The 43

Normally -- at least I think normally -- when I'm blogging summer and on vacation, I am good at updating every day on the trip. In 2024, that hasn't been the case so much ... Benji and I have been in the Midwest for more than a week, but this is the first recap of the trip, and I'm trying to squeeze nine days of stuff into one post. Take a deep breath and follow along with me: We arrived on a Friday via Allegiant through Provo, and the flight was delayed after a computer on the plane was getting an error message. My dad picked us up from Midway, and through a lot of traffic we made it to SuperDawg. I was exhausted (I didn't sleep well the night before) and took too long a nap, but woke up and took Ben to Barnaby's for thin-crust pizza. Drove to Three Lakes to visit Lori's family, stopped Kopp's along the way (a lot of could-have-been-healthier eating will highlight this trip). Ben and I waded into Maple Lake -- damn those little fish, they freak me out when

Too many days without writing. The drive just isn't there right now. The heat has been overbearing. Work has been a bit of slog but not terrible. Lori and Michael were out of town for almost two weeks, Ben was out for one.  Ben completed his club swimming career, high school segment, with a solid state long-course meet. He will move into the dorms soon, and it still hasn't quite settled in. My knee has been a little sore, but I've been running a lot and eating moderately non-stupid ... and I'm the lightest I've been maybe before the pandemic. Not too many other highlights -- it's not easy when you don't blog for 18 days. Went to the doctor after feeling a combination of gas and pinched nerves that resulted in chest pains right around my heart. Everything checked out, but my PA wants me to see a cardiologist even though he is confident it wasn't heart-related. Sat in a dunk tank for the first time -- that was fun, if not totally juvenile (it was so hot, a

The past week has been mostly uneventful, perhaps a bit boring, even with the Fourth of July holiday. I worked, grilled, went running a few mornings, lounged in the heat, and took it easy when I wasn't working.  We've experienced some pet drama with Charlotte being freaked out by fireworks and Popcorn having a large cyst drain that required a vet visit when it became infected. They're both OK now. Popcorn is moving a bit slowly but still brings her sunny attitude to everything, I started walking them separately in the evening so Popcorn can enjoy all the smells while Charlotte can get all her wiggles out. Wow, I really don't have too much to write about these past six days. Lori and I went to Trader Joe's yesterday so I could stock up on some meals while she, Michael and Ben are in the Pacific Northwest this week. I bought a smaller backpack from Nordstrom Rack for my upcoming Allegiant Air flight, and found new sunglasses at Kohl's. We hit Costco a few days ago

My annual solstice post coming several days after the actual summer solstice is becoming a trend. This year, the solstice fell on June 20, while I was in Chicago. I contemplated finding a clear spot to see the sunset -- not an easy task in Chicago where everything is pretty flat -- but it was cloudy and a little rainy. Vacation ended, and I was back in Salt Lake, but the evenings just never worked. I was too tired, finishing up on work, or didn't want to deal with oppressive heat. Even last night, after it's blessedly cooled off in SLC, the skies were a bit overcast and cleared up after I made a decision to stay home. Today has been a incredibly perfect summer day, not too hot, blue skies, and I'm feeling energetic and optimistic. So I'm back at my hillside spot in Donner Park, staring out toward Antelope Island, where the sun is hovering above, albeit a couple degrees where it was two weeks ago. Sunset is actually later than it was om June 20 -- a little astronomically

Returning after a little gap in my summer blogging ... My first week back after vacation found me struggling a little to get back into a work groove. The week went too fast and too slow at the same time, and now that I feel like I'm catching up, a short week because of the holiday will give me one less day. It's not ideal, but at least I'll get a day off Thursday. The heat in Salt Lake City has been off-and-on oppressive, though it finally broke today. I've run four times and want to get out again in the morning ... but I've been sleeping later than usual, which hasn't helped. Hopefully I'll fall asleep quickly tonight and take advantage of the cooler morning.  The week hasn't been totally boring. The weekend was a bit uneventful, but it was so hot that I can deal with that. Benji and I figured out how to play Twilight Inscription, and I did lounge in the swelter for a couple hours (which I don't mind so much if I can also cool off). Lori and I took

This trip to Chicago has felt great, a nice little reset that I semi-desperately needed. But, it was bound to come to an end.  I intended Friday to be a writing day, and I was able to write a little, but for the most part, I just relaxed. No train trips or bike rides or nostalgia cruising. I went for a longer walk in the morning and camped out on my dad's front porch for a little while to write, but the day went quickly. I picked up SuperDawg one last time for lunch, then gave up on writing in favor of just lounging in the sun for a while. I was meeting two of my high school friends in Kenosha for dinner, and that snuck up on me sooner than expected, ending my lazy afternoon. Hanging out with John and John was nice, and I got home at a decent hour. My last day in Chicago also went quickly. My stepmom made a nice brunch for all the kids in town, and I needed to pack for my departure. My cousin's baby was being baptized at a Ukranian church in the city, and I managed to eat a sal