Utah Road Trip

For many years now I have been looking forward to a vacation to scenic southern Utah. Last week we dropped Steven off at BYU, then Suzanne and I headed southeast from Provo, through Price and Green River, to Arches National Park. We arrived late afternoon but still had time to drive the length of the park (stopping at scenic points a few times), and do a couple of hikes to view various arches and scenic formations. The first hike was about four miles, and the second only a couple of miles, which we finished at sunset. The scenery was so dramatic and otherworldly I felt like we were in a cartoon! Here are just a few pictures.

We had a tent and sleeping bags, so just stayed in campgrounds each night, with the first one a few miles outside Moab.

Next stop, Canyonlands National Park!

bike crash

Well, I have been very fortunate to have logged tens of thousands of miles riding my bicycle, and never had a real accident. Until last Saturday.

The weather was perfect. No wind, cool temperatures, and sunny. So I joined a group of fellow cyclists to ride the Pioneer Century--100 miles through the scenic and historic Willamette Valley. I have done this ride in years past, but not for the several recent years.

Three of us were clipping along at a good pace on an open, low traffic road at about mile 35. I was second in the line and without warning the rider in front of me braked and swerved to avoid a dog that ran out at us. I did the same, wildly trying to avoid crashing into the dog or rider, and just about made it through okay when the rider behind crashed into me. We both went down on the pavement and gravel.

I ended up with some scrapes on my knee and a chest injury, which I thought might be cracked ribs (it hurt to breath deeply). And my rear wheel was wobbly. The other rider also had scrapes and a ruined front wheel. We had to call a sag wagon to pick up the other rider, but I was able to open my rear brakes enough to continue riding. At the next rest stop a mechanic was able to true my wheel somewhat and the bike rode fine.

At 55 miles I was back at the start/finish and could have gone home, but, since I had paid my money and the day was beautiful, I continued on the 45 mile second loop and completed the full century.

Interestingly, about mile 80 a bee flew into my helmet and sunglasses and started stinging me multiple times. I stopped quickly and flung it out. Man, that hurt like the dickens. But there was nothing to do but keep riding, and the pain subsided after a few minutes. That's another thing I don't recall ever happening to me on a bike ride.

Coincidentally, I had my annual physical exam scheduled for today, so the doctor checked out my chest (which is already much improved from Saturday) and diagnosed just some strained muscles.

So, with the double misfortunes was the ride worth it? Of course! And what memories it created! And a feeling of accomplishment!

Opera Music

It was almost 30 years ago (just before Bridget was born) when I “discovered” opera.

I had always liked classical music, even in high school, but never listened to opera. It must have been 1981 when I got a sampler album from Maxell (makers of cassette tapes), with various musical selections on it, and one was the closing movement from Verdi’s Requiem. I liked it so much that I wanted to find more music like that, so I checked out some Verdi opera music from the library and liked it. I watched Puccini’s “Tosca” on Boise’s public TV station about this time, and really enjoyed it (it may be my favorite opera to this day). So I graduated from Verdi to Puccini. I liked the Pilgrim’s Chorus from a Mormon Tabernacle Choir tape, so I picked up some Wagner opera music as well. These were my three main composers, as well as some Mozart. I belonged to a classical record club so I added some opera LPs to my collection.

Over the years I’m sure the girls remember going to productions of the Portland Opera downtown. But in recent years I haven’t listened to opera much.

A few weeks ago Steven showed us some music on youtube (“Saul”) that their choir was performing, and it reminded me of Verdi’s Requiem. So I dusted off my old LP and listened to it a bunch. That started the ball rolling again so I have been listening to many of my old LPs and have begun the process of transferring my collection to mp3. Ah, such glorious music!

Here is a link to the beginning of Verdi’s stirring and powerful Requiem.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVjDP0vlem4

and the conclusion:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLn2pA5b1lM

Here is the exquisite finale from Wagner’s “Parsifal”. The goosebumps start kicking in at around 1:55 to 2:55.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPn3JV3GHRE

Puccini composed so much beautiful music how do I pick one sample? But here is the heart wrenching finale of La Boheme.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WotXAD9iDI

Enjoy!

More spring

It is a typical spring in the Pacific Northwest. A couple of days of marvelous warm sunny weather, followed by several days of unsettled cool weather. I was riding my bike in shorts and shirtsleeves the other day, luxuriating in the novelty. And then it turned back to winter-like weather. Stormy, windy, cold.

Here is the view today looking west outside my window at work. I take note of the snow on the Coast Range peaks. Granted, it wasn't cold enough to snow down here, but this is an indication of the colder, wet weather we've had the past few days.

My memories of spring weather go back to T-ball games with our smaller children, then high school track meets and tennis matches. I remember watching these one day in warm sunshine, and another in the most unpleasant cold and wind.

Ah, but I love spring. The ever increasing daylight hours and prospects of nice weather (not to be reliably realized until July). The newness of life all around. The blossoms, the many shades of green. And soon the annual planting of flowers in our front yard.

Spring arrives early

We had a couple of very cold weeks in early December, and one day of snow later in December (when we were out of town). In January it never got below 35 degrees all month, and of course no snow or ice. Now here it is mid-February and the trees are already in blossom! I'm sure we are two or three weeks ahead of schedule for Spring.

Amazingly I've continued riding my bike to work every day but two or three since late November. Though it has been wet several rides it has been very tolerable.

I love our winters. Not warm like Tucson or Riverside, and not cold like Ithaca or Idaho. Just right. And I really love the increasing daylight each day as Spring descends on us.

Exotic vacations

I don't want this post to come across as boastful, but I'll take the risk.

I was reflecting on the many marvelous vacations and trips I and we have been blessed to take. I made a list and then attempted to pare it down to the top ten. Here they are, in chronological order.


1976 – England, Ireland, Germany, France, Austria, more: Suzanne and I were poor college students, and Suzanne was six to eight months pregnant during this two month vacation. We had a home base with my brother, Barry, for several weeks in Germany where he was stationed in the Air Force.

1990 – Ireland: I tacked this on the end of a business trip to England, and Suzanne and I spent several days in the western part of the country.

1990 – Family vacation back east: My first sabbatical from Sequent, and I think this was three weeks duration. We rented a van and drove from Vermont to South Carolina, with four kids in tow.

1996 – Alaska vacation: 2nd Sequent sabbatical, about three weeks. We started in Anchorage in a rented RV to drive the interior, then sailed the inside passage on Alaska ferries. So memorable for the adventure and exotic nature, but also for how good the four kids were.

1997 – Hawaii: An employee reward trip for Suzanne and me, compliments of Sequent, five days. Oh, to be so pampered on Maui.

1997 – Slovakia and Austria: Suzanne and I went to Europe to pick up Blair after his mission. Not all that long after the iron curtain dropped, and Slovakia still had a communist feel. Adventure and memories—at the time I thought it was the best thing ever.

1998 – Trip back east with the family and my mom. Flew to Kansas City (exciting thunder storm!), drove east through Nauvoo, Kirtland, Palmyra, Gettysburg, DC, Williamsburg, Jamestown, and more.

2002 – Russia, Czech Republic, Berlin, Poland, Slovakia: 3rd Sequent sabbatical. Wow! So exotic to visit Bridget and Jeremy in Moscow, and travel with them. Visited Teresa in Germany.

2005 – Syria, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon: Exotic and adventure step up a notch! Suzanne and Steven went a couple of weeks ahead of me, then I joined them for a couple of weeks. Bridget and Jeremy provided home base and tour guide services from their Damascus base.

2007 – Jordan, Israel, and (for me) Germany: I joined Suzanne and Steven for a week or so in Amman (courtesy of B&J again), then returned through Germany for a few days to pick up a new BMW and drive the Autobahn.

2008 – Montana road trip; Suzanne and I took off in the BMW for a road trip through Idaho (hello, Teresa!) and Montana. Great scenery and a trip down memory lane for me.


Okay, so that makes 11, if you are counting. And I didn't include the Mexico cruise, since that got its own post. What incredible experiences and memories these trips have given us! I really do count my blessings.

Atlas Shrugged

While searching for books to read I came across a list showing Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand, to be the most read (or 2nd most read) book behind the Bible. I also checked some reviews on Amazon and many commented it was the most influential book they have read. So I checked out the mp3 version.

It was a huge investment in time. It is a very lengthy book, over 1000 pages or over 50 hours listening. While presented in the form of a novel, it is really a presentation of Ayn Rand's philosophy, called objectivism. I'm not a big fan of philosophy, so I was hoping the story would carry the book, but it really doesn't. A few times during the reading I considered bailing, but since I had already invested so much time I wanted to finish it.

Rand presents her arguments in such black and white terms, often oversimplifying the antagonist argument. For example, I didn't care for her arguments against religion and belief in God, as she presented a stereotype of a simple minded believer. I also didn't care for her depiction (or lack of) of marriage and family. There were no children present anywhere in her world of 1950-ish USA. Her philosophy doesn't seem to accommodate love, compassion, altruism, service, or selflessness. Who would care for the sick, elderly, or handicapped? Her idea of sexual intimacy is pretty crass. All the characters are smokers (an artifact of when the book was written, I'm sure).

One reason the book is so long is that characters drone on and on in monologues spouting philosophical beliefs. It seems to me they keep stating and restating and restating the same ideas. Okay, Ms. Rand I get it already. At one point in the story a protagonist usurps a national radio broadcast and drones on for a three hour speech (or 60 pages in the book). What average person would listen to a three hour espousing of philosophical beliefs on the radio?

There is much of the philosophy I do agree with, though. Free markets, capitalism, less government interference, limiting "moochers" and "looters" from government dependence and manipulation.

Anyway, Atlas Shrugged wouldn't make my top ten list. I'm glad I read it, since it is such an influential book. You don't have to agree totally with a philosophy to benefit from learning about it. Would I recommend it to others? Conditionally, especially if you have time and patience, and enjoy philosophy and political science.