i sold out to nielson

i never read junk mail but i was intrigued by the "Nielson Media Research" that appeared on the return address label. I figured it was a survey and guess what, i was right.

anyways...if you get one, open it, you will find five one dollar bills inside and only a few questions.

testing....

ahhh.. spring is finally here and it's time to saddle up and ride. yes, kids, it's that time of year when we (especially those of us who live in Utah) take our lives into our handle bars and brave the streets for a little fun, a little exercise and a lot of saddle soreness.

so pay attention, there will be a quiz to follow.

My top 10 snowboard rules/observations

10. No smoking on the chairlift.
9. Chair lifts without a foot rest suck.
8. Hat gap is uncalled for.
7. Cell phone usage- including texting - is criminal. If you want to hang out and chat, do it in the valley
6. Always assume that skiers will cut you off.
5. Jeans are not and never have been meant for snow sports.
4. Landing on your head hurts.
3. One must make sacrifices to the snow gods regularly-children and small pets are acceptable
2. There are no friends on a powder day
1. Never, ever, call last run.

please let me know if I left anything of the list.

nothing

DH in a response to a beer commercial during a hockey game: it's a good thing we have pop culture-
otherwise we wouldn't know that men are low brow.
****
On the way home from work I stop at the Flying J Travel Station to drop off a FEDEX envelope. A woman has just finished fueling up her Hummer and proceeds to drive 15 feet away to the mini mart.
****
Belle: I like my birthday!
***
Girl in the clothing store is talking so loud on her cell phone that I am able to her on the other side of the store. She's discussing all manner of important items, like dates, dances and church meetings. I make my way over to the accessory aisle, pick out a pair of cotton athletic socks and walk over to said young woman and offer her the socks--to put in her mouth, of course.
***
yes, i do think i am better than everyone else.

sea turtles and interstate 15

This is also posted on fMh.

I saw my first "body" tonight.
As I sat in the passenger seat of my little sedan, I saw a white sheet covering the distinct outline of a male body. First his hips, then his arms and lastly his head. Left uncovered, was a right leg and and shoe-less foot; the sock, halfway off.
My heart sank.

I quickly scan the scene expecting to find the mangled evidence of death but I didn't see one. There was nothing but flashing lights and fire trucks, police and witnesses talking, but still no car, just a lone body on the cold asphalt with no one tending to it.
My heart sank further.

At that moment, I am reminded of how I feel when I'm driving alone on the interstate:

Like a baby loggerhead turtle trying to get off the beach, trying to make it into the surf knowing predators are all around waiting to devour her soft defenseless two inch body. There’s no strategic planning, no tactic employed-for her its just a numbers game and a race against the clock that gets her into the surf and eventually into the ocean, where again, another battle to survive awaits.

I'm that baby turtle, all two inches of me, heading west bound on the interstate towards home. I can’t see my predator coming, but I know he is there, lurking. Is he in the form of an oncoming SUV? Or is he a patch of ice? Perhaps he's a semi-truck that’s lost control? I don't know.
I don't know when he will come to devour my little car and I will be no more.

I realized in that moment when I saw that man's body, covered and alone on the ground, that he _is_ somebody's father. He _is_somebody’s son. He _is_ somebody's husband whose wife is waiting for him to come home. She is waiting for his call to say he is running later than expected; tonight he will not call but the phone will ring and I am left with great sadness for the remainder of the drive.

So here I am, sitting in my room. The warm acute consciousness I experienced 15 minutes ago vanished when I entered the doorway to my house-the smell of home providing the safety of retreat. I realize that we humans, despite our weak and feeble bodies, have something on those little turtles; we live with the hope that we will overcome the odds and make it another day.

seven am

seven am

not fully dark--just before sunrise
motionless streets and silent houses
flocked trees and glittering sidewalks

i feel guilty; my shoes leave a trace
i feel refreshed; my lungs draw the frigid air
i feel at peace; my soul delights in the beauty that surrounds me

poochie update

shortly after i posted bodie's obituary, i felt inspired to skip my usual friday routine of snowboarding and headed straight down to the animal control.

there he was, in the last batch of kennels in the back of the building. just staring at me as if to say, "i'm sorry- i won't be bad anymore." i didn't recognize him. i had seen so many yellow dogs in my search that he looked like another dog that looked like my dog. and his reaction to me was less than i anticipated. he was rather subdued. i expected a spaztic bodie, one that was thrilled to see me. one that knew he was gonna be rescued.

so, i gave him a few hand signals and sure enough, he responded like a pro. man i love that kid.

SO--i thought if i changed to the title of that blog post and a few words, it would just sound like i was expressing gratitude for my dog.

sorry if i mislead you.

figuring it out too....

Dear G,

i miss you. i miss your daily posts. i miss you comments on fMh.

please come back.

love,

m

fng

new guy: is that NPR?

me: yeah (reaching to turn it down) is it too loud? i try to keep it low so it doesn't bother folks.

new guy: no-not too loud. so are you a hillary supporter?

folks. what's wrong with this exchange?