Brokenhearted

Shelly Wallwork Catton

Born: December 22, 1959

Died: October 28, 2010

Stats

I got my new road bike on September 25th. These are the stats:

Total Miles: 230

Fastest MPH: 32.8

Longest Ride: 31 miles with Karen (we went down to Thanksgiving Point, over to the west mountains and back through Riverton and on home to Draper)

Shortest Ride: 1 mile with Benni running full out (he misses our walks)

Average Ride: 12 miles on the Porter Rockwell Trail from my house.

I have ridden with Karen, Mark and my brother Kent.

Things I have seen:

1 white-tailed fox (Janet says this is good luck)

a small herd of deer running along side me

cats that come on to the trail every day

flocks of Canadian Geese

lots and lots of grasshoppers

1 full-size T-rex in someone's backyard that sports halloween attire right now

lots of dogs on leashes and yes I always say "biker on your left" when I speed passed

the State Prison (luckly there is a freeway separating us)

the point of the mountain gravel pit

30-40 hang gliders (three different times) (South Mountain is the hang glider capital) (I still think it looks so relaxing and fun to do. but I haven't ever tried it)

2 horses on the trail next to me

I am really enjoying my new hobby. I think Mark is surprised that I am sticking to it. I love to be outside each morning (whenever the temperature is above 46 degrees). Sometimes he will go with me after work. I really don't like riding with cars, but the trail is perfect. Sometimes I do it twice if I am up to it, like today!

I'm Alive

Yesterday I spent the morning/afternoon doing a friend's taxes. I have spent two months writing letters and talking to experts trying to resolve a problem to no avail. Yesterday I spoke with a very nice lady at the IRS for quite a while and got no closer to solving the problem. I was very frustrated and angry that our tax system is so complicated and discouraging. I finished up the taxes and was ready to file them, when my printer ran out of ink. More frustration. I left to take a quick trip to Costco to buy the ink. I was not in a good mood. I was angry and worked up. As I got out of my car, I said a quick little prayer that I would settle down, get some perspective and not bite anyone's head off in the store.

I got the ink and started to wander around Costco, not a good idea because I can always find more stuff to buy. There were the ubiquitous samples and I got some corn chowder to try. I was right in the middle of the store near the books when I somehow got a piece of corn/potato stuck in my throat. I started to choke, cough and generally panic as I could not dislodge the food. I was gasping for air and my eyes started to water. No one seemed to notice. I could not get air in at all. My thoughts at this point were interesting. I thought that dying by choking right in the book section of Cosctco would be a bad way to go. I thought back to the only other time I remember choking on something.

I was a 11 year old girl in Guadalajara, Mexico with my family for the summer while my Dad took some classes. I have very fond memories of living there. But on one afternoon while walking around after eating tacos at a restaurant (the skinny rolled up ones fried with only meat inside), I was sucking on some Lifesavers and one got caught in my throat. My short life passed before my eyes and I knew it was over as I could not get any air in and everyone was walking ahead of me not realizing what I was experiencing. Somehow after a few moments of complete panic, the lifesaver dislodged and I was able to breath again. It left a strong enough impression on me that I remembered it right when I started to choke in Costco.

I hit myself on the chest and nothing happened. I started to walk towards the bathrooms thinking I might throw up. I had tears running down my probably red face as I tried to concentrate on getting to the bathrooms and a drinking fountain. Little tiny amounts of air were getting through but not near enough. I walked into the bathroom and a lady looked at me and then left. I finally started to breath in gasps and wheezes. Slowly I calmed down and headed back to my abandoned cart. All the muscles in my neck and throat hurt but I was breathing. I picked up a case of bottled water and drank two bottles trying to get all the food out of my throat. I had completely forgotten about taxes or anything else. I was so happy that I was alive and walking around. I liked my legs that carry me, I really liked my lungs and heart for keeping me alive. I thought about how fast life can change and how I can get worked up over stupid things and not appreciate how wonderful it really is. I thought that I still had some good to do in this life and that my family and friends would be happy to still have me around.

My little prayer had been answered in such a dramatic way that I had to step back in wonder.

Salad for Dinner

We had this salad at a wedding reception. I came home and reproduced it and I love it. It is better than Zupa's.

Salad greens (any kind you like)

Craisins

Slivered almonds or pecans (can be candied)

Bacon (cooked and chopped) or Cubed Chicken

Mozzarella cheese, grated

Strawberries, sliced (optional)

Coconut Vinaigrette

8.5 oz. Coco Lopez cream of coconut (get it near the drink mixers)

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

salt and pepper to taste

Mix together in blender.

A Little Night Excitement

The dog goes crazy at 2:00 am this morning. After listening to him for a while, I get up and look outside. There are so many bright lights shining in our front side yard and several policemen are bent over a motorcycle on our side lawn. I think someone is dying right there on Bode Hill (our meeting place if our house is burning down). I look out the back window and a truck with a search light is scanning our backyard. Now I wonder what in the world is going on. I watch for a while from the front window and then the officer puts the bike upright and I can't see a body, very strange, very strange. I put on my bathrobe and add my porch lights to the bright lights shinning on the yard and go out to see what is going on.

One nice officer sees me and walks up to the porch showing his badge which is a nice gesture. He tells me that our next door neighbor Wayne heard something and came out to see a man covered in blood on our lawn next to a wrecked motorcycle. Wayne asked the guy his name and ran in to call 911 and when he came back out the guy was gone. Wayne told the police that the guy was pretty drunk.

The police are looking for him with no success. I am thinking, "I don't want to wake up and find a guy who has bled to death in some corner of the yard." Several policemen are walking around the yard with little bright flashlights looking for blood drops but not finding any. I watch for a while until the tow truck shows up and then go back to bed.

This morning I look at the deep gouges in the lawn and for any blood drops, but the sprinklers came on early this morning and washed away any trace of blood that I could see. I know the city manager and I think I will call him and see if they found the guy. The nice policeman said the guy is from Murray and was driving his own motorcycle. Then he added shaking his head as he walked away, "A guy drinks and then ruins his own personal property". I think that is better than drinking and ruining my personal property, but I guess the grass will grow back.

Oh, and Mark and Patrick slept through the whole thing.