Vanity

Tipping the Scales of Time

mikemjensen goals, Shame on Me, Vanity, Work in Progress Tags: , , , 2 Comments

Hey Kids,

I’m overweight.

No, actually, I’m double-weight. Close enough anyway.

When I was a young man, I wasn’t. Instead, a skinny 140 pound kid was I.

In an attempt to gain extra playing-weight for high school football, I ate everything I could get my hands on. After the last game of my junior year and the bright lights of my first senior year game, along with constant weight-training, my new body tipped the scales at 145 pounds, a grand total gain of 5 pounds.faat

My problem has changed. I can gain 5 pounds before breakfast now. Over the course of the 30 years since high school, I have vastly surpassed my playing weight goals. I’ve tried to be more conscience of what I eat, but that just makes me hungry. A visit to the gym this morning hasn’t helped yet either (maybe I need to do it for three days in a row or something).

Seriously I need to shed pounds, if for no other reason than to help the kayak stay afloat. Rid of 90-100 extra pounds, it’ll be easy to hike the mountains I want to summit, clothes will be cheaper, shoes will last longer, and I’ll save gas on the motorcycle with every ride.

A thinner me is a good idea.

A thinner me is necessary.

A thinner me is coming.

 

Post 3-065

Home

mikemjensen Gratitude, Vanity Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Hey Kids,

England. Scotland. Ireland.

France.

Sweden. Denmark.

I hear they’re all great places. I can only vouch for France.

I loved France and the French language. I even found a deep fondness of the French people. I ate their cheeses. I rode their trains. I regret I didn’t try their wine, but I hear it’s top notch.paris

Paris was everything they say it would be. The Eiffel Tower, the Metro, and the Avenue des Champs-Elysees are living art pieces. And the Lady of them all, Notre Dame, captured my eternal admiration from atop the right bell tower, watching the city bustle below on a sunny afternoon. I love that city. If you get the chance to go, do it.

So what’s with the other countries I listed? They are countries from where my ancestors came.

I know near nothing about them. If time and resources allow me, I hope to visit them all. They are my countries, my homes, and the lands of the people who gave me everything.

For whatever reason, they left those places. Given what they knew, their hope lied across the sea, over here in America. Better future for them. Better future for me.

So when I read an article, like I did today, that America is no longer within the top 20 preferred places from where to own a passport (tied for 35th); I honestly can’t think of any other place I would trade with.

I’m right where some people who knew better, left me.

 

Post 3-063

Common Interest

mikemjensen Useless Observations, Utah, Vanity Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

Hey Kids,

I checked snow levels at the local ski resorts today. 140 some-odd inches of snow, roughly 12 feet.

It’s as deep now as it’s been all winter and March is still a snow month, especially for the major resorts whose starting elevation is at least 8-9000’.

Ironically, many of these resorts will start closing this month. Not because of the snow, but because of lack of interest. People have been skiing since Thanksgiving in November and the days down here in the lower elevations are getting longer and warmer. Which brings me to my interest.

I don’t ski. My interest in the snow levels is purely based on the water content, and more importantly in the water content that will flow down and into Lake Powell. The fact that none of the snow at the local results will actually flow into Lake Powell is not lost on me. Our snow, nonetheless, is indicative of the snow in the Rockies that does. The more snow we have, the more snow they have. In general.

You see, I also notice the warmer and longer days. I know that winter still has some blustering to do, but I’m ready to hit the lake and I want it as full as it can be for this season and again for years to come.

lakepowell

My interest in Lake Powell, however, will last longer than 3-4 months.

 

Post 3-061

Changing the Future

mikemjensen Useless Observations, Vanity Leave a comment

Hey Kids,

Based on a recent Redbox movie watched today, I have to ask the question whether I would change anything in my life if I could see the future and the end result of those decisions.

With the big ticket items like marriage and such, I think it’s important to avoid any second guessing. With kids and all, there’s too many implications to mess up and things you don’t want erased.

Some smaller things, however, I would change.unwritten-rules

I would’ve never lent my bike to Pete who, in Southern France, forgot to lock up my beautiful Peugeot 18 speed bicycle yet returned the unused bike lock from his backpack.

I would’ve slowed down those few times I got caught speeding and jacked my insurance rates sky high for a few years.

I wouldn’t have bought that Datsun 510. I spent way too much money on it and never did get it running well enough to get it registered before it was finally stripped clean by thieves.

There’s a few girls I wish I had been brave enough to kiss that I didn’t.

That one night in Modesto. I should’ve just went home early. OK, maybe a couple of nights.

I’m sure I could go on and on as memory starts to serve up the many screw-ups of my life. But in actuality, every decision I’ve made, good or bad, has brought me to this point.

And I’m doing OK. I miss my kids so much it hurts daily, but it also gives me hope that one day it might change and gives me a good reason to try and be a better person if it does.

I can’t change a thing anyway and it really wouldn’t be worth it if I could.

 

Post 3-058

Maybe Title, Maybe Not

mikemjensen Vanity Tags: Leave a comment

Hey Kids,

I joked the other day that conformity equaled death.

It does.

At least for me. I’m a non-conformist at heart, a natural but mild case.free-thinker-satans-slave

On the surface I am a complete conformist. I have a long term job of 24 years, in a government department, and staying out of trouble. Yet I was blessed/cursed with a rebellious soul, an unwavering disgust to fall in line, and a penchant for testing, bending, and ignoring rules. It’s amazing I haven’t been fired but I live in the realm of safe nonconformity.

“If there is anything the nonconformist hates worse than a conformist, it’s another nonconformist who doesn’t conform to the prevailing standard of nonconformity.” – Bill Vaughan

Just another way I don’t conform.

 

Post 3-054

A True Humanitarian

mikemjensen Fishing, Useless Observations, Vanity Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

Hey Kids,

I don’t eat trout.

At least I haven’t for a long time. So long that I can’t even remember when the last time was.

I don’t like the taste of trout. I used to try to pretend like I did. Like I wasn’t a real fisherman unless I caught and cooked my prey. But I’m ok now to admit it.

Nowadays I’m catch and release.limpit

Some make the argument that catching and releasing the fish is crueler than catching and killing. I firmly believe that the fish doesn’t like either method, but if an opinion could be obtained, the fish would prefer living.

I’m only happy to oblige.

 

Post 3-033

Didn’t Give in to Sunday

mikemjensen Road Trip, Vanity Tags: , , , 1 Comment

Hey kids,

It would’ve been so easy to just wake up today and call it a rest day at home. But we didn’t.

With the Friday night bike ride, the street fair yesterday, and the late night waiting up for the kids to return from the concert with possible car troubles; it would’ve been easy to just pack it in.

Instead we got up, made some pancakes, and got our butts to the lake.FHD1643

My kayak is still out of commission but we grabbed our life jackets, the inner tube from my fishing float tube, and a picnic lunch. We made it for an afternoon of fun and relaxation.

I work overnight tonight and we’ll have to leave well before I will want to, but I feel accomplished, like I didn’t give in.

To me that’s everything.

 

Post #50-61

Extra Time

mikemjensen Life's Truths, Vanity Tags: , , , 1 Comment

EHey kids,

My mind still thinks back to the passing of Angela last week.

And of Andrew. A friend grown from working together who passed the day after Thanksgiving a number of years ago. He was 48.

Tracy died 4 years ago. She was my age. She was also a staff member and someone I really loved. After her passing, I finally admitted that she had always been my favorite, as accused for years. Her passing hit me hard.

Life is so random.IMG_20160712_191038

I’m fifty. I work hard and I’m amazed how much I’m still able to push myself. I have good health. Maybe a few issues here and there but I’m healthy. I have a thinking mind. I have a dream and a future. I have hope to see my kids grow up, to see grand kids, and to share many years and experiences and adventures with my incredible wife.

Why do I get to carry on after others around me, who had just as much to live for, were cut short? I don’t know. I thank God. I’ve been given more time to pursue my hopes, to enjoy life, and to share with others.

I hope there’s a better place my friends have entered. My wish is that it turns out to be me who is missing out for sticking around here.

But in case it all ends with my last breath, I hope I’m breathing hard because I made the most of what I’d been giving.

Enjoy life; tomorrow may never come.

 

Post 50-56

My Daily Drive Home

mikemjensen Motorcycles, roadtrip, Uncategorized, Vanity Tags: , , , , , 2 Comments

Hey Kids,

To honor my words that said I would, and based on the idea on a post by Nancy Loderick, here are a few pictures of the things I see on my daily ride home.

Out the front door of the facility:

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The bike is waiting:

IMG_20160526_165035279_HDR

Leaving the “U”:

IMG_20160526_165726814_HDR

Rolling through the posh neighborhood:

IMG_20160526_170024216

I have no idea what this is, but it’s there, across from the Shriner’s Hospital:

IMG_20160526_170652293_HDRIMG_20160526_170700267_HDR

The Salt Lake Cemetery. The picture does it no justice, it’s huge and beautiful.

Around and across City Creek Canyon and up to the Capitol Building.

And the view off to the west. Sorry the ride gets fast and not picture worthy for the last 5-7 minutes of the drive. While I took the last picture, a fellow motorcycle rider, pictured below, slowed to check on me and made sure I wasn’t broke down (don’t ask me how I took that picture).

 

And to end, a happy selfie.

IMG_20160526_175421

 

My Inspiration: A Walk Through My Hometown

Thanks Nancy.

 

Post #50-9