The day in recap

Do people recap days like they recap tires?  I've always wondering that.  If you recap a day, do you get to relive it again like Bill Murray does in Groundhog Day?  If you know the answer, let me know, too.

Here is today's recap--due to our extreme diligence packing weeks ahead of time, we escaped Idaho Falls at a VERY early time--it was slightly before 7:30 am when we pulled away from teh house and 7:39 when we got on the interstate.  That's very early for us these days.  we didn't eat breakfast--that helped.

Susun fried some pork chops last night and we decided to have porkchops in Porkcatello.  They really hit the spot, especially with half a fresh orange to chase them down the hatch.  Our pit stops were pretty evenly distributed--upwards of a 100 miles tops for each one.  We had two gas stops and took on a precise total of 30 gallons--right to the 100th of a gallon!

Stopped at Cabela's for lunch--the idiots didn't have the handwarmer fluid.  Who does?  That's what I would like to know.  I've been trying to buy the fluid for almost one full year.  Geeze.
Cabela's is NOT run by smart, savvy outdoorsmen.  Cabela's is staffed by the same yokels you encounter in Target, wal-Mart or any other retail store.  They all have a blank look in their eyes--you know the type.  I noticed they do their hiring at a computer kiosk down by the front door--tjat ought to tell ya something.

we only had one close encounter of the collision kind in the Salt Lake corridor.  They don't call people who live there U-Tards for nothing.  This driver was an idiot and skillful NASCAR manuvering on my part avoided a potential trip-ending accident.  I only cussed and fumed for a little less than 5 minutes.  That's not too bad in a 600 minute drive-time-day--it's less than 1%!

In that sense, the trip was 99% cuss free, a pretty good batting average.

The air was really good except around Fillmore.  It cleared up south of Fillmore again until Panguitch.  The air was probably the best we've ever seen in the Salt Lake Basin.

Our favorite SLC billboard was the one that had huge, giant letters--HUGE letter that said, "WE SUCK!"  No kidding, it was an ad for liposuction.  Ya gotta hand it to those SLC billboard writers, they really get after it.  We saw some other good ones but we've already forgot them.  How can you forget "WE SUCK!?"

We got caught in one total traffic stoppage on I-15.  Some state cop came out in front of us and started weaving wildly back and forth across all five lanes of traffic until he got everyone's attention and then took over a mile to gradually slow us down to a total stop.  Everyone sat for about 10 minutes while some workers did something in the middle of the highway.  They would have all died if the State Cop hadn't protected them like he did.  it was a neat thing to see, something brand new.

I had a question nag me all day.  Here it is:  "Are ALL farm machines doomed to wind up rusting in somebody's barnyard?"  It doesn't seem to matter what kind of agricultural technology comes along--pretty soon it's obsolete and gets parked and then rusts into oblivion.  Does that mean the $250,000 rigs we see on the implement lot today will meet the same fate in some distant tomorrow?  it's a very nagging question.

Also, I had a very insane question come into my mind.  Do black cows have higher body temperatures than lighter colorer cows?  What if you wore black all day in the sun--wouldn't you bake your buns off?  How come they don't get dehydrated faster when they are black. And, finally, is meat from a black cow tastier than a lighter cow's meat because it's been pre-seared?

Ah, the joys of travel.

We didn't stop at IKEA because we had just been stopped in that traffic thing I described above and I wanted to boogies to Cabela's.  By the way, we didn't spend a dime in cabela's and it's not the first time we've walked in and out with our cash intact.  The stuff in that store is grossly overpriced!

A lady bug came into the car someplace in the urban wilderness of Salt Lake.  I had Susun capture it and we carried it out to the Young Living Lavender Farms south of Payson.  She then got out and let it go in really wonderful habitat.  Fly, Lady Bug, Fly!

I-15 seemed very busy today, much more so than we would have guessed.  I'm talking about the far rural portions of it where the traffic has to be "distance travelers" and not bumpkins going one of hayseed spit of a town to the next hayseed spit of a city.  No, all of the traffic was clearly "going someplace."  we were driving 70 and were the slowest vehicle in I-15.  Many of the vehicles were doing probably 85 or more and some passed us like we were standing still.  Normally I-15 isn't that busy.  Yes, I know it's a friday but, so what?  Bottom line is that we both think the increased traffic we're seeing up on I-15 near Idaho Falls and especially the traffic we saw today is an indicator of an economy that's healing to a point where people are willing to get out and spend money traveling.  In other words, it's a good thing, as Martha would say.

well, that's about all.  I'm gonna shut 'er down now and get some shut eye myself.  Ain't that what they call it here with them Western Legends cowpokes?   "Well, pard, time for some shut eye."

Adios, amigo & muy margaritas, too!