Interesting Stuff (to me anyway)

A Leap of Faith

mikemjensen Green River, Interesting Stuff (to me anyway), Vanity Leave a comment

As much as I like to think I’m adventurous, I tend to lean on the side of the known.

I kept a steady job for 30 years. It was safe. Although I might have pushed boundaries within that world, I was almost always sure of my footing. I had a plan and I carried it through. 30 years and I was out.

It took about 2 months before I was getting nervous about finding a job I would enjoy. A friend recommended me for a warehouse job and I took it. Steady as a 40 hour/week could get. I could have safely stayed there forever.

Yesterday I learned the whole meaning of out on a limb. Sure I had been to the Green River before, but to set out unsure of the road conditions (it has been snowing every other day lately), if I could time out the storms correctly, whether the truck could pull the trailer over the long steep grades, whether the trailer was going to hold together, arriving in a town I really didn’t know, not knowing where to meet anyone, not knowing where I was to park my trailer, whether I had prepared correctly for the single digit temperatures coming up this week; it was all a guess.

I survived. I found a spot. I’m going to meet people today. And the trailer and truck are working just fine.

I’m out here. Still not sure if this was the best decision. But here we go.

A Little Extra

mikemjensen Hiking, Interesting Stuff (to me anyway), Utah, Vanity Leave a comment

Utah, and the western US, has been in a little bit of a drought the past few years… err, decades.

This year, the snow has been piling up. And in these parts drought or not drought depends on the winter snowfall and the subsequent spring run-off.

The mountains have received the most snowfall this year than ever before, beating a 40 year record from 1983. Well over 700″ in fact. It makes the tops and valleys have a rounded, soft look to them as the heavy snowfall fills in the nooks and crannies pretty well.

While driving by Mt. Timpanogos yesterday, we marveled at the “softness” of the mountain, discussed the incoming flooding potential, and yet the overall joy of having a great water year before us.

The mountain seemed proud of what it has accomplished this season. And there’s more snow still coming! More inches and feet to add to the record. More water to quench the thirsty valleys and reservoirs below. More beautiful splendor to peacock on these brief clear sunny afternoons between storms.

Still adding on. A little extra.

While we were basking in the glow of the winter’s accomplishment, I silently kept an eye on the shrouded peak. 11,750 feet above sea level, hiding in the clouds, stands the summit.

And there, I once stood. On a whim I took the 11 hours it took to hike there and back. I too took a little extra moment to remember. A memory I will never forget, an accomplishment to be personally proud of.

I’ve been up there.

It gave the moment a little extra.

For me anyway.

United We Stand, Against You

mikemjensen Interesting Stuff (to me anyway), Internet, Useless Observations Tags: , , Leave a comment

Hey Kids,

You only get one chance at first impressions.

I’ve never flown with United Airlines but seeing the now viral video of the bloodied man wrestled out of his seat and spending two days listening to the bad apologies, I’m pretty sure that won’t change anytime soon.

A quick scan through my G+ feed proved that the United-memes formed the majority. Here’s a few of them:

united

Everything is Awesome!

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united pillow

Good luck United. You may never be forgotten.

 

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Understanding Time

mikemjensen History, Interesting Stuff (to me anyway), Life's Truths, Utah Leave a comment

Hey Kids,

The current fashion trend, as it would seem, is to have ear buds filling your ear holes.

Everyone is not an exaggeration either; it’s everyone. Either for a phone or a music player, the small ear devices are as important to wear when leaving the house as one’s underwear.  I’m not immune either; I plead guilty to the practice, but like most, I can justify my own reasons.

At my desk is where I’m the guiltiest. While staring at an Excel spreadsheet or scanning through my tasks lists, I like to have a little auditory stimulation. My choice, however, is slightly different than most. I listen to documentaries on YouTube.

My interests are all over the place. I like to keep myself educated on new fishing techniques and political news, fake or otherwise. Other popular topics include the latest on climate change, space exploration, or WWII history. I would be dishonest to not admit that a good portion of my time is spent on weird subjects too, such as ghosts, aliens, and Bigfoot.IMG_20150906_125102_968

Recently I’ve delved into a more grounded topic in geology. How was the Grand Canyon formed? How were the Rockies formed? What did the earth used to look like?

Sending time over the past few years, I’ve found myself lost in this subject. To look at the Grand Canyon or Canyonlands National Park, I’ve wondered how they were formed. So I listen and I learn. I learn of Ice ages, inland seas, and tectonic plates. I see the fossils recovered, the rock layers identified, and the erosion process reveled. It all makes good sense except for the time element.

The lengths of time to cause the necessary effects boggles my mind. The millions or billions of years it requires to make significant change seems to be impossible. I mean even just one million years; how long is that really? My head spins and churns trying to imagine it or come up with something with which to give me perspective on how long that could be.

And then I remember the last time I went shopping with my wife, and it all comes into focus.

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If Ever the Twain Should Meet

mikemjensen History, Interesting Stuff (to me anyway), Twain Tags: , , , Leave a comment

Hey Kids,

Wasting a few hours… err, minutes on Facebook today and I came across one of those irresistible click-bait postings. Most I can easily avoid because I don’t care what Disney character or X-men personalities I am most like. But today I had to do it: “Rare images nearly forgotten in the past”.

I have a thing for old stuff and the photos are the best. They make us realize the differences between then and now. The clothes, the cars, and the places around them. The old photos also have an aura of creepy about them. I don’t know if it’s the black and white finish or the non-practiced-selfie unnatural pose and expressions but the people seem even more separated from their photos as the aged photos are from us.

testla-twain

Twain in the lab of Tesla

In the middle of this 89 photo collection, however, I found a gem- my favorite author Mark Twain hanging out with my favorite genius/inventor Nikola Tesla.

Who know they know each other? Funny though. Twain was a crowd favorite on the stage and engaging the interest of all around him, yet he was a failed inventor. Tesla was arguably the most ingenious inventor yet lacked the public skills to properly demonstrate the scope of his vision.

What could’ve happened if the two had actually been one?

Too bad they didn’t have Facebook to follow each other better back then.

 

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We’re Back

mikemjensen cool stuff, Interesting Stuff (to me anyway) Tags: , , , , 3 Comments

Hey Kids,

Have you ever watched the sky to see the International Space Station fly by? It’s nothing but a bright moving star that seems to wobble its way from one corner of the sky to the other. A long sighting lasts only a few minutes.

Still, I find it exciting to see. I actually get geeky about it. Pointing at the sky like a kid spotting an oncoming ice cream truck, I make sure everyone sees it too.

One of my favorite movies is Apollo 13. I read the book too; Lost Moon was the original title. Outside of the incredible story of the successful failure, it was the short narrative at the end of the film. Tom Hanks speaking as Jim Lovell resonated with me and I share his question. He says that in the years following his return he watched other men walk on the moon and after the program ended wondered when would we go back?space-x

So you can imagine my thoughts when I read today that Space X is planning to start doing fly-bys of the moon. The company that has been testing and proving the reality and success of a privately funded space program, is taking the next step; as early as next year!

Nearly 40 years later, we’re going back. Maybe not to walk on the moon, but certainly to usher the dawn of new space exploration. I couldn’t be more excited.

 

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The Inland Sea on a Whim

mikemjensen Interesting Stuff (to me anyway), Road Trip, Utah Tags: , , Leave a comment

Hey Kids,

We went to the movies this afternoon. That took a few hours. Good movie.

Not wanting to go home, we stopped at a home show and picked up a few items.

Still not wanting to go home, we decided to go out to the Great Salt Lake Marina. We slipped in just before they closed the gate. It left us within the State Park with few people, and fewer still as each car left.

Enjoying the hint of salt in the air, we walked the shore line of this Inland Sea. With the mirror finish of the water, the puffy clouds rolling in, and the mottled sunlight dispersed throughout, the lake didn’t disappoint.

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It never does.

 

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Fishing by Film

mikemjensen Fishing, Interesting Stuff (to me anyway) Leave a comment

Hey Kids,

Tonight I’m headed to a film festival. Although not as prestigious or glamorous as the recent Sundance Film Festival, I do expect to be entertained. Tonight will be the Fly fishing Film Festival. The one evening festival consists of about two hours of 5-10 minutes films featuring fly fishing.fff

The films are not all just cast, hook, and catch. Most shorts tell an interesting story that includes casting, hooking, and catching. I have noticed that these films do share certain characteristics:

  • People packing gear.
  • Helicopter or plane ride.
  • Slow motion shots of the cast, hook, and catch.
  • Slower motion shot of angler holding the fish partially in the water cradled in two hands with water pouring out of the fishes mouth as it gulps air. It’s the “money shot”.

Ultimately all tough days are rewarded, shy trout give in to curiosity, and anglers pat each other on the back as they stroll away from the water, rods in hand and smiles galore.

What’s really fun is that with the group of paid viewers, cheers are shared for the hits, and awes for the misses. And when each film ends, the applause is exuberant.

It should be fun.

 

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Heros

mikemjensen Interesting Stuff (to me anyway), Life's Truths, Quote Tags: , , Leave a comment

Hey Kids,

Growing up in the 70’s like I did, there was no greater super hero than Batman. Every afternoon, the episode aired and all of us kids tuned in. Mondays and Wednesdays left Batman and Robin in a life threatening peril that only Tuesdays and Thursdays would reveal how they could escape. And Fridays, if we were lucky, brought Cat woman into the fray.

The funny thing about Batman, he had no super power other than being rich. He bought all the gizmos and trinkets that help him overcome the equally non-powerful villains. They were all quirky, but no ray eyes or flying or exposure to rare substances. They simply tried to out think each other in their eccentric ways and cheap puns.

Superman was a cheat. An alien life form that brought with him all his cheating ways. He was faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, etc, etc, etc. Boring, really.

But if you were going to a superhero, Superman was the guy. He could do it all.

One of the best lines in any movie, anywhere, comes from the animated movie the Iron Giant. Remembering the lesson from the little boy who taught him all of what he knew of his world, he answered the call of being who he chose to be.

sacrifice

Flying straight into the nuclear missile, high in the atmosphere, and into certain destruction, all to save the boy, his mother, the town, and the military personnel who had been trying to destroy him, he closed his eyes and proclaimed, “Superman.”

Even Batman would have to be proud.

 

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Making it Known

mikemjensen Fishing, Football, Interesting Stuff (to me anyway), Internet, Life's Truths, Motorcycles, Sports, Useless Observations Tags: , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Hey Kids,

It’s political times. 5508Everybody has an opinion and not always based on information, reason, or understanding. Here are some of my political beliefs:

For: American League, American Conference, and Western Conference.

Against: Fan voted All Stars.

For: Motorcycles. They don’t have to be Harleys either.

Against: Gold Wings. Just kidding, I’m for Gold Wings too.

For: Cheap gas and fast cars. Real ones. Classics.

Against: Smart Cars. Not kidding.

For: Buy low and sell high. I don’t do this much in practice, but I’m for it.

Against: Places that don’t have a Value Menu.

For: Lake Powell

Against: Anyone against Lake Powell

For: Fishing. Fly, bait, or lure. If there’s fish to catch, I’m in.

Against: People catching bigger or more fish than me.

For: Free speech.

Against: Long lists of “for and against”.

 

(Please note, I don’t always agree with everything that I say.)

 

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