Veteran's discounts...

Veteran's discounts...  They are very common around here, not so much in the San Diego area where we used to live, though a few national chains offered them.  Dozens of local stores and restaurants offer discounts for veterans here, including Home Depot (10%), Walmart (10%), Lowe's (15%), and several others we regularly patronize.  Most of them don't advertise the discount – you have to ask for it.  Some local locations of national chains (Lowe's is a good example) offer discounts where the national chain does not – I attribute that to the generally pro-military attitude that is the norm here.

Generally speaking these stores have either just taken my word for having served in the Navy, or they ask for my DD214 as proof of an honorable discharge.  Recently a clerk in Home Depot told me about a better alternative, one that I hadn't known about: it's possible to get a Utah driver's license with a “veteran’s indicator” on it, and the stores will take that as proof of being a veteran with an honorable discharge.  The DMV also requires your DD214 for proof – but you only need to carry it the one time.

So a couple of days ago I visited our local DMV license division office.  Just as on the first time, my visit was stunningly pleasant and convenient.  There was no waiting.  None.  The employees were uniformly pleasant, helpful, and engaged.  One was even quite entertaining!  There was no useless, stupid paperwork.  None.  In just ten minutes I had my photo taken, my signature captured, my application filled out, my $18 fee collected, and I was out the door with a temporary license in hand and a promise of my new license with veteran's indicator within 10 days.  The last time they told me 10 days it actually only took 4 – we'll see what it takes this time.  As a reluctant veteran of dozens of painful, boring, confused hours in California DMV locations, this contrasting experience in Utah still just blows my mind...

We love living in northern Utah...

We love living in northern Utah ... for lots of reasons.  But this week we've discovered a few new reasons.  First, we found out that on most Thursday evenings the Mormon Tabernacle Choir holds rehearsals, and the public is invited.  For free.  We're planning to go on the evening of December 21st.  Second, a local friend told us about a famous Christmas light exhibit at Willard Bay State Park, a 40 minute drive from home.  We're going to go see this one night this week, and also stop in to see Ogden's Christmas Village (we saw this during the day on Sunday, and it was beautiful even then).  Finally, a repeat of last year, we were invited to the local LDS ward's Christmas party on Thursday evening this week.  We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at the party last year...

The key to efficient snowplowing...

The key to efficient snowplowing ... isn't finding the route for your snowplow that scrapes all the driveway/parking lot surface most efficiently.  In fact, that's almost irrelevant.  The key, my fellow snowplowers, is finding the route that most efficiently pushes all that snow to somewhere where you can pile it up.  The periphery of my driveway is roughly 50% places where I can't pile snow (because of trees, etc.), and 50% places where I can.  The entire trick to getting the snowplowing done quickly is to plot routes for the snow I scrape to those allowable depositories.  It took me a while to figure that out the first year I plowed snow up here.  Now it's second nature...

Paradise ponders: snow day edition...

Paradise ponders: snow day edition...  We just had our first “real” snow of the season, with about 4" on the ground.  I took this photo off our deck this morning, by the light of our backyard floodlights.  As you can see, the dogs have already been out exploring!  :)

My writing this morning is accompanied by the happy slurping sounds of five dogs simultaneously attacking their morning kibble.  I'm in the kitchen, and I just put their dishes down.  The three puppies are in their crates drying off, as they're soaked from their outdoor adventures.  The kitchen is full of an ... interesting ... aroma comprised of roughly equal parts kibble and wet dog.  Next up: doggie bananas.  There will be much wiggling...

After that, I'm headed outside for the seasons first battle against the snow: there will be much plowing, shoveling, and salting.  Also, I need to feed the birds ... the feeders look low...