August 10, 2023, Thursday afternoon, 1:16pm, mountain standard time, Salt Lake City International Airport, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Made it safely to the airport. The canyon leading into Salt Lake City was closed due to an accident so we went a little out of our way to the north but still arrived in plenty of time. We past security though my daughters friend packed a big bottle of perfume that was confiscated. Now I am sitting at the gate with the luggage while the girls went to grab Starbucks, We had a good vacation but it is time for some rest and recuperation. It will be good to get back to Orange County and enjoy the upcoming weekend.

August 9, 2023, Wednesday evening, 9:09pm, mountain standard time, condo in Evanston, Wyoming, USA. Drove down to Salt Lake City this afternoon. Stopped by REI to buy shoes for my daughter and picked up a pair for myself. Then we went to Savers Thrift Store where her friend bought two pairs of jeans. After Savers we went to the Fashion Place Mall. Mom and I talked over coffee while the girls shopped. The evening ended with dinner at PF Chang’s before driving back to Evanston.

August 8, 2023, Tuesday night, 9:52pm, mountain standard time, condo in Evanston, Wyoming, USA. Drove through the Uinta mountains this evening with my mom, my daughter and her friend. It was a fun trip but became long after a while. When we got back to Evanston the girls wanted tacos for dinner. We stopped by Taco Bell, got them dinner then headed home. Mom and I ate leftover pizza from the fridge. It was a low key day after lagoon yesterday but nice nonetheless.

August 7, 2023, Monday night, 10:38pm, mountain standard time, condo in Evanston, Wyoming, USA. Went to the amusement park Lagoon today. Stayed until closing then drove to our former hometown of Centerville for In and Out burgers. This morning at the Maverik gas station in Evanston I made eye contact with my high school girlfriend. She didn’t recognize me. I only knew it was her from seeing pictures on Facebook. The encounter happened so fast she was gone before I could say anything. But then, what would I say? There were years I spent heartbroken because of her. Now, she can walk by me and all I feel is indifferent. I guess time wears everything smooth, even the most passionate of feelings.

August 6, 2023, Sunday afternoon, 2:18pm, mountain standard time, Smith’s ballpark, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. At the ballgame with family. Enjoying a Sunday afternoon before heading to Pleasant Grove to have dinner with extended family. this is a good start to the vacation though the girls are bored.

August 5, 2023, Saturday night, 9:16pm, mountain standard time, mom’s house, Evanston, Wyoming, USA. Got up at 3am, did a performance evaluation for work, took a shower and went for a short walk with the dog. Flew out of Long Beach to Salt Lake City. Mom picked us up. Met my niece at Costco, then went to the Old Spaghetti Factory for lunch. Bought some rubber ducks at Cabin Fever like always, then went to the Dancing Cranes store in Salt Lake. After that we drove to Wyoming and enjoyed a quiet evening at home. Tomorrow is a full day with the baseball game and meeting family for dinner afterwards.

August 4, 2023, Friday night, 9:10pm, apartment in Aliso Viejo, California, USA. I am sleeping at the apartment in Aliso Viejo tonight. We have to wake up at 4am tomorrow to catch a 7:10am flight out of Long Beach and I didn’t want to have to travel from Dana Point to pick up the girls. I am tired but they are excited. That have been in the bathroom all night putting on nails and doing beauty routines. Their enthusiasm is fun to see. It reminds me of family trips long ago. Just like them, I seldom slept the night before vacation in anticipation of adventures I envisioned having. I am glad the girls are enjoying themselves and have a similar experience, that is what this time is all about.

August 2-3, 2023, Wednesday, Thursday, written Thursday morning 8:19am, pacific standard time, hotel in Summerlin, Nevada, USA. Slept in a little yesterday but was able to exercise. Work was a little busy yesterday morning. I helped a patient a high flow oxygen system. After that, I returned a cell phone at Walmart On Tuesday I was conducting a virtual interview when my phone overheated. I couldn’t turn it off or make it work. So I went to Walmart to get a new one. The guy sold it to me but said my old phone should work when it cools down. The trick was he could turn it off without using the power button. He was right, it cooled down and started working again. Meetings yesterday went well at the Red Rock resort. Then we did a culinary walk about on Fremont street. I went to bed around 10pm. They were offering corporate headshots this morning so I went down at 7am and got them taken care of. I had time to kill so I came back to the room. Now going back to the meetings before heading home this afternoon.

August 1, 2023, Tuesday afternoon, 4:20pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Henderson, Nevada, USA. When I left the hotel in Chandler this morning I noticed a nickel lying on the ground. Not one to ignore good fortune I picked it up and placed it in the cup holder of my rental car. 8 hours and 300 miles later I pulled into the hotel in Henderson, Nevada. When I stepped out of the car, next to my foot was another nickel. I am not sure if it is a rare coincidence or a mysterious portent but it did bring a smile to my face. I am open to the power of the nickel. Who knows what the universe is trying to tell me?