The middle of spring

I continue to enjoy my research for work. This week I learned that not only is Utah the place where the first transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869, it's also the place where the first transcontinental telegraph was completed in 1861. Being immersed in 1850s Utah history has taken its toll on me: Last night I literally wrote "18" as the beginning of the year in my journal. I was going to write "1850," but as soon as I wrote "18" I realized that that's not even close to the correct year.

On Wednesday I filled out my taxes because I'm an adult now. And of course I had to listen to Jan Terri's "I.R.S."

On Thursday I went to tutoring, as I usually do. I often don't know what to do when I help them with math, but I caught on easily to the math this week. And a sixth-grader there told me he had been waiting for me to help him, which was both flattering and surprising, since I'm not the best at math there. I was happy also that a kid was doing homework about the rock cycle, but unfortunately he didn't need any help.

On Friday night, I wanted to see how close I could get to Ensign Peak on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. I had looked on Google Earth and some of the trails went way out of the way, so I thought I would go along the main road/trail and see if there was a shortcut. Well, I went as far as I cared to go, and I was beneath Ensign Peak and saw no way up. I'll have to try a different way. But it was a nice little jaunt, and there were some cute pink wildflowers along the way.

Back in 2010 or 2011, I tried running on that trail, but I didn't like it because it was too steep. But today, the hill that was so hard for me then is one of the easier hills. I began really running on hills in the fall of 2013, and now I feel like I can go anywhere I want, instead of being restricted to less steep places. (There are still some really steep places I avoid.)

One time I looked at what I thought was an outcrop along that trail, but it looked like cement, which disappointed me. However, recently I discovered an outcrop of conglomerate rock along the Chukar Loop trail, which means that what I had seen before was probably not cement but an outcropping of conglomerate. It's nice to know what the bedrock of the area is.

Since I do so much trail running, I thought I should get out my bike again, which I haven't ridden since July. It's going to take some time to get up my biking skills and stamina again. It's no wonder I never learned to ride as a kid--I either have to ride on hills, which can be either hard or dangerous, or else I have to transport the bike, which is a hassle.

My YSA ward has a special group for us who are "25+." On one hand, I think it's a brilliant idea--we may all be young single adults, but realistically we can't really date the nineteen-year-olds. (There's a guy in our ward who seems autistic or something, and he created an awkward situation when he tactlessly told a new seventeen-year-old that she shouldn't be in our ward.) On the other hand, it does make me feel a little bit like we're on our way to eternal singlehood.

Anyway, we went down to Thanksgiving Point for their tulip festival. It was lovely, but I can't help thinking, "Why would I pay $15 to see lovely gardens when I can see lovely gardens on Temple Square (or elsewhere) for free?" They had an artificial waterfall, and artificial waterfalls are nothing compared to real waterfalls. We were amused by the names of some of the tulips, such as "Victoria's Secret" and "Teletubby."

(Speaking of Teletubbies, I used to watch that show when I was nine, when I was much older than the intended demographic. I think that it probably stems from the same reason I like Jan Terri videos and 1960s sitcoms today--I just like ridiculous things.)

It was lovely weather this week, and I got to see snow in April, although I hope we get a better snowstorm this month. But I've been thinking about weather and its importance. When I look at the news, the weather is probably the most important thing, because it affects what I'm going to do in the next few days. But years, and even months, from now, the weather today probably affects my life less than anything else. When I read historical documents that talk about the weather, I really don't care too much.