Today is Monday, September 21, 2026
Issue #330 ~ By Rachel Brandes
Rachel’s Chaotic Contemplations
TOILET RULES
When she came across this sign in the restroom of a coffee shop, Rachel knew it must be enjoyed by others.
“ Optimism is the ability to focus on where we are going, not where we are coming from.”
– Simon Sinek, American author
Mental Health Minute
31 Years Ago, This Week
On September 25, 1995, only four weeks after turning 22 years old, Rachel gave birth to a beautiful, 8 lb 10 oz baby boy with more hair than she’d ever seen on a baby. Blake was delivered a week early due to his mother’s excessive weight gain. What can she say, Big Macs were her food of choice during the first pregnancy.
Rachel can’t believe it was 31 years ago that she became a mother and began a lifetime-long journey full of love. By the way, Blake still has a great head of hair to this day.
Happy Birthday, Blake!
Magic over murray
A Change of Plans
As the weekend approached, Rachel was excited. She had so many things on her calendar, she wasn’t sure she’d have enough energy to keep going. It started with the Magic Over Murray Balloon Festival in Murray, Utah. The event would run Friday, Saturday and Sunday. As Rachel had plans on Saturday and Sunday, she opted for Friday morning. The weather had other plans; rain, rain, rain, Utah style. The pluviophile in her was ecstatic. The planner, not so much.
She continued to check the forecast and there was a small chance the weather would pass by the 7:30 AM launch time. She got herself ready and headed for Murray, which was a 20-minute drive south. When she arrived, it was clear the balloons wouldn’t launch and most of them had already left the field. Rachel wasn’t able to get a picture of the lightening but, boy, oh boy, was there lightening. It was a beautiful sight.
This posed a dilemma. Saturday was jam packed with fun. Salty Star Run Club first, then the 9th & 9th Street Festival. She would have to skip run club to attend the balloon festival on Saturday. She definitely had fomo (fear of missing out) about skipping run club. Not to mention she took two rest days to be nice and ready to run. In the end, the balloon festival won out. The run club could wait until next weekend. Thank goodness the skies had stopped crying on Saturday.
As the field filled up with spectators, the hot air balloons were laid out and prepared to be filled. There were booths and food trucks and music with a lively DJ. Rachel spent time wandering around and enjoying the booths, even making a few fun purchases.
She now has a mini hot air balloon hanging in her apartment that reminders her of her first-grade teacher, Ms. Diaz, whose boyfriend had a hot air balloon in Albuquerque, New Mexico (one of the few childhood memories she retains). She had gotten to see it up close at a festival when she was only five or six years old.
Once the pilots had a safety briefing on the field, it was time to go. First, the balloon with an American flag design would inflate for the National Anthem. But before that, a little prayer for safety was observed.
After the National Anthem, the Murray Fire Chief had a little surprise for spectators. Rachel had seen him getting geared up with harnesses but wasn’t sure why.
It was finally time to inflate. The DJ gave an educational play-by-play to the crowd as the hot air balloons came to life.
And they were off. Slowly but surely all of the hot air balloon made their way off the ground. Well, all but one. There was one balloon anchored to the ground that would spend the morning providing anchored rides to those who had purchased a ticket for $30. There was quite the line. Speaking from experience, Rachel can attest it is well worth the cost. She took a sunrise hot air balloon ride in Washington back in 2024 and still thinks about it to this day. Click here to check out Issue #216.
9th & 9th Street Festival
Next up was the 9th & 9th Street Festival. 9th & 9th is a neighborhood in Salt Lake City, Utah that is full of shops and restaurants. It is also home to the 9th & 9th whale, officially called “Out of the Blue.” Out of the Blue is currently undergoing a paint job and will be honored with its own festival on October 3rd.
Rachel had arrived a bit early and decided to settle in an enjoy a latte while the vendor booths finished setting up. She was thrilled to find an amaretto latte option at Coffee Garden, which she absolutely loved.
She then took her time strolling through the festival enjoying the incredible art and creative designs found throughout.
When she was just about finished at the festival, she received a text from her son, Alec. Even though Alec’s birthday was on August 31st, Rachel had just acquired his gift (boxing gloves) and was trying to find a time to visit with him. As it would turn out, Alec would be home soon. Perfect timing.
Alec has recently taken up boxing, which Victoria is no stranger to. As Alec tried on his new gloves, Victoria got hers out and the two posed for a photo. Winston was sure to strike a beautiful pose, too.
What a treat it was for Rachel to get to spend some time with Alec and Victoria (Winston, too) on this busy Saturday morning.
Next would be Sunday funday. Rachel will share these adventures in next week’s issue. If the weather cooperates again, there will be a sunrise hike at Ensign Peak with her friends Sam and Ahna. Fingers crossed. Until next time, be well.
Feel free to stick around (below) and like, rate, share and comment (direct to Rachel). She is always looking for content ideas and would love input.