The 43

At about 6 p.m., Lori showed me the weather app on her phone. The temperature in Riverton, Utah, was 104 degrees. I'm outside on the porch at 10:45 p.m. Sunset was almost two hours ago. I looked at the temperature clock we have before coming outside: 84 degrees. It was so hot today that our air conditioning can't keep up with cooling the house. I tried cleaning the filter and am contemplating putting a new one tomorrow, but the AC was sufficiently cooling the house yesterday when it was just high 90s. Triple-digit temperatures are winning. The boys competed in a kids multi-sport race this morning, with Ben skipping the wheeled part and simply running 1.1 miles. Michael did the whole race, 1.1 miles on his bike and 1.1 miles running, and finished second in his age group and fourth overall. Thankfully, the race ended before it got too hot. We came home and made bacon, pancakes and egg muffins for breakfast/lunch. I didn't want Michael to overtire himself before his ba...

On what felt like the hottest day of the year today, we were back at the pool today. Honestly, the heat wasn't that bad. We found a shady spot (and out of the sun, the conditions were tolerable), the water was refreshing, and the bright sun dried me out quickly. The boys and I chased a dive rocket (Michael is swimming underwater so well), and Ben found another of his friends and performed goofy dives with him. I didn't dare turn on the oven tonight, preferring to use the slow-cooker for some pork ribs. Even with the air conditioning cranked up, the house wasn't as cool as we hoped. And tonight, a little bit of humidity is making typing outside not the pleasant experience it usually is. Saturday might even be hotter, and Michael has a baseball game late in the afternoon. I keep reminding myself, this is better than winter ...

As predicted, today was a scorcher, but we made the most of it. While Ben was at soccer camp, I took Michael and his best friend to the waterpark. We have season passes that allow us to get in at 9:30 a.m. (non-passholders have to wait until noon). With the temperature projected to hit 100, I figured the waterpark would get crowded in the afternoon -- I was a little surprised how crowded it was at 10 a.m. But we got there early enough to get inside easily and then quickly get tubes. We staked out a shady spot, and the boys went off to splash on their own. I was thinking I'd relax with a magazine in the shade, but I ended up going in the wave pool and the lazy river with the boys. The lines got so long for the water slides, and the water for one big section of the park was hypothermia-cold, but the boys had fun nonetheless. We left at the right time -- the park was absolutely packed as we departed. Once home, Michael hung out by his friend's house and Ben returned home from ...

Today was my first sunburn of the year. It's not bad -- just a little red on my back and neck where I missed with sunblock. The goal is not to burn at all, but inevitably, once a summer, you do. The sunburn occurred at the pool today. We were only there for a couple hours, but it was enough (Michael is a little red, too). We brought one of Ben's friends, who had fun jumping off the diving board. Michael found one of his swim teammates to hang out with. I spent most of my time in an middle spot on the pool watching the various kids, with the water level right at my shoulders -- hence, the sunburn. Michael's all-star team had an exhibition game tonight and struggled a little. The players got their uniforms right before the game and didn't have a lot of time to get focused, and the exhibition opponent was a comp team that thought nothing of using normally illegal bats. And it was hot tonight, which I think sapped our team's energy a little. Still, I think the kid...

The last three days have busy, and gradually getting hotter. We might hit 100 this week. Sunday, I hiked with the dog in the morning, threw some batting practice to Michael in the afternoon, and worked in the evening. Monday, Michael swam and dived in the morning and Ben began soccer camp. They had a swim meet in the evening, with each of them getting a personal record in one race (and Ben just missed a second in the backstroke). Today,. soccer camp and diving again, with Michael and me trying a little tennis and more batting practice while Ben was playing soccer. I helped with Michael's all-star team baseball practice later in the afternoon, came home and ate dinner, then took the dog for a walk. Very workmanlike three days. I'm waiting for some freelance projects to be approved, and honestly, I'm craving the work. Fitting these projects into my schedule seems to make everything else seem more productive as well. In the meantime, the heat his coming ...

Every summer solstice for several years now, I've sat atop a hillside at a Salt Lake City park and watched the sun set on the longest day of the year while reflecting, and writing, about the year that had passed. This year, I missed the solstice because I was making s'mores with my family on Friday night. I couldn't go a day later, either, because I was throwing batting practice to Michael as he struggles to regain his confidence at the plate. So here I am tonight, listening to "Sister Golden Hair," writing about life while watching the sunset. However, I'm not on the hillside, but instead, am typing from the balcony at work. The sun just dipped behind some clouds that will block my view of it setting below the mountains of Antelope Island. I'm writing tonight, here, and not at the usual time and place because of commitments I have made. Commitments to support my family in any way possible. I gladly welcome these commitments with the knowledge that som...

Plenty of baseball on a gorgeous summer day. Michael had all-star practice this morning, I took him to see "42" in the afternoon, and we finished the evening with some extra batting practice at the park/school near our house. What happened in between? Not a heck of a lot, and really, not much else was needed. I sat on the porch this afternoon, enjoying the nice day and reading a magazine, when the urge struck to take a little siesta. Popcorn and I walked a couple miles tonight. The super moon is bright in the sky. This was a good Saturday.

At last, we did something that wasn't organized today. The boys had swim practice in the morning, and after coming home, they wanted to hang out with their friends. I let them and watched two episodes of "Falling Skies" on the DVR. By the end, I was ready to do something, but I felt sort of bad to pull them away from their friends who they hadn't seen all week. However, the day was too nice and I was anxious, so I made an executive decision: Hike. Michael's best friend came along as we drove to Millcreek Canyon and hiked Rattlesnake Gulch to the Pipeline Trail, then over to the Salt Lake Valley overlook. The hike took about 90 minutes, and the boys and the dog did really well. At the end of the trail, I commented to the boys how great it was we could drive 10 minutes and hike 45 to get hike up a mountain and get this view. When I was a kid, the most scenic hike I could hope for was walking to the Kennedy Expressway to watch cars and L trains speed by. We ret...

I could go into another rant about how the last two days were as disjointed as the first two days of this week, but typing that is getting old even with me, so I won't. This week was ragged, but as I write this on Friday morning, I'm looking forward to another great weekend. So why dwell on a week that was busy? It's over, so I'm going to write about the highlights with an eye to the remaining 70-something days of summer. Michael was hitting better at baseball practice last night -- he's finally pulling the ball again. He also finished up basketball camp with a flourish and is so looking forward to next season (I want to find him some more opportunities to play/practice before November). Ben has been a little bored because his best friend has been sick but has enjoyed swim practice the last two days and played some Lego Indiana Jones 2 on the Wii. I got a haircut Thursday, did laundry, did some organizing in the house and garage, and ran the pitching machine at Mi...

The busy summer schedule of last week didn't let up for the first two weekdays of this week. Basketball, swim team, diving, baseball, appointments, heat. The boys had a swim meet Monday, with Ben swimming a good backstroke and suffering goggles malfunctions on his other three races, and Michael swimming a blazing 25 in the freestyle relay to end his day. Tuesday included a good dentist appointment for both boys and a long baseball practice for Michael's all-star team. I was so tired at the end of the day after running the pitching machine for two hours that I took Popcorn to the park to throw the tennis ball to her rather than go on a long walk. I was so tired that instead of going out on the porch to write, I got sucked into watching "2012" after the NBA Finals game ended (thankfully, I didn't stay up for the whole movie). We're enjoying summer, but damn, our enjoyment is so taxing.

This link was making the rounds among our Facebook friends last week, and if you have the time, it's well worth the read. The author, Rachel Macy Stafford, of the year-old blog post details how instead of being a critic -- even when the criticism was well-meaning and seemingly not angry -- of her children's sports and other pursuits, she instead replaced her encouragement/criticism with six words: "I love to watch you (insert activity here)." Being a sports parent, I've always tried to be careful not to criticize for the sake of criticizing, to nor ever make my kids feel like they are disappointing me because they aren't doing well. Because they aren't. I'm so proud watching Ben swim across the pool or watching Michael pull down rebound after rebound. The stuff that usually drives me crazy, that I do get annoyed about, is when they whine, don't pay attention, or don't try. I've told them that I'll never be disappointed with the way th...

Best. Father's. Day. Ever. Some of my past Father's Days were great, and really, none of them was bad. There were a few years in which Father's Day was the day after the Wasatch Back and I was a zombie after getting so little sleep from the 30-hour relay -- I barely remember those. My first Father's Day as a father was great -- we took Michael to Jackson Hole. I think Lori got me an iPod the next year. Last year , we hit the driving range and also watched "Iron Man 2" (which, now that I think about it, doesn't seem that long ago). And golf seems to be a theme, not just today, but also in 2008 . However, this Father's Day is one I won't forget. The family gave me some great presents -- three board games (including a used Stratego from 1962), a new wallet and a used driver and fairway wood. We went to the Original Pancake House, where I was adventurous and tried the ham, egg and cheese waffle sandwich (it was OK, I wasn't quite sure how to ea...

Today was somewhat busy but also relaxed, too. It was a Saturday. I took Popcorn for a hike this morning on the off-leash trail while Lori took the boys shopping and to yard sales. Ben had a birthday party in the afternoon, and Michael had his first all-star team baseball practice. I dropped him off at a swim team clinic (he's trying to improve his butterfly), then came home and mowed the back lawn. Ben and I watched the Yankees-Angels game on TV while playing a Strat-o-Matic game between the Yankees and Angels (his Yankees won 9-4, and he was very excited with the way CC Sabathia pitched). We played Ticket to Ride after dinner, and again, Ben won, edging Lori by one point and me by many. I took Popcorn for one more walk after everyone went to sleep.

The temperature took a turn away from too hot to amazingly pleasant today. The evening did get a little cool, but I can live with that. The day started off with swim practice for the boys. I was up earlier than I would have liked, so I dozed off pretty efficiently when we got home. But, determined to not let a summer day go to waste, the boys and I took the Outback to the do-it-yourself car wash for a thorough cleaning and vacuuming. Ben picked out a new car scent car freshener from the vending machine. The car needed this badly, and cleaning it out with the boys is always fun -- they did a great job helping. I went to what I hope is my last physical therapy appointment for by herniated disk that isn't bothering any more and came away with an exercise plan so it doesn't bother me again. I took Ben to a swim stroke clinic, then Michael to the grocery store to get some chips for a party we were going to tonight. After a fun, successful season, the St. Ambrose Cardinals gath...

Summer was supposed  to provide a break in our hectic schedules. Instead, the kids' sports have remained just as insane. Swim team moved  to their summer schedule -- three mornings and two afternoons. Michael has diving every morning, and he had basketball camp all week and has two more upcoming. Ben has a week of soccer camp on tap later in the month. Oh, Michael made the U9 all-star team for his baseball league. We have another three weeks of baseball ahead. I'm not begrudging any of this, but as I've stated before, I've found it difficult to get into the spirit of summer. Fortunately, the boys haven't -- they've been playing with friends, swimming every day, enjoying the late evenings, and so on. Summer is supposed to be about them and not me, so why do I feel a little ... rushed? OK, today: Michael had diving, basketball and swimming. Ben had a play date and swimming. Both boys splashed in the pool when it was the other brother's turn at swim t...

Here in the high desert, the dry heat cliche really does hold true. Hot days are really just bright, and if you get into the shade, you can get a little measure of relief. But not tonight. It's officially humid outside. OK, it's not Midwest humid,. but it unusually stuffy for Salt Lake City. Clouds and some storms rolled through (though not through our neighborhood), and as a result, it hasn't cooled down much tonight. The morning started with swim and dive practice for the boys. In a familiar pattern this week, Michael had basketball camp at noon. Afterward, I took them for haircuts. Lori is still feeling sick, so I made dinner. The boys don't have swim super early tomorrow, so they played outside until 9 while I got some worked on some editing while on the front porch. The night ended with walking the dog three miles, watching the Blackhawks win in triple overtime, and this post.

Tuesday still felt like summer was standing still, just a little at least. Michael had diving practice in the morning, then basketball camp at noon, then swim practice at 5:45. Ben had swim practice at 5, and we went to Target during Michael's morning practice and played Ticket to Ride during hoops camp. This was the first night of the summer evening swim practice schedule, and it went OK -- while Ben worked out, Michael played in the outdoor pool, and vice versa. I jumped in the pool a couple times, but not as many times as the 40 jumps off the diving board Ben took. We came home for dinner, then I took Popcorn for a long walk. My laptop was out of juice, so I went to bed sort of earlier than normal after getting some editing work done. These past two days have been busy, so it's just a matter of making the most of the time in between. The boys got to play with their friends during those times, so they had good days. That's something I shouldn't forget when I feel fl...

I'm on my porch typing. The night is warm, dark and quiet except for the whirring of the central air unit to the side of our house. Today was a hot one, so much that the night even seems exhausted. The boys swam their first morning practice of the summer today, and Michael followed that up with diving practice. Later, he went to his first day of basketball camp. Then, the boys had a swim meet. The temperature didn't get quite to 100, but it was at least mid-90s. Needless to say, we were drained by the end of the day. To top it off, Lori is coming down with a cold. Tuesday won't be as busy or as hot.

Sundays during our summers are bittersweet because I work at the newspaper in the evening.. I go in about 4, so I never quite feel we can do anything momentous during the day. Today was no exception, though it was mellow and productive at the same time. I took Popcorn to the off-leash trail early this morning so she could get some exercise before the temperature got too high today. She ran around and got other dogs to chase her, then fielding a tennis ball but knocking it down a steep, wooded hillside just at the end of our walk (that's three lost tennis balls in the last four hikes).   I got home, ate breakfast, then dozed off for a little bit while watching a Biography Channel on "The Silence of the Lambs." In the afternoon, I cleared out the back of the Outback of all sports equipment and extraneous hats, sweatshirts, umbrellas and garbage. I then put the bike rack atop the car in the hopes of getting the bike Lori bought at a garage sale for $20 to a shop to get it ...

Baseball season has reached its conclusion. Ben's White Sox played their last game today, a 2-0 loss both coaches agreed to call early because it was so hot out and neither team was hitting anything off the pitching machine. Today was actually gorgeous, just a little warm (this is why rec baseball seasons in Utah don't stretch past mid-June). An hour of baseball was enough. Even though the White Sox struggled all season, the kids never felt down about it (OK, Ben was bugged that he didn't hit the ball better, but that's just Ben) and had a lot of fun, and the kids were in a good mood after the game. Ben and Michael went to turn/dive clinics for swim team team this afternoon at the JCC, but they were in different sessions, so while one kid was practicing starts  in the indoor pool, the other was jumping off the diving board in the outdoor pool. I read a book for a while and spent a little time in the pool, achieving my yearly "Yes, I remember that I can jump off t...

Here's a good indicator that summer is exemplary: I've been too tired to type the past two nights. So, I'm catching up ... Day 14 The boys swam their first meet of the season tonight and did well. I was a volunteer timer but still got to see their races. The meet ran really long -- until 9:30, and the temperature dropped when the sun went down. I was exhausted when I got home, only taking Popcorn across the street to big lawn in front of the the LDS church to throw a Frisbee to her. Michael mowed the front lawn (under my supervision) during the day and Ben pulled a few weeds. Day 15 Today was so busy. The morning started with us going to the park where the boys play baseball to get some batting practice. As an assistant coach, I can access the shed with the pitching machine, and no one uses the field at 9 a.m. Michael has been struggling so bad with the confidence at the plate (after a torrid 8-for-13 start in April) since getting hit by pitches that I wanted him to...

The boys' summer vacation officially started today. The last day of school is never scholastic, nor should it be. Both classes had potluck brunches for the kids and parents, Ben's class gave out awards to each kids, a lot of hugs were given, some tears were shed. Now summer really begins. We went to Noodles for lunch, got home ... and I didn't feel too good. I played a couple board games with the boys but didn't do too much else as my stomach churned. I got Ben to swim practice and Michael to his baseball game and started feeling better. Michael's Cardinals lost a tournament semifinal 11-5. The team we played was huge, even bigger than us. We had one bad inning and stranded a few too many runners in what was otherwise a close game and only our second loss of the season. Michael is really struggling at the plate. He got hit by a pitch Friday -- his second HBP of the season -- and he's really freaked out. He walked on his first at-bat but had a ball sail tow...

After working Sunday nights, I generally don't like Mondays. Even summer Mondays. This one wasn't so lazy. I took the dog for a walk this morning and ate breakfast/lunch. The boys only had a half day of school, so I picked them up. I finished up some freelance work, then took Michael to swim practice. Ben, who is a little under the weather and kind of tired, and I played Ticket to Ride when we got home, then I grilled some burgers and hot dogs for dinner. I took Ben to Barnes and Noble to buy a gift card for one of his friends, and we picked up a new game as well -- Forbidden Island. Lori, Ben and I played it when we got home (it's a cooperative game, and we escaped the island with all the treasure!), then I took the dog for a longer walk. Tomorrow is the boys' last day of school. Summer is about to erupt.

I came out onto the balcony at work to blog and watch the sunset and captured this image to the west: These clouds just  rolled in, interrupting an other perfectly clear day. A breeze has picked up 10 stories above Salt Lake City's downtown as well. But the sun is starting to dip below the clouds toward the mountains of Antelope Island below. I slept late this morning after the busy day Saturday. Michael was sleeping over in a tent across the street, and at about 5:30, he knocked on our door because he had to pee (evidently, he was too shy to go into his best friend's house to do so). I was planning on sleeping late anyway. I took Popcorn for a hike in the morning on her favorite trail (today is her second birthday). The rest of the afternoon was spent folding clothes, watching the Cubs, figuring out our schedules for the next month, and otherwise relaxing. I'm at work now, and after a mediocre experience at Costa Vida for dinner and a slow news day, am ready to go ho...

Egad, it's been a busy few days. Last night, I went to take my laptop outside only to discover it had no little juice. So I tried killing time on my desktop while the laptop charged, playing Candy Crush Saga and registering Ben for soccer camp .. only to discover I wasn't in the mood to go back outside. So I'm here on Sunday morning recapping the last three days. Already in June ... Day 8, Thursday, May 30 Three days later, I can't even remember Thursday. Let's see, Michael had a soccer game, and I ran Ben's team's practice while he was at a swim team beginning-of-the-season party. Wow, I really don't recall the afternoon. Errands? Freelance work? I finished off the first season of "Homeland" -- I wonder if that was everything I did Thursday. Day 9, Friday, May 31 More sports, more freelance work. Ben had a baseball game and lost 24-7, but he got only his second hit of the year and connected on five foul balls. I missed almost all of Mich...