Nothing to write home about

This picture is here so it will be a pretty preview image on Facebook.

Sometimes this blog has interesting things to talk about, and sometimes it's just random frivolity. This is a random frivolity week.

Much of my state job requires looking at old newspapers online to make sure the authors cited their sources correctly. I really love looking at these newspapers, because you never know what interesting stuff you'll come across. Like this headline from 1916 that made me chuckle.

That evening I attended the Layton Temple open house. That temple seems to have a blue-and-gold color scheme. We had to take a shuttle from a nearby meetinghouse, and after the open house, I decided it was faster to walk back than wait for the shuttle. That was the same time there was a sudden rainstorm, and I got soaked. Good thing I'm in great cardiovascular shape so I could run back! And I have to put in a plug for the water resistance of Nunn Bush shoes.

Last month I was watching Hoarders, and while my family would not be seen on that show, I couldn't help but think of our hoarding habits. We had a cupboard of old VHS tapes, and we have a VCR, but we don't have it set up. So I put most of the tapes in a large box, and on Tuesday I took them to Goodwill. I know they won't sell them, but hopefully they'll know how to recycle them or something. 

While I was there, I had to go in the store, where I bought some clothes. They are a little more expensive than DI, but they have a better selection, and I bought three shirts, green pants, and pink shorts. I want to have more business casual clothing: when I was in school, I mostly wore t-shirts; when I worked at This Is the Place, I wore pioneer clothes; and when I worked at the Church, I wore a shirt and tie. My state colleagues keep complimenting my clothing, which surprises me, because I've never thought of myself as very fashionable. But for many years, I thought I wasn't allowed to be fashionable—I was too weird and awkward for anything cool or normal. And now, if I can be complimented for my clothes, I can embrace that. I felt a little guilty buying so many things there, since I already have a very full closet. But I shouldn't feel guilty about buying from Goodwill—the money goes to charity; and I will have less need to buy new clothes from other stores, so I'm reducing, reusing, and recycling.

On Thursday, I actually had to go down to BYU for my BYU job so my boss could help me pick out books to use in my research for him. I graduated there a whole decade ago, which is wild to me. I feel like an old man when I talk about the changes: "Back in my day . . ." When I was there, there was no food available in the library—they had a snack zone, but you had to bring your own nonsmelly snacks. Now they have an actual fast-food restaurant in there. (I got a burrito, which was cold and gross.) I also went into the BYU Store, and I was happy to see they had a Kosmoceratops in the store, since I minored in geology at BYU. Of all the things they can (and do) focus on there, I'm glad they picked a scientific specimen. I'm glad I get to visit BYU without agreeing to the Honor Code.

On Friday, I made veggie burgers out of onions, almonds, and oats. Veggie burgers are my favorite food, and I have a few recipes. There are other recipes I like better for flavor, but this one actually holds together as patties, unlike the others (which I usually use as taco filling).

Yesterday (Saturday), I went through a box of old mementos, which I do periodically. I had kind of an existential crisis as I looked at my baby pictures: that was me?! And as I read the summary of my baby blessing, I felt a little sad that my life isn't turning out the way everyone (including myself) expected it would. There were also several little cards from my baby shower. Why would anyone hold a party in my honor!?

Interests come and go, but holidays have always been there, ever since I was a small child.

I found this "picture" and wondered why my parents kept it. The back explains that it was for Father's Day when I was four, and it's a picture of the sun!

On multiple occasions when I was a kid, I would draw stick figures, and the adults in charge would tell me the person needed clothes. So I would awkwardly draw clothes on the stick figure. Did this happen to anyone else?

 

I've been taking a break from running to allow my ankle more opportunity to heal before my triathlon this coming Saturday, so yesterday I went biking again. I only went six and a half miles, but I climbed 1,165 feet, which was a new record for me, since I'm just not that big into biking.

And last evening I went to the Mural Fest in South Salt Lake. I am impressed by the artists' talent, since I don't have any artistic ability. But I also am not overly interested in art. I'd rather go to a science museum or a history museum than an art museum.

When I began this blog thirteen years ago, I envisioned it as the equivalent of writing letters or emails. So, as you can see, there was "nothing to write home about" this week. Even though I just wrote all about it.