4 years

Apparently, it's been 4 years, give or take, since I posted last.

Does anybody really blog anymore?

Nebo

From the summit of Mt. Nebo looking west to north.

Bugger of a climb from Wolf Pass up to the peak. I don't know if it was nerves and anxiety resulting from my nose dive up on Timp three weeks earlier (which, looking back, was really nothing much), or just that I felt way more exposed. Or both. But that section up at the top was no bueno--especially coming down. I may never summit Mt. Nebo again--and I'm OK with that. At least right now.

Delano Peak

Delano Peak

Delano Peak is the highest point in the Tushar Mountain range located in South-Central Utah. I decided that I was going to claim both Delano and Holly on my trip down to Beaver this past weekend.

While I managed to get Delano in, I'll get Mt. Holly taken care of next time. There is a fairly discernible path that goes from Delano over to Holly and shouldn't take a long time. Mt. Holly is actually the one I've wanted to get to for as long as I can remember.

Me at Delano Peak

The hike up to Delano, short though it may be--roughly two miles from where the trail leaves the road--is pretty steep.  I was stopping every 15 to 20 yards just so I could catch my breath. It's not a "popular" hike either. I saw only one other person up on the mountain that day, and she came by a different route than I did. I took what I believe is the "advertised" route that begins north of Big John Flat on FR123 (about 5 miles of dirt road just off the main Beaver Canyon road). I took the same path coming back down until about the 2/3 mark and then I cut cross country making a straight line for my car.

I have to say that, despite a lack of any real adventure or mishap, I had  good time. I saw some mountain goats up on top--some fairly close, however I wasn't quick enough to snap a picture before they high-tailed it down the mountain. I don't think these goats are as familiar or comfortable with human folk as the goats up on Timpanogos are.

Mt. Holly

Just after leaving my car, while still on the dirt road, I happened to glance down the hillside to my left and caught sight of two runners following a trail heading in the opposite direction. Got me to wondering how popular the trail running thing was in the area. There was, on Friday afternoon as I drove by Puffer Lake, a fairly large group of what I think were runners. At least they were dressed for running. However, none of them had hydration packs or hand-helds that I could see, so if they were up there to run, it was either a short distance or well supported.

Anyways, I made it to the top, Delano Peak, in just over an hour. Cell service was great at the highest point in Beaver and Paiute Counties. I sent off a couple of pictures to the kids and called one of those kids that complain that I never pick up when she calls. I also got a text from my sister saying that my mother was getting worried about me. Forty-seven years old and my mother still worries about me.

And this has got to be the most uninteresting and uninspired thing I've ever written. Seriously. As I sit here typing I have more interest in going outside to look at the weather than I do in staying here and forcing more boring dribble out of my small and pathetic mind. And so, I think I'll do just that. It's thundering out there--that's got to be a good thing!

Squaw Peak for the 4th?

So, I'd been thinking for a while that it would be cool to be on Squaw Peak for the fireworks on the 4th of July. And so, I did just that.

When I got up to the top, there were 3 others. By the time I took these pictures of the coolest sunset, there were maybe 15 of us up there.

By the time it was dark, there were close to 50. And I must say that Squaw Peak with 50 people on it is rather crowded! But I, by virtue of arriving early, had a great seat--even if it's sitting on a rock, which I was.

What did I gain--or come away with--from this experience? I would much rather hang out with young children than college students and grown adults--any day.

Counter tops, back splashes, wood floor, tile, electric wiring, and sheet rock

I failed to include air conditioning. My sprinklers work, but my yard is chock full of rocks. Walnuts abound. Drippy kitchen faucet. Crawl space, rusty old pipes, creaky floors, and painted-over door hinges. Nasty carpet, tiny bathroom, cottage cheese ceiling. These are a few of my favorite things. And brown paper packages.

Stuff I need to do

Tear down the plasterboard walls and ceilings, rewire, refinish the floors, and insulate the crawl space.

Get back into school, survive the winter.

Get into really good running shape before May.

A part-time job would be nice—or a primary job that pays enough would be even better (see the get back into school thing).

Move on, be secure, feel happy, smile more.

Pray more, be more sincere, retain more.

Love my kids unconditionally.

Forgive. 

Forgive some more. 

Hike up Timp

Never before have I taken a picture that's gotten such favorable comments.

Who do you submit stuff like this to?

0.0

That's a sticker I saw today on Facebook. 

It's for the anti-runner. 

The person who is proud of his loathing of running. 

I can appreciate the sentiment. I haven't run a bit in two weeks.

And I can feel it in my gut.

I've become apathetic. And not just about running. Generally.

The strongest emotion I'm capable of feeling right now is that of missing my kids.

What emotion is that exactly?

I make things popular

Case in point: running. 

Used to be that not many people ran. Fewer ran marathons. True, running was gaining in popularity before I started way back when, in the previous century, like 1997 I think. 

But it wasn't nearly has hip and cool as it is now--since I started doing it.

And it's kind of odd, too, in that I'm not particularly good or fast. I'm exceptionally average.

Still.

I don't know exactly what it is. Social media maybe? Folks hear about my running exploits via facebook and want to be more like me, possibly. Who knows?

Regardless, it's become somewhat of an item of concern. Particularly with respect to trail running.

I don't want it to become popular. I want it to be enjoyed by a few rather than the masses because I'll enjoy it more by sharing it, and the trails, with less people.

So, in the end, I cannot recommend that anybody begin trail running. It's no fun. In fact, don't run at all. Except for maybe on a treadmill--cause that's real run.

Peace and love...

Hoarder

It's a well documented fact that I have too many pairs of running shoes.

What I also have far too many of: running/race shirts. 

Three storage bins and a dresser drawer stuffed full of 'em.

What am I to do?

HOT°

Although, it would seem, that it didn't get as hot on Saturday in Provo as expected. 

And that's alright by me. 

Today, however, it's expected to jump up into the hundreds again. And so, I'm going hiking. Getting out of the valley.

The valley so low.

After church I'm heading up to Sunset Peak. 

I'll take pictures.

So I bought an old house...

Moved in back in September. It's a nice little house in Provo, 1/2 a block from a nice little park, 1/2 a mile from the Provo River Trail, and 1.1 miles from my office door.

Very convenient.

But there is one aspect of this house that just absolutely drives me insane! And I'll post pictures to illustrate.

Can you see it?

How about now?

Seriously?!? Why, for the love of Pete and all that is holy!?!

This should be interesting...

Attempting a blog post from my iPhone... I'm prepared for an epic failure, but I'm going to try anyways.

There are millions of blogs out there competing for the attention of the masses. Me? I only want a dozen regulars. Maybe two dozen.

Problem is I don't got nothing very interesting to say.

I thought about making this about running, but there are a ton of those.

I thought maybe it could be a means to express my writing skills--which are mad, by the way. But I'm inspired far too infrequently.

It got all depressing for a bit cause I brought too much of my personal issues with me. But part of me said, "Run with it!"

I didn't.

At least not very far.

Anyways, I'm back with a futile attempt on my iPhone. I have no Internet connection for my computer. Beck. I have no idea what to go on about. My back hurts. I've been in this house for about 9 months. Lets hope I can make it another 9.

Means or ends?

Is it the means or is it the ends that count?

Dammit!  I can wax pretty poetical until it comes time to actually put it all down in writing.  Once that happens--I pretty much dry right up.

But all my thoughtfulness had to do with the ends justifying the means.  Do they?  Can they?  Is it all just a bunch of rationalization?

If I end up getting to where I want to go, does it matter how I got there?

If my kids all grow up to be good and decent people, does it matter that I fudged a bit here and there in my efforts to push and encourage them along?

~

The boys cap, gown, and graduation announcements cost me $77.  I think I got off pretty good.

Oh, and he called from work at 10 saying he might need stitches in his finger.

Turkey Loaf and pseudonyms...

Thanksgiving is approaching and I'm hungry from some turkey loaf!  A friend of mine says it's the gravy.  Whatever it is, I need me some.  And some instant potatoes. Along with a can of corn.  The ultimate trailer park thanksgiving meal.  Mmmm.

And there's some uproar in the area that was caused by a mayor using a pseudonym to publish stories in some of the local media--newspaper and online stuff.  If Ben Franklin was OK using one, why not a local mayor?  I mean aside from the fact that one of the sites he was publishing through apparently prohibited it...  I've thought of writing under a pseudonym.  And dishing out a lot of dirt.  What should my moniker be?

Sitting, contemplating, feeling the mind atrophy...

Here I am, sitting in front of the worst invention EVER--the computer. It sucks away time and life.

Kinda like the TV used to.

And I think my cell phone does the same thing!

Who was the genius?

Let's keep the TV, but lose the computers and cell phones. Let's go back to the days of rotary telephones and communication processes that took hours and days rather and seconds.

Seriously, if I fail to answer my phone, or respond to an email, people start to assume that I've either died or been abducted by aliens. The outer space kind, not the ones across the street in the trailer park.

Maybe I should somehow play that abduction thing up a bit and see if I can't find a little "me" time. But it would probably come back and bite me in the butt eventually.

The time wasted watching funny news clips and the latest viral video or looking for some old and obscure CD--for crying out loud!--it should take 5 minutes but it always takes an hour.

Or two.

I need to go out and run.

No, I don't smoke

It's a metaphor.

Quitting smoking bites!

Still, today makes 3 days.

At least I think it's been 3 days. If I get through the end of today.

I need to go run. I need to go run. I need to go run. I have a marathon in 2 weeks.

The therapists were wrong!

Or I'm just a total and complete wash-up.

I went to bed early tonight. Like at 7:30. I had (have) a head-ache. Woke up at 9:00 after having been told, again, how completely and utterly useless I am.

I will stop having those dreams eventually, right? Won't I?

On a positive note, I've decided to give up smoking. It's just not good for me.

Run in the morning.

There's a run in the morning at 6. I need to go to sleep.

And, FYI, I don't like me so much. If I keep saying that, do you think it'll have a negative affect on my sense of self worth? Because other than not liking myself much, I really am the bomb.