I lounged on a pool float and in a hammock. Today I ran a bunch of errands, packed, and waked the dog. I'm looking forward to the trip, after which, life gets back to normal.

Vacation is over. It was long and went by too fast. Feels good to be home after two days of driving. Actually, today's drive wasn't so long. The breakfast at the hotel looked a little sad, so we ate a restaurant across the road that was pretty decent. Michael drove all the way home. We stopped at Little America to get ice cream cones and fill enough gas in the tank to get us back to Salt Lake City. I picked Popcorn up from the sitter. The dog looks thin -- she never eats as much when we're on vacation. We got Papa Murphy's pizza for dinner. And just like that, we settled back into our normal, non-vacation life. Until next year ...

The long journey home began today, and despite 15 hours of driving, it didn't seem the long slog that we were fearing. In fact, 15 hours went rather quickly, and we made it all the way to Laramie, Wyoming. We found a great donut place in Bettendorf, Iowa, and got dinner at a Runza's in Sidney, Nebraska. Lori and Michael drove the entire way. The only drawback to the day is that the hotel we booked and prepaid is a bit of a dump -- I can tell people have smoked in our non-smoking room and my eyes are watering a little. We'll be out of here in fewer than 12 hours anyway, and then vacation wraps up tomorrow!

This trip has simultaneously gone too fast and lasted forever. And it begins to wrap up tomorrow. I think once we got to Chicago, everything sped up. Being under the weather didn't help. The last few days have been mellow, and I''m torn between being annoyed by that and kind of relieved. I'm on my dad's porch for one last time, writing, and watching the busy spider rebuild its web again. I'll stay out here a few extra minutes after I'm done with the post, then go to bed, get up early, and hit the road for Utah. Lori and I went for a long walk this morning, into Bunker Hill and then crossing over into Wildwood. For lunch, we met my friend John at Taco Burrito King. The rest of the day wasn't too exciting. Lori and I went to Aldi to stock up for the trip. I walked the dog with Dad, Ben, and my nephews. And we prepared for our departure. All vacations end. Technically, I have two more days, but leaving this place is always bittersweet. But I'm a

I was hoping to jam in a lot of vacation goodness into these last two days, but at some point, you must accept that vacation is winding down and there's not much you can do about it. A highlight of our Monday was taking the boys to my old high school. Most of it has changed, but some remained comfortingly familiar. All the lockers were replaced, so my old locker isn't even there anymore, just a general location where it used to be. I got to step on the new track that is nothing like the cinders I used to run on 30-something years ago. The rest of the day was low-key. The four of us went to Superdawg one last time, but I'm a little hot dogged out this trip and instead got a Whoopercheesie and a delicious chocolate shake. Later, the entire extended family went to Holy Friojoles on Touhy and Crawford for a fun dinner. In the evening, we listened to my niece sing and I talked with my dad for a while.

This was another sort of transition day on vacation, one that I finally was able to come up for air a little bit. I slept well, had a piece of pizza for breakfast, then went on a long walk with Lori. We ended up at Barnes and Noble, where we ordered drinks and a dessert, then browsed. Once home, I took a little nap, then wrote for a while. Most of the family went to see my stepbrother's band play at a festival. I stayed behind and wrote some more, as well as played some apps on the iPad. For dinner, I picked up a burrito at a nearby Mexican restaurant that's new. It tasted like the burritos I would get at El Chico in Milwaukee -- delicious! I got that fix out of my system for this trip and won't need to go to Taco Burrito King tomorrow. As I wrote on my dad's porch, I looked up to see this spider. It was big -- the picture isn't doing it justice -- and maybe the size of a half-dollar. Needless to say, it freaked me out a little. I'm still outside, watching

Most everybody's childhood reaches a place where the nature of their true selves begins to fundamentally change. It's not just growing up, but becoming more self-aware, more attuned the world around yourself, and more sophisticated in how you think. This doesn't happen overnight, but essentially, you begin the transition from child to the first vestiges of your adult existence. And I don't think you realize it's happening until years later when you look back and realize, "Wow, things really changed when I was X years old." This transition started for me around fourth grade. My recollections often are divided between before  and after the fall I started that grade. Part of it was maybe that in fourth grade, we started switching classes for the first time in school, and it felt so advanced. I was still a dorky little kid, and perhaps the turn of the decade offered a clearer delineation, but something about that year was different ... and it never went back

The big day and the centerpiece of our vacation arrived: My father's 70th birthday party. Technically, Dad doesn't turn 70 until next month, but this was the only time all six kids could gather at the same time in Chicago. The party was wonderful. The day started a little yawningly, however. I once again couldn't sleep -- this time because of every time I tried lying down comfortably, no matter which way I turned my head it, the back left side ached. In the middle of the night I started wondering if I had a brain tumor, but I think it was just the muscles in my neck being tight and it subsequently affecting my scalp muscles. I went to the couch downstairs and got a better angle for my head, eventually falling asleep. After I woke up (and took a little nap after breakfast), I went to Starbucks to finish up some work I didn't get done before I left, plus wrap my head around managing Ben's soccer team, whose season starts next week. The rest of the afternoon wa

All the sodas from the night before, probably coupled with still being a little overtired, kept me awake deep into the night. I didn't necessarily feel feverish or blah, but I woke up after about a half-hour after dozing off and, for the life of me, couldn't fall back asleep. But I was determined not to be relegated to another indoor day, so after a breakfast bagel, Michael and I drove to Cantigny Park in Wheaton to visit the First Division Museum . Chicago expressways are as fun and terror-filled as ever (thankfully, I drove out to DuPage County instead of Michael ...), but we made it there at about 11 and spent a couple hours at the military museum. The displays were incredibly detailed and interactive, and Michael loved the collection of tanks on the grounds. We found a Costco and fill up the tank on the RAV and get a quick $1.50 hot dog, then wound our way to I-90 to take a different way home and avoid the copious construction on the Tri-State and Kennedy. Sisters Ju

I slept late this morning. I napped twice -- good, refreshing naps. I took ibuprofen and acetaminophen. And ... I'm finally feeling better. Maybe I was just tired; this has been a long trip already. The flip side of this recovery day is that I didn't get to much Chicago stuff, which is OK. Lori and my dad (with Michael driving) picked up Superdawg for lunch, and that was excellent. I took a nap afterward. Later in the afternoon, I went with Lori back to Milwaukee for a meetup of some of her high school classmates. She always seems to miss these informal gatherings, so she was looking forward to finally attending one to reconnect in person with people she is connected to only on social media. The evening was fun. I didn't drink but had several sodas to keep me awake and perky -- I was nervous the fever might come back. Lori had a blast reminiscing with friends. The gathering was atop the Kempton Hotel in the Third Ward, and the view of the sunset -- that I haven't se

Today was meant to be a mild travel day, with some time spent in Milwaukee. However, the fever and achiness that started last night hounded me all day. Lori drove, and we made a decently early departure from Three Lakes, with a quick stop to the bank and coffee shop in town. The actual trip to Milwaukee wasn't slow -- we made good time, only stopping in Oshkosh to fill up and use a restroom. But I was wiped out the whole way south, and I wasn't able to fall asleep, either. By the time we got to Lori's sister, who lives in Franklin, I was ready for a nap. I got two small ones -- not very rejuvenating -- and skipped the hour at the pool with the boys as I tried to sleep and fight off the fever. We went top Kopp's for dinner, which was outstanding as usual. I didn't each much custard, but the giant double cheeseburger was enough. The boys got to hang out some more at Lisa's apartment, and then we hit the road for Chicago, making a quick pit stop at Woodman'

I'm writing this post after the fact, for reasons that will become apparent later. Our last day in the North Woods was anything but boring. I went for one final walk, a little bit around town, then two miles down the trail. Next time we visit, I need to start in the middle to see more of the 13-mile trail on foot. Nonetheless, the walk was a nice way to start the day. We drove to Franklin Lake east of Eagle River to hang out for a few hours. Years, literally decades, ago, Lori and I had visited this lake with her sister and kids, though no one seemed to remember and I wasn't quite sure where it was. After consulting the internet and texting Lisa, we figured out the correct lake and thought it would be a good choice to hang out at. Franklin Lake, on national forest land, was stunning. This is the up north experience I was needing, even if just for a couple hours. We walked on a short trail through the woods to get to a beach. The lake wasn't crowded and sandy (once y

The rain rumbled through Wisconsin today. I went for a long walk on the trail this morning while the sun was out. I was hoping for an adventure today, but I also knew thunderstorms were forecast in the afternoon. Our tentative adventure was a fire lookout tower in Phelps that, according to the picture, had stairs and might have offered a great view of the woods. The clouds began to roll in on our scenic drive, but when we got to the tower, it was fenced off, and the stairs hadn't looked usable in years. After snapping this picture, we headed back into Eagle River to go go-karting. Maybe two minutes away from the track, Michael suggested we see a movie instead. The skies looked ominous, and even as we pulled into the go-kart parking lot, the drizzle began and got harder as we drove to the theater. We didn't have much time to get to the movie and missed the first few minutes of "Toy Story 4," but we couldn't have timed it more perfectly -- the skies opened up

For the Northern Wisconsin segment of our vacation, I jumped in a lake today. Check that off the mandatory to-do list ... Lori's sister, brother-in-law, and nephew had been camping in the U.P. and spent the day with us before heading back to Milwaukee. They arrived earlier than I expected, but we made the most of their arrival. First, we headed down the road to the farm, which Michael and Ben hadn't seen in years. After getting back to the house, we quickly went to Dollar General to buy some sunscreen, then prepared to walk over to the beach in town on Maple Lake. The water was a little cool at first but not too bad. What I didn't like was the bluegills -- I've never seen this many fish in a lake that I was swimming in. I'll be honest: The city boy in me didn't like it. Ben and his cousin thought it was totally neat. Eventually, I finally dove in from my wading position, but that was enough of Maple Lake for me. After a couple hours, we walked back to the

This was definitely our transition day after the long drive, but it was just what we needed. Ben and I walked to Dollar General in the morning, then went for a long walk along the bike/snowmobile trail right near Lori's parents' house. The hike was great, but the bugs were out, and we did not apply any bug spray, so it was a little annoying. Once the bugs started biting, we hustled it back and made it in time before thunderstorms rolled into Three Lakes. The rest of the day was mellow. Ben played cribbage with his grandfather. Lori and her mom went to Rhinelander. Michael didn't do much. Ben and I drove to Eagle River for a little shopping (we have Klarbrunn's!). More thunderstorms rumbled through. Tony made hot dogs and I made macaroni and cheese for dinner. We watched "Shark Tank" and "Press Your Luck." I'm wrapping up the day by writing on the small patio and hoping I don't get too bit up by mosquitoes. I'm looking up to see many,

More driving on this second day of vacation, but it didn't seem quite as long. We all woke up semi-early, ate breakfast at the Ramada, packed the car, and hit the road. Our first stop on the trip was to Costco, where we filled out and spent $30 less on lunch than we did at McDonald's yesterday (hurray for the $1.50 hot dog!). Michael drove a good portion of the ride in North Dakota and Minnesota; Lori took over in St. Cloud and took us the rest of the way (Michael can't legally drive on his permit in Wisconsin until he is 16, and Lori wanted to drive, so I lounged comfortably in the back seat. We hit a little traffic in St. Cloud, but eventually made it to Hayward, where we tried taking a picture of the giant musky but many trees were in the way (that's different then the last time we were here in 1998 ...). We enjoyed a good meal at Norske Nook, though Lori had to get a little annoyed with the manager after no one came to get our order. The last couple hours of dri

And we're off! Our vacations started really early: We were out the door at 5:17 a.m. We are taking a northern route to Wisconsin, which entailed driving through Idaho Falls, up to Bozeman, and across Montana and North Dakota. Michael drove the scenic part of the trip that hugged the west side Yellowstone National Park. We wanted a nice view for this drive, and we got it with this segment through some gorgeous land. When we shot out of the woods, the Google GPS oddly put us on Gooch Hill Road instead of sending us right to the interstate. We missed much of Bozeman this way but it was still an odd route. We got gas in Billings at a Costco, then looked someplace for dinner a couple hours east. Unfortunately, there was barely any fast food until we got deep into North Dakota. We tried Glendive, which is the last little-but-not-so-little town in Montana on I-94, but alas, our choices were limited to sit-down restaurants. So we proceeded eastward. The west side of North Dakota th

I really pooped in the pool on blogging my summer these past two weeks ... The weather has been hot. Life has been busy -- two swim meets, including state. A difficult client at work is sapping my energy and creativity. I'm barely exercising, and my nutrition has been bad. I've been so tired every evening that the thought of writing some more, even just a couple hundred words, has not been appealing. Before I knew it, two weeks passed without touching the blog. We leave on vacation in the morning, so I need to recap the past two weeks before I start writing about the next two. It's not going to be much. Ben swam well at the state long-course meet, especially considering he just aged up into another division. He swam another meet last weekend and did OK -- we were going to skip but discovered we would have had to pay for it anyway, so he swam it. Lori and Michael went to California for a basketball tournament while we held down the fort in SLC. Temperatures had been

I'm struggling to find my work groove in these two days back after Vegas. I couldn't sleep Sunday night (too much soda on our trip back) and I've been tired since. Salt Lake is hot again, but I don't mind so much. I got Popcorn out for walks the last two nights, and tonight I made Ben and me macaroni and cheese for dinner. I wish I had more to write about, but I want to wrap this up and attack tomorrow with some more energy.

We're home after one final long day. Michael drove almost the whole way; I really only took the wheel through Arizona. His team played two games today, convincingly winning the first but losing the second in the final of the bracket they were in. The last game wasn't actually as painful as the other losses -- we played well at times despite turnovers and a few bad offensive sets, and the other team was shooting the lights out. We hung out at Starbucks between games, then hit the road right after the last game. We would have been home sooner if not for a traffic jam through the Virgin River Gorge. After getting food to go from Freddy's in St. George, Michael pushed it all the way home without stopping. He did all right, though he still has a little bit to go before mastering interstate driving. I'm just happy we're back home.

At last, we won a game. We almost blew this one, too, after leading by 18 at halftime, but we still won by six. This might have been the hottest day yet here in Vegas, but we kept cool at the hotel pool of a resort that another family was staying at. Our family stayed at this resort four years ago, and it has a nice pool and a lazy river. The pool unfortunately wasn't the cold and barely refreshing, but the lazy river was wonderful. All those waterfalls you try avoiding I welcomed as a floated underneath. Michael and his friends hung out and looked a little bored at times. We ate Five Guys for lunch. I drove Michael and two teammates back to the Orleans, where they saw the new Spider-Man movie. Rather than veg in the room, I vegged by the pool again. I don't mind baking in the sun if I can cool off periodically, and the water was refreshingly not hot. Michael was exhausted after the movie, so we kept it mellow for the evening, and he watched "San Andreas" on cab

Two more losses, and these were painful -- Michael's team held big leads, came out flat in the second half, and lost, including one game in overtime. He played well again, but this is turning into a tough tournament. The rest of the day was much better. We went to Nacho Daddy's with some of the other families for lunch, and I ate an entire plate of bacon cheeseburger nachos. I was barely hungry later and drove to a nearby grocery store to get some cash and buy Michael more Oreos. Although the day was hot, some rain fell in the late afternoon. Michael and his teammates bowled at the Orleans in the evening, and it's official -- he's not a good bowler. I enjoyed a few beers with the other parents, and Michael hung out with his friends after bowling. I'm still full from lunch ...

Day 1 of Michael's tournament didn't go as hot as the temperature -- his team lost after a rough, rough first half. We did pull within four points late, and Michael played well, but this wasn't a good way to start. We just headed back to the hotel to eat lunch and relax. We both napped at some point, and we hung out by the pool for a little while. Later in the afternoon, we went to the Pinball Hall of Fame, and I got to play Space Shuttle, Millipede, Eight Ball Deluxe, Donkey Kong, Spy Hunter, the NBA pinball game, Superman, and Tron -- on which I got the high score. Played a bunch of other pinball and video game classics, too. Michael enjoyed Tetris and the South Park pinball game. Our plan was to go the Giordano's on the Strip, but parking and traffic was a mess by the Flamingo, so instead we drove to another location in the west suburbs. It was much less crowded and much more mellow. The pizza was delicious, and talking with Michael while we waited for the deep d

Vegas, baby! Michael and I departed Salt Lake City around 10 a.m. and made good time on our way to Nevada. Michael actually drove a good chunk of Utah, and we only stopped once along the way. We are staying at the Orleans, and it's OK. I'd rather stay at a resort next year if we come back to Vegas for basketball. The temperature is insanely hot, but that's Vegas in the summer. We went to In 'n' Out away from the Strip's, which was way too crowded and we would have had to sit outside in the heat. We tried going to a grocery store near the rec center Michael was going to meet his teammates, but the parking lot was eerily empty. After he hung out with his teammates, we went to Smith's south of the Strip to pick up provisions for the next few days.

These two days were scrambling. Two days of trying to get work in a good place. Two days of getting the house in a good place. Two days of preparation for a short vacation. Michael and I hit the road tomorrow for Vegas. Work wasn't all crazy, and I did manage to get some things done in the yard (the city is hauling a small pile of junk away in a couple days). I'm looking forward to the break away from Utah. That said, there's never enough time in the days before any trip. It's a summer scramble you usually can't avoid.

Summer weekends are wonderful but always go way too fast. This one did for sure. I started Saturday morning finishing up the last three episodes of the new season of "Stranger Things." It finished up strong and was better than Season 2, in my opinion. The rest of the day was just as mellow. I ran a couple errands to Dollar Tree and Walmart later in the afternoon. I also watched some of the basketball games of Michael's I missed when I was in Montana. The day mostly concluded with a long walk with the dog before it got too dark. Today was just as uneventful. I watched two episodes of "Sherlock" (not having DirecTV has been fun ...)  as well as the U.S. women's soccer team win the World Cup. The boys and I went to the JCC, where I rebounded for Michael as he shot around for an hour, then I briefly jumped in the pool with Ben. Dinner was a big salad and leftovers, and I'm wrapping up the day writing on the porch.

The Friday between a holiday and a weekend is destined not to be taken seriously. I worked hard but never felt rushed, knowing after my day off yesterday, I'll have two more starting tomorrow. My day wasn't all work. I went to the optometrist (and am trying a new contact formation in which I wouldn't need to wear reading glasses) and got a haircut. Popcorn and I went for a nice walk. I continued to watch "Stranger Things." The heat returns tomorrow, but for the weekend, that's OK. I'm looking forward to a nice weekend.

Happy Independence Day! This might have been the most mellow Fourth of July in years. We skipped the parade, didn't go see any fireworks, and barely did anything all day. I took Popcorn for a longer walk in the morning so I wouldn't have to worry about her during the evening fireworks. Lori and I went to Smith's to get some food for the day, and then we all headed to the home of some good friends. They are out of town and said we could use their pool. So, it was basically just us swimming, enjoying the hot tub, and blessedly relaxing. A storm moved through and cooled the holiday, but we were nestled underneath the deck. Ben and I played his new game, Unstable Unicorns. I grilled burgers and hot dogs for dinner after we got home. We started watching the third season of "Stranger Things." And I finished the day thankful it was so mellow -- there weren't even many fireworks going off late because of the rain.

I'm not sure how June ended so quickly, but here we are in July. My Sunday was mostly relaxing. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were zanier work days, as I tried to manage through the short week while juggling Ben's swim meet Monday and Wednesday in American Fork. The heat is back, though I got Popcorn out on a couple of evening walks. I need to get better at blogging the night of each of these summer days, as well as finding time to write other things.

My annual summer reflection on the solstice was delayed this year. Last weekend, Ben and I were in Montana, and the week after had been a jumbled mess of crazy hours, clouds a couple nights, and other priorities. But finally, on the last day of June, I'm knocking out this post. I looked at my summer post from 10 years ago , and I talk about how quickly time seemed to be going. Wow, I had no idea how fast it was going to get. We are five years from having both boys in college. Ten years ago, Michael was starting kindergarten. Everything in between has been a blur. I'm not going to try to strategize on how to make time slow down for these next few years. Ultimately, it's a little bit futile. I'm not going to define as these years as coming to a conclusion (even though that is what's ahead) as a continuation of what I've done -- what we've done -- all these years. One day leads to the next, to the next, to the next, until that last one. It might feel super

The week was long. The week went fast. Let's recap: Work was predictably busy after getting back from a couple vacation days. Our company schedules a certification day in which we are encouraged to amass HubSpot certifications as well as partake in other learning opportunities; that was Friday which kind of made the week not so crazy but is setting up next week to be busy. We pulled off a little better-late-than-never birthday party for Ben on Wednesday. It was fun and I actually got a good chunk of work done. Also got to watch Michael at work lifeguarding.  That same day, we saw my sister and her family here in SLC! They were driving through to a concert in Colorado and stayed at the KOA near downtown. We hung out for a few hours, the cousins swam and played basketball, and caught up after not seeing them I think in two or three years. The heat returned to Salt Lake City this week ... and after the chilly Montana weekend, I'm not that sad about it. The boys and I did yar

A long day of driving and water. It's good to be back home. The weather continued to suck and seemed even colder this morning. Ben had two last races (the Sunday races are all finals, and he was a little sluggish for his first one. Then, he had three-plus hours before swimming again. I actually took an hour nap in the car so I wouldn't be so tired for the drive hime. When I came back to the pool, the waterpark had opened up for Sunday traffic and for the swimmers to enjoy. The temperature had not climbed above 60, the skies were cloudy, and there was a breeze, but that wasn't going to stop kids for trying the water slides. After some of our kids' last races, they would skip a cooldown but hit the slides instead, then pack up and depart for the long drive home. Ben and I had to wait, however. He swam the last race of anyone on our team, and the last race of the meet except for a bunch of 400 freestyles. And as he started ... the sun came out! He swam a great 200 ba

Ben's throat felt better today. Whew! I was a little worried it might have been strep (it was swollen yesterday), but it might have just been an allergen. The morning started sunny, and I thought this would be the better weather we were hoping for. By mid-morning, it deteriorated again. Ben swam two races, rocked one and was OK in the other. For lunch, we went to Five on Fire, a fast casual Brazilian place similar to the Costa Vida concept. This was delicious and provided the greens I needed after eating horribly the last two days. The afternoon was again lazy: nap, cribbage, pool. We went to the finals to watch Ben's teammates swim. The weather still sucked, so the plan to open the waterpark for the swimmers and their families fizzled. Instead, Ben and I headed downtown and got pizza and a Caesar salad at Biga's. The food was yummy, and it actually warmed up enough to eat outside. We then met almost the entire team at the same ice cream shop as yesterday. This trip

Summer has arrived, but it hasn't quite reached Montana yet ... Today was the solstice, but if felt more like April or October in Missoula for Ben's swim meet. This morning was officially cold, and everyone was bundled up. I'm not sure if the poor weather contributed to Ben's kind of average performance in the 50 backstroke. The way the meet was structured, all swimmers 13 and older are one division, and he needed to finish top 24 to make finals ... and he ended up 26th. But his time wasn't the greatest, and he really should have qualified. He did better in his other race but wasn't close to qualifying, so that left him without a swim in the evening session. The morning was interesting. The pool had no toilet paper in the men's locker rooms, and no male lifeguards to replace the missing TP. Ben did get a t-shirt after his second race that he legitimately earned after yesterday's blazing 1,500. I wish I could say the weather cleared up, but alas, it

Ben and I are in Missoula! The drive wasn't too bad, just long. We stopped in Idaho Falls to get sandwiches from Walmart and fill up the gas tank. From there, it was a quick trip, slowed down by some occasional rain and construction. We listened to the "Have a Nice Day" '70s compilation I got from a yard sale. We checked into our hotel room at the Sleep Inn, and it's small but sufficient. It was chilly today in Missoula, but Ben swam a great 1500, securing the state qualifying time by 40 seconds. We picked up Freddy's for dinner and ate in the room. The day was long, but being on this trip feels great.

Three days of work with so much to do before Ben and I go to Montana. Granted, it wasn't all work. I did get a couple nice walks with the dog. The weather has been pleasant, though a little cloudy today. I've been trying to watch stuff on the DVR before we lose DirecTV. I'm packed and ready to go for our trip, and I really am happy to be getting the few days off.

Today was a wonderful Father's Day, even if I almost did throw up ... To celebrate my day, I chose to hike to the Living Room above Salt Lake City -- a hike we've done before. Michael, Ben and I made the hike, and the day wasn't too hot, although it was sunny. Lori had made me McMuffins for breakfast, but I didn't feel overly full or gassy. Maybe I just didn't drink enough water, because the hike beat the heck out of me. The uphill is challenging for sure, but either because I'm out of shape, was tired, or wasn't sufficiently hydrated, my body seemed to rebel. I've stopped on uphills before, but I've never felt the need to sit down like I did today. And I never thought I was going to hurl like today. I started worrying that it would suck for the boys if their dad had a heart attack on a Father's Day hike. Michael was moving way too fast, like he wanted to get the hike over with. Ben was a little more compassionate. I knew if I sat down, getti

Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Water, sun, and summer. Thursday, I tool Ben and two of his friends swimming while I mostly worked. Michael had basketball practice that evening out in West Valley, and a storm rolled in full of lightning and rain, though we didn't have to drive in it on the way home. Friday, I tried wrapping up the work week, but it was a slog. I did hang out by the JCC pool during Ben's late afternoon practice and jumped off the diving board for the first time this year (yes, I can swim). Today was blessedly relaxed, I canceled DirecTV yesterday but it doesn't shut off for a week, and today was dedicated to starting to watch the movies remaining on the DVR. I watched "Murder on the Orient Express," "Lucas," and "Band of the Hand." But the day was much more than that. I was up early and took Popcorn on a long walk. Later, I hit a few garage sales, then lounged in the backyard. We grilled flank steaks for dinner, and I took the

This is how the days slip away during a summer. Last Wednesday was a busy work day mixed in with Ben's last day of school and other things, and I didn't have the energy to write in the evening. Thursday was equally as nutty between Michael's basketball tournament and a rat sighting in our backyards. Friday was full with more basketball. Ben had a swim meet Saturday; I had some other work to finish up over the weekend; and Monday and Tuesday I just forgot to write. So here it is, Day 12, which, on a 96-day summer, is already one-eighth of the season down in a blink of an eye. I'm not happy about that. The weather cooled off way too much going into last weekend, but the days have been pleasant and even warm the last two days. Ben swam OK at his meet; Michael had a great basketball tournament. I've been working outside again in the backyard, and it's been great. Michael and I cleared out the garage Saturday (no rats seen, but I put out some traps); I grilled th

Today was gorgeous again, and I worked mostly outside. And, voila, I was more productive than yesterday. Unfortunately, I'm still grazing too much at home, even though I worked outside for some of it. This is not my ideal strategy with summer here and me wanting to lose a few more pounds of the gut. I just need to track again, but it's tough when there's a lot of food in the house (though our stocks are rapidly dwindling; Ben is on an eating tear). I took Ben to swim practice at Steiner, and though he swam inside, I worked outdoors and, again, was efficient. Working outside all summer will be nice. Ben and I watched the Cubs beat the Rockies during dinner. I took Popcorn on a good walk afterward. The breeze coming through the porch feels wonderful. Tomorrow is Ben's last day of the school year. Summer gets real afterwards.

Today was perhaps the nicest day of 2019 -- warm sun all day, and no late-afternoon storms. That said, it was a Monday for sure. I sat out and worked for some of it but never felt too productive. Ben had swim practice late and I missed most of the annual block party. Popcorn and I went for a long walk, and it's warm enough at 11 p.m. that I can sit outside without a sweatshirt to type this. I think summer is officially here ... finally.

Finally, a Sunday with few responsibilities and nice weather. I was out and about early, taking the dog for a walk around Sugar House Park while listening to songs from 1981 on Amazon Music. After getting home and showering, I took Michael to the JCC for a basketball training session. I lounged by the pool, and though I didn't jump in (I did cool off under the mushroom fountain briefly), it felt great to relax in the sunshine. After we got home, Lori, Michael, and I went to the Nike Outlet to get him new basketball shoes, then to TJ Maxx, Kohl's, and Harmon's. I grilled tri-tip for dinner and it turned out great. We watched the latest episode of "The Amazing Race." Ben and I played Ticket to Ride: Pennsylvania and cribbage to wrap up the day, just as a thunderstorm rolled through. The timing for a great Sunday was excellent.

Summer is starting late this year ... In years past, when I've blogged summer, I usually began before Memorial Day, inspired by nicer weather, green trees, and the imminence of my favorite season. This year, a combination of a few busy weeks of work and what has been the second-wettest spring in Salt Lake City history has pushed the start to June 1. Better late than ever, but that gives me only 96 days of summer to write about and enjoy. Day 1 was a nice kickoff. Lori and I went to Costco to start the day. We got there right as it opened, so it wasn't too crazy for a Saturday. Shopping without the boys was nice but, alas, still expensive. After we got home, I made a brief trip to Walmart for a few more groceries, then stopped by the state liquor store to get my assistant soccer coaches six-packs as a thank you gift. Today was the last game of the soccer season, and after looking like it might rain, the sun came out and we enjoyed warm conditions and a gorgeous day. We

Today was a long Monday. Some of it was OK, some of it sucked. Near the end of Ben's swim practice, while I was working, I encountered the simultaneous annoyances of my old phone acting even older and slower than normal and a writing task for a frustrating client that was all jacked up. Upon further review, I might have jacked it up initially, which was then compounded by the client (who would have messed it up no matter how perfect it was). We drove home from swim, I had about five minutes to try decompressing before heading out the door to get Michael to basketball and work some more. I manged to write some of the confusingly outlined content but left the rest for tomorrow. This client drains my creativity so badly that I lose interest in anything after work ends. That's always been an issue -- I work as a writer so I don't have energy to write on my own -- but this takes it to an extreme level. After the late basketball practice, I took Popcorn around the block twi

I haven't blogged since the end of last summer. I also hadn't had a PTO day since last summer. Michael and I have been in Denver for a basketball tournament since Thursday, seeing my dad and stepmom who came in from Chicago, and also spending time with siblings. After three cold days, the weather was beautiful today. We fly back in the morning, but after the wintry redux, the pleasant evening seemed the perfect reason to write a blog post. I'm sitting in my sister's backyard, typing away until I get tired enough and confident enough that when I go to bed early, I won't wake up in an hour, my body thinking it was just a nap. Bad weather notwithstanding, we enjoyed the weekend. Michael's team went only 1-4 in the tournament -- they have a long way to go, but he played hard in the tourney and impressed his grandparents. I didn't worry so much about what I ate and will resume the healthier eating (I lost about 12 pounds so far in lent after giving up bread and