Vanity

Epic October on the Horizon

mikemjensen Vanity Tags: , , , 1 Comment

Hey Kids,

Wedding. Road trip. Wedding. Whew!

This upcoming month of October is going to be a crazy time!

First up is my own good news with my own wedding on the 3rd. Pretty cool, eh? A mountain setting, with a friend to marry us, I expect nothing less than fantastic in a most simple way. The dress will be mountain casual for the guests and we’ll be at one of my most favorite places in the world. I’ll be talking more about all this in the next coming weeks. Two of them to be exact.

Texas will be on the docket during the middle of the month. For Annette, it’s going home.

Spray painting creepy table decorations.

Spray painting creepy table decorations.

October 27th will be the wedding for her oldest. The ceremony will be in a Haunted House venue. Crazy!

On top of all that, I have two books that need to be finished. Ouch!

Every weekend will be jammed packed, so I need to cut this off short today because I’m bushed with all the wedding prep work going on around here.

More fun to come!!

 

Day 208

No One Left to Believe

mikemjensen Vanity Tags: 2 Comments

Hey Kids,

As the US politic season continues on, I’m faced more and more shock headlines:

Bernie’s Plan will Cost $190 Trillion!Joe-biden-mad-libs

Republicans Hate Women!

Obama Is Trying to Run for Third Term!

Trump’s wig is made from dolls intended for the orphanage.

I knew it’s all just crap.

What happened to journalists writing the articles to be read and pondered and then deciding to like the info or don’t. And then, vote accordingly.

Without feeling the need to convince others to vote like I do.

Without coaching.

Without being told how stupid I am.

However, everything they say about Hilary is true.

 

Day 204

Fall Back

mikemjensen Vanity Tags: 3 Comments

Hey Kids,

Today felt like Fall.

The dark clouds boiled with some rain, some hail, and a few claps of thunder. Luckily all withheld during my ride home.Gatlinburg-Fall-Colors

What struck me the most, however, was the smell.

I’m not sure if it’s the rain mixed with dry leaves but the smell smelled unmistakably of Fall.

Fall is my favorite.

Welcome back, best season of the year.

I’ve missed you.

 

Day 203

The Dark Angel

mikemjensen Hiking, Road Trip, Vanity Tags: , Leave a comment

Hey Kids,

A few years back, on my first visit to Arches National Park, I saw a trail on the map that led to a formation called the Dark Angel.

I was intrigued.

It wasn’t the right time to make the 6 mile or so hike on that visit so I bookmarked it in my brain as a hike I wanted to do.

I made several more trips to Arches over the past several years and each time there were others sites to see or too little time to make the hike. So on the last trip last spring, I mentioned that the next trip, we were making the hike.

Today was the next trip.

We set out just after 10. The sun was already hot and there was plenty of people parked at the trailhead. Luck on our side, we found a spot immediately. To increase our luck and good karma, I flagged down a motorcycle circling the lot and welcomed them to park behind our car. We knew they would leave well before us, so no harm done and it got a Harley off the road sooner. 😉

Arches NP is beautiful and the arches are always awe inspiring but at last we reached the northern most part of the main hiking trails. And before us sat the monolith known as the Dark Angel.

Standing out by itself, like a pillar to a building that isn’t, the giant slab of red sandstone towered over the brush and dirt below it. A King of the desolate, a Monarch of the lowly.

In its simplicity, the tower reigned over the interest of all who ventured the distance to see it. No fancy arch, no balanced rock, and no other formations close enough to call it brother.IMG_20150906_121018_164

No one stayed very long to gawk at its beauty or praise its natural wonder. Instead, the people took a quick photo, and went back the way they had come without fanfare or comment.

We stayed a little longer than most. We walked around it to see all of its sides. We took our pictures and also returned back the way we came.

I worry about being drawn to an unknown exhibit simply because it had a name such as it has.

It worries me more, that I find similarities between the two of us.

But not that much. After all it’s just a rock.

 

Day 195

Bike Therapy

mikemjensen Vanity Tags: , , , , 2 Comments

Hey Kids,

Work has sucked.

The day job anyway.

What to do?

Get on my bike and ride.

Instead of the normal 10 mile ride from the school to the home, I decided to turn right where I usually go straight.

The slight turn ultimately lead me out of town and up a canyon and up into the mountains.

Over the first summit and reverse following the path the original Mormon pioneers followed into the Salt lake Valley, I looked out across the first lake. Being Wednesday, no one was enjoying the lake that I could see.

View from Big Mountain

View from Big Mountain

I took the next turn and continued up higher until I reached the summit of Big Mountain at 7400ft.

I didn’t stop. I cruised the downhill side of the mountain range until it passed yet another reservoir and flattened into farmlands and a winding road strolling from one field to the next.

A quick jaunt down an interstate and another highway brought me back out of the mountains and into the populated North Davis County part of the Great Salt Lake valley.

A few more miles south and I found myself at home. A nearly 100 mile commute.

I burnt some fuel that warmed the planet .000000000000001°, but with that sacrifice I found peace in the sound of my own wheels. I watched the pines parade past. I watch the blue sky darken and threaten rain, but restrained.

I saw some deer that stayed well away from the road and I mooed at a cow and meowed at a cat that watched me roll by.

Most of all, I thought. Not of work, but of people, of projects, and my place in this thing called life. Not in a deep way, but in a soothing, relaxing, take-it-easy way.

It was also a good road test for the newly repaired bike.

The Suzuki received its official clean bill of health. And so did I.

 

Day 191

The 4-Way of Death

mikemjensen Motorcycles, Vanity Tags: , , 2 Comments

Hey Kids,

On a road I ride daily from work, there is a particular 4-way stop.

It lies within a residential neighborhood, maybe even a little snooty for the likes of me. The direction in which I travel is level but the cross street climbs a very steep hill, not unlike the streets you see in San Francisco.

Participation is NOT Optional

Participation is NOT Optional

Earlier this year before proceeding through after my stop, I paused. I don’t know why, I just did. If I would have been behind me I would’ve been yelling to me, “It says ‘Stop’, not ‘Stay’!”

Just as I began to increase the throttle and release the clutch, a full-size van barreled up over the hill, blew through the stop sign and continued up past me. The drivers were young kids who had no idea what they had just avoided.

Had I drove normal, I would have been T-bone in the intersection and badly injured if not killed. One car had pulled to a stop across from me and we had both jammed on our brakes to stop when we saw the van appear out of nowhere.

The lady driver’s eyes were shocked to full open and I made a gesture as if wiping the sweat from my forehead and let out a “whew”.

Today at the same 4-way, I started out into the Dead Man’s area just as a little Honda appeared from down the hill and without stopping turned left in front of me. The driver, a little old lady, stared at me all the way, never touched her brakes, and gave me a crusty as if I was in the wrong.

In this case, she traveled slow enough (hill + Honda + old lady driver) that I was able to veer out and brake to let her turn and travel in front of me.

I followed the lady for several miles before she turned another way. She never looked back as far as I saw and if she did, I doubt it would’ve been to apologize.

I was angry both times, but that does no good. Instead I hold reinforced some rules of riding motorcycles.

No one sees you and if they do, it won’t alter their direction or decisions.

Trust your instincts. If you think you should wait, wait. If you think you need to speed up, speed up. The brain is doing things of which we have no understanding. Trust it.

Always watch and know where your escapes routes are. The brain will use them faster than you think (see rule above).

Despite the risk and close calls, riding the bike is still better than being in a cage.

 

 

Day 186

Taste of History

mikemjensen Fishing, Vanity Tags: , , , 2 Comments

Hey Kids,

I bought a gallon of A&W root beer today.

That’s not so unusual. I do it from time to time.

I’ve given up on all the regular sodas; Coke, Dr. Pepper, etc. Never Sprite, however, that stuff has been and always will be disgusting.

Anyway, I enjoy a frozen glass mug of draft root beer on occasion. The taste is soothing and as long as I don’t drink the entire gallon in one setting, it isn’t as bloating as the other sodas.

But A&W soothes on another front.

I used to fish with my grandpa. Many times it would be he and I in the boat. Sometimes my grandmother, sometimes an uncle or two, and even my brother at times. My grandparents had a cabin on the south shore and we spent many summer weekends there together. And for whatever reason, I always drank A&W root beer. From a can, but A&W only. When fishing.

Strawberry Reservoir

Strawberry Reservoir

When I taste that distinctive flavor, it takes me back to that lake. Back to that boat, fishing more than catching. Strawberry Reservoir will always be our lake. My grandpa and I connected out there on the water. Those hours, days, weekends, mean something to me. I miss them.

I miss him.

 

Day 185

Spaghetti A La Mike

mikemjensen Cooking, Vanity Tags: , Leave a comment

Pasta-Motorcycle-1Hey Kids,

I made spaghetti tonight.

That word Spaghetti means a lot of things to a lot of different people.

To me, when I made it tonight, it means this:

Brown one pound hamburger with one pound ground mild Italian sausage in a cast iron skillet on almost medium heat. Throw in tons of diced yellow onion.

In a big sauce pan set to low medium heat, pour two jars of spaghetti sauce of your choice. I’m sure homemade sauce is better, but I’m not there yet.

Add whatever of your onion you have left in the sauce. These pieces of onion should be left a little bigger than what you put in the browning meat.

Dice a ton of white mushrooms. Lots of them and dump them in the heating sauce.

Dice a green pepper. Add it to the sauce.

Once brown and onions translucent, drain the grease from the meat (don’t be anal here, just get most of it) and add it to the sauce.

Let the sauce simmer away for as long as you can stand it. Don’t heat it up too fast. Let the flavors party together for a while and get all chummy. I’m sure there’s a Too-Long time, but 30-60 minutes is a minimum. I’ve done it for about 2 hours before and no one died.

Heat salted water to boiling and dump in your pasta. I use elbow macaroni. Don’t really care what any one uses, it’s all the same for my pallet. I find 6 cups of dry pasta will do it, or two of the one pound bags. Cook until done. I’ll leave that for you to decide what that means.

Strain the pasta.

Mix the pasta and simmered-to-perfection sauce together.

Let the two get to know each other for a few minutes.

You now have enough Spaghetti for the next three weeks.

Serve with grated parmesan cheese and maybe some sour cream on top.

French, Garlic, or Cheese bread compliments the Spaghetti perfectly.

Got any variations? Do them.

 

Day 184

Petty

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

Hey Kids,

I like big picture thinking.

Standing back and looking at the whole scenario, as opposed to reacting to each individual action, I believe, will net you more success.

Riding a motorcycle through a turn, it’s important to look where you want to go. If you watch the yellow line tracing the outside of the turn, that is exactly where you will go. Target fixation it is called.

Look down the road, not at it. Yet, keep your eyes on the alert for important details such as potholes, loose gravel, and stray varmints darting into your path. And sometimes, you can find stuff like that too. I have a weird collection of things I’ve picked up from the streets. However, that might have to wait for another blog.

I like having the Police around. They are a safety net to our society. That’s the big picture. They can also be the annoying yellow lines tracing the limits of our smooth riding. They issue speeding tickets, they enforce registration, and they can pull you over for loud pipes. In the big picture, it’s good they do that stuff. But it does foster a love/hate relationship.

1394300455_e38f4ff35dThis morning I saw a State Trooper waiting at a stop sign waiting for his chance to pull into the steady flow of commute traffic. Being on the bike, I maintain a larger following distance behind the car in front of me as compared to normal commute bumper-to-bumper. I thought for a second about slowing down a few clicks and give him the opportunity to slide in front of me. He’s an officer of the state and most likely it would be a good thing to let him be on his business as soon as possible.

Small picture thinking took over.

I sped up and made sure he couldn’t get into traffic. I made him wait even longer. Like we have to do when they pass with their lights on.

Petty? Sure. Feel good? Yes sir.

Sometimes you just have to take those little pleasures when they come. The big picture will still be there.

 

Day 183