The 43

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...