29 Days of 29

Thursday, August 16, 2012

First Golf Lesson

Dew sparkling on grass.
Sun low in the morning sky.
Birds welcoming you to the range.
Bucket tipped.
9 iron.
Ball set.
Feet shoulder-width apart.
Knees bent, ready position.
Back straight, shoulders relaxed.
Grip steady, solid, firm.
Line up the stance.
Find the target.
And. Swing.
Perfect. Contact.
Ball sailing through blue.
Farther than you thought you could do.
Smiling.
Breathing.
Drinking in the newness.
So much to learn.

21/29.
20 to go.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

A Fairy Tale Visit to the DMV

The Idaho DMV in Boise is, hands down, the most efficient government office I have ever visited:

Upon entering, you are given a number based on your arrival order and what you need.

Approximately 15 to 25 employees are working the counters at any given time, providing efficient assistance with drivers licenses, vehicle registrations, ID cards, and similar issues.

I have never waited more than 15 minutes to talk to someone, and am given all the required information in a friendly, helpful manner.

Even the costs seem more than reasonable -- only $30 for a 4-year license, plus just $3 to take the computerized driving knowledge test!

The whole process took about 40 minutes. And now, for the first time in my life, I have an Idaho drivers license. (Well, I have a temporary paper one for now, but I should get the real deal in about 10 days. Efficiency wins again!)

Oh, and they don't let you smile! So I made a crazy-face instead.

22/29.
21 to go.

Sand In My Shoes

Sand dunes in a landlocked state?!

Yessiree. Scientists believe we have the Bonneville Flood to thank for them.

Monday morning was spent hiking up a dune at Bruneau Dunes State Park, about an hour from Boise proper. (The "weather" that you see in these photos is not what I would generally call "overcast" -- it's smoke from all of the nearby fires lately. It's been like this for weeks, now.)

23/29.

22 to go.

Hot, Hot, Hot Habaneros

Once a year, for a month, the best local pizza joint in town makes a special habanero chili pepper-topped pie. The habanero pepper rates around 200,000 to 300,000 units on the Scoville scale. (For perspective, a jalapeño pepper rates 2,500 to 10,000 Scoville heat units, and a serrano 10,000 to 25,000.) When you order the pizza, your table is labeled with a quarantine sign so that your dishes can be specially washed. If you order it for take-out, you are required to sign a waiver, in case your toddler or dog decides to eat the rest of your pizza while you're busy soothing your tongue with yogurt.

It arrives at the table looking very unassuming. The yellow-orange chopped peppers that are sprinkled atop the cheese could easily be mistaken for little bits of sharp cheddar. But one bite - nay, one little touch of your lips to the oils dripping from the toppings - assures you that this is a pizza adorned with REALLY, REALLY hot peppers.

On Sunday night I ate one entire slice of the "Level 1" (they make 3 levels, with Level 3 being the hottest, most intense, with the largest amount of habaneros). I ate it one bite at a time, with plenty of beer to wash down the peppery oils. It was plenty. Eat much more, and I hear you are still feeling it the next day...on the other end.

24/29.
23 to go.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Next Time: Wearing Poodle Skirts

What's better than my first time at a drive-in movie?

A DOUBLE-FEATURE drive-in movie!

What's better than going to a double-feature drive-in movie?

Watching the Perseid meteor shower during the movies!

It was a fairly fantastic night. Thanks, Parma Motor-Vu.

25/29.
24 to go.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Smoke

Lately it has been extremely smokey here in Boise. When I wake up in the morning, there's a visible haze just looking across the street, and the foothills that are normally identifiable from everywhere in town are nowhere in sight. The smokey sting hits my nostrils the moment I open any door to the outside. And, when we would normally take advantage of the cooler nights to give our A/C a respite from working all day, recently we haven't even opened the windows because the pollutants take such a strain on the body.

There are fires burning all over the western part of the U.S. due to the record dryness and the record heat. And Boise just happens to be home to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), the brain of logistics for wildland firefighting around the country.

Also at the NIFC is the Wildland Firefighters Monument. I decided to visit the Monument for the first time yesterday, to honor those who have fallen and to show respect for those who continue to work hard and put their lives on the line. What I found was a beautiful sanctuary, peaceful and quiet, lined with native plants, and secluded from the NIFC and the city. It was the perfect interlude in a smokey month.