Shooting fireworks like it's the Fourth of July

This week has been one of those weeks that happens only a few times a year, where I get to spend time with my three nephews. Last year, and in previous years, they spent nearly a month out here, but this time it's just over a week. I'm sad about that, but as they get older, I don't have to worry as much about them changing a lot between visits.

They are funny, calling me Jeff, Greg, Bob, Grunkle Mark, Uncle Hairy, and other names they think of. We were discussing my sprained ankle (more on that in a bit), and Franklin (9) asked if they should call me Ankle Mark.

On Monday evening, we went to North Salt Lake's annual fireworks show. I took my niece and nephews up to food trucks, because it's not very often you can walk to dinner in my neighborhood. We set up a blanket that I got for Easter on the grassy hill, and the hill was steep enough that we slid down it. It was a pleasant evening. I love doing traditional holiday things. You may recall that I made a bucket list of things to do for every holiday this year, so going to a fireworks show was part of that, though I do so every year.

Another thing on my bucket list was to go to a parade--even though I'm cynical about parades--so we went to Centerville's parade with my grandparents. I was all decked out with a stars-and-stripes hat, stars shirt, flag shorts, stars sock and stripes sock, and flag shoes.

It was a fairly typical low-key parade, mostly advertising and campaigning.

No holiday is complete without a trail run, so I thought I would go up Holbrook Canyon. Last year I went up North Canyon, but that's become too commonplace for me, so I thought I'd do Holbrook, which wasn't my favorite when I did it last year, but it's good to change things up once in a while.

One of my problems with Holbrook Canyon is that the trail can be pretty narrow. So as I ran up, I had to pass a few families. Adults are good about getting out of the way, but children are not. But after a quarter mile, I misstepped and twisted my ankle. I did the same thing last year, though I think this year the injury is not as bad, so hopefully it will be a quick recovery.

Having a sprained/twisted/rolled ankle in itself isn't too bad (at least not this time), but it's the side effects that are disappointing:

• I didn't get an adventurous run in on the holiday.
• Consequently, I didn't get the unlimited calories I usually get when I go running.
• I was really embarrassed to have to go back past all those families I had just passed so soon.
• It's been on my bucket list that during the Pioneer Day season (now), I run to Ensign Peak from my house. I don't know if I'll recover in time to do so. (This isn't on my official holiday bucket list, just something I've wanted to do.)

Oh well. At least I was only a quarter mile up the trail (unlike last year's 2.5 miles). And at least it's the hottest time of the year (it would be miserable to be laid up in spring or fall). I'm hoping to go in to a sports medicine clinic sometime soon to get advice.

Well, I wasn't going to let a sprained ankle ruin my day, so I continued with most other plans I wanted to do. An indie pop/folk band I love, The National Parks, was playing a show up in Clearfield, so my mom and I went up to see them, because no one else wanted to go. They're a fantastic band--they're not ones I think of when I think of things I love, but when I hear them, I'm reminded, "Oh yeah, I love these guys!" Their drummer had some kind of medical emergency, so there was no percussion, yet they still did an amazing job. They may not be hugely popular, but those of us who like them love them, and lots of people there (including me) were singing along.

Then we purchased some fireworks to light with my nephews, since lighting fireworks and sparklers was also on my bucket list. The stand we went to wasn't very friendly (not that they were outwardly rude, they just didn't say anything to us, like literally). We also aren't aerial firework people, but this stand mainly catered to that. We did get some aerials unintentionally, but the regular fireworks weren't that good, and they were expensive.

Two years ago, I added Pioneer Day to the canon of holidays I formally celebrate, and I've found that it makes Independence Day less depressing when I know that the patriotic holidays aren't over yet. (See, Pioneer Day was a patriotic American holiday for the very people who invented it and whom we honor, so it should be for us too.) We lit fireworks again on Thursday, because that's on my bucket list for Pioneer Day season, and sadly I won't be here for the actual day.

On Thursday, I went to a wedding reception that had food that was very fancy. I'm a simple man, and the fancier the food, the less I like it. They had highly seasoned vegetables, but I would have preferred plain roasted vegetables, maybe with a little olive oil. They kept the stems on the carrots, which may be fancier, but it's less edible. And they didn't peel the asparagus, which is ten times better when it's peeled.

My Saturday wasn't very eventful because of my ankle. But we had family over and played the Pictionary/Telephone game, and I find the sentence Franklin made up absolutely charming.

"A T. Rex eats a flying rainbow potato."

Then today my mom wanted me to teach her youth Sunday School class, using the talk I gave last Pioneer Day. (It's two weeks early due to various vacations.) I thought it went pretty well.