Sandwich Anyone?

This is my first endorsement for a product, and I have to say, it’s totally worth checking out.

The Sandwich: one of the most common and delicious lunch foods available. It’s one of the foods that has defined America. They’re one of the easiest things to make; you take a slice of bread, add whatever you could possibly feel like at the time, and top it all off with another slice. This simple recipe has created millions of possibilities. Every once in a while when I’m fed up with fatty burgers and fries, gassy inducing burritos and tacos, or cheesy greasy pizzas I realize that all I want is a simple and light sandwich. Whenever I get in this mood there is one sandwich shop that instantly comes to my mind. Tucked into the strip mall on the corner of State and University Pkwy in Orem is Sensuous Sandwich.

When you enter Sensuous Sandwich you know you’re entering a local shop. Everything seems to tell you that the sandwich experience is highest in priority. Their sandwiches are outstanding. With names like The Stimulator, The Bodacious, and The Super Saucy you know that these are going to be amazing. In actuality these sandwiches are really simplistic. It’s basically a hogi roll cut to various sizes from 4” to 24” according to how much you can eat (I prefer to order twice as much as I can and take the remainder home for later) then various meats, cheeses, and toppings according to your fancy and pallet. If you don’t see a sandwich you like you can always order The Figmentation which is whatever sandwich concoction you can imagine.

From what I’ve describe so far this could easily seem like a general Subway or Hogi Yogi, but there is something amazing about these sandwiches that’s hard to really pin down. I’ve tried many of their sandwiches and it’s as if each slice of bread, or topping, or sauce is infused with deliciousness.

Take for instance my favorite sandwich The Super Saucy. Their menu describes it as Roast Beef Smothered in Barbecue Sauce with Your Choice of Cheese. Sounds simple enough, but I cannot begin to explain how amazing this sandwich really tastes. First off for my choice of cheese I go with either Jack cheese, or Cream Cheese. Yes, that’s right, you hear me cream cheese. Since it’s served hot you get all that gooey cheesiness to smother every bit of the rest of the sandwich. Right in with the amazing cheese is their outstanding barbecue sauce. Man if I could order this sauce by the gallon to smother over everything I ate I would order it today. I wish I had at least a recipe for this sauce (I don’t dare ask them for it for fear that I might find out it’s a bottled sauce). The sauce is very sweet with just the right amount of barbeque punch to it. It makes the rest of the sandwich complete (Just thinking about it is making me crave the second half of my sandwich sitting in the fridge from this afternoon’s trip to the shop). 

I’m gonna be upfront with you. This is neither the nicest looking sandwich shops nor the prettiest sandwiches I’ve ever eaten. They don’t add any extra frills, but with outstanding service and delicious food it’s no wonder I cannot keep myself away from the Sensuous Sandwich. 

Poetry

This last Christmas I received two gifts that, until today, have been under-appreciated. From my good friend I received 101 Famous Poems and from Santa I received the two volume set American Poetry: The Twentieth Century. This weekend I was feeling a bit melancholy or pensive. While in this mood I decided it was about time to crack open those books. I rarely get to read anything for pleasure and since poems are generally shorter than novels I thought I'd give it a shot. Wow! I really loved delving into these poems. I have to say that I even took the poems to church and sneaked reading them in between the lulls. It was while reading Robert Frost's poems that I re-stumbled upon one of my favorite poems The Tuft of Flowers. I know I have shared this poem with some of you before individually, but here it is again. 

The Tuft of Flowers by Robert Frost

I went to turn the grass once after one

Who mowed it in the dew before the sun.

The dew was gone that made his blade so keen

Before I came to view the levelled scene. 

I looked for him behind an isle of trees;

I listened for his whetstone on the breeze. 

But he had gone his way, the grass all mown,

And I must be, as he had been,--alone, 

`As all must be,' I said within my heart,

`Whether they work together or apart.' 

But as I said it, swift there passed me by

On noiseless wing a 'wildered butterfly, 

Seeking with memories grown dim o'er night

Some resting flower of yesterday's delight. 

And once I marked his flight go round and round,

As where some flower lay withering on the ground. 

And then he flew as far as eye could see,

And then on tremulous wing came back to me. 

I thought of questions that have no reply,

And would have turned to toss the grass to dry; 

But he turned first, and led my eye to look

At a tall tuft of flowers beside a brook, 

A leaping tongue of bloom the scythe had spared

Beside a reedy brook the scythe had bared. 

I left my place to know them by their name,

Finding them butterfly weed when I came. 

The mower in the dew had loved them thus,

By leaving them to flourish, not for us, 

Nor yet to draw one thought of ours to him.

But from sheer morning gladness at the brim. 

The butterfly and I had lit upon,

Nevertheless, a message from the dawn, 

That made me hear the wakening birds around,

And hear his long scythe whispering to the ground, 

And feel a spirit kindred to my own;

So that henceforth I worked no more alone; 

But glad with him, I worked as with his aid,

And weary, sought at noon with him the shade; 

And dreaming, as it were, held brotherly speech

With one whose thought I had not hoped to reach. 

`Men work together,' I told him from the heart,

`Whether they work together or apart.' 

(Not my image)

I really love the message in this poem. To be honest this poem mostly comes to mind those many hot summer days that I mow my parents lawn. For those of you who didn't see my parent's back yard last summer, my dad kept mowing around a small patch of wildflowers that had sprung up in the middle of the lawn. I thought of that poem and decided to continue to mow around them as well. But, this poem has spiritual and social aspect to it too. I have had a great experience re-realizing that I do not have to go through life alone. That there are people around me and people I do not see who impact my life for good and make the world as a whole a better place to be in. 

Stars

I took a walk tonight. It was 10:30 and I just had an urge to go out and walk around the neighborhood; it’s something I do sometimes. So I put on a hoodie and grabbed a flashlight from my car, just in case. It was a really beautiful night. The air was crisp and cool. There is something so wonderful about the breeze gently brushing against my cheeks as I walked, and the warmth of a good hoodie to bundle up in. The trees were barren of leaves and there were small patches of snow in places. It felt like a brisk autumn instead of an early spring. I took a deep breath and inhaled the smells of the cool night air. It invigorates my senses.

I don’t really know what prompted this walk, I just left my house and started walking, letting myself go wherever on a whim. I often bring along my ipod to listen to music, or an audio book, but tonight I was just enjoying the silence. I walked through the neighborhood absorbing the stillness. The sounds of my breathing and footsteps seemed to puncture the calm of the night air. I’d stop from time to time to take in the noises of nature. I could hear someone’s wind chimes in the distance as the sound of the breeze whispered through the trees. I really felt at peace as I kept walking.

As it sometimes happens, I ended up in Rock Canyon again. (You all might be sick of me talking about this canyon but for me it’s nice to have a place where I can go and be alone and think. I think that being in nature inspires me to write.) At the mouth of the canyon is a small outdoor theater; It’s simply a few benches and a cement platform. I decided to sit down on a bench and gaze at the stars. The moon was nowhere to be seen and the lights from the city drown out most of the stars in the night sky, but still as I gazed up I could clearly see the big dipper right between the two rock walls of the canyon. There I was feeling, hearing, and smelling such a wonderful night, and as I stared at the stars I suddenly I felt a disconnect from this nature experience. Ever since I got glasses when I was fifteen I’ve always felt like I wasn’t able to fully enjoy staring up at the stars. Although everything else looks clear to me with my glasses, the stars always seem out of focus and distant. It’s probably all in my head, but I remember times before my glasses when the stars felt so wonderful. Looking at the stars tonight reminded me of a trip to Snow Canyon in southern Utah and actually being able to see the purple and blue hues of the Milky Way. I also remembered many summer nights as a child sleeping out on our trampoline and gazing up at the stars and learning about the different constellations. The stars seemed so close and personal then. I think that as I have grown older I’ve neglected the stars more and more. Even without the moon tonight the stars offered all the light I needed. They offer me a glimpse into mighty expanse of space, and testify of the power, wonder, and awe of nature.

As I walked home from the canyon and thought about all that had transpired tonight, a song popped into my head. It’s from the musical Songs for a New World. The chorus goes:

"I'll give you stars and the moon and the open highway

And a river beneath your feet

I'll give you days full of dreams if you travel my way

And a summer you can't repeat.

I'll give you nights full of passion and days of adventure,

No strings, just warm summer rain."

-"Stars & the Moon" by Jason Robert Brown

Like the woman in the song I don’t want to grow old and realize that all that I have with me are material possessions. There is so much more that Nature can offer to my life, if I let it.

Discontent

“Now is the winter of our discontent” this is the famous line that begins Shakespeare’s Richard III.

How fitting is it of Shakespeare to pair winter with discontent. With all the snow on the ground and the leaves and flowers hidden beneath a blanket of white; winter is painted with a pallet of brown, white, and grays, with just the occasional hint of green. Lately the weather has been teasing us; giving us just a taste of what spring will afford, and then covering it all over again with a blanket of white. Don’t get me wrong, I love winter. I love the feeling of warmth in my bed when I know it’s surrounded by the cool winters morning. I love the traditions of winter as my family goes hiking through the woods to hunt for the perfect Christmas tree. And I love the exhilaration that comes from hurling down a hill with nothing between you and the ground but a thin sheet of plastic. But I’m done with all that now. I AM filled with discontent. I want spring to come so I can see the world transform from the dull pallet of winter to the vibrant rainbow of spring.

Winter is now in the stage where the snow is all soggy and slushy and I don’t really want to go outside anymore, so today I decided to get off my butt and go walk around. I decided to go take a small walk back up Rock Canyon. I went there in the fall a few times and have avoided it in winter because of the snow. It was actually a really nice day today. There was just a little chill, but I wore my coat. I didn’t have my normal camera so I thought I’d test out my new phone’s camera and see what kind of shots I could get. I’m actually really impresses with the pictures I got.

So, in order to further chase away this feeling of discontent I share my photos with all of you, my readers. I hope you enjoy them.

Opp...I forgot to mention, I grew a beard this winter as well.

Like I said before, there's not a lot to see in Winter, so I tried to focus on what I could.

Oh I almost forgot, I was walking along the path and I noticed that there was a trail up the side of this hill. It looked as though it lead to a cave. 

I debated whether to rekindle my childhood and go and explore the cave, or to shy away knowing what shady things can go on inside a cave. I finally climbed up and had a look around. The cave was very shallow but it had a really nice view. So a snapped a few pics.

And back to the trail for one last picture.