Hey Kids,
The snow has receded back to the mountains but it left its cold behind. The mornings are the coldest and tomorrow, we’re expecting possibly down into the 20’s.
It’s funny. Leaving in the morning on the bike, it has been in the mid to upper 30’s and I think, “Damn this is cold!”
Yet come January and the middle of winter and I see a 35° day in the forecast. I’ll be thinking, “Heat wave!”
NaNoWriMo: 18,691/50,000
Day 261
Hey Kids,
Long story short:
I’m reading the recall notices at Walmart.
A certain gun manufacturer has a recall on one of their models made within a time frame dating back into last year.
The reason for the recall lists a problem with the firing pin that may cause it to “unintentionally discharge while chambering. But the paragraph is concluded by the statement that they have the utmost confidence in their product.
The next section is “What to do”. It starts by printing in bold letters not to use the product. And that using it may “cause injury or death.”
I’m not exactly sure how the phrase “utmost confidence” fits between “unintentionally discharge” and “injury or death” but they worked it in there.
This is an example of the difference between what corporations say and what real people say.
A real person would say: “Oh hell no!”
A link to the post by Seth Godin (genius) who inspired my thinking when I read this recall: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2015/11/the-simple-way-to-get-better-at-business-writing.html
NaNoWriMo: 17,009/50,000
Day 260
Hey Kids,
I have erased this blog post three times now.
I wrote about NaNoWriMo. In short, it feels good to just let loose on a first draft. Editing is the hardest part of writing and first drafting in the most fun. A month long forced habit of free writing feels liberating. I love it.
I also tried to write about the reveled policy changes my church leadership made Friday. The wake of it has my Facebook feed lit up like a Christmas tree. Many of my Friends are very upset, and many others are towing the line and defending the leadership, willing to give the benefit of the doubt in terms of intentions. I don’t understand it but I don’t think it was done in hate. I do feel it came across as lacking the compassion and I don’t agree with the reasoning. I’m also not really willing to debate.
So in the end, I am left to what was left for the rest of the weekend: football.
My college team won and moved up in the polls. Go Utes.
My pro team lost in a close one. Raiders still on the rise.
For not much of a blog post, I seemed to have filled the page.
NaNoWriMo: 13,567/50,000
Day 258
Hey Kids,
Here’s an observation for you.
Things at the same volume sound entirely different given the time of day.
Ever turn on the TV when you first get up after watching a movie the night before?
Or a car alarm that goes off in the middle of the day as opposed to one that goes off in the middle of the night.
Once every hour.
All night long.
For two nights.
Believe me, it makes a difference.
NaNoWriMo: 10663/50,000
Day 257
Hey Kids,
It was the first snow that I’ve seen on the ground this season.
It wasn’t a lot but it was sticking and building up.
First Snow on the Ground
But then it stopped and the weather and the temperatures were just too warm to allow the accumulation to build. Winter, however, is at the door.
I know that it might sound normal to everyone else, but I’m amazed that by the simple tilt of the earth, or changing the angle with which the sun’s rays hit our neighborhood, the same place can be 100°or it can be 0°.
I think I might ponder this more than the normal Joe because I’m out in the weather every day on the motorcycle. The same roads I travel, I either sweat like crazy or I shiver like an aspen leaf when the wind blows.
We live in such a fragile state. If we were any closer to the sun, we’d be toast. Move us just a little bit away and we’re popsicles.
Our existence as humans is so sensitive to so little elevation variation. Our planet has crushing depths we cannot attain as well as mountain heights we cannot endure.
We cannot survive without our clothes and our coats. We have no fangs for hunting. No claws for fighting. We are not the physical apex animal, nor can we effectively swim or travel on foot.
For such an average, unarmed, and weak organism; we sure have done well for ourselves.
NaNoWriMo: 8,926/50,000
Day 255
Hey Kids,
Hit the gym this morning.
It felt good.
I asked my sweetie how come when it feels so good, do we resist and not go to the gym?
We have no answer.
Cold is now settling in. The ride to work had a number starting in the 30’s; 36 I believe. We might be down to freezing in the morning. Despite the frozen hands and danger of ice, I love riding no matter the temperature; unless there’s snow on the road.
Today parts of the valley had snow on the ground. Luckily it was the west side and not the east, where I live.
Heading back to the gym tomorrow. Late start to work so we’re going to get after it.
Great writing session this morning. It’s amazing how even I don’t know the details of the story until I write it. I remember now why first drafts are so much fun!
I think I rambled on enough for now, my eye lids are slamming shut. So glad I have the goal to write every day or else this blog post never would’ve been.
PSA: Set goals and stick to them.
NaNoWriMo: 6,600/50,000
Day 254
Hey Kids,
To get home I pass through an affluent neighborhood of Salt Lake City.
Usually there aren’t very many people out, if any at all. It’s a nice quiet drive and so long as I watch my speed, I can pass in peace.
Today, things turned a little different.
I pulled off of campus from one of the few outlets and entered this neighborhood. The road takes a tight left and down a small hill. It’s a weird turn and it takes all of my attention to make the turn, watch for opposing traffic and remain upright. I did notice two little girls hanging out around the street sign to my left. Young girls, maybe 7 or 8, II kept them in my periphery, afraid they might dart out into the street. They didn’t.
As the bike set back up straight, I was able to take a better look at these two girls and noticed they were dressed as cats. Their faces bore whiskers drawn across their cheeks and black velvet ears showed obvious against their blond hair.
I looked a little too long apparently, as one of these cute little girls let out a hiss and the other made a clawing motion.
It made me laugh and the thought of those two girls, hissing and fussing at the big guy on the motorcycle and any other vehicle that passed by this afternoon, reminded me of a quote:
Stay gold Ponyboy. Stay gold.
I hope they never grow up.
Day 249
Hey Kids,
Today saw the return of an old friend.
The temperature wasn’t too bad going into work; a mild upper 40’s. It was enough to make the fingertips chill and get a little tingly through the summer gloves.
Sometime between noon and quitting time, the clouds rolled in and blotted out the afternoon sun and with it, stole the afternoon heat that warms the ride home. In fact, it was colder going home than it was riding in.
These were cold clouds too. Antartica clouds. Although it’s technically too warm to snow, these clouds had the feel of snow to them. The cold bit through the jacket. My fingers cooled enough to merit turning on the grip heaters. Winter had sent its announcement that it’s not far off.
I’m not fearing the cold weather. I’m kind of looking forward to it.
Those are foolish words, I know. And the first morning in the single digits, I know I’ll be wishing I was somewhere with a Jimmy Buffet song playing in the background. But today, the cold felt refreshing. It felt like seeing an old friend that you haven’t seen for 6 months.
A friend that, although fun to see, will assuredly wear out the welcome before he leaves again in the spring.
Day 247
Hey Kids,
Today was Wedding Day!
To say this wedding is different from any other I’ve experienced would be understating the fact so severely that I would be borderline guilty of lying by omission if I failed to say so.
First. Being in a commercial haunted house already set it apart. We were given the run of the place from closing last night until opening tonight. The place is dark, creepy, and well worn. The décor is gruesome and the feeling about it is cheap and spooky. We are in a commercial venture of scaring people- in order to exchange vows of love.
Two. The wedding ceremony was held in what I believe was “Satan’s Throne Room.” The podium for the officiant was an altar of skulls. The walls were black and attended by deformed and tortured souls. The lighting was barely enough for any notes to be read.
Three. The grooms’ arrival consisted of one being brought in within a coffin. The other tied to a furniture hand truck. Both were in full costume: a vampire and a Hannibal-type character.
Four. The groomsmen were zombies. The Maids of Honor were in mourning (dressed in black with veils).
The Poe Cake By: BakemeaKake.com
Five. The attendees were encouraged to dress up. Most did. The cake was a Poe themed cake.
I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention what was the same.
The exchange of vows. The expressions of love. The sentimentality of what the occasion meant and would mean for the rest of these two gentlemen’s lives.
Tears fell, noses sniffled, and a few even had to be blown. The special nature of the moment wasn’t lost on anyone there that I witnessed.
I’ve noticed a trend of tradition-challenged events; weddings being a main target. My wedding, although not as Haunty as this one, pushed and broke many traditional norms.
What I think is important is the meaning of these events and the understanding of what marriage is, doesn’t change.
From what I saw and heard today, I think the idea of marriage and love were well understood.
Day 246
Hey Kids,
Tomorrow ends our self-proclaimed “Epic October”.
We started it out with our own wedding. We got the green light and planned it and did it.
Next was our trip to Texas to visit my sweetie’s home country.
Now tomorrow is the next event. My sweetie’s oldest son’s wedding.
And like our wedding, it won’t be your classic setting. We went for mountains, fresh air, and a natural setting; they will be exchanging vows in a constructed cemetery, in the middle of a haunted house venue, while in full Halloween costume.
All guests are expected to join in the dressing up part too.
Both her son, and now my step son, and his partner work at the Haunted house, so this actually doesn’t strike any of us as odd. It sounds like it’ll be weird, creepy, and a whole lot of fun.
I expect it to be also tenderhearted and genuine.
I know that there would be some that wouldn’t approve of the venue, of the costumes, or even of the couple.
To hell with them.
Or I guess, considering the venue, to hell with us!
In a staged cemetery anyway.
Day 245
Mike M Jensen 