Here we go again...

As we stood on Shulamith's porch yesterday morning taking back-to-school pics, it seriously felt like we had just done it. Has it really been an entire year? How's that possible?

This year only five of us returned to school. Seth graduated in May from UVU and is working as a legal assistant as he studies for the LSAT. It's entirely possible that next fall he'll be headed to law school. Eli escaped the chaos of public education and works for the LDS Church as an Operations Supervisor and Job Coach at the Murray Deseret Industries.

Yesterday, five of us packed up our backpacks, donned our first-day-of-school outfits, and headed back to the grind. It was a very long day. When Shulamith texted me at 8:00 p.m. asking if I survived my two early-evening classes, I replied, "Barely." When she texted again at 9:04 to tell me I forgot to stop by and grab some sourdough to eat with my dinner, I was fighting sleep, wanting so badly to stay awake to hear Tim Walz address the Democratic Convention. I lost that battle. But this morning, once I finish this post, I'll return to my zero gravity bed and watch that speech, along with a couple others I've missed during the week. 

So here we go with the famous yearly school photos:

Theodore - 2nd grade (DLI Spanish)

Kennedy - 5th grade

Swen - 7th grade

(Swen escaped the front porch picture taking, because he was already off to middle school before the rest of us were even dressed!)

Shulamith - kindergarten

Me: University of Utah and Salt Lake Community College

I had to drop UVU from my teaching schedule, because I accepted a one-year, non-tenure track, full-time position at SLCC, and I'd rather not die. I already miss UVU; it is my favorite place to teach; however, after just one day, I can already feel the relief from not dealing with three separate institutions. I mean I still woke up at 2:00 a.m. worrying about how to get everything done. When I was still awake at 4:00, I decided to get up and do the stuff, so I could stop worrying. Now at nearly 8:00, I'm feeling slightly less anxious, but my eyes are tired. 

Gonna go watch a speech by the next Vice President of the United States. Our family text thread was raging wild last night as it was happening, but I was drifting in and out of consciousness. Can't wait to hear it! And lie in zero gravity.

And hopefully take a nap.

Energized and hopeful, not exactly a beach person, and is that a "real" McDonald's?

Is all that too much to cover in a single blog post? Yes.

Am I gonna do it anyway. Yes.

Energized and hopeful. The English language has more words to say the exact same thing than any other language I know of. And yet, today I struggle for the words to express my excitement about the recent events within the Democratic Party. I'll settle for the two above. For real, I haven't felt this much energy and hope for our country since 2008, when we campaigned for then-Senator Barak Obama. Luke was home from his mission only two weeks, when the two of us went out canvassing our neighborhood in Billings, Montana. It's a memory I treasure. And while Senator Obama did not win the state of Montana (shocking!), I was grateful for the opportunity for Luke and me to do our part, however small, to elect a new President, one who energized us and gave hope to so many across the nation. 

I've felt that same vibe these past two weeks, as Vice President Kamala Harris became the presumptive nominee on the Democratic ticket, and again just a few days ago when she announced Governor Tim Walz as her running mate. Oh my goodness, these two! I couldn't be any more impressed. They offer consistent, kind, responsible leadership. Their dedication to basic human rights like food, housing, education, and healthcare is unparalleled, and both have track records fighting for these rights--for everyone--not just the wealthiest. No, they are not perfect people or perfect candidates. But they are also not INSANE! Like the two on the other side. (No offense intended to my many conservative friends. But it's my blog, so....)

Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will not win the state of Utah. It seems my destiny to find myself forever "livin' blue in a red state." But I will still do whatever I can. I will donate my time, effort, and limited financial resources to mobilize citizens and get out the vote for Harris/Walz in November, especially in the battleground states. Because the alternative is positively unacceptable.

Not exactly a beach person. So the beach presents a bit of a paradox for me. I grew up in Western Oregon, where I could drive less than an hour and be at the ocean. And I did. Well, I didn't actually drive there; I rode in my parents' car, but yes, as a family, we spent considerable time on the Oregon coast. And I learned at a young age that I'm not exactly a beach person. I love the cool breezes and ocean views. I LOVE to eat fresh seafood. I'm an excellent swimmer, and I love to be in water! 

But juxtapositioned right alongside all that is my intense dislike for sand. Anywhere on my body. Particularly on my feet and toes. As Seth would say, it's super cringe. So whenever a beach-type situation arises, there's always the internal struggle between water fun on the one hand, and gross sand stuck between my toes on the other. It's a hard call. This past week, we went to Bear Lake for a final goodbye to summer before Shulamith, her kids, and I all return to school. We rented a lovely Airbnb with a beautiful view of the lake (pictured above). We made good food, sat in the hot tub, played Charades and Ransom Notes, and drank delicious fresh raspberry shakes.

We also went to the lake. Twice. 

The first day, I wore shoes and socks, and not one pebble of sand got into my toes. Success! The second day we rented paddle boards, so of course I had to try riding one of those, which meant I had to take off my shoes and socks and walk down to the water. Worse, I had to walk out of the water with wet feet back to our shade canopy. Ewwww, so much sand! Amanda to the rescue! She researched the best way to overcome this problem and brought corn starch. Turns out if you rub corn starch all over your sandy feet, all the sand comes off. It's absolutely true! Within just a couple minutes, all the sand was gone, and I had my socks and shoes back on. 

Is that a "real" McDonald's???

As we drove home Friday morning, we decided to stop for breakfast in Logan. Shulamith's kids all like McDonald's breakfast, so I put "McDonald's near me" in my phone, and we headed that way. As we pulled into the parking lot, joy overcame me. "Is that a 'real' McDonald's?" I exclaimed. In case you didn't know, the vast majority of McDonald's restaurants aren't real. The only "real" McDonald's restaurants have giant golden arches that literally go through the building on each side. Like this....

I was so surprised and excited, I jumped right out to take a picture before running inside. The only "real" McDonald's we have anywhere near us is the one on State Street and 5800 South in Murray, and I definitely go there whenever I can.  Other McDonald's restaurants fake it fairly well. They serve the same food. They have pictures of Ronald McDonald on their walls. But trust me; they are only posers. 

Farewell, summer!

The official last day of summer in the U.S. isn't until September 22nd, but for those of us who are teachers or students, it ends the second we set foot back in school. There isn't much time left! If you're trying to squeeze in all the best things before it's over, I suggest starting with the following: (1) join the celebratory spirit rising in America by demonstrating your support for Harris/Walz, (2) spend a few days at Bear Lake, but pack lots of corn starch, and (3) find yourself a "real" McDonald's.