Catharsis of the Bogue

Oddities, Profundities, Profanities and Dad Stuff

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Just a Few Reasons Why Fall Is The Best Season

Autumn in Boston Public Garden

One of the best things about fall is that it gives you a great excuse to do some of your favorite hobbies—like reading or fishing, for example—without having to give some cheap excuse as to why, because the elements are forever on your side.

For one, the weather is pretty much perfect. It’s not so hot or so cold that any specific kind of clothing is necessary to get through the day. So that means if I want to go fishing at some of the best spots in SLC, I can do it without too extraneous attire. That also means less time getting your kids ready to go out. You know as much as I do that the less prep time, the better. That especially goes for people like me with four kids.

Did you know that autumn is actually one of the better times of the year to go fishing? Yes indeed and there is a great reason for that: All the fish out there are feeding more so that they can get ready for the bitter winter cold. That means more chances to catch the trout at Green River, which is about three hours away from the city but totally worth it, or the Canyon Streams, where the trout are more willing than usual to take your bait.

To be fair, it does get nippier in the evenings, but so what? That’s what sweatshirts were made for. Also, when it does get colder and you just want to hang out inside, there’s no guilt to be felt there, either. On top of that, the sun’s going down earlier so it’s likely that you’re going to want to be inside the house anyway. That gives you the perfect time to curl up with your favorite book—should you parental duties or otherwise allow you to do so—like the latest by Blake Crouch.

For those unfamiliar, the author’s new book, Wayward, is the second installment in his Wayward Pines series. And it centers on protagonist Ethan Burke, a sheriff in the very small titular town where everything is a little … off. No one knows how they got there or who’s behind it all, but Burke’s been outside the barb-wired fences and seems to know what’s going on. Sounds good right? It is, so don’t let me spoil any more of the story here for you. Just be sure to get it if you’re into science/fantasy books like yours truly.

And if reading’s not totally your thing, you’ll have more time to spend doing other leisure activities/hobbies that you might have neglected over the summer. Maybe you’ll finally get the chance to sit with those new albums you’ve been itching to listen to but have been putting off. Again, I can’t suggest Marc Gunn enough for celtic music lovers. It’s also the perfect season to dig back into your video game collection. That goes for whether you feel like firing up your old console or buying the hottest game of the moment on your newer system. There’s also the increasingly popular online gaming community, which includes places like Betfair. Once there, you can join legions of players in bingo, poker, and a slew of other games on your phone, which I prefer so I can do several things at once, or your computer.

One last thing: Can we talk about how beautiful all the trees look right now? I know the leaves changed a little earlier than normal last year and even this year a bit, but it’s still worth heading outside to see that beautiful foliage. It only comes once a year, after all. Enjoy it.

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Everybody’s Favorite Game….Bingo!

It was interesting this week.  We went to visit my Great Aunt in the retirement home.

After a bit, the kids were restless so we went walking around this new place and they were just starting the daily bingo tournament.  Of course my kids sat right down (after they were invited) and started not only playing but helping the elderly ladies mark their cards.

It was fun for them and fun for the other residents.  I got talking with my other Aunt (who was there visiting as well) about Bingo and how much everyone seems to like this, well, mindless game.

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Bingo Card Sample

It is just too much fun to put a marker on a board and yell out “OGNIB!” when you win.  Wait, that is just me.  Most people yell “BINGO!”

I don’t know what it is about this game that brings people together so easily.  Maybe it is the simplicity, maybe it is the prizes, but I do know that EVERYONE seems to like it.

We play when we go to Kidney Kamp for my daughter. (I won some good stuff last year).  We play at family parties.

Our family went and bought the deluxe set a few years ago to play on Christmas and or New Years eve.  That is fun, we go to the dollar store and pick up whatever wacky things we can get for the kids and then play a combination of Bingo and white elephant for them.  I got some floor cleaner a couple of years ago and we still have the Scooby Doo soap dispenser in the bathroom.  But I digress.

Scooby-Doo

Years ago, we would go to the Christmas Bingo party that my wife’s grandmother hosted.  There we would endure her Uncles bad jokes and win ceramics painted by Grandma.  Amazingly, most of those jokes have remained with us as we play now along with the “B14” accent that appears in Exit to Eden.  But that is another post.

And now we come into the 21st century and have more Bingo than we can stand.  Retirement centers, bingo halls, and even online.  I Googled Bingo and got over 153 million results.  Go Figure.  From Bingo.com to Cheekybingo to bingozone.com you can play online and win real money.  I am sure that is illegal here in Utah.  But still fun to play.

I think I am going to have to get a Bingo App now and play in my free time.  Maybe I had better not.  If I start playing online or on my Android I will get even less done than I do now.  I will just have to be content to play at family parties and Kidney Kamp for now, and later when I have to have someone else’s kids help me in the retirement home.

English: Software used for calling the bingo b...

What do you all think?  I love the Bingo, how about you?  should we get some sort of Online Catharsis of the Bogue Bingo tournament going?  Hmmmm….

Share your Bingo memories or stories in the comments below!

Until next time,

-Justin

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Groundhog was wrong, It’s time for Yardwork!

Take 2.  Hopefully wordpress wont crash out on me this time.

Ok so it is not exactly time for yardwork but if it isn’t going to snow then it is time to start planning for summer!  Sorry East Coast, we have had tons on high pressure over Northern Utah this winter.  A couple of good storms early but bupkis since before Christmas.

So now it is time for us(the Mrs. that is) to start planning all of the projects I get to do over the summer.  Ok I put many of them on myself.  It was strange this morning to be outside at 24 degrees taking pictures of the yard to plan what need to be torn out or built up.

Thinking of planting a garden when there is still frost on the windshield is a bit odd as well.  I have learned in the past that if we wait to plan and prepare, there is not enough time for things to grow before the season is over.

So I sit here and while not checking my email, twitter or my page vies on here, I have been looking up growing charts, planting guides, deck building tutorials, stone column building, and mailbox building so I can have something to do over the summer. I have been researching how to make the dog quit peeing on the kids slide and I gotta say if the pee stake doesn’t work, I am going to electrify the slide.

I still have much work to do that is left over from last fall.  I was sick for the week before it snowed and is just now getting off of my lawn.  There are many leaves that are still there as well as my roses that still have leaves on them.  I was lucky that there were some strong winds that blew leaves around the bottom of the roses to keep them from freezing.  I didn’t even get the rest of the detritus out of the garden.  It is almost pathetic.

I am glad that spring is on the way though. I actually like to do yardwork.  Now I have to go draw on the pictures I took this morning and figure out how to make those drawings into reality.  I can’t wait!

If anyone wants to come over and clean up dog manure or haul dirt give me a buzz.

Until tomorrow.

Justin

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