atomicthoughts.com

204 miles

Third stop, dinner. Also home of the famous Hatch shortcut, described by some as the most lonely and desolate stretch in the land. But that’s selling some perfectly shitty roads elsewhere in the west awfully short.

142 miles

Second stop. Customary first stop for any trip east. Lowe’s is usually our first choice when we hit a clump of truck stops. I believe it’s where I heard about the birth of my nephew, still on our way back from a visit back home.

122 miles

First stop, rest stop. There’s an EPA notice on the door stating they’re over the maximum levels for nitrate in the water, and they’re “investigating treatment options”. Sounds nasty.

We’ve covered this stretch of road dozens of times now, but the view as you come over a crest and see a new valley still amazes me. I love living in the west.

My family gave me a wonderful birthday yesterday, but I was unable to appreciate it. For the last 3 birthdays some point in the comes along, and I realize my mom won’t be calling me to sing happy birthday to me.

Mother’s day is a little hard for similar reasons, but being able to celebrate that day for my beautiful wife makes a world of difference.

You would think that my mom’s birthday would be hard as well, but that hasn’t really been the case. Embarrasingly, this year I forgot about it entirely until the day after. But remembering it for the last two years is twice as many times as I had in the last 30 years.

My birthday, though, has always been the toughest, and looks to be a trend that will continue. Sometimes I still miss my mommy.

“You’re going to buy that,” my wife cautiously asked?
“Sure.”
“It looks nasty.”
“I think it looks good.”
“It’s like food poisoning souffle or something.”
“I guess we’ll have to make it tonight then,” I concluded, since she was going to be at a meeting during dinner time.

Well, as usual, my wife was dead on. Except if you’re going to poison someone’s food, it would probably taste quite a bit better than this since swill. Not only did it taste horrible, it was easily one of the least healthy things I’ve had all year. Here’s the butcher’s bill:

Serving Size 1 Cup
Servings per About 9
Calories 460
Calories from Fat 160
Total Fat 18g, 27% DV
Saturated Fat 10g, 50% DV
Cholesterol 120mg, 39% DV
Sodium 1000mg, 42% DV
Total Carbs 44g, 15% DV

In conclusion, I do not recommend “Chicken & Pasta Con Queso” from Sam’s Club.

7 interesting things about me. It took me an inordinate part of time to come up with this list, and 2 of the things aren’t even really about me. I had to restrain myself from making this item #7, too.

1. My wife and I have the same middle name.
   
2. I eat plastic.
   
3. I was once a (great) paperboy. I loved doing the route, especially the in the winter. Got fully geared up in a snowsuit and my bag, put the flap over the bag, and jumped over through and around all the snow drifts.
   
4. My brothers are fraternal twins, and took a half dozen or more trips to the twin cities to participate in twins studies at the University of Minnesota.
   
5. In the 10th grade I had a poem published.
   
6. For the last yer I’ve worn an undershirt at least 90% of the time, even during our 100 degree summers. It’s not any hotter and makes me feel considerably more comfortable in other ways.
   
7. I credit my experience in high school speech as a huge part of my professional success.
   

Okay, so I’m currently reading a book about the history of the bookshelf. For fun. It’s not as dull as you think though, I’m in the middle of a chapter on studies and carrels!

I love learning about the evolution of things and processes. At work so many things happen the way they do for historical and mysterious reasons that are no longer applicable it fascinates me when the same is true for larger world things.

Or as the book says:

… even though it was the chaining of books that had given the arrangement the configuration that it had. It is such habit thay shapes much of our artifactual world, and it changes in time not because its form is antiquated but because it becomes inadequate.