Connected

For the past couple of weeks I have been biking the 8 miles from my apartment to work. I have had to get up a little bit earlier and pack the stuff I will need for the next day the night before. I have had to eat wiser during the day because a heavy lunch sits like a stone on the ride home. I have been snowed on, rained on, nearly hit by several kamikaze UTA busses, and I almost run over one homeless man sleeping in the bike lane.

I have gained several things from this new experience. I have more energy at work, and sleep better at night,. I have really enjoyed the smug feeling of being better than other people because I am part of the solution as opposed to those of you who are part of the problem.

More than that I have enjoyed feeling connected to my new home. I have been living in Salt Lake for over a year now, and it has never felt real. When I was in DC for under a year I felt at home. I felt like I was a part of that city. I went to events, met new people there, felt like I belonged there. I never felt “at home” while I was on my mission in Oakland, California, because as much as I strived to, its hard to feel a part of place when you are living with a 9:30 curfew, no dating, no going out, and a having to stand behind the car to back up (what city wants a geek like that anyway?). A mission was a different experience, and not one that can easily compare to living in a new place as part of normal society.

I have done many of the same things in Salt Lake that I did in DC, with out the same results. I have been to museums, attended the Utah Symphony, gone to plays, made new friends, and I have even become an avid skier. All of these did not ever make me feel like I knew Salt Lake or that I was a part of the Wasatch Front Tapestry. I am from St George. I am a Southern Utahan who likes his rocks red, and his homes to be all white stucco. That changed when commuted to bike.

When I started biking I was no longer trapped in my car as just another UDOT stat on I-80 West Bound. I was on the ground level of the city. I rode through the downtown with its high rise office buildings. I biked down South Temple past my future residence, the Governor’s Mansion. I pedal past Temple Square and the Capitol Building. I also see my fellow Salt City residents sleeping on sidewalks, or waiting for a Bus or Trax train to stop. They are no longer moving pictures framed by a car window, they are all real now.

I think one of the reasons I felt so connected to Washington DC in such a short time is I have always wanted to be there, but I also walked to work every morning from my studio on Constitution to my office in the Longworth Building on Independence. I had to bump into my fellow interns, along with reporters, representatives, and various office staff. I had to feel connected because I was. Riding my bike to work has done the same: it has connected me to my home of Salt Lake.

I Got Just What I Wanted for my Birthday...A NEW President!

I have been delaying writing my blog because I have not downloaded any pictures. I decided that I better just write the thing and add pictures latter if I can. I will start by writing about the election. November 4th was my birthday. Maggie worked very hard to make the day special for me and truly succeeded. That morning I had an interview with a Salt Lake City Homicide Detective about my background and suitability to become a police officer; the detective came to my home. The interview went really well I think. The fun part for me was that I was watching one of my favorite shows Homicide:Life on the Street while waiting for the "murder police" to arrive at my door.

We then opened my birthday gifts. Maggie gave me a new ski coat, and a movie I wanted starring her favorite actor Mark Wahlberg. My mother gave me the complete Young Indiana Jones on DVD, and copy of Indiana Jones' Lost Journal. Judy gave me Terms of Endearment on DVD (NOTE: This may sound out of character for me, but it is part of my goal to own every Academy Best Picture and it is based off of a book by one of my favorite authors Larry McMurtry). There were also cards from friends and family with cash that allows me to shop for something fun. So thank you to all of you I have not thanked.

Next we went to Gateway Mall to look for something fun for me to spend my birthday money on. Maggie ended up with new running attire (which she totally earned by doing her five miles in pouring rain one day, and falling snow the next). I got a Bobby Flay cookbook. We went to the Broadway and watched the new Oliver Stone movie W. We both felt that it was an appropriate way to say goodbye to the past eight long years. The movie was good with great performances, but it was defiantly directed by Oliver Stone with lots of strange stuff. I would recommend getting the Red Box DVD.

I went to class that night and learned about accident investigation, but was mostly concentrating on my mothers text messages...we got Pennsylvania...OMG AZ too close to call...waiting on Florida, damn Florida. I normally love class, but I flew out of there like Seabiscuit when we were done. I got home in time to watch Ohio called, and the rest of the election.

I can say I have not felt like this in a long time. I was so impressed with John McCain's concession speech. He sounded like the man I have admired for years again. I hope that this speech is how we remember John McCain, and not for some the past two years pandering. When Obama took the stage and began to speak I could not contain my emotions (something that for those of you who know me, know is something I do well). I cried, and I am only a little ashamed of it. I felt hope and excitement. I partially wondered if this speech really was that good or if after having W. for president for eight years the bar was so low on what a president should sound I could not tell the difference. I however am sure it really was that good. My friend Holly came over and ate birthday cake and celebrated change with us.

Over the weekend we went to Park City Saturday night to see some friends of mine and mother's that we have not seen years. We spent most of Saturday night talking with them drinking tea and eating pie. It was good to reconnect with old friends and for Maggie to make some new ones. Sunday we had dinner at the Elton's, I correctly guessed both dinner and dessert this week in Maggie and I's weekly guessing game "What's for Sunday Dinner?" We ended the night playing Mario Kart on the Wii.

On Halloween Maggie and I went to the Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Tower Theatre. The Rocky Horror Picture show is yet another event that everyone needs to do at least once in there lifetime. If you don't know what happens the movie is played on the screen while people act out the parts in front of the screen. The audience participates by throwing rice during the wedding scene, yelling lines back at the screen, dancing the Time Warp in the aisles. Our friend Qualye(there is no way I am spelling that correct, but its pronounced qu-a-lee) played Rocky and got us the hook up for some sweet tickets. I didn't do anything spectacular other than put on the Elvis costume, and Maggie revived her costume from last year which was a black slip covered in the words Id, Super Ego, and Ego...do you get it? She was a Freudian Slip. Its very clever. We then went home watched my Halloween tradition Young Frankenstein.

Sinatra, Lies,and Oinks

This past week was quite an eventful one for Maggie and I. It started with my mother coming to Salt Lake to attend the Utah Treasure's Academy, at the University of Utah's Sandy Campus which is near where I attend the police academy. She arrived on Sunday and joined us for our weekly Sunday Dinner at the Elton's home. The highlight of that evening was watching Kathy trying to introduce her dog Frito to the Pedi-Paws; a device that resembles a rotor-tiller, and is supposed to make it easier to clip your dogs nails...I am sure the infomercial made it sound like this would work.

The rest of the week was pretty standard we went to dinner with my mother after I got out class a couple of times, and I got to watch Monday Night Football at her hotel. This is exciting for me because we have not had cable ,hence no ESPN, since we moved to Salt Lake. I was not sure I would be able live with out Sports Center, but somehow against all odds I have endured. I also had a class from one of my favorite academy teachers Captain Kenny Payne from the Davis County Sheriff's Department. It was a class in Death Investigations so it had lots of gory autopsy and crime scene photos that would make normal people cringe, but being a cop wannabe; I was captivated. The best story of the night(this might be a little gruesome for some, others will laugh) was the story of a plane crash that scattered body parts across the county, a policeman trying to recover these parts comes across two kids trying to steal a ring they found on a missing arm. Capt. Payne said "I know what your thinking...Armed Robbery." Cheesy? A little. Did I laugh? Uproariously.

Thursday we went to the Hale Street Theatre to see a performance of Into the Woods. I am a big Steven Sondheim fan(as much as a fan of musical theatre I am...which isn't much). The performance was good, and the theatre had great special effects. I must say that Dixie High School did a better job, but they had Justin Hansen as their musical director so you would have expect that.

Friday I went to visit the Psychiatrist. I have to as part of the application process for Salt Lake City's Police Department. I was very disappointed I wore my inkblot tie, and was fully prepared to talk about what animal I would be and why(a platypus, because they are kind of like the X-Men of the animal kingdom). It was just a normal little interview, with boring questions. Oh, well Maggie is in an abnormal psych class maybe she will ask me "What historical figure I most envision my father as?"(Thomas Hart Benton, because the shrink will have no idea who that is...He was a Missouri statesman nicknamed "Old Bullion.")

That Afternoon we went the Red Iguana for lunch. I had puerco pibil; one of my favorite Mexican dishes. Maggie and my mother both had mango enchiladas. I drank my weight in horchata. Maggie had a Jarritos Naranja(orange soda), and Mom had a margarita. I then went to POST where that night instead of our normal PT we ran the South Jordan Race For the Cure. It was a lot of fun to run in race for a change, and I was pretty happy about my time. I had wanted to Race for the Cure with Maggie last spring, but had class that day and was unable to do so. That made being able to run this fall particularly nice.

I have my eyes closed to show the excellence of the food;

Maggie is much more interested than I in the camera at this point

Maggie, Mom, and Jose Cuervo

Saturday I went to the shooting range to qualify for the first time(I did so). I then came home went to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory(I had Wasabi Crusted Ahi-Tuna YUM, Maggie had a killer Mac-n-Cheese, Mom had Shepard's Pie.) We then went to a performance of the Rat Pack at Kingsbury Hall. It was great. I am a huge Sinatra fan as almost anyone who knows me well knows. I went clad in my Stetson Fedora, top coat and all. I was debating going in my tux to complete the Rat Pack uniform, but decided it was just a little over the top. We had a few extra tickets so we invited Hillary and Shawn, and Holly. They were seated behind us. I was talking over my shoulder to Holly and was telling her about my upcoming CVSA(Computerized Voice Stress Analyzer) Test(Lie detector). The man sitting next to her leans over and says "I am sorry I didn't mean to over hear, but where are you doing this test?" I answered "Salt Lake City P.D." He then replied "I'll see ya Tuesday." It turns out he is a detective working in the office that will be giving me my truth test.

Me doing my best to look like Frank. Ring-a-Ding-Ding!

Holly, Maggie, Colt/Frank, Shawn and Hillary

Sunday we went to church and then had breakfast before my Mom headed home to see her lonely dog(remember when he was our lonely dog? Not so much anymore). I watched my Bears do everything in their power to loose a game they had won. Then off to beef stew at the Elton's.

Monday Maggie got to come to POST with me for a class in Mental Conditioning for Combat(is that not the freaking sweetest title for class ever?) The class went over some the bad things that can happen to you in the line of duty and what a spouse can do to be supportive. It also talked about how to prepare your mind for what to do when bad stuff goes down. Maggie enjoyed the class,(as much as one can about when hearing of the perils of your loved one's impending job) but after having been in class all day herself at Westminster she was ready to be done listening to people.

Tuesday I went in for my CVSA at 7AM. The guy at I met at the Rat Pack walked into the darkened lobby and greeted me with"What's up buddy, come on I'll take you upstairs." He took me up the detective's division and toured me around a little. I went into the homicide division where he worked and where I would be tested. It was awesome. It looked and felt like I was in one of my favorite cops shows ever "Homicide:Life on the Streets." Cases on a board, discussion about the first 48 hours, talk about who would get the next call, it was great. I felt like Frank Pembleton(Andre Braugher's character from Homicide) would walk around the corner at any moment. The CVSAs were double booked, so I had to come back that afternoon. I went home Maggie went for a run, I folded laundry, and then we went to traffic court.

Frank Pembleton from Homicide:Life on the Streets(Note: He has the same gun I do. Pretty sweet I know)

Maggie was given two parking tickets for having an expired registration on her car even though we she had the temporary one in her rear window. I told her to fight it, and was trying to be supportive. This was hard because she called me and yelled "This is why people HATE cops!" I started to say something when she OINKED at me. It was pretty funny. When we got to court the clerk made us pull the car up to show her where the registration was, and then dropped the tickets.

I then went back to the police station for my CVSA. I must say it is one of the most stressful things I have ever done. The detective did a great job of putting me at ease and trying get me through the interview. It was hard, but I got through it. I joked that having spent most of my previous years in politics it is sometimes hard to tell the truth for that long.