That’s the Thermometer, Not the Speed Limit

 

I’ve had “Chill out!” in my head all month.

I expected to be in Utah for Pioneer Day, a day almost as anticipated there as Independence Day. And they do July 4, bigly. Celebrated on July 24, the day in 1847 the Latter-day Saint pioneers first entered the Salt Lake Valley and declared it home. In my time there, I saw promotions for rodeos, parades, and parties in nearly every city.

Utah is the frozen, refined-carbohydrate capital of the Milky Way galaxy. A half-dozen gourmet soda, milkshake, and frosted sugar cookie drive-thru chains coexist in diabetic harmony. There are more creameries in the state than Starbucks. Shaved ice? Got ’em. With temperatures averaging in the high 90s to low 100s in July, the siren songs of Fiiz, Sodalicious, and their icy brethren sound off early and often.

But … “Chill out!” has not been easy for us this summer.

In April, my job was a casualty of a global reorg. I was always treated well, even in parting; the severance was generous. But we’d been talking about moving away from California for a few years. There are parts I love as much as I ever did, but the whole just isn’t what it used to be, and isn’t likely to improve. Besides, most of my family no longer lives here, and my parents are getting older. We decided to make the move now, to Utah.

After two months of following Marie Kondo, ripping the guts out of our accumulated belongings, we’d stored, sold, donated, and discarded enough to bring in a realtor. A month later we were on the market with new floors, new paint, and a live-in handyman. We intended to ace the inspection and appraisal.

We soon had a buyer and an open escrow, which we needed to start looking for a home in Utah. My wife stayed home to handle the sale end of things while I hit the road, mixing real estate with job interviews. At our price point, we were competing with incoming students and parents looking to avoid on-campus housing. It was a constant race; I lost out on several promising finds before we got a contract on a townhouse in north Orem.

“Chill out.” I screamed this at myself more than once in the car, driving from listing to listing and interview to interview. It could have been from the heat, triple-digits even after dusk. Or all the Sodalicious and sugar cookies. Or the windshield cracked by some piece of cassowary-sized road debris.

At times I’ve wondered if we’re on the right track. I decided to commit and register the car in the new state. I confess the process was surreal: my number was called at the DMV before I finished extracting it from the registration machine. I was done in less than five minutes. I burned myself on the hood of the car trying to change out the plates, so I saved it for another day. I stopped to get a haircut and shave off my beard before a job interview the next day. When I entered the barbershop it was sunny and scorching. When I walked out a few minutes later, clouds were rolling in, and the car was cool enough for the plate swap. I tightened the final screw just seconds before the rain started, dropping the temperature by 20-plus degrees. As soon as I got back in the car, the phone rang from a job recruiter. In that challenging week, it was an unexpected gift of chill.

We’ll be celebrating Pioneer Day in Long Beach. We spent two weeks talking several times a day, but the distance took a toll; the loneliness hit us both. I cut the trip short and drove straight home a few days early.

When the stress boils over into tears, it’s easier to bear when we’re together.

No soda or ice cream can help me chill out like a long hug and a good cry with my honey.

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There are 9 comments.

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  1. Clifford A. Brown Member
    Clifford A. Brown
    @CliffordBrown

    This is part of our July theme series, in which you are invited to tell us how to “Chill Out!” Do click the link and sign up to share your own cool post. There are still several open days, so share your stress relief or cool tale.

    We have a few open days, including a couple of past days that were unfilled. I think I hear Vanilla Ice warming up. Oh, wait, is that David Lee Roth in an ice cream man suit?

    • #1
  2. Shauna Hunt Inactive
    Shauna Hunt
    @ShaunaHunt

    Orem is my hometown and I live here still. Welcome to Utah! If you wait five minutes, the weather will change on you. Any time of the year! We even had snow in mid-June this year. It’s dry so we make good use of the drink holders in our cars. We have a lot of competition for marketing the best milkshakes.

    This post made my day! Thanks!

     

    • #2
  3. Jim Wright Inactive
    Jim Wright
    @JimW

    Shauna Hunt (View Comment):

    Orem is my hometown and I live here still. Welcome to Utah! If you wait five minutes, the weather will change on you. Any time of the year! We even had snow in mid-June this year. It’s dry so we make good use of the drink holders in our cars. We have a lot of competition for marketing the best milkshakes.

    This post made my day! Thanks!

     

    Thank you, Shauna! Yes, the weather here is something else. We saw flood warnings as we drove in last night, and got rained on in Provo Canton this afternoon. I love how it cools things down. We’re looking forward to moving up here next month!

    • #3
  4. Shauna Hunt Inactive
    Shauna Hunt
    @ShaunaHunt

    We love the summer rainstorms here. I’m glad you made it safely.  I live in south Orem.

    Provo Canyon is a wonderful place to cool off. We tend to kick off our summers at Bridal Veil Falls. The last time we were there, there was a rescue operation going on. 

    I’m looking forward to having a fellow Ricochetti right here in Orem! 

    • #4
  5. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Good luck all around, Jim. It sounds like it was a tough transition, but I sense blue skies ahead!

    • #5
  6. La Tapada Member
    La Tapada
    @LaTapada

    How did you find the time to write such an entertaining post?

    • #6
  7. philo Member
    philo
    @philo

    Jim Wright: When the stress boils over into tears, it’s easier to bear when we’re together.

    No soda or ice cream can help me chill out like a long hug and a good cry with my honey.

    Sounds like the relationship barometer is functioning perfectly. Speaking of which, and since you already went to Seinfeld once, I cannot resist:

     

     

    • #7
  8. Jim Wright Inactive
    Jim Wright
    @JimW

    La Tapada (View Comment):

    How did you find the time to write such an entertaining post?

    It’s a long drive to and from Long Beach. Plenty of time to think. Thank you!

    • #8
  9. Jim Wright Inactive
    Jim Wright
    @JimW

    I just realized I edited out the explanation for the title. While driving up, Utah’s highway billboards were using it to get people to slow down.

    Not that it worked, but it amused me. 

    philo (View Comment):

    Jim Wright: When the stress boils over into tears, it’s easier to bear when we’re together.

    No soda or ice cream can help me chill out like a long hug and a good cry with my honey.

    Sounds like the relationship barometer is functioning perfectly. Speaking of which, and since you already went to Seinfeld once, I cannot resist

    • #9
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