A place for our thoughts

Category: Random Thoughts (Page 2 of 3)

Update

Memorial Day is here, and is the last day of our little spring vacation.  We both needed some time off, so we spent some time in South Carolina visiting Jeff’s family and the end of last week here at home.  The trip to South Carolina seemed to go quite quickly, but it was good to finally see his brother Joe’s new house and to visit with the niece and nephew.

While we didn’t get a whole lot done once we returned, we did get some things out of the way on our list.  We bought new kitchen faucets and had our countertops measured.  We got some samples of Zodiaq and think we’ve finally settled on the color we like, and we selected a new sink.  Now we wait for the quote to come in before ordering.

New Flax BathroomNew Flax BathroomJeff decided that since the plans to re-do the upstairs bathroom fell through, he should at least paint it.  It’s now flax and sports new picture frames with art, towels and rugs (only one is shown in the photo.  It looks quite nice, but now really underscores the need for new flooring!  Someday we’ll get to that, but I’m not sure when!

Meanwhile, I finally attacked some of the trim for the hardwood floor we installed in October of 2005.  Yes…coming up on 2 years ago!  But with few bugs outside, nice weather and finally being mentally ready to attack the project, I finally got at installing the quarter-round in front of the baseboards.

Of course I couldn’t get very far without running into issues I created because it was the first room I installed the flooring into.  Those included never really finishing the transition between the hardwood and the tile, or figuring out how to fill the gap created by the bowed wall on the living room side.  What I really needed to do the job was a new table saw.  One quick trip to the new Home Depot down the road and I had a new power tool.  And boy..did it ever make the difference to rip floor boards the long way with the proper tool versus trying to use a jig saw!  I managed to get the last row of [partial] boards installed right up near the tile, and used the other halves to fill in for the bowed area of the baseboard, and installed quarter-round throughout most of the dining room.  By no means done, but on the way!

I told Jeff when it’s finally all done, we need to have a T.G.I.F. party (that can stand for Thank God It’s Done, or… Thank God It’s a Floor).  Stay tuned, but don’t hold your breath!

Live Long and Prosper

The words of a science fiction character…well wishes from a race of logical beings that have trained themselves to control and even eliminate their emotions (if that’s really even possible).  But wise and kind they are.

Today we burried my Grandmother.  For me and the rest of my family, it was far from emotionless.  Having nearly reached the age of 94 years, and bringing up and positively influencing four children, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, it would seem she did heed that advice, and heeded it well.

She had a good, long life, and in the end, really didn’t seem to suffer.  We were all fortunate enough to have the time to visit with her…to laugh and cry together…and to face head on the certainty of what was to come.  We know she was ready and that she is now in peace.  We are comforted by these things, as well as the many wonderful memories and traditions she has given to us.  She will always be with us, and I’m very grateful to have been fortunate enough to have had her in my life.

Yet mixed with the gentle smiles that emerge on our faces when we find ourselves thinking of her, come the tears at the recognition that we will miss her dearly.  Our lives have now changed forever, as we will no longer enjoy the company of someone that has been a part of our entire lives to this point.  We instead must be content with our memory of her.  Fortunately, there are many wonderful memories upon which we can draw.

She created a wonderful legacy, and even in her death provided an opportunity for the family to strengthen the bonds we have with each other.  For a woman who never boarded an airplane, she certainly understood the philosophy of a fictional culture from beyond the stars.

À bientôt!

Tonight I had to say good-bye, or hopefully rather until we meet again to my very good friends Larry & Gwynn.  I’ve had the pleasure of knowing them for several years now and have come to appreciate them as two of the best people I’ve ever known.  The world could certainly benefit from having more folks like them!

But I’m confident that we will remain in touch.  Certainly it will not be as easy to see each other as it has been in the past, but technology really has shrunk the world.  Cell phone calling plans and the Internet, webcams and digital photos all make it much easier to stay in touch than it was 20 years ago!

In any case, I wish them all the best in the next chapter of their lives, and look forward to stories of their adventures to come.  And if they happen to be reading this, I have this to say:

      Thank you, and I love you!

All my best….

Kevin

Wicked!

For my birthday, Jeff surprised me with tickets to see Wicked, the broadway musical based on the novel Wicked:  The LIfe and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire.  Two years ago when we went to New York to see Kathy & Mo, we stayed at a little hotel that happened to be across the street from the theater in which Wicked was playing on Broadway.  It was relatively new then, but tickets were impossible to come by.  Ever since, I’ve been saying how I’d like to see that show.  Finally, it’s touring, and made a brief 10-day stop in town…and the dates just happened to coincide with my birthday.  So thoughtful Jeff jumped on the opporunity and it was an awesome gift.

As we found our seats in the Orpheum, I noticed the curtain was a map of Oz, with the emerald city glowing magically in the center.  Little did I know that it would be only a hint of the wonders we would experience over the next three hours!

For those that don’t know, the story dovetails with the classic story we all know about Dorothy and her experiences in the land of Oz.  But it’s from another perspective…that of Elphaba, the Wicket Witch of the West.  We learn of her origins and her relationships with some familiar and some new characters not mentioned in the famliar story.  It weaves in quite well, and provides some very interesting perspectives.  While being entertained, we are challeneged to re-think our perceptions of good and evil.

As for the production itself…it was amazing!  From scenery and lighting to costumes to choreography and vocal performance everything was stunning.  Combined with the story and the music, it may very well be the best show I’ve ever seen!  I would highly recommend anyone that enjoys theatre in the least make an effort to see this show if they can possibly do so!

Independence Day

Happy Independence Day!

For me, it was independence from work, and independence to do something I don’t usually get a chance to do in Utah. There is a small road, open only during the summer months, that connects Brighton to Park City and Heber City. I’ve always seen the road, and wondered about it, but never had a chance to drive it. Well today I did! I rounded up Scott from work and we went on a little road trip.

Brighton-Park-City-Passage.jpg

This is the view as we reached the top of the ridge dividing Big Cottonwood Canyon from, well, I’m not really sure! But from the other side! I’ll have to do some more research to see exactly where we drove!

The intense morning heat put a lot of energy into the atmosphere, and some storm clouds developed. I was hoping to get lucky enough to capture some of the magnificent lighting strikes, but at least the lighting here is still pretty cool.

We continued along a narrow stone/dirt road until we found ourselves descending into Park City, right behind Park City Mountain resort. We notices a lot of new construction of homes and condos and they look pretty amazing. I could see myself living there!

After a quick tour of Main Street Park City even through the pouring rain (there’s something about me and Park City..it rains or snows every time I go!), we headed down into the Heber Valley. Heber is a place I’ve only seen in the distance, from the tops of Brighton and Alta resorts. So it was time to venture into the valley. We passed Dear Valley resort and the Jordanelle reservoir (??) and a coulpe state parks and rec areas before driving down “the main drag” of Heber City. It’s a cute small town, but doesn’t have the character Park City does. We managed to find the Heber Airport, but through the pouring rain, didn’t go exploring.

All in all it was a nice way to spend the afternoon!

Finished at last?? Not quite, but close!

DSCN0660_edited.jpgToday we spent another few hours on the bedroom floor…or should I say closet floor.  But we managed to finish it, get the base boards re-attached (finally got to use the new finishing nailer I bought weeks ago), get most of the tools put away and the furniture back into place.  It will be nice to have a normal bedroom again! However, the nice new floor underscores the need for new bedroom furniture.  Another thing for the list!

 

Here are some more photos of the job:

DSCN0659_edited.jpg DSCN0658_edited.jpg DSCN0657_edited.jpg

Deep Tissue Massage…ahhh!

This last week at work has been extremely hectic.  I put in some very long days, along with many co-workers.  This morning I slept in a little for some much-needed catch-up sleep.  After a couple cups of coffee, I was ready to put in some more work on the floor in the bedroom.  We spent a couple of hours and managed to finish our bedroom floor, working into the doorway of the closet before I had to go to get my massage!

Last year for my birthday (I, know, it’s almost here again), I received a gift certificate for a swedish massage….which I misplaced until recently.  But this afternoon I visited 1609 Salon & Day Spa for my swedish deep tissue massage.  I would highly recommend it for anyone that can appreciate a massage!  It was a wonderful treat, and I’ll certainly go back.

Now, if only the floor work was done 😉

Spring in Utah?

Imagine my surprise when I got off the plane last night to rain and snow on the ground after a 75-degree weekend at home!  Imagine having to brush 4 inches of snow off of the car this morning when I left for work!  Now imagine that just last week I was inline skating at the park in shorts and a tee shirt!

Salt Lake City in SpringtimeStrange weather here yesterday and today.  Snow in the mountains, scattered flurries on the bench and scattered showers in the valley.  An odd mix of black and white clouds, partially obscuring both mountainside and sky, casting holstein-like patterns of shaddow and light into the valley.  Green grass poking through fresh white patches of snow.  Snow clinging to tree blossoms.  If only a photo would do it justice.  (If only I had taken the time to take a photo.)

It was a busy weekend.  I really missed seeing the family on Easter Sunday, but somehow my schedule seems to be in control of my life rather than the other way around!  I arrived home Friday evening and did manage to enjoy the hot tub for a little while.  French class and a going-away party for our friends Kevin and Will kept me away from the house most of the day on Saturday.  Sunday simply disappeared…  Next thing I know I’m back here.  But with working back home yesterday and travel last night, then working and having a flying club board meeting (via telephone) today…It’s already 9:30pm and I’m only now having a little free time.  So I thought I’d take a moment to make this post.

Some faith restored!

The other day I was looking for child-hood songs containing French words…but I forgot one important one:  Alouette!  Well, it’s easy enough to find, and it’s kind of funny.  I think we should sing it in class to learn body parts of a bird!  (He he).  If this brings back memories for you, check it out, including a sing-along!  Let me know if it makes you feel hungry 🙂

Musical memories from childhood…destroyed!

As you probably know, I’m taking my second level of beginner’s French at the local chapter of Alliance Française.  While I was on the plane to SLC last night, I decided to listen to the audio CD I just received with my class materials.  Earlier in the day, I had ripped it to my Rio portable audio player, so it was very convenient.  Much to my surprise, I was able to catch more of the dialog than I had expected.  I had been warned it was “fast”, and it was!

After listening to the whole thing, I decided to nap for the rest of the flight.  Somehow in that half-asleep state I managed to start thinking about childhood songs that i now realize were in French. Continue reading

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