Where've I been? Camping!

That's right, the BSU and our elderly dog, Sandy hit the road for the mountains this weekend for some cooler temperatures and some real peace and quiet. It is July in Utah, so hot temperatures are to be expected and this year has really been a cooker. Local temps have been reaching into 3 digit levels for most of the past 2 weeks and the thermometer in my truck has read 107 and 109 degrees in the afternoons on my way home from work last week. So a trip to cool off was definitely in order!

So, we went to the mountains. To Shady Dell Campground on the Mirror Lake Scenic Highway. We liked Shady Dell when we stayed there a year ago and we were pleased to find another site waiting for us when we arrived Friday afternoon.

We sat. We watched the antics of one very acrobatic Anna's hummingbird who introduced himself with a number of up close and personal inspections while we sat under the awning. A Western Tanager laid claim to the trees and ground near our site and so we got a wonderful view of it as it went about its business.

I read a book! This shouldn't be news as I used to be a huge recreational reader but after 3 years of school, I've kind of lost the habit. Camping is a great excuse to sit down and read, just for the fun of it and that's what I did. I read Knights of the Black and White. Its a story of the knights and Crusades and the occupation of Jeruselem by the Europeans. Its about the secret society of knights that go to Jeruselem searching for their ancient order's long-lost treasures and documents. It is a ripping good story and I read all 749 pages this weekend, enjoying every page. This book really digs into a set of interesting and believeable characters, a part of ancient history I don't know much about and a storyline that has plenty of twists and turns to keep the reading interesting and entertaining. I liked this book a bundle and I'm going to be watching for the next episode in the trilogy Standard of Honor when it comes out later this year.

Saturday we took the drive all the way up the scenic highway and I can tell you, this is a beautiful drive. This road is the only way through this part of the Uinta mountains and there are numerous campgrounds, fishing lakes and pullouts where you can stop and take in some really remarkable scenery. The high point is at Bald Mountain and the pass is 10,739 feet above sea level. Yes, we saw some snow! We drove up to the Bear River store, bought ice and ice cream for a break then turned around and drove back, sharing the road with multitudes of other RVs, motorcycles ans sightseerers. Its a beautiful drive and I recommend it if you want to see the beauty that is Utah.

We slept in this morning then had a great camp breakfast and afterwards we broke camp, cleaned up and headed home. It was 79 degrees when we left camp and 2 hours later at home it was 95 degrees. Except that there's no showers, I certainly could have stayed longer!

Anyway, a couple pictures from this morning.






We need to more of this!

Dr appointments today- did I miss anything?

Well today was two Dr appointments in preparation for my upcoming surgery. The first one was with my usual GP doc to make sure certain I was well enough for the 2nd doc to be cutting on me. I had blood work an EKG that the doc called "perfectly normal" and 107/70 blood pressure. I got 2 scripts renewed and a go-ahead for the surgery.

Doctor appointment number 2 was in SLC, with the surgeon that will be working on me. He basically went over the procedure and explained what I should expect both during and after my operation.

Afterwards, since it was such a beautiful day, the BSU and I went go-karting at Boondocks. Its one of those all inclusive birthday party places with karts and laseer tag, miniature golf and a huge game room. We just stayed for one go-kart race and passed on the mini-golf even though today was the perfect day to be there since the kids were still in school and we practically had the place to ourselves.

This evening I ofund found the exact matching paint for the Suzuki at Autozone and while I was there, I bought sandpaper and a tack cloth and some spot putty in preparation for the paint job. I also spent an hour sanding the tail section tonight and its 2/3 done. I've got to sand through the clear coat to remove the pinstripes but most of the surface just needs scuff sanding in readiness for the new paint.

So its been a busy day! Now its nearly bedtime.

The 5 Toughest Questions for Men

[NOTE: this came to me by friend Kenny and since he didn't post it, I thought I would.]

1. What are you thinking about?
2. Do you love me?
3. Do I look fat?
4. Do you think she is prettier than me?
5. What would you do if I died?

What makes these questions so difficult is that each one is guaranteed to explode into a major argument if the man answers incorrectly (i.e. tells the truth). Therefore, as a public service, each question is analyzed below, along with possible responses.

Question # 1: What are you thinking about?

The proper answer to this, of course, is: "I'm sorry if I've been pensive, dear. I was just reflecting on what a warm, wonderful, thoughtful, caring, intelligent woman you are, and how lucky I am to have met you."

This response obviously bears no resemblance to the true answer, which most likely is one of the following:

a. Baseball.
b. Football.
c. How fat you are.
d. How much prettier she is than you.
e. How I would spend the insurance money if you died.

(Perhaps the best response to this question was offered by Al Bundy, who once told Peg, "If I wanted you to know what I was thinking, I would be talking to you!")

Question # 2: Do you love me?

The proper response is: "YES!" or, if you feel a more detailed answer is in order, "Yes, dear."

Inappropriate responses include:

a. Oh Yeah, loads.
b. Would it make you feel better if I said yes?
c. That depends on what you mean by love.
d. Does it matter?
e. Who, me?

Question # 3: Do I look fat?

The correct answer is an emphatic: "Of course not!"

Among the incorrect answers are:

a. Compared to what?
b. I wouldn't call you fat, but you're not exactly thin.
c. A little extra weight looks good on you.
d. I've seen fatter.
e. Could you repeat the question? I was just thinking about how I would spend the insurance money if you died.

Question # 4: Do you think she's prettier than me?

Once again, the proper response is always: "Of course not!"

Incorrect responses include:

a. Yes, but you have a better personality.
b. Not prettier, but definitely thinner.
c. Not as pretty as you when you were her age.
d. Define pretty..
e. Could you repeat the question? I was just thinking about how I would spend the insurance money if you died.

Question# 5: What would you do if I died?

A definite no-win question.

(The real answer, of course, is "Buy a Corvette!") Or guns of course, or maybe a place in the country where I could shoot my guns with my friends.