September 24th, 2016

Happy Anniversary Betty...22 years today.  How lucky are you?

Haven't talked to a certain friend in a while and when he heard we were still in Taiwan asked how much longer we had here.  I said, "five more years...three with good behavior."

Rolling Coal.  Have you seen this?

This was a thing in 2014 and apparently continues today.  Even with instant media access, looks like we are still missing some cultural nuances from the States.  These are adults living in the greatest country on Earth.  Stand beside her, and guide her...

Have lost a bunch of weight...again, thanks for noticing.  Did it for my mind as I was sick of looking at the fat guy in the mirror, and did if for my body to take weight of my achy knees (read that 1 pound of weight takes off 5 pounds of pressure). I wrote up an entry for this space before we left for summer but never posted as I was worried about putting it all back on chowing down on all the treats we miss here.  The goal before we left in June was to get under 200 pounds and, with the help of a four day "cleanse" I did with Betty, got to 198 day of departure.  At a doctor visit a few years ago, the scale said 232 and you can do the math..  Was still sexy and more of me to love, but obese and gross.  Hitting 200 was great but was afraid to climb back on the scale upon our return.  After a couple weeks, tentatively did so and thought the scales brain had fried in the summer heat as it said 190.  Couldn't believe it and was at a friends house that night and asked to use theirs...but they are English and their scale was in stone and it said 13.61.  Thankfully, Google provided a translation and 190 it was.  Am currently sitting at 188 and thought that would be my ultimate goal, but think I would be better off getting under 180.

It is motivating when people, especially the ladies, comment about how much skinnier I look and everyone that does asks how.  I hate repeating myself so I give different answers like, giving up beer or peanut butter, late night snacks, etc.  No real secret of "diet" per se other than trying to eat healthier (and less) and getting out for a walk and exercise every day.  Boring, but what I think is the real contributing factor is listening to podcasts that I relish and save to listen to on the daily walk.    Football and baseball have some good ones that are in regular rotation and love a bunch of those, have mentioned the Malcolm Gladwell 'Revisionist History' series, which is essential, and listen to a bunch of others based on the guests,  but the ones I savor on a weekly basis are:
- Greg Proops Smartest Man In The World.  Improv master, crazy liberal, pop culture savant and pure genius
- Keepin It 1600 Former Obama insiders John Favreau and Dan Pfieffer,,,makes one feel good about the  current insanity
- Guessing the lines with Bill Simmons and Cousin Sal.  He can get a little insufferable with the Boston fanboy schtick (see # 32 below), but funny takes on the second greatest sport on Earth (after Aussie Rules Football)
- Dan Carlin's Common Sense and Hardcore History  Bizarre takes about current state of the world in the former, and in depth looks at all history on the latter.    A 5 part/4 hour each review of WWI was so damn informative.  .
A new one that is a quick listen is called Whistlestop, where Face the Nation host John Dickerson  examines the quirks of past Presidential races.  Quite enlightening to see how similar these things go over time.

I love the NFL and worry that its future will be like that of boxing and horse racing, but I'll probably be long gone by then.  What follows is my ranking of the NFL teams that when I watch, defines my rooting interest.  For example, will root for team 6 over team 9 in most cases (unless team 9 winning would directly benefit teams 1 & 2).  But in a vacuum...

1. Oakland -  Bilitnekoff smoking butts on the sideline, Just Win Baby, Snake.  Grew up in LA and was a Rams fan from an early age, but every season they would lose in the playoffs  to the Vikings in increasingly dramatic and tortuous fashion.  Then in the '76 Super Bowl held down the street at the Rose Bowl, the Raiders spanked the crap out of the hated Vikings and have been Silver and Black clad ever since.  Last decade has been a slog and have been a bit dormant, but a resurgent franchise is great for the entire league and makes Sundays special again.

2. Seattle - Largent, L.O.B, Skittles.  Took a decade and switch from AFC to NFC, but living every day with someone makes you slowly fall in love.  SB 40 was a great run and the Pete Carroll era solidified them as my second child.  Have had to defend having two favorite teams a lot and equate it to my children.  Raiders are my first child and Hawks are my adopted one...love them both equally and hate to see them play each other.  A Super Bowl between the two?  Will worry about that Sophie's choice day when it comes.

Teams 3 - 7 are the lovable losers and will always root for an underdog. 

3. San Diego - Powder blues, Air Coryell, Holy Roller.   Their games were on the radio when I was young so heard a ton of  Fouts era games.  Can still see the dust coming up from the baseball diamond in dual use Jack Murphy stadium in the late Fall afternoon shadows.   Those were fun and and non-threatening teams.   
4. Cleveland - The Drive, The Fumble, Art Modell.  If it is true that God Hates Cleveland, who will love them?
5. Buffalo - Wide Right, OJ, Table Slam.  That town deserves nice things
6. NY Jets - Pantyhose, Butt Fumble, Fireman Ed.  Funniest fans in the biz who know that something will always go wrong for them.  Maybe not today, but soon.  They warrant better but if they got better, would they be as obnoxious as #32 on this list?  Doubt that'll ever happen
7. Detroit - Paper Lion, Scott Mitchell, Mouse Davis.  Last of the pathetic/loveable loser  group and rates of the bottom of that class based only on them playing indoors.

The next group (8-11) are teams/fans that are solid and I would definitely be a fan if I lived there.

8. Philadelphia - Santa, Jaworski, Harold Charmichael,  A fan base that is long suffering and funny like the Jets, but in a different self loathing way and know they would still  hate their team even if they won a Super Bowl
9. Kansas City - Matriculation, Montana/Allen, Arrowhead.  How can anyone hate Kansas City?
10. Chicago - Ditka, Fridge, Willie Gault.  This just in...Mike Ditka is a tool (and everyone knows that Buddy Ryan was the heart of that staff)
11. Minnesota - Bud Grant, Purple People Eaters, Ahmad Rashad.  I didn't hate them for beating the Rams every year in the 70's as they were a great organization, but Fran Tarkington seemed like such a douche. 

12 to 18 fall solidly in the 'meh' group and for the most part, are interchangeable.

12. Tampa Bay - Creamsicle, Gay Pirate, "My teams execution?  I'm in favor of it" 
13. Miami -  Czonka, Shula, helmets with Dolphins that are wearing tiny helmets
14. New Orleans - Hurricanes, Manning's daddy, Aints
15. Jacksonville - uh...I got nothin'
16. Cincinnati - Munoz ankle, ugly helmets, bad chili
17. Houston - can I talk Oilers here?  Bum, Pastorini, Campbell
18. Atlanta - Dirty bird and...the team I have absolutely no feeling for in any way

19 to 24 help fill the basket of deplorables.

19. Tennessee - 1 yard, McNair, Music City Miracle.  Why did Tennessee need a team over the Houston Oilers?  People in Memphis (or is it Nashville)  don't give a shit and that's a fact.
20. Baltimore - Ray Rice, Edgar Allen Poe, Crab cakes.  Yes, I hate that they moved from poor Cleveland but that it went to very deserving Baltimore, and they left the name behind and adopted cool name and colors keeps them higher on this list than the below dogs.
21. Arizona - Fitzgerald, Jim Hart, rolling grass.  Like an old person, moving from cold St. Louis to the desert.  Like Tennessee, doubt the locals really care and sports are all St Louis has.
22. Los Angeles - Deacon Jones head slap a man...or a woman, Deiter, Madam Ram,  Take me back honey, I promise it won't happen again.
23. Washington - Hogs, Sandy Baby, Theismans fractured femur.  Went to school in DC and became intimate...didn't hate them while most of my peers did.  They even had the first black Super Bowl winning QB, but this adherence to an obvious racial epithet is mind boggling.  Wouldn't they make a ton of dough on merch if they change it to something cool a la the Ravens?  Daniel Snyder is a total dick and even his pets know it
24. Indianapolis - Diner, Mayflower moving vans, Johnny U.   Was in DC when they packed up in the middle of the night leaving that great city and fans with nothing.  I hate you Colts and your lucking into Manning/Luck.  My folks were from Baltimore and while we aren't an overtly emotional bunch, felt my dad's pain.  Karma let me down by allowing you to win a title, but that'll never, ever, happen again cause karma and I are tight

This last batch is just me being a hater of good things I don't have.   I realize it and will not apologize.

25. San Francisco - Brodie, Rice, DeBartalo.  They rank at the top of this bottom feeder section as it's been a couple decades since their domination and they are feeling some institutional pain and lethargy. 
26. Pittsburgh - Immaculate reception/biggest missed call ever, The Bus, Towels.  Enough already.  Total respect for the most stable franchise in the game in a city that is awesome with deserving fans, but could we just have a decade of futility like everyone else?
27. Carolina - Delhomme, Teal, Dab.  They really belong in the 'Meh' section but have dropped like a dirty shirt due to Riverboat Ron's whinnyness and the 'look at me I'm Sandra Deeness of some of their stars.
28. Green Bay - Munn, Cheese, Frozen tundra.  Another team that I totally understand why people would love.  Public ownership, rabid blue collar fans, small town. classic stadium. etc.  Other than the gawdawful uniform colors, I should love them, yet here we are.
29. NY Giants - Pisarcik, Tuna, Helmet catch.  Total respect, especially for upsetting # 32 on this list, twice, but you see the trend.
30. Dallas - Newhouse, Jones, Collar bone.  America's team?  I'm taking a knee
31. Denver - Horse snot, Shanahan, Tebow.  Raiders arch rival.  Loved Denver but hope bad things happen to them.
32. New England - Deflated balls, Pat the Patriot, Grogan..  Speaking of respect, Bill Belichick is the greatest football coach in my opinion.  Really, cannot think of anyone else that comes close.  Some would argue that Brady is the greatest QB ever, but he is just a pretty boy dating Jessica Simpson and not a Ugg wearing super model marrying icon without Coach.  Every story needs its super villain, they just aren't supposed to win every time.  What puts them at the bottom of the list are the super villian's minions...those muchkin eating, cheater denying, Aaron Hernandez jersey wearing fans that get to live in the best town in America.  Liked you way better when you were lovable losers.

On any given Sunday, you'll now know my mood based on the above chart.

Finally, here is my rant for the week.  As always, you are welcome to check out whenever you like. 

I put in my travel notes three times this summer that in the polls, Trump lagged in every category with one exception.  Non-college educated white males.  Have mulled this over long and hard and bunch of thoughts came into mind, kicked off their shoes and stayed a while, some of them left and some will just not take the hint and are digging through my liquor cabinet wondering what kind of cocktail they can make with Midori and Aguardiente. 

It would be, and was, easy to disregard this group as stupid idiots and that they should listen to the smart people, but that is wrong.  Everyone knows highly educated people with moral compasses forever pointing south, and also that the most kind and thoughtful people we know are often times barely formally educated..  And the Hillary supporters are littered with non-college educated folks and that doesn't validate/discedit their views any more so than Trumps and in fact, will rail against their blind devotion based on their myopic outlook as much as the white guys. 

So generalizations aside, what college does for most people is to enhance their critical thinking.  It doesn't have to be college per se, as exposure to the world outside of ones own bubble usually has the same affect.  Immersion is better of course, but small steps.  There are many definitions of critical thinking in that link above and they are all good, but the one that resonates most with me is, "thinking about one's thinking in a manner designed to organize and clarify, raise the efficiency of, and recognize errors and biases in one's own thinking. Critical thinking is not 'hard' thinking nor is it directed at solving problems (other than 'improving' one's own thinking). Critical thinking is inward-directed with the intent of maximizing the rationality of the thinker. One does not use critical thinking to solve problems—one uses critical thinking to improve one's process of thinking.

Boiled down, it is the assumption that one might be wrong in their belief .   I am as guilty as anyone else of making a snap judgment or carrying around some opinion about something, to the point that I want to act out.  I don't remember anyone ever specifically telling me about critical thinking before although I am sure some professor did...maybe all of them did and I was just too baked to remember.  And every person has heard the adage that before you criticize a person 'you must walk a mile in their shoes' (and love the gag that you are now a mile away from them and have their shoes).  In all of the bluster going on these days, and probably forever but seems more so not that the cockroaches have had the light shined on them, it is apparent that a large segment of society is missing this absolutely essential check to their thoughts and actions. 

I didn't vote for Romney or McCain, but I could understand why people did.  They were thoughtful people who had opinions and plans  that were reasoned and clear.  On the scale of things, felt the alternative choice tipped them the other way, but these guys were critical thinkers and that they would make a decision based on thought and fact and that they would do their best.  It would have been easy to discount them based on stereotypes and false narratives, and I fought my Dem friends on that vehemently.

Same with Hillary.  If you listen to what she says, look at what she has done and listen to everyone, and I will repeat for emphasis, everyone that has dealt with her intimately both personally and professionally, I don't see where the vitriol is warranted.  Has she made some bad calls?  Absolutely.  Does she admit them?  If you listen, she has.  If you don't listen, or listen to only one narrative, you'd think she was the devil.   She is a (somewhat/sometimes ruthless) political operative, and get that will rub many the wrong way, but it always seems to come from a place of compassion with her being the best informed as she studies  as much as anyone past or present.  I know that some will read that last sentence and do a spit take, but in word and deed, I cannot think of another person, let alone politician, whose every utterance has been under a microscope for 3 decades, has been accused of the most heinous of acts without a shred of evidence that points to malice that is viewed with outright hostility.

The alternative?  The only reason you think he is a good idea is that he isn't her.  Who has come away from their interactions with him saying that he is thoughtful or cares or is a good person that can be respected?  His kids?  Omarosa?  Don King, who stomped a man to death, and  Giuliani, who said that we should take the Iraqi oil cause, you know,  it's war?    America...so great.  In word and deed, what has Trump done that impresses people?  Successful businessman?  C'mon now...that record is spotty at best and is wildly incomplete without seeing his taxes.  Just cause someone has (supposedly)a lot of money does not qualify them to make a decision for every person.   And I am not just looking at HuffPo or "lamestream" media, but with my ears and listening to people that are smarter than me whose opinions deserve respect based on years of study/involvement, whose motivation isn't power or profit.  Name me one person that supports him whose motives are pure, or an idea that he has that is well reasoned or thoughtful, or a single utterance that smacks of true compassion.  This has been going on for years and have yet to hear one of the above.

I wrote another couple of paragraph that were hate filled and deleted them and must stop here cause it is depressing me.  Think I will dial up a week 3 NFL preview show and take a stroll.  Quite a lovely day today.

September 17th, 2016

Weather talk - Part 78.  A couple of typhoons are in the neighborhood this week, and while the first one missed hitting Taipei directly, we still felt some strong winds.   Am walking to school yesterday (about 15 minutes) and there is a nice wind going so you'd think it's be cool, but with the precipitation and humidity, was dripping by the time I walked in.  Walked up to an acquaintance and while commiserating on the conditions I say to her, "it's like sitting in a wet sauna with a fat guy farting in your face."  She was not amused.

My decision to give up trying to learn Chinese a year or so ago felt wrong in some ways as one  should really make an effort to communicate in the language of the place they're living in as it is the right thing to do, but this language is so hard to grasp and was more frustrated than inspired.  I feel more justified in that decision in light of the G-20 summit that just went down in China last week where the big scandal in China was Premier Xi's stepping all over his Mandarin.  To quote from a Hong Kong rag..."In a speech Saturday to the Business 20 (B20) summit, which advises the G-20 leaders on policy decisions, Xi talked about the global economy and quoted an ancient Chinese phrase: "Make the tariff light and the road smooth, promote trade and ease agricultural policy."  But because the last character in the phrase for agriculture is very similar to the one for clothes, he ended up saying “taking one’s clothes off” instead of "ease agricultural policy".  If the most powerful man in China can't understand it, how is a white boy from the Valley supposed to speak it without starting an international incident.  It is funny that in the aftermath of the above faux pas, the Chinese censors have been busy scrubbing their Internet to remove all traces of the misstatement.  Nothing to see here.

Hosted a cooking class the other day...don't usually get together with the ladies groups cause frankly, they don't invite me often and kinda feels awkward, but organized this one as one of my friends is from Singapore and makes a mean Chili Shrimp and she offered to show us how.  Chili shrimp is similar to Chili crab and if you know it, you know how amazing it is.  Can't recall ever seeing it in the States but it is worth searching out.  Anyhoo, had 6 ladies over and the process was laborious but think I'll be able to recreate it in the future.  One of the best things about living overseas in an expat enclave is that you are constantly in contact with people from other cultures and in this group we had a Singaporean, another Yank, a Taiwanese and three Koreans.  After a couple hours cooking, we were all friends and the ladies started opening up.  Talking about one of the new teachers and how cute he was, stuff like that.  Two of the Korean ladies had known each other a long time and one says to the other, do you still have that crush on Al Gore?  Al Gore?  Beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder, and am self-aware enough to know that I am a big beneficiary of that, but that one hit my funny bone.  Saw this lady in the school lobby a couple days later and from across the crowded I yells "Hey...Al Gore".  Hope I get invited to the curry cooking class in October.  To be fair, he was pretty hot and is a documented tongue sucker. 

Wrapped up the US travelogue thing last time, but had a couple of other notes to clean up.   One thing I love about the States is the Game Show Network.  Any opportunity I had to vegetate in the hotel, I scanned the dial for it and was rarely disappointed.  Richard Dawson set the standard, but Steve Harvey does an admirable job hosting the Family Feud.  He doesn't get all pervy with the ladies and seems uncomfortable/confused with the sexual innuendos, but exudes a joy that is hard to deny.  Always up for playing along and is a great game to play with friends and family.  Match Game is another that plays on a loop on GSN...the old Gene Rayburn ones.  I remember the TV babysitting me and watching Brett Somers, Charles Nelson Reilly and (again) Richard Dawson teaching me how to joke about sex at the age of 9 or 10.  They were so effin' funny.  There is a new Match Game with Alec Baldwin of all people hosting.   Not as good as the 70's version, but has a ton of potential.

The Boy is searching for a hair cut that works.  It'll look OK for a few weeks, but he has this part that just won't behave like the rest of his hair.  We 'lovingly' goof on it as we are wont to do and he says that a barber/hairdresser told him once that his skull is misshapen and that is the cause for his unruly locks.  That's the kind of full service one has come to expect at Supercuts.  We then had the ammo we needed to goof on it some more, with this additional "lobe" being cited for all of life's maladies with the main theme being that he had a twin in the womb but he absorbed it and that his lobe  was the residual proteins and enzymes from his sibling.   Ultimately got a second opinion from his pediatrician who advised he did not have an superfluous lobe and she was quite horrified by our theories on it

Another day, the Boy and I are sharing a meal at El Camion and we are talking about Mormons.  Had just been to Utah and he has several school chums that are of that denomination and we realized we didn't have any Mormon jokes.  A quick google search came up with many but none that made me laugh until we got to one that went, How many Mormons does it take to eat a possum?  Three, one to eat it and two to watch out for cars.  Most people thought it stupid, and it obviously is a joke about rednecks grafted into the Mormon joke section, but it cracked me up  Was telling it often when someone said that it makes no sense as you never see Mormons traveling in groups of more than two.  Fair point. 

If you remember about this time last year, I shared a story about a deaf lady hitting on me at the Safeway.  This summer found my sexy stock rising with another demographic.  All across this great nation of ours I was chatted up/hit on by aging motorcycle mamas.  None of their flirtations passed the twirling of their hay like hair, raspy voice 'hello there' stage, but it was strange how many of them initiated interaction.  I know that you are thinking that I am seeing things but have been around long enough to know a come on when I see one.  This group was late 40ish types but could pass for 60, leathery, long time smokers and while not meth addicts, looked like they were familiar with it.  I figured that my look of a relatively clean, but not Wall Street tight ass looking type was appealing and attainable and that after a lifetime chasing biker dudes  that had left them alone, they are looking for some stability in life.  That or just somewhere warm and dry to crash.

If you remember, made a proclamation earlier this year that I was going to try and eliminate the word "very" from my vocabulary and think I've done a bang up job so far.  Took this position after hearing someone somewhere say that it was a lazy word and that you can always replace it with something more descriptive and interesting.  I guess this is something a both self described and viciously accused liberal elite has time to do, but think it is worthwhile.  By doing this, you notice it when others use the word.  I hear it a lot from people whose first language isn't English and that makes total sense as they don't have the depth of vocabulary and I absolutely  do the same with my poor Spanish and guttural Mandarin.  Think about this listening to (every) Trump speech as he says 'very' a lot.  Not only that, but he'll double down in the next sentence by repeating the sentence only saying whatever is 'very very' great/huge/etc.  Petty I know, but is emblematic of a lazy mind and think he fits the bill.  And if you have any thoughts that he might be a good idea leading the country, I dare you to watch this whole clip and still think that way.

One thing I know we all can agree on this election season is that this election season is too fucking long.  Understand that changing the rules would take a lot of people deciding to not make a lot of money, but c'mon folks, can we all join hands on this one?

September 10th, 2016

Follow up to last time...the Hillary campaign did refund our two hundred bucks and did so timely.  Also asked they take me off of their daily email list and they did that too. 

  Since we do the West Coast shuffle each summer, will try to keep it lean and do mostly quick hits.  We hit SF on July 3rd and left from Seattle on August 8th.  In between...

- The West Coast MLB portion of the trip included games in Oakland, SF, LA and Seattle (2).  Giants Stadium (can't remember it's corporate sponsor) is still the nicest going.  Location, view, food, fan rabidity are all in the top 5.  We went to a 7:05 start on July 6th and it was the coldest I've been in the last 4 years and that includes being in Budapest in January.  Took my mom and we had coats and a blanket and that sea chilled air whips off the bay and tears through to your intestines. The announcers called in blustery. I know I have reminded my future self before to prepare and thought we did, yet here we are...

Oakland (again, think the name changed recently) is simultaneously the shittiest stadium in all of sports and my favorite place to watch a game.  The fans there make up for the awful food, location, poverty stricken ballclub, etc .by their humor and willingness to don themselves in the ugliest green and yellow combo imaginable.  Here is a picture of the ground under my seat...it is a metallic surface and the entire section was riddled with rusted out scars.  Mix in the DNA of the decidedly blue collar crowd and the Coliseum is an incubator of several diseases like hepatitis, tetanus and E.coli.

Safeco Field, where the Mariners play, is aesthetically pleasing but...  Answer me this, what came first, the lame fans or the lame team.  Every time I go, the visiting team always has better/louder fans.  This years torture was compounded by the fact that the only games I went to were against the Red Sox whose fans are the most odious in professional sports.  I liked 'em way better when they were cursed.   Went to two games of the 4 game series, which the Sox and Mariners split but the home team lost both times I was there.  Figures.  One of my favorite nights of the year is the annual game sitting in the LF bleachers with the fellas...there are usually 6 of us and all were in attendance this year.  The game was not only against the Sox but was also Irish Heratige Night.  Ugh.  Our game that night was that you get 5 points for every green Sox capsspotted and could win instantly if you knocked one off the jamokes head.  I did my part to antagonize the visitors sitting in front of us by pointing out that the color barrier in baseball was broken in 1947 and asked if anyone knew what team was the last to have a black player.  The answer is of course, the Red Sox.  In 1959 and doing so only after a discrimination lawsuit was filed.  Their first black player was someone named Pumpsie.  The Sox fan in front of me said that "we're not all racists in Boston".  I think I laid on just the right amount of sarcasm in my "of course they're not" in my reply.  Another activity that night was trying to come up with the top 3 things the Irish have contributed to world culture.  Potatoes were mentioned but it got pointed out that they came from the Incas.  What we ended up with were:
3 - Whiskey as sport
2 - Famine
1 - Lucky Charms

Dodger Staduim.  I don't have to remember the corporate name du jour as they don't have one.  Never have.  Walking into the place feels exactly the same as I did in the early 70's when Garvey, Lopes, Russel and Cey held court.  They have made small improvements everywhere but the overall vibe is just the same.  Food is decent and you can still get a crappy old Dodger dog (easternmost in quality, westernmost in flavor).  Even the fans, who have had the late arriving/early departing reputation forever are getting more serious.  If you've followed along for a while, I've been comparing a lot of the new stadiums and that while their rating comes down to things like location, food, etc., they all have a similar feel with the brick facades and exposed green steel beams and quirky field dimensions. Throwbacks that Baltimore started and which look fantastic, but all feel the same in their uniqueness if that makes any sense.  This thought hit me as I sat there and looked and the uniform dimensions of Dodger Stadium.  What was once considered bland and sterile is now peculiar and nostalgic.  Had been a while since I've been there and had been attracted to this new stuff, but Dodger Stadium is still my favorite place to be to watch a game.

There are even local watering holes where the Dodger faithful can congregate pre/post game.  My buddy Norm and I met at the Short Stop and as I'm sitting there remember reading an article about how Gerg Dulli from the fantastic band Afghan Whigs bought a dive bar near the Ravine and made it a baseball bar and sure enough, it was the Short Stop.  That probably means nothing to anyone but me, but there you go.

 California for us is now always based in Palo Alto where my mom and sister both live.  I left Babydoll with G-ma and drove down to LA for 48 hours to see the old High School J-O's and go to the game.  The drive to and fro on the 5 is a monotonous affair with the only break coming 1/2 way down at Harris Ranch.  Anyone that has made that drive knows that there is a massive cattle ranch that skirts the freeway and if the wind is blowing away from the road, you get a whiff and ask your co-pilot if that smell is coming from them.  If the wind is blowing towards the freeway, then it become Cowmageddon.  On my way home, it was just that and the air was thick with bovine.  I could see the cloud ahead for miles and tried to button up the Chevy Cruze, but it got in and the car smelled like cow shit for the rest of our time with it. 

My mom turned 90 the other day and spending time with her is so important.  For (then) 89, she looked great, but as with kids you don't see for a year and they look all big and stuff, not seeing an older person an have the same affect.  A little more bent over, a tad more forgetful and just a feeling that everything frustrates.  The computer, too much noise at restaurants, loss of smell.  Tough. 

But it isn't all bad.  With her loss of smell, it is liberating in that she is free to fart whenever she wants.  As with my Grandma, don't think she can control them with any consistency anyway.  Had dinner at my sister's one night and in addition to us, she had some friends and neighbors over.  between dinner and dessert, one of the neighbors lights up a doob and mom has no clue as she can't smell it.  I wasn't about to partake with my mom in attendance and commented on how weed is becoming more acceptable in society.  My sister said the guy who sparked it has some kind of pain and that it is medicinal for him.  Yeah right.

The other thing that is liberating for an older person in my observation is  that the brain becomes more fluid.  She has a hard time remembering what we are doing tomorrow, but is laser sharp on stuff that happened decades ago.  Case in point, every family has their stories that are retold at family functions and one of ours has always been the time when I was two years old and fell into the pool,  My sister, who was 8 at the time, and Grandma were there and "Ma" had to jump in to save me.  Ma was all dressed up as they were going to some show and she was all pissed off about it and must have let my 8 year old sister have it for not going into save me.  Have always felt that this caused a schism between them as they were never tight in my memory. 

We're sitting at this dinner and my sister brings up this incident.  We run through the story as above and my mom, who has been sitting there listening quietly says to my sister, "you pushed him in."  Spit take.  Like a friendly reporter rephrasing something Trump said that was awful in a way to make it not sound quite so callous and him just doubling down on his original screed, we tried to give her a chance to recant and she stood by it and said again that I was pushed in.  A 48 year old story of family valor was flipped on its head to attempted murder in an instant. 

Babydoll and I took my mom to Vegas for a couple nights as we have last couple of years.  She loves it and we had a decent time but would have been better had we had even a moment of luck, but it was a 48 hour run of total shit luck with nary a single decent run by either of us.  I couldn't find a non-Chinese Asian lady blackjack dealer in the morning, which is always a pot of gold, but did have two sessions with first a dealer from Ethiopia and then one from Eritrea.  America is great like that.  We had some nice food and caught the Cirque du Soleil show "O" at the Bellagio.  Everyone says that this was 'the best' and you gotta go, so we did.  Fine I suppose...the performers are amazing and it is a constant spectacle, but if you've seen one of the CdS shows, you've seen 'em all in my opinion.  Towards the end of the show, these 5 Asian ladies are doing this contorting gymnastic lava lamp-like routine and I'm thinking, I flew from the other side of the planet, paid $140 bucks and maneuvered my frail 90 year old mom into this theatre just to watch Chinese acrobats?  Dumb shit.  Next year we're getting Brittney Spears tickets.  There were clowns in the show and got to break out one of my favorite old gags...how do you stop a clown from smiling?  Shoot him in the face. 

A plus in traveling with an 89 year old is that you are welcome to cut to the front of every line everywhere.  Have to make a huge call out to Southwest Airlines for how nice they are to the elderly and handicapped.  At every curb, there are people with wheelchairs waiting, they put her in one, all the way through Customs to the gate and then from the plane to the curb.  They hire a company called Gateway Frontline Services to perform the service free of charge and all of the handlers are nice and chit chat in such a gentle way.  Of course you tip them, but they were all just so great.

Betty arrived late into our time in SF and we decided to leave the kiddies w/G-ma and drive up to Napa for a couple nights.  Had only been to Napa once before, 25 or so years ago for an afternoon (with friends including Betty at the time).  Neither of us could remember when we went away sans children so was looking forward to going.  A memorable time was had.  We got some recommendations on wineries and did a tasting or two, but you can get loaded fast and since neither of us are hard core boozers, we turned our attention to the gardens we encountered.  They ranged from  ones designed on Italian vineyards to bio-diverse organic ones.  Anyone can garden, but combine people that not only love to, but are well trained, with soil that is as fertile as anywhere on the planet, and it is truly the Garden of Eden.

Just the right mix 

A by-product of this is that the food is exquisite.  The most delicious of ingredients mixed with rich folk with the highest of standards that are willing to pay for the best, and the food options are off the hizzie.  Everything we ate was excellent and to cap off our stay, we made reservations for the second night at Meadowood.  One of the few 3 Michelin star restaurants in the US, we knew we were in for a treat.  Of course, the place is perfect in every way, from greeting to departure the servers are knowledegaeable and attentive.  new utensils with every serving and tuxedoed staff scooping up any crumbs as each plate was taken away.  Set menu of 8 or 9 courses that rotate with the season with each being a bite or three but we were full by the end.  I jotted down the offerings as they came.
- an amuse bouche of fried squash flower
- day lily stuffed with prawn
- freshwater eel wrapped in beef tongue (cooked on a cabernet plank)
- cucumber seed risotto w/caviar
- bean flower over avocado and squid (in squid butter)
- line caught halibut w/un-ripened apple juice
- cabbage and cod liver in oyster and nettle sauce
things get a little fuzzy here and my notes aren't clear.  I think...
- lamb broth steeped in artichoke
- truffle something
- some part of the duck with duck fudge
- "chase fm Mendoza sheets goat w/grape marmite"
- dessert of Bananas Foster with rye instead of rum, and eggplant instead of bananas.
- 2nd dessert of chocolate bobka
 With desert, I ordered an Ethiopian coffee brewed over 500 degree sand while Betty had foraged tea (which we think was tea made from the weeds in the garden). 

We knew it was gonna be expensive going in, but dinner with not a ton of drinks cost $800,  Re-gaw-damn-diculous, and was hard for a simple guy like me not to think that each bite was about $20 each as it was going down, but a once in a generation experience and all.

We stayed at the home of a couple that my sister knows...a couple of Silicon Valley types that bought some acreage years ago and have now retired there.  They have several exquisite gardens (food, cactus, Chinese), chickens, a lovely  pool and we stayed in their guest cottage.  Their buildings were made of rammed earth construction, which is has been used by early civilizations and is coming into vogue as the materials are natural and reusable.  Sleeping with the windows open in the cool summer night air under a down blanket was close to perfect.  Since we've returned to TW, have slept in a closed up room with a forced air conditioner unit under at most a sheet and still come back to a puddle of sweat after taking a pee in the middle of the night.

You may have noticed a couple of words in there that are not new, but whose epicenter of use is Napa and radiates from there.  Other than acerage and rammed earth, we heard...
biodynamic
terroir
high bench
flight (wine tasting menu)
mesoclimate
unpack
primal (as opposed to paleo diet)
proteins and enzymes

Those last two bug me.  We've all heard the word protein used to replace meat but if not, an example is when making your own burrito, there is a line to pick your "protein"  Way to take a meal I was prepared to enjoy and turn it into a chemistry project.  Was gonna let it slide, but then some a-hole used the word enzyme in a way that took the air out of a good time.  Was ordering a cocktail and asked for a vodka on the rocks with a piece of lemon.  Dude says, "you want a slice or a twist?" and I say something about just some lemon please.  He looks at me and says, "Oh, you just want the enzymes..."  Really?  You're a waiter, just say yessir and fetch me my damn vodka and perhaps I'll tip you fairly.  That was in Seattle though and they are now adding gratuity to the bill automatically.  We were in one place and the menu says that an 18.89% gratuity is added to all bills.  .89?  I understand that it has something to do with the raise of the minimum wage in Seattle but can we all agree that if you are calling it gratuity and it is over 15%, then let's give some decent service or just add it to the cost and say No Tipping.  At this 18.89% place, the service was atrocious and then they overcharged us on our bill THREE times.  Taylor Shellfish was the place and do not suggest you go.  Good call on that place Big Sprang,,,am sure the ladies at Shanghai Garden wouldn't have screwed us over.

The morning we left Napa we had booked a sunrise balloon ride down the valley.  Luckily, this was a couple weeks before the one burned up in Texas, but I was still apprehensive about it for months in advance.  They had to move us from Napa Valley as the fog was too thick about 20 miles east into Yolo Valley.  I am sure it was prettier over Napa, but still an experience.  Our balloon's basket could hold 17 people, 4 each in one of 4 dividers and the pilot in the middle.  Our basket was full of couples celebrating their marriages or anniversaries, and us, who were just happy to have ditched the kiddies.  We went around the basket and said where we were from and there was a couple in one section from Spain and another in a different section  from Puerto Rico.  I wanted to say that 'I am a Trump supporter and can we put these Mexicans in their own section?', but edited myself and mumbled it under my breath to Betty only.  Something everyone should try once in their lives.

The Bay Area is so gorgeous, but traffic and property values are so messed up that it would be impossible to live there.  San Francisco has its charms but is a city you visit to walk a mile uphill to watch a homeless guy take a shit in the bushes. 

When you only get to town once a year, the best way to see old friends is by sharing a meal with them and they always want to take you to the place that serves rich food as we become their excuse to put the feed bag on.  Good in that we eat well but by the time we  hit Seattle, was feeling a bit polluted.  The fun didn't stop and a total highlight for us was being introduced to Totchos.  Simply, they are nachos with tater tots replacing tortilla chips.  The most genius of inventions are always the simplest. 

One day while in Seattle, took the Boy and a couple of his buddies down to Portland to visit Reed College.  A fun day hanging with those boys for sure.  Reed has a really nice campus and all of us were impressed by it but as it is in hippie central, they are bohemian.  Their unofficial motto, which was given them in the 1920's but they still proudly tout it is "Communism, Atheism, Free Love"  Gotta say that is appealing and the boys thought so too.

The last three days in the States were amazing for yours truly.  Had seen a few months previously that my beloved Yo La Tengo were playing two nights at a festival in Portland called Pickathon.  Rallied a couple of my Portland friends to come out and had a fantastic time.  Pickathon is held on a farm about 30 minutes outside of Portland and is completely green.  Bring your own cup and plate so there is no trash, all the stands and stages are solar powered and whoever curated it was in lock step with my taste.  Not only was Yo La Tengo  on the bill, but other favorites of mine like the Thee Oh Sees, La Luz  and Moon Duo were there too.  At these things, it is the new discoveries that can elevate the festival into greatness and we stumbled on some things that have already become new favorites with the biggest highlight being Adia Victoria.  At Pickathon, one of the neat things is that all bands play two sets and different times or days, so if you miss one, you can see them another time.  Had a hole in my schedule so walked into Adia Victoria with no prior knowledge and (as with almost every show that weekend) walked right up to the front.  She is this young black woman that is heavily influenced by the blues from her S. Carolina roots, but the backing band plays the skronky indie sound that I love.  She was sooooo sex, dressed in a white nightgown and at one point is really belting out this song three feet in front of me, looking right into my eyes and to quote George Costanza, "It moved". 

Sir Richard Bishop

 Blossom

 King Sunny Ade

 Moon Duo.  So loud and groovy

 Alvvays

 La Luz

 The Deslondes.  My friend Malibu had a similar reaction to the slide guitar player as I did with Adia Victoria.

 Ultimate Painting.  Poseur British crap...only bad show I saw all weekend

 Jeff Tweedy.  Not sure I am grooving on his troubadour jag but refrained from yelling out "Where's Nels?"

and of course...Yo La Tengo.  This was from the first night during their quiet set.  At the Woods Stage which was in the woods (natch).  Great work by the organizers in lighting up the trees in colors during all the night sets there.

 And the loud set the next day.  Ira handed his guitar to the crowd at the end of Ohm for the crowd to bang on.  I did and can now officially say I have played live with Yo La Tengo.  Scorching set.

Fairs allow people to wear their worst.  A new "thing" is for young girls to bring hula hoops and do their Jerry Dance with them.  Was banged and attacked by them for two days.  Then there are the utilikilt guys...have to retreat to Asia to get away from these numbskulls.

Pickathon is all ages and there were a lot of families out there.  I always refrained from taking my kids to these kinda things cause they just aren't interested and they are my thing and don't want to feel that I have to entertain anyone but me.  Saw this kid and thought that to combat boredom, his parents gave him a Swiss Army knife.  An inspired move by thembut still found the kid menacing.

Here's my buddy Kathy on day two.  Think I have told this one before, but she and our mutual friend Howie would come up to Seattle for years and we'd do Bumbershoot together.  Bumbershoot 1998 was two weeks after Betty was implanted with the Boy via IVF, and the day we were supposed to find out if it took was day two of Bumber and Yo La Tengo were scheduled to play that night.  We were all worried...what if it was bad news?  Would we still go to the show?  Pins and needles all morning, but then we got the call telling us that we were gonna be parents so Betty was happy and couldn't have cared less if we took off for the concerts as she had her family to call.  Have shared many a big rock and roll  moment with Kathy (aka Malibu Kathy as she owned a Chevy Malibu)

 As a local, she has friends in town and one of them was running a secret stage in the woods where they would get bands to come and film a couple songs in HD for the festival website.  She got us directions and it was an oasis of sofas and free booze.  Nice to have friends in high places.

 Being a working farm,  horses were there too.

Great little things like these lights in the woods made Pickathon a great experience and one I hope to repeat in years to come.

 I mentioned at the top of this that it was three days, but Pickathon was only two.  During the summer, learned that Yo La Tengo booked a show in Seattle the next night to maximize their trip from NJ to the west coast.  Was floating on air as they were playing in a tiny club and were to play two sets...quiet and loud. 

I've been seeing them since the early 90's, so 25 years or so , and they always amaze.  This night, the second set started loud and they kept it  pushed to the floor all night.  I saw them do things that I'd never seen before and it was just the perfect way for me to end a fantastic couple of months.

I love them so much.  Was chatting with the road manager and mentioned Taiwan and he said they were coming here.  Whah?  Giddy.  I just checked out their website and they finally officially said they are coming and full Asia schedule is out soon, but teased it with dates in Seoul November 30 and Bangkok December 4th.  Woo to the Hoo.

With the NFL fully kicking off tomorrow (1AM Monday my time, will be up and in the RedZone), everything is coming up Gomez. 

September 4th, 2016

Hey there...today is my b-day.  As far as the amount of times the Earth has gone around the sun since that momentous day in 1965, that total is 51.  I am a proud and OCD dusted Virgo and in the Chinese calendar, am a sexy Wood Snake.  My vital organ is the liver.   Learn more about me here, but in short, "Wood snakes lay emphasis on order, so they prefer living in the neat and elegant environment. They pursue accuracy and always arrange the things in order. Wood snakes are gifted in academic appreciation and creativity. Also, they have good taste and know how to identify the good quality."  Another site that combines Chinese and Western astrology simply states that Virgo Wood Snakes are "obsessive about tidiness" (Fuck yeah we are) and that "we take it into our head to organize the lives of others even if it gets on their nerves."  You know who else is a Virgo Wood Snake?  Charlie Sheen, who was born one day before me. 

I learned a completely obvious yet horrifying piece of information about cows and milk the other day and need to share.  Love milk...a lot.  Will stand in front of the fridge and guzzle it, and all chocolate and most other desserts are improved by 50% when paired with a big glass.  Never really gave much thought as to how it gets from udder to my lips as that is a conversation that is rarely pleasant for any food or drink.  We're sitting around with friends at dinner the other night and a guy says he grew up across the street from a dairy farm and vividly remembers the screams of the cows.  Have never heard a cow scream so followed up with 'why do the scream?'  He explained that cows only start giving milk after they have a baby, which makes total sense even with my limited knowledge of mammalian boobies, and that they can then give milk for years after giving birth if they are milked regularly.  They scream as their babies, mostly after their first borns, are taken away from them at birth and they are screaming in anguish of losing their children.  Used to scoff at vegans in my youth but have evolved to understand that they are just better people than I.

Here is one more story that'll first restore your faith in humanity, then drag it behind a beat up pick-up truck with Confederate plates.  It tells the story of Chobani yogurt.  You should give it a read but briefly, Chobani was started by a Turkish Kurd immigrant who got a small business loan and bought a defunct Kraft foods manufacturing site and is now the # 1 yogurt brand in America employing 2000 people and buying 4 million pounds of milk (from 'merican farmers) a day.  By all records, is a generous boss and amazing world philanthropist who consciously employees hundreds of immigrants from all over the world.  There is more, but amazing right?  Breitbart has been tearing at him as a jihadist who is choking America with Muslims and bringing TB and rapists to rural Idaho.  Just stunning.  And if you're one of the people saying it is simply liberal media spin, just go to the original article and for the true masochist, read two or three of the awful reader comments.  That these people exist disgusts me that we share the same DNA strands.  And a vote for Trump puts you in that category.  By the way, was reading the latest about his "mass deportation" plan and a lot of the chatter relates him to Hitler.  I don't as the Nazi's were far more transparent in their prejudism and didn't couch it so coyly.  What it reminds me of is the talk is exactly like that from the Young Turks, with the same terminology, of "deporting en masse" the Armenians 1915.  Now known commonly as the Armenian genocide.  Read some history.   Just sayin'

Onwards...Utah is big.  Every horizon is large

 Our hotel sat along the Colorado River and its calmness belies the power it has in shaping the topography of the entire southwest and how it has provided life to millions of people.  

 We had two full days in town and planned to spend one at Canyonlands National Park and the other at Arches National Park.  The entrances to the two are about 25 minutes from each other so staying in Moab makes it easy to see both.  Despite their proximity and the color of the rocks, their beauty were distinctly shaped.  Canyonlands was all about...canyons.  Very much like the Grand Canyon, it was explained that they are the same in how the Colorado River has eroded them both but that this area is 'only' 350 million years young while Grand Canyon is 1.6 billion.

It was this day where we could not escape the biker gang from Missouri.

 We'd get to a lookout and a few minutes later, we'd hear them rumble up and then they would invade our peaceful reflection.  It became a running gag with us and feel it important to call out that I rail on the Chinese tourist buses often, but there is a version of that in all societies and this one felt just as bad.  This pack was a dozen 50-something year old couples and the female part of their contingent were loud and annoying.  So much (loud) talk about them getting the right picture, arranging their annoyed spouses just so, etc.  I suspect that they all weren't gonna make it home as one of these guys was bound to leave his naggy wife out in the desert to feed the vultures.  My favorite line was one when one lady got off the back of her bike (none of them drove that I could see) and declared that the beauty of the place had her singing "all the patriotic songs" and she proceeded to launch into a condensed version of God Bless America.  You know this place was around for hundreds of millions of years before Amerigo Vespucci named it?  So suspicious of the flag waving patriots of any kind.

 Two recommendations to anyone traveling to Canyonlands
- Give yourself more time than one day.  We did the Rim Drive, which was on a nice road that our Chevy Cruze could handle, but the way to do Canyonlands is to rent a Jeep and camp for 3-4 days.  Sounds like it is not too strenuous or dangerous and is far more beautiful than just driving the rim.  Plus you can tool around the desert in a Jeep.
- Secondly, and am sure I have mentioned this one before, but the History Channels series 'How The Earth Was Made' is my favorite ever.  Two seasons of about 12 eps each, all are fantastic and the reason I mention it here is that the one on the Grand Canyon explains the how/where/why/when the Colorado River does what it does.  They are all easily found on YouTube and have watched most of them a 1/2 dozen times.

Our base was in Moab, a city of 5,000 that is more 'cosmopolitan' than a city in rural Utah has any right to be.  TripAdvisor said that this food truck, Quesadilla Mobilla, was the best meal in town.  They were damn good and we went back a second time.

 After dinner, Babydoll and I went petroglyph hunting.  Rock etching/rubbings by natives from between 500-1000 years ago, they are littered throughout the region.  There isn't any 'trail' and even the map directing you to them is sketchy, so it was an adventure just to find them, which made it one of the best things we did on this trip.

 This one is supposed to represent child birth. 

 Such a cool thing to do and I felt special as we were the only ones looking at them.  The bummer is that they aren't monitored or protected, so dipshits have tagged a bunch of them.  Maybe in a 1000 years, whatever takes over the planet will marvel at 'Brent Loves Kelly'.

Next day was Arches.  While Canyonlands was carved by running water, a different kind of erosion was at work here.  Wind mixed with moisture entering cracks in the rocks produced hundreds  of natural stone arches and stunning rock formations.  You seriously have to go to see it for yourself.

 Next day, the plan was to drive to Salt Lake City, but as Babydoll likes to sleep late and as I mentioned, will wake up at 5:30AM every morning regardless, took those opportunities to go for a walk.  On this day, I drove back to Arches (30 mins from the hotel) to commune at dawn with nature.  It got storm cloudy, but not before I caught this view of Landscape Arch (the longest) in morning light with the storm clouds rolling in.  Wow

Walking back to the car, encountered the only other people I saw that morning.  Was wearing a Philadelphia Eagles t-shirt I bought for 5 bucks outside of Citizens Bank Park the week before, and the lady asks me, "are you from Philly".  "In West Philadelphia born and raised" I said/sang  I strode smugly past.  Hope they got it.

The drive from Moab to Salt Lake took about 5 hours and was pretty.  Did a drive through Provo to peek at BYU and hit SLC in the late afternoon.  Clean.  Three general observations about the 'road'.
- In the Mountain West states, they offer 85 octane gas
- There must be no helmet laws for motorcycles in Colorado and Utah
- 'Your Speed' signs, the ones that flash your current speed, have gotten really aggressive.  They used to just flash when you went over the limit, then they started flashing faster when you went 10 miles over.  They changed them to then flash in red 'SLOW DOWN'.  Now, they still do all of the above but now start blinking a strobe light.  Extremely distracting and is gonna cause someone to freak out and crash at some point.  Don't ask me how I have been able to learn about this sign evolution.

Another note I made on America at this point in the journey...the credit card chip reader thing is now everywhere.  Didn't see a single one last summer and was amazed at how ubiquitous they've become.  Have to assume that it is for our safety, but so effing annoying.  First, never knew if it was still a slide of the magnetic stripe or the chip thing and always picked the wrong one.  Every  cashier seemed as disgusted by my incorrect choice as I was by the whole situation as I got the dismissive "Use the chip reader Sir."  What I heard was "hey old man, we have technology now".  So after this push me/pull me crap, and waiting for what seemed like 10 minutes each time (yes I pulled it out early a few times too), once it's done it starts barking at you with a super aggressive sound.  Wouldn't call it a beep, and think they copped the noise from the China Syndrome soundtrack.  How about a gentle ding with a progressively more frequent and louder ding before you get all Jane Fonda on my ass.  Screw you chip reader machines.

And here is a travel tip I discovered.  Take an ice bag.  After all of these walks in the high desert, my knees started barking and hit the drug store for an ice bag.  Icing down after exertion is good for everyone and even for those without chronic joint pain, you never know when you will twist an ankle or something.  They are also good for headaches and other ailments.    As we were spending hours in the hot sun and needed water, found that I could fill up the bag and use it as one of those igloo cooler packs to help keep our beverages cool and sandwiches fresh with the added bonus in that they don't sweat, so stuff stays dry.   Not only that, but if you ever got stuck and ran out of water, you could use the melted water to keep you alive.  Will taste like rubber, but will keep one properly hydrated.  It takes up minimal space and weight and I will never leave home without it.  You're welcome.

Thoughts on Salt lake City...

- Ski shops were everywhere and there were several world class slopes minutes away...the Olympics were there not long ago.  If I was a ski nut and could choose my place to live, no question this would be #1 in the States as you have world class runs minutes from an urban center.

- Tons of cool urban stuff too.  Thought it was gonna be all Mormoned out, but there were many coffee shops and bars and one of the nicest gay parts of town I've ever seen. 

- We also searched out some funky public art spaces...most of them tip their caps to God, but still.  My God is Fun-Kay.

- The layout of SLC, and most towns in the Mormon heartland, are laid out in a N-S/E-W grid with the streets mostly named North/South/East/West.  So an address will be 125 East 600 South St.  Didn't take long to figure out and we were able to navigate it easier than anywhere I've ever been.

- And the traffic was a breeze.  Big streets with little congestion, even at rush hour on a weekday. 

- Extremely clean and while it has to be about somewhere, did not see a truly impoverished area anywhere.  Homeless people had been abundant  and were noticeable everywhere we had been so far, but they were few and far between in SLC.  The ones we did see were the white meth-y variety.

- Walked one morning around the State Capitol and it was similar to those in most of the Western states.  Commanding view of the spectacular valley and mountains.  Learned a ton about the lore of the Mormons and their initial interactions with the natives from the murals that line the halls inside.

- I had heard there were no black folks there, but I saw a lot.  Not anywhere near DC/Balt/Philly quantities, but plenty.  Saw a Rosa Parks Blvd.

- Had no problem getting a drink.  Had read that to get one in the past, you had to join the restaurant/bars club and pay a membership before you could be served, but they ditched it in 2013 now it's let the good times roll.

- Mormons.  The first thing that you notice about them is that you can't see their horns.  Everyone knows that the uniform of the male missionaries is the white short sleeve button down with tie, but what I did not know is that the women all wear dresses.  I didn't look it up but there must be some custom as the amount of women wearing them was readily apparent.  The dresses are well designed and Laura Ashley must make a killing in town (am a long time fan of that look) 

The temple itself is a lovely building but is much smaller than I thought it would be. 

Couldn't go inside but the grounds around it had beautiful gardens and interesting public spaces.

 Non-Mormons can't go inside and I read that even Mormons that haven't reached a certain level within the church are not allowed entry either.  Also read that since they can't get married in the church that it is a custom to take wedding pictures on the back steps of the temple.  Babydoll and I were walking the grounds and started heading to the back steps to check it out, and as we turned the corner were stunned at the amount of people that were there.  Hundreds of them.  Not just the couple coming to take a picture but entire wedding parties...and this was at 11am on a Thursday.  We obviously don't belong as I'm wearing shorts and t-shirt and Babydoll has on her short shorts and tank top, but as we are wading into the scene, a man comes up to us and asks if we are there to take our honeymoon pictures.  She and I glanced at each other with a look that screamed so much...ewww, embarrassment, horror, disgust, gross, etc.  I obviously felt like Woody Allen and  could only muster up "no" to the guy as we proceeded on in silence. 

I wanted to take a ton of photos here but felt that it would be wrong as this is a big deal to them and didn't want to be disrespectful.  Had to take a snap at this wedding party as the girls were so freakin' hot and really shows what I'm talking about with the dresses.

 The one taking the photo is in the traditional pilgrimage dress.

The above photo was inside the theatre where the Tabernacle Choir sings...they give free concerts open to the public on Thursday but were out of town this day unfortunately.  What we noticed about them here, in the other attractions around the temple and really all over town was just how nice the Mormons  are.  Always smiling and positive and engaging.  Very open with their body language.  In the "library" they had a little theatre where they showed Mormon stories...ones that showed people from different walks of life and how their religion interacts and shapes their life experience.  It was kinda hot outside and we sat there for a while to recharge our batteries.  When one of the films ended, you had to go to the menu to select another story.  One ended and we are just vegging, and the woman who was stationed at the attraction (young, hot and in a dress) comes up and says, "can I play the one I like the best, please?"  These folks are so damn nice that it was impossible to dismiss them as I was so prepared to do but just could not shake this underlying feeling that I still cannot describe.  Stepford wives gets tossed around but that isn't it.  I wrote in my notebook that it was like the aliens in Mars Attacks when they are still in their human disguise. 

We popped out to the Great Salt Lake to check it out and it is pretty, but not really pretty.  I knew it was to acidic for much life but was surprised that there was no boating traffic on it.  Not much to say other than we saw a ton of buffalo and that they smell a lot.

 We hit the road for the long ride to Grandma's house in San Francisco and on the way from SLC near the Nevada border is the Bonneville Salt Flats. Most famous for the place where the land speed record was set and still stands.   Hundreds of miles from anything of note and about 250 miles form Salt Lake City  The flats were part of a massive inland sea that has shrunk now to only the Salt Lake.  Not much to see other than this white plain of rock hard salt, but unlike anything anywhere. 

Talk soon