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signing off

2009-07-22T22:28:00.003-06:00

Not that anyone is paying attention anymore, but pay attention!

I am ceasing and desisting my blog. Due to unpopular demand I have decided that maybe it would be best to infiltrate my wife's good name, her creativity, her incredibly perfect blog and bring it down a few notches.

So I said to her the other night, "Sweetheart, maybe we should COMBINE our blogs...."

In the computer world it would be like the old Netscape saying to GOOGLE, "Hey, want to team up?"

In football it would be like a retired bunch of old has-beens busting in on the locker room of the Utes.

So we have an accord. We are going to combine our blogs.

When I say combine, please read that Jodi's blog will continue to inspire, motivate, move, touch and bring all the world that she sees to our desktops and laptops. I will occasionally throw in a word or two - mindful to not detract too much.

Thanks for watching.

A Father Every Day

2009-06-21T21:33:00.005-06:00

Happy Father's Day. I had an incredibly wonderful day.

Notes..

..Cards....Hamburgers on the grill.....trail mix.......a new DVD to watch with the kids.....a kiss from my bride.

I am perfectly content with my day. I am spoiled. My family is so good to me. Thank you children. Thank you sweetheart.

A funny thing happened to me today. As I sat in church the most bizarre quote kept coming into my head. A quote I heard many days ago, and it hit me. And for some reason it came to me again today.

Here it is.

"I'm hoping that he will float up, and when he does, I brought his favorite blanket, and I'm going to wrap him in it, and I'm going to hold him. I'm just going to hold him."

This quote is from a mother who's son had disappeared while trying to cross a canal here in Salt Lake.

I am so sorry. I can't imagine why this popped into my head. But the image will stay with me forever.

I tried to come to grips with the reasons that this might have come to me on today, of all days....What sheer agony this woman's sole was in and all she could do is long to hold her child. It brought such raw emotions to me. Being a parent, being a father, it creates this amazing love inside of you to be near your children, be near your family. It brought a new sense of gratitude to my heart for the blessing of being able to hold my child, to have them sit on my lap, to have them whisper in my ear, to have them cry out in joyful pain as I tickle them. What a blessing it is to be a father, to have that kind of love in my heart. It helps me to understand my father more. What an eternal love we all are blessed to have to create a life, nurture them, watch them grow, watch them triumph, watch them fail. I am grateful to be a father, everyday.

Is this thing still on?

2009-06-20T22:52:00.003-06:00

i had almost forgot to turn it off. i am having more fun reading Jodi's blog.

i will come up with something good, though. i've been pining for a while, now that i have enough material something is bound to come out.

Downsizing

2009-06-04T22:56:00.004-06:00

"Allie, let's say prayers."

"Okay. Heavenly Father please bless everything. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

"Allie, wait a minute....."

"Papa, it works if you package everything in together. Then it gets the food, the people, and everything."

"........"

Apparently in this economic downturn, prayers are being cut as well.

Taking a breather

2009-05-06T19:56:00.003-06:00

It's no surprise my wife had to PLOG. (That's Pause-Blog)

It's because she's good at it. And like anything in her life, when she is good at something she wants to take it to the next level. Near perfection is where she likes it. Not that she is a perfectionist - remember she married me, so her standards aren't that high. But she is INCREDIBLE at sharing her thoughts, putting it to writing, adding media to strengthen the message or feeling. AMAZINGLY GOOD for a person who is convinced she never knows what to say.

And this is why I love her: She demands the same about her motherhood. Near perfection in her feelings about being a mother. Funny thing is, to me, she is already there. Just the fact that she realizes and sets herself straight is message enough to the kind of woman/mother she is. She's in tune. She gets it. I sit in awe of her loving nature and love to nurture. In simplest terms she is to me what defines a woman. I glad you all got to see that for a while.

But hey, she's not going anywhere. She's on sabbatical. I think she will come back refreshed, with a more "healthy" relationship with her new medium. I can't wait. It gives the world a chance to see why I love her.

A singular moment in sports time...

2009-05-03T21:05:00.002-06:00

I have no idea what horse racing is all about.

To me, it's about as foreign as Cher's wardrobe.

Yet, I think I know a classic when I see one.

One of the many stories about the race and background of the horse.

Able Baker Charlie

2009-04-26T21:00:00.003-06:00

I have no idea why I was so excited to bake this cake.

But I was.

I saw it and got totally enamored with the idea of creating something that was signaled summer to me. Fresh limes, blueberries; goodness me it looked like it should have been a June wedding dress.

I dunno, maybe I am showing my vulnerabilities. My softer underbelly.

Or it could be that making pastries like this are contributing to that softer underbelly.

I gotta get a new hobby.

By the way, it's no secret that I have at one time stored old Cooking Light magazines in my home. Like something you expect to see when clearing out an old widows home wondering why she kept all those Good Housekeeping and Women's Day magazines stacked next to her couch.

Recently, however, I streamlined my sickness.

I cut out the one's I thought looked the easiest, the most likely that our children would eat.

So now all the single pages are up in our cook book cupboard.

Just so that you don't have to sift through it all, HERE is the recipe.

What's in a blog

2009-04-20T20:50:00.004-06:00

I have been pondering the last few weeks about what a blog is.

Web Log

We Blog

I get the feeling that it really comes down to this:

www whatdoIwanttoshowtheworldaboutmylife.com

Does anyone really want to know that stuff? Is it an advertisement for a product noone really wants to buy? Or is it a train wreck we are just really trying to avoid, but we can't? Is it too heavy sometimes, or not heavy enough? Is it for posterity? A journal for the future? Or simply a way to entertain myself and/or my wife? Is it real, or is it a front? Should it dig deep, should it have "meaning"? Or is superficial a better way to go. Can it be both?

What do I want my blog to be?

Does it need to be anything....

Communication Breakdown

2009-04-15T20:47:00.004-06:00

So here is the scene in my office today: My assistant, Mrs. S, is out sick. So I am working with Ms. P, whom I have worked with in the past, we have a good relationship. Ms. P is a divorced mother of 3, in her mid 50s, and very nice. So I am coming out of a meeting and Ms. P is talking to someone at the front desk and then makes a comment so I can hear that goes something like this:

“…and then Brandon keeps bugging me for this and that….” (laugh laugh).

So I say, “Hey, my wife isn’t here for me to bug, so I have to bug somebody.”

To which Ms. P says, “Yea, I have a lot of practice at that. I’m still pretty good at it.”

……………uh…………..uh………….head scratch…………What in the world does that mean?

To which I just nod and say, “Right.” , and then scurry to my office.

My topic today is about inter-communicative oddities. Namely, what to do when someone you are having a conversation with says something that makes absolutely no sense. My immediate reaction is to file a sexual harassment complaint. I mean, times are tough, it’s worth a shot and the kids need summer clothes. Besides, when was the last time you felt like someone insulted you and/or possibly your wife, or maybe insulted the other person in the room she was talking to? It doesn't matter. Everyone does it. She's had a lot of practice at it and she's still pretty good at it.

I guess I could have actually said, "I'm sorry, what did you say? Could you please explain what you meant when you said......" But no. That would be overstepping some social boundary. I believe it's the same boundary that exists around the "I'm sorry waiter, this isn't what I ordered" territory.

I think my first exposure to this method of communication was when I was about 16 I was standing in my grandmother's driveway. She and I were talking and her neighbor came outside and shouted something to my grandmother. She smiled, said, "Yes, yes." and then we turned to go back into her house. I asked her what her neighbor had said, because I didn't hear it, and my grandmother said she didn't know.

Didn't know?

I asked, "What if she had just tried to tell you her mother had passed away? Your response was a smile and 'yes, yes'. What do you do then."

Older people probably get away with this much more than they should. I actually think that is how wars are started. Someone says something like, "Hey, are you harboring terrorists here?" and the people respond with a smile and "Yes, yes." What they thought they heard was "Today new barbering therapist's gear."'

"Earn more sessions by sleeving." Or something like that.

Can we all have a word we say when we have something like that happen? Could there be a code word for the time when you don't understand what the person just said?

Let's use "Jethro".

Artism

2009-04-04T08:13:00.014-06:00

When I was growing up, if someone said the word "Autistic" I thought perhaps that they meant something else.

Like Maybe they were from New England and were saying that they were "Ahtistic" like you would hear someone at the museum say, "You know, that Van Gogh was pretty Ahtistic." Like "wicked scaaf".

As you grow older I think that you learn the hard way sometimes what words mean. You can also learn that words can mean the same thing.

I would say that Nick is Artistic.

He loves to draw. He loves to read. He loves, more recently, to write books.

I have scanned in his latest publication.

It's titled The Kingdom of Doom. (I apologize for the gratuitous violence.)

Moral of the story? Life starts out pretty wonderful. Sure you may run into a few challenges, but in the end you feel so good about things, you're even able to share a little wink.

Showtime

2009-04-03T07:27:00.002-06:00

I love watching a movie with you.

Like when we watch a James Bond movie.

You always know the right places to say, "Oh no!"

Like when he falls from a high terrace onto a roof.

Or when he seduces a foreign speaking woman, you don't roll your eyes and say, "as if". You go right along with it, thinking that it's possible he could have met her today, bought her a drink, and found the plans to save the world in one evening. All the while caught up in espionage and intrigue. But deep down inside, I know you don't REALLY believe it.

That's why it's fun.

We don't even mind the piles of laundry, either.

It's that time of year again

2009-03-30T20:56:00.004-06:00

Tournament Time is Here again.

I'm not going to draft you a list of the guests that we have coming, it's all too good to be true and I wont get excited about it until they actually show up. But it's going to be especially hard this year to try and organize it from separate offices now: Matt's and mine. But since we started planning this year's event back in December, it has been an incredible miracle to see the response. Even in this environment, we have been able to almost fill the entire tournament. Mostly returning sponsors, but a larger number of new one's and that's the surprising part. We're grateful for all the generosity that has come to this event. Last year we were able to gather over 140 participants and raise over $100,000 for the fight to find a cure for CF. We are aiming to raise even more this year.

Date: May 18th, 2009

Location: The Promontory Golf Club in Park City, Utah

We'll keep you posted.

This is why we do it.

Ode to my late appointment

2009-03-25T20:55:00.003-06:00

"A Coffee and a Nosh sounds good..." you said. "Meet me at the Salt Lake Roasting Company. I'll be the one with the frosted hair."

"I'll probably be the only one in a suit." I said. You laughed at that one, pretty hard. Maybe too hard. "My hair is a little, as you say, frosted as well." I said.

But as I sit here with the unmistakable pungent aroma of coffee and nosh permeating my being, I have come to the conclusion that you have either forgotten about our appointment, or you have chosen to trick me. Trickery is common when someone is meeting someone for the first time.

As I sit here, I watch what appears to be the local VFW meeting in one corner. They are discussing something about Japan, though I can't make it out exactly. You know when you realize you are being totally obvious that you are listening in and you are afraid you are going to get caught? That's what I am doing. They are talking about Mercury or something, certainly not the planet. Maybe the car. In another corner I can see a man dressed in a business casual outfit speaking to a woman. Above the din I can hear words like ".. a lot of success in Canada...." and "...a person in your position...". A Northwestern type grunge man, or as some would call him a hippy, is pounding away at his laptop with his headphones in. So cliche. So Starbucks. You are now 20 minutes late. My official cutoff time is 25 minutes. I notice a woman leaving the counter with a pastry on a plate in one hand and a balancing act involving coffee in the other. She has somewhat frosted hair. I almost hope it's not you. At this point, this late, I figure you're more embarrassed than happy to see me, so let's just bypass the pleasantries. I will slip out the back door, you can enjoy your nosh. You'll figure I was killed in a freakish computer accident at work, or perhaps accosted for being the only person in a suit in this joint. I will call you and leave a message at your house indicating I waited until 20 after and then had to get back to the office. But our eyes meet, and immediately she notices that I AM the only person in this joint in a suit. She notices my Merrill Lynch binder on the small, round table in front of me. A sense of familiarity immediately is apparent on her face.

"Barbara?" I ask.

"Brian?"

Dang it.

music for a mid-summer night's drive

2009-03-23T21:05:00.004-06:00

Warm summer evenings when the shadows are long and the wind is blowing in your car window as you speed away from home with the love of your life at your side listening to this music with the volume set somewhere between loud and inaudible and 4 hours until we have to be home and it's okay that we don't have plans because we can listen to this music all the way there and back and it's even better because we haven't even gotten to summer yet and this music takes me there and back each time I listen to it because it's classic Chris Isaak and sure they're sappy love songs but that's why we love him and we feel sappy sometimes too and since we're in love it's okay to listen to sappy love songs, but then again it's been a long time since we have heard really good music to drive by and I am so glad that we have some now since all I want to do is drive with my love all over the world and we never have to come home and think about real life because now we have a perfect soundtrack for doing something like that together on date night or even on nights when there's nothing special to do but be together.

Smoke gets in your eyes

2009-03-20T07:19:00.003-06:00

If you pay any attention to my wife's blog, you know that we had a run in with the law the other day.

We set out to create a slow burning fire in the back yard that would be sufficient to play two roles: Entertainment for the 7 kids in our back yard and possibly burn some of the 20 tons of leaves we have collected. Smart idea? Maybe not, but certainly harmless enough. 2 basically responsible adults in attendance could deter any real problems.

Then the Fuzz showed up.

Correct. Someone called the PoPo on us. But when you live in Mayberry, the police and the fire department and the ambulance all use the same vehicle. As we sat there we had the fire going, kids cooking hot dogs on willow branches, and Jodi dutifully filling bags with leaves when up yonder an ambulance pulled up and two fire fighters got out and started the decent into our little corner of tranquility.

After pleasantries....

Them: You know you're supposed to call before you have a fire in your backyard. Even if it's a recreational burn. (Is that even a real word?)

Us: We had no idea, so sorry. We will call you next time. (And ask you to bring chips and drinks.)

Them: Also, you want to burn good dry wood so you have a CLEAN burn. With all this smoke your neighbors must have suspected a fire and that's why we got the call.

Kid in our yard: She told us to put leaves in there.(Ah, the innocence of youth)

Now, I grew up in the house of a firefighter and I was not aware that you needed to call the fire department and let them know of your backyard cookout in the fire pit. Otherwise we would have been invited to a lot more fire pit cookouts.

As nice as an experience it was for my kids to see authority come into our backyard and set their parents straight, it was also a little too familiar to me. It took me back to a time when I was a scout, probably the same age as my son. On a scout camp in the foothills of Draper. We had hiked up to the camp from the church (you could do that then, there were no houses.) Our scoutmaster was coming up to meet us from work. We set camp, started a fire, and proceeded to play games around camp. As the sun began to go down behind the Oquirrh Mountains, we set our attention to watching down the hills for our scoutmaster. Draper was a sleepy town of about 6,000 at the time, and you could literally see each road and house. We immediately noted that there was activity at the firehouse. Then, to our excitement, a fire truck departed the firehouse and began, lights flashing, to weave through the maze of quite town streets. We were excited to see where the fire would be as we sat perched on top of the hills with a perfect view. We began to wager where the fire was. We then noted that the truck turned and headed towards the canyon road, heading towards us. Are you catching on here? We weren't. Funny, we thought, that the truck was heading right towards where we expected to see our scoutmaster approaching our camp. Suddenly, as most things with kids of that age are, someone said, "Has anyone checked the fire?". If it were a movie, the camera would then pan out and show a large orange glow up the hill from where we were. Sprinting to the camp we noted about an acre of burnt brush and proceeded to pray and prance around the camp stomping to the best of our ability. Emptying our night's supply of Sprite and water on every glowing ember. When the truck arrived, guess who was the first one out of the truck? My dad. We had a lot of explaining to do, and I guess, looking back now as an adult, the inopportune arrival of our scoutmaster at the exact time as the fire truck probably gave him the opportunity to do some explaining as well. All in all, no harm done. We stayed on the mountain, amidst the smokey, crusty ground.

So, yes, I have a history with fire and authority.

I need to go now, I have to get ready for scout camp.

A Kid and A Man

2009-03-12T21:34:00.005-06:00

How did this happen? He's still a kid, but today my oldest son turned 12. All of a sudden he's one of us. I can't believe it. (Cliche warning) It all happened to fast. One minute he was a little boy with food all over his face on his birthday. Now he is a young man with food all over his face on his birthday. I would tell you, but you would not believe it.

It all started when he did that dang lip sync.

He changed. He became someone we haven't seen. I believe that he was one boy who needed a miracle to become a man, in a broad sense. And I think if I look back at that day and since, that was it. He's happier, he's confident, he's excited about life. It is so wonderful to see.

Welcome Brayden, to the other side of childhood. Now the journey really begins.

It's finally over....

2009-03-09T17:25:00.009-06:00

the first day without my business partner.

No sappy songs here. But it's like your best friend just moved away. "Best friend"....heh, we're related. It's not like I won't see him every other weekend at a family party or the fact that he lives exactly 3 minutes from my house.

But it will be different. Life will be different for a while. There are new opportunities for both of us.

The forces that be combined against our little effort.

There are somethings in life you side-step and find ways around instead of being able to conquer head-on. At least for the time being.

We're not dead yet.

Just delayed for a while.

We have to spend the summer apart (to go back to an earlier analogy).

You spend enough time with someone, even on a professional level, they become so close to you.

It's like your daytime spouse, if you will.

You know the same places, the same daytime friends. The same crappy places to eat lunch. You finish each other's sentences. You know, or think you have a pretty good idea, what the other one is thinking. Someone who will proof read your emails, your letters to clients. Someone who you bounce crazy business ideas off of. Someone you set goals with, someone who you share your triumphs with. Someone whom you also look at after you walk out of the most dirt filled, wretched smelling, disorganized office after an appointment and say, "Well, at least that parrot didn't attack us."

If you have ever had a business partner, you know what I speak of.

So, yes, life will be different for a while.

The Spanish have a word for a situation like this.

Limonada. Which, if you translate it directly to English means: No Limo.

But the second definition means Lemonade.

Visiting the Zoo

2009-03-08T15:50:00.003-06:00

The cabin.

It is a wonderful, magical place.

But when it is filled with 10 kids under 13, it becomes so much more than that.

It becomes a zoo.

I'm thinking more of the gorilla display as opposed to the exotic bird house.

We had an incredibly fun time, the boys were, well.....boys. Brayden's 12th birthday celebration. Tons of food, candy, playstation, and what could eventually become an Olympic sport - the boys invented Worm Wars.

This is played by getting into your sleeping bag and wrestling with all the other kids, who are also in their sleeping bags.

I think the last time I went out of our room to encourage the kids to quiet down, it was 12:43 AM.

So, really, it was a scout camp without the merit badges.

I think my second favorite moment of the night was when Jodi asked if boys that age are aware that they smell that way and make those noises.

I laughed, then I said, "Smell what way?"

2009-03-06T07:32:00.003-07:00

Nick has started a blog.

Inspired by my wife

2009-03-01T20:42:00.007-07:00

My better half just posted about music from the 80's, I love the fact that her first concert was Guns N Roses at the Salt Palace. I love the fact that she made fun of the girl who listened to the Violent Femmes and Erasure. Like those people were from another planet.

Well, here's my first concert:

I guess that means we wouldn't have been friends, or at least she would have roller her eyes at me when I drove by with HoJo blasting or better yet, Simple Minds.

I think we all need to confess our first concerts, get them out there. I believe it makes a statement about our youth that has absolutely nothing to do with who we are today. I remember having to get extra, extra special permission to go to the Thompson Twins/OMD concert, because it was on a SUNDAY!!! GASP. Of course, there is no way I would let my kids go to a concert on a Sunday now, but back then, I think it was before the whole list of things that you shouldn't do on a Sunday was widely distributed. I remember the crowd going wild, OMD came out first and it was just the two of them and a keyboard. Then the real show started, it was their "Here's to Future Days" tour. I bought a picture book and a t-shirt, unfortunately they only had a Medium size left. Well, those of you who know me realize I have been a "large" all my life. So needless to say the desire to show off my concert tee diminished greatly the next day when I was walking through the halls of my middle school wearing a shirt that looked like it had been purchased for a small stuffed animal.

What's worse? Yea, I had one of these strapped on my wrist:

So, not only would Jodi have not had anything to do with me growing up, she probably would have backed me over with a pick-up truck. And you know what? I probably deserved it. Thank goodness for time and, more importantly, spending those formidable years hundreds of miles apart.

Wii HAVE A LOT TO LEARN

2009-02-27T21:32:00.004-07:00

Tonight was the Ward Wii party.

We don't have a Wii.

Turns out, we're the only people in the Ward without a Wii.

We are the only people in the whole city of Kaysville who don't have a Wii.

Even the folks at the rest home have a Wii.

Even the Bishop has a Wii.

Inmates in prison have a Wii. The world is Wii-ly obsessed.

I am not saying all of this because I want a Wii. Sure, it would be fun, but, eh...whatever.

This was our second annual Wii party, and though they are very fun, it's a little like this: You show up to a basketball game. Right before it starts a guy comes out and makes the motion like he is going to lead everyone in a song. Everyone falls silent, the conductor raises his hand and on the same count, everyone in the whole arena starts singing the same song. Turns out, it's a national anthem from a country you have never heard of. Everyone in the arena knows the song but you, they now begin to look at you as though you should know the song. You smile and mouth the endings of a few of the words to make it look like you are singing along. Turns out they realize you don't know the song. Then they realize you aren't even a citizen in this country. When the song is over, they come after you, because you don't know the song. They throw things at you, chase you from town, beg you never to come back.

There, that's what Wii night is like.

But it's not like I don't have video game street cred. I could have put myself, my wife, and my kids through college if I had only SAVED the money I spent on arcade games, namely Karate Champ, Gauntlet, Defender, Battlezone, Star Wars, and the like. But now I am old. And the older I realize I am, the more I want to see if any of these young whipper snappers would like to play an ACTUAL GUITAR, instead of PRETENDING to be a hero.

I think I need to go to bed. I am really not that set off by all this, I think this is what watching one episode of American Idol does to a person.

Idol - i - tree

2009-02-25T21:13:00.004-07:00

I just finished watching my very first episode of American Idol. I have to admit, it is something I have had no interest in whatsoever. PEOPLE are PASSIONATE about it. I wanted to watch it tonight because my client's niece is on there. She's the one from Sandy, Utah that sang the Corinne Bailey Rae song. Megan Joy, I think. Well, here it goes....

I liked it.

I NEVER watch T.V., the occasional golf game on Sunday, I think the last thing I actually sat down to watch was the Olympics. I really kind of enjoyed how talented, yet not so talented everyone was. I could actually see why people get into it. Perhaps I will watch it again next week. Perhaps.

2 favorite comments of the night, though, and they didn't come from that Simon guy. One was from Nick, our 6 year old (after Simon makes a particularly mean comment to one of the performers):

"He's mean......can we fight him? I would like to fight him."

The other was from Allie, our 4 year old:

"When I am on that show, will you vote for me?"

Of course, sweets. As soon as I figure out how to vote.

Who Wins?

2009-02-24T20:36:00.004-07:00

Why is the apple so close?

2009-02-23T21:16:00.004-07:00

Since My Three Sons are not all blogging, we will call it

My Two Sons.

Son 1

and Son 2

Please, enter at your own risk.

Junkie

2009-02-22T21:04:00.007-07:00

I have many things of which I am a junkie:

Jodi

Lightning

Music

Golf

Geography

and Guitar.

I know things about guitar and guitar players that people shouldn't know. Like what guitar Jimmy Page used to record the famous solo in Stairway to Heaven: It was a Fender Telecaster, not, as some would mistake, his trademark Gibson Les Paul. Or what the difference is in a tube amplifier compared to a transistor amplifier. I am the one who goes to a concert and stares at the stage, not at the people, but at their guitars. Like how sweet is this one?

So while I was playing tonight and listening to my daughter sing into my microphone, she was literally singing absolute wacky lyrics, I had to catch myself, I was loving it so much. I could have played all night while she sang. She, by the way, is an incredible singer. I will have to post some of her more amazing performances.

I decided to let you know that I am a guitar junkie. Whether playing, watching, listening, or holding. I love guitar. There, I said it. I have a problem.

But it doesn't necessarily lead me to bad things, I mean, how do you think I got Jodi to marry me?

By playing her "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" on our first date, that's how.

I should be writing cards

2009-02-19T19:52:00.005-07:00

Last week My Blessed had her annual Valentine/Birthday combination. I love it, its a weekend of All Jodi and it sometimes makes me wish it happened every month. She is so wonderful.

During this time it is a real cornucopia of Valentines cards and birthday cards. I read through them and think to myself:

Me: "What in the world is this rubbish?"

Self: "Yea, like you could do better."

Me: "I totally could. Do these people who write these cards have any friends at all?"

Self: "You don't, what are you worried about?"

Me: "It's like these writers have had no contact with human beings in any social setting. Maybe they were raised by typewriters."

Self: "Ooh, look! Pants are on sale."

Let me give you a couple of examples of what I am talking about, and you tell me if I am the only one who believes somehow we are being fleeced: (from actual cards)

"wishing you a very warm birthday."

"A Birthday is just another first day of a 365-day trip around the Sun. Enjoy the journey!"

"I hope all your birthday wishes and dreams come true."

"Wishing you everything happy for your birthday."

"Here's to another year of experience."

I guess the most disappointing part of this is that these cards are $1.99 - $2.99. So, I searched the world over and found this incredibly sweet blank card. I figured I could write better prose than some sweaty, bearded man working in a small shack in Istanbul who was writing these other cards. I picked out this one:

I loved it. After looking for hours and hours and reading really, really bad copy, I was ready to move on with presenting the card to my wife before she had another birthday. I turned it over......$6.95.

So what the card publishers are telling us is that really, we are better writers than they are. They know it. So cards that we make are naturally going to be worth more, because we are going to bring up the story about the guy in the place with the thing, and it was sooo funny, we laughed until we cried, etc., etc.

The cards they write are rubbish, so they are worthless.

RECESSION MONEY MAKING IDEA #152

Start a card company called Crap Cards. "We know it's crap, but hey - you didn't write it."

Brayden's Triumph

2009-02-13T20:06:00.003-07:00

This is the video that goes with this post.

I don't know if I have ever been more proud of Brayden.

2009-02-11T20:59:00.005-07:00

HERE

SHE DID IT

2009-02-10T19:50:00.003-07:00

My wife started a blog. I know she would kill me if she knew that I had brought that out of the bag. She is a little timid, as most superior writers are, but I love it. I love the fact that she is putting her thoughts on the web. Stuff that happens. It's the kind of stuff that I live for. The daily stuff that I love to hear as I am lying in bed in the dark at the end of the day, the stuff that I hear as we drive together for date night. I love it.

I am withholding the address until I have permission to do so.

I can't wait.

Death and Taxes

2009-02-03T21:53:00.006-07:00

So I finished my taxes last night. Pretty simple. I am in the financial services industry so plugging in smaller numbers is nice and easy. I am a firm believer in TurboTax.

They make it so easy now, I don't know how you could possibly mess up. Then it made me think a little bit about recent headlines. So I did a little searching and found this incredibly useful program:Why didn't people like Daschle, Richardson and Geithner use this? It clearly states in it's promotional ad:

We guarantee you'll avoid embarrassing past tax related issues while you're being vetted, and even during your nomination hearings. Plus, we'll help you correctly claim exemptions for:

Political donations

Failure to pay back taxes while working for the International Monetary Fund or other financial organizations

Shady state contracts

Misunderstanding standard tax laws you may have helped enforce

Seems like there would have been fewer problems, and it only costs $29.95. Seems like a small price to pay to avoid killing your political career.

How do they know?

2009-01-27T21:20:00.003-07:00

My wife sent me this picture at work today. This is our daughter and her friend, Batman.

I had to ask my wife what in the world goes on while I am gone during the day. Namely, where did my daughter learn to pose like that? She does it all the time. How do they know how to act like a girl? How do they know how to pose? Is my time away from work the time my wife pulls out the catwalk?

Amazing.

Of course, it goes without saying that her friend knows exactly how to act like a boy.

2009-01-24T12:22:00.002-07:00

Just in case you didn't see this, I thought it was incredible.

Free Taco Thursday

2009-01-24T10:38:00.005-07:00

There are many economic signals that indicate a recession. Let me point a few of them out to you.

High Unemployment
Slowed Consumer Spending
Drop in New Housing Starts
A Texan in the White House
People Begin to Look Forward To Jury Duty
Financial Advisors Traveling 12 Miles for a Free Taco Bell Taco

So last week, amidst all the crazy market volatility, we found solace in a crunchy shell. A few weeks ago we had the chance to go to a Jazz game. They won, and when they win, everyone wins a taco. It only makes sense, right? So I had my son Matt with me, and when we came out of the game they handed us 8 coupons for a free taco. My business partner was with us, and he got a couple as well. We figured we could use these in the coming days for our "recession food".

I left a couple of the coupon at home, part of our 72 hour kit, and headed to work. I figured we could find time to go and get our fill sometime in between appointments. As I read the fine print, I read the words that deflates any balloon: "Limit 1 Coupon per person per visit".

As we prepared for lunch, we tallied our count, all total we had 6 coupons between Matt and I. 3 tacos each, if we played our cards right. I logged into TacoBell.com and figured there was a few downtown we could visit in short order. Sure enough, we found 3 within a 12 mile radius. Just enough time to give us 3 tacos each. We mapped out our route:

North Temple to Redwood Road = Taco 1

Redwood Road to 2900 South = Taco 2

2100 South to State Street = Taco 3

We could do it in an hour, couldn't we? In the words of Bob the Builder and Pres. Obama: "Yes We Can!"

We figured we could get a cheap drink at 7-11 on the way, so we stopped by the one on North Temple, right by the Utah State Fair Grounds. For those of you not familiar with this place, I said to Matt as we pulled in, "I am a little hesitant to leave the car unattended." Matt responded, "I think we are okay, there is a police officer right there." Sure enough, just as we were pulling in, a police officer was entering to grab a quick snack. So we ventured in. As we entered we found that in fact the police officer was not just stopping by for a snack, but was in fact in the process of busting a sweet little hispanic gentleman who was trying to pass about $1,000 in fake money. Here is my best attempt at a "Spy Camera" picture. I am sure all of you have done this: pretended you were on the phone when in fact you were just positioning your camera on your phone to take the picture of the incredibly unbelievable circumstance you found yourself in because if you told someone they would not believe you:

Here are the cast of characters: The man in the bright pink turban I believe is the shift manager. The woman behind the register is the woman working the register. This man in the foreground in the blue coat is the man trying to pass the money, which, upon closer examination, looks pretty good for fake money. Until one of the officers says, "They all have the same serial number."

Not good. It goes without mentioning though that the other important part of the story is that the woman behind the counter is also translating for the man in the blue coat. Shortly after this picture was taken, no less than 4 more policemen showed up. Now, if you ask me, from a lay person's point of view - this is something that can be taken care of by one, MAYBE two, policemen. I now understand that the word, "Assist", or "Back-up" in police lingo actually means, "Guys you gotta come check this out!".

So as we left, the 8 police officers were apprehending this gentleman for trying to spend what he called, "a gift". And headed out. As we sat in the drive-thru line at our first location, we double-checked our coupons. Just wanted to verify that they weren't printed counterfeits. We got our three tacos, and it was absolutely worth the drive. And as most adventures turn out, we found adventure where we weren't even looking for it.

The Sun is up

2009-01-14T19:50:00.004-07:00

the Sky is Blue, It's Beautiful and so are You.

The Dog that Just wont Quit

2009-01-10T09:50:00.004-07:00

So we went to see Marley & Me. It's the latest movie installment in the "Where the Red Fern Grows", "Old Yeller", etc. fare for those of us who claim not to be dog people until we see other people who love their dog and that dog eventually passes away and it makes those of us who claim not to be dog people cry through their eyes and sob like a baby in public like they haven't cried since Goose died in "Top Gun".

Guilty? You bet. Guilt? Even more. That's right, I am admitting I am not a good dog owner.

And I am repenting. Part of my new year's resolution is to be a better dog owner/lover. So is it true that a movie can move us to motivation? Indeed. He was a good dad, a good husband, and most of all - he loved his dog. Hmmmm. So far to go.

Murphy is becoming a member of our family. More so than he has in the past. He's a year old this month, we're thinking of celebrating by letting him freely eat all the socks in the house. With the snow outside, it's easier to clean up the aftermath and locate the socks. (Just kidding PETA, we would never let him KNOWINGLY eat anything that didn't come from a bag.) Honestly, after seeing that movie, I will admit to seeing our relationship with our dog in a different light. I saw the future, many "Years of the Dog". Murphy sending the kids off to school. Showing them how to drive a stick. Peeing on the shoes of the kid's first date as they come in the door. "Sitting" in the line at their wedding. Perhaps chewing on the grandkids first diapers. It makes me a little misty to think that now that we have a dog, he's made it past the first year of life without getting killed or sent to a farm, he will be a part of us for a long time. In fact, the thought of him passing even makes me sad now as I think what our family might be like without him. So, yes, there can still be goodness that comes out of Hollywood. Stuff that can make us change. At least me, of course, I am a sucker for a tug on the heart strings anyway. I guess that's how we ended up with a dog in the first place.

Why does it just feel better?

2009-01-01T10:53:00.003-07:00

The New Year brings with it a sense of renewal. It just seems like we have already forgotten all the troubles and difficulties of last year. All with the dropping of a single ball. Why is it that we feel more optimistic, more excited about the possibilities that await us? I can't imagine what a year end would look like without Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's like they knew we would be tired of the year so they put a couple of holiday's in the way to give us the distractions we need to take our minds off the weariness we feel. I, for one, am glad to see 2008 sail into the sunset, all ablaze and stinking of fish. Actually, it's been a bitter sweet year for us, with miracles and challenges abounding. So for those I am grateful. But, like seeing a small hint of green grass under the snow, I am excited for the calendar to move along. We've set out goals, we've sworn off the things we promise not to eat, and now we can move towards getting one more year behind us.

I am going to really eat better. Not just because I can't see the screen over my stomach or my new 'relaxing' pants come with tie downs and pegs, but because Jodi has said we are now all going to eat better, exercise, and take better care of each other. I guess that means we have to put batteries in the scale. I am also going to be better at studying the scriptures. Not just reading them, but really studying them. I am also going to try to use the word "sweltering" more often in my conversations. This past year my word was "unprecedented". Boy, am I glad I wont have to use that word any more.

Happy New Year.

The hit of the Christmas Season

2008-12-28T20:36:00.003-07:00

Remember Laser-Tag? Well, it's back. We were surprised by Santa Claus when he decided that the kids don't shoot enough at each other. Let me tell you, it is a hit. Jodi and I can't stop playing it. We are waiting for the kids to get into bed so we can play while they are asleep. If you are looking for a cheap entertaining gift you can check these out at Amazon, or Santa's shop.

A Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T20:42:00.003-07:00

Those can be very refreshing.

So Fred is home. Feeling better. It truly was a wonderful Christmas gift. I think we all felt better, including the kids, when we went and saw him last night. He'll need to take it easy for the next couple of weeks. Somehow we'll find a way to exercise that heart of his with a few card games.

I guess he'll have to cut back on the goodies a little, though. "Fred, let me go ahead and take care of those cookies and candy for you."

Hey, it's the least I could do.

Jodi and I became the proud parents of our first home cooked turkey last night. It's been a little while in the making, a year to be precise. We finally did it. Christmas Eve Turkey. First we brined it, then we cooked it. I will tell you, it was a masterpiece. We ate on our once a year china, had a little candle light. It was a beautiful evening.

Right now, it's snowing amazingly hard outside. The kids are in bed, it's just Jodi and I. There seems to be a quiet here right now that hasn't been here all day.

I'm done blogging for tonight.

Merry Christmas.

When my heart finds Christmas

2008-12-23T22:45:00.006-07:00

Harry Connick, Jr. never sang it so sweet.

Fred, my father-in-law, took it to heart today. Literally.

After a day or two of fasting, as he was spending a little time this morning on the exercise bike, he went to the shower, felt a little lightheaded, and proceeded to have some very pointed chest pains. His sweet wife was quick on the draw, and after an ambulance ride to the hospital it was determined that he was indeed having a, you guessed it, heart attack.

One of the main arteries on the left side of his heart was completely blocked, and one of the main ones on the right side was about 50% blocked.

Now Fred is one of the most healthy people I know, eats incredibly good, exercises regularly. But I think that today showed us that there is an unfortunate partner that we can't outrun sometimes: Our genes. Fred's father passed away at age 28 of a heart attack. He's done all the work he could possibly do on his own, strong and healthy as an ox I would say. But now it appears that he needs a little help from his friend - Plavix.

The cardiologist inserted two stints into the affected artery, and Fred will spend a day in ICU, a day in the regular CU, and home on Christmas Day. I will say that the greatest miracle of all of this is that it happened just the way it did. Fred was home, with his wife, instead of in the car, at work, or somewhere else. He has prepared for this moment, unknowingly, for the last several years by taking care of himself, eating right, and exercising. I think we can all agree that the outcome would be a little different had he not.

So we had an eventful day. It makes us, once again, sit back and count our many blessings and tender mercies for the love of family, and the ties that bind us together forever.

We love you, Fred. We are glad you are here. That, for certain, is the best gift you could give us.

What the....?

2008-12-18T20:45:00.007-07:00

Can someone define "Orderly Bankruptcy" for me? I was always under the impression that this was a financial problem for someone who worked in a hospital. OXY MORON. To be entirely political - I just don't get what is going on here. We don't want to extend a line of credit to the automakers, but we want the bankruptcy to be 'orderly'. So, "Would you hundreds of thousands of autoworkers, suppliers, dealers, service techs, and the like please leave your plants in an orderly fashion."

Now, I am not all for the bailout of every industry, just the ones that get there first. But come on, can't we see that this is not the time to try new tactics, we don't need another reason to feel bad about this last term. How about an "Orderly Exit" from the White House. Someone needs to take the helm of this thing and give us some leadership.

That's all I have to say about that.

A Discouraging Evolution

2008-12-17T18:37:00.008-07:00

This is something I have had on my mind for a long time. It seems that there is a regression of etiquette in society.

Back in the days of the caveman, if someone left a dead Zebra in front of your cave, you would know to contact Thog. Because Thog always leaves a Zebra.

In the days of the Egyptians, if someone left a message of papyrus in front of your pyramid, you would get back to them before the next sundown.

In the Dark Ages, if someone shot an arrow into your gardener with a note attached to it, you would get back to that person. Either with another arrow, or by some other means. Maybe a pigeon.

In the New World, if someone came and pinned a message to your 3 corner hat, indicating he would be flying a kite in the field during the storm, you would get back to that person soon before he did something stupid.

Then came the telephone. We could take the opportunity to call someone, sometimes they could answer the call, sometimes they couldn't. If someone was home, you could leave a message. Then that person would get back to you.

Then they invented the answering machine. Sometimes the tape was full, so someone could use that as an excuse as to why they didn't call you back. But this was rare. With a phone call, there was no face, just a voice. Perhaps you would feel guilty hearing someone's voice, so you would return their call. Just enough of a 'personal touch' that caused us to have to stay 'in touch'.

Now we have email. Email has created almost a perfect hiding place. No face, no voice. Just letters. And for this reason, I believe, people are more inclined to not respond to email.

I can't handle it when people don't respond to email. To me it is the ultimate insult. Right up there with throwing your shoes at the President. I'm not talking about 'spam' or those 'chain' emails, I am talking about a bonafide email, with real content. Business, personal or otherwise. I guess if they can't hear me or see me, they feel no need, no guilt, no reason to respond. Well, I have had it. Starting tomorrow if you don't respond to my emails, watch out.

I won't respond to yours.

It seems that eventually we will just discontinue having to communicate with each other at all.

It was 14 years ago today....

2008-12-16T21:51:00.003-07:00

I have waited 14 years to post this picture. I might get a little gushy for some, but my wife is really the only one who reads this anyway.

Jodi you are

My shelter from the storm.

a warm blanket on a snowy night.

a shoulder to lay my head on.

like a summer morning breeze.

my country music interpreter.

the best audience.

my best critic.

my righteous example.

the greatest mother.

the most incredible hand holder.

my joy.

my life.

my love.

Thank you for your love.

The Official Start of the Holiday Season:

2008-12-11T21:37:00.002-07:00

My Wife's Ginger Snaps are here.

Turn on your love light.

2008-12-11T21:10:00.005-07:00

One of the most enjoyable parts of the Christmas season is bundling up our kids, strapping them in the Odyssey, and taking them over the river and through the woods to see Christmas lights.

We love it. We have become veritable Light Connoisseurs.

We have found that newer subdivisions are not as fun to see lights in as older ones. I don't know if it is because newer subdivisions have to have things just "so" and older subdivisions are more like, "Hey, these one's work, let's put them up."

So it tends to make for more fun.

It begs the question: What are your favorite type of lights?

If I could only have one wish....

2008-12-11T19:21:00.002-07:00

I would like to blog like THIS. Oh, and I would also like to play guitar like that, too.

So I don't know fashion

2008-11-28T20:03:00.003-07:00

Where I come from, if there is some article of clothing with the word "Pee" in front of it, it usually ends up in a garbage bag full of other stuff on it's way to DI.

(Pee Pants, Pee Suit, Pee Socks, etc.)

But evidently there are those out there who don't mind wearing something with Pee in the title. These people are "fashion minded".

I give you the Pee Coat.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-24T20:56:00.002-07:00

For those of you who missed it. Here is the interview with Sarah Palin and her Turkey.

Talk about your heavy handed politics. If this doesn't send a message to those who may attempt to run against her in 2012, what would? Her riding through the Alaskan wilderness in a Ford F150 with a bear strapped to her hood? Already done.

Don't leave me this way

2008-11-20T21:18:00.005-07:00

I am writing this so that you will know how my heart feels. I had never been with anyone like you before. You came into my life in January 2005 like a breath of fresh air. You were so avant-garde. So cool. You had the ability to make me feel like I could do anything. You would go with me anywhere. We would spend hours together, just doing whatever. Whatever I liked, you liked too. Whatever I wanted to do, you did it with me. I shared my music with you, and you loved all of it. Even the weird stuff, and you never said it was weird. You introduced me to music I hadn't ever heard before, some I liked. Some, not at all. But we didn't care. We'd shop together. We would check out restaurants together. We would even sit around and check out the weather, or the news, or the latest sports. You kept the pictures I gave you. I gave you a lot of pictures. We had some incredibly fun times. I like to remember them sometimes.

Like the time we went to Boston and New York together. We rode the train from Boston and you got a nasty shock, I thought you were dead, but you weren't. I was soooo glad you weren't dead. And what about the time we went to Jackson Hole, we tried to play games all night, but you weren't feeling well. I didn't mind. It seemed like anywhere we went you came along, didn't complain. Even though sometimes I think you were hurt, you didn't say anything. I tried to protect you, but sometimes, you know, it's hard to do. I think the scariest time was when you tried to end things. I remember that you had a pretty bad fall and you were really hurt. I got so mad. I tried to get my pictures and my music, but you wouldn't give them back. Then I had to do some really crazy things to get you to give them back. Like sticking you in the freezer. The more times I put you in the freezer, the more willing you were to give me back my stuff. I think that is when I started not to trust you as much anymore. I was sad about that. I think you were sad too, because that is when we started drifting apart. I need to be honest with you, I think that is when I started seeing someone else. Sometimes being apart is a good thing, but I began to trust my new friend a lot more. Things just came easy between us, we liked to do the same things together, and you know what? My new friend could be trusted. If I wanted my music or pictures, my new friend would ALWAYS give them back. My new friend had like this kind of 'back-up' plan or something. We got along so well. It was kind of like you and I a long time ago. No worries. Just being together. You can understand, can't you? But you were still there. We still spent time together, you and I. We would watch movies while we folded clothes. We would still just sit around and check out the news. So many times, something would happen. Something big and I would think, "This is it, it's over." But you would come back every time. You were such a good friend. But I knew things couldn't be the same. And then, just the other day, it ended. I still can't believe you didn't come back. After all that we had been through, the falls, the misunderstandings, the fights, the times when I told you I just couldn't take it anymore. You went away. You ended it. And why? All over a spilled cup of hot chocolate.

Brayden's new post

2008-11-18T18:51:00.002-07:00

Brayden's up and running his blog again, so be a friend and check it out here.

It's rigged I tell you

2008-11-13T20:40:00.004-07:00

Two words for you:

PINE WOOD

Derby.

I know, that's three. It should be just two, 'cause there's very little Derby in it. Unless the term 'Derby' is derived from the Greek word Der*Bee, meaning made by your father.

But I don't have hard feelings. I'm just stating the facts. Some parents do all the work, some kids do all the work. I think it's true of anything relating to kids. You can either let them learn how to do their best and win or loose on their own, or do it yourself. It's a hard thing as a parent, but it's funny, each time Jodi and I have tried our best to step back - it has really paid off for our kids.

Like a couple of years ago at our first Pinewood Derby. Brayden insisted on making his own car, a "Shark" car. He designed it, went to the neighbors and did all the cuts himself. Painted it silver, put a fin on it, and a lego man as a driver and you had an instant classic. It took first place. Sweet justice!

Tonight was incredible. Matt had done all the work by himself, making all the design and cuts, sanding it down. He decided he wanted a black car. Then I made a suggestion that flames always help a car go faster. Matt agreed. I showed him how to make flames, we decided on the colors and he was off. Literally, the only thing I did on the car was put the wheels on. That was probably what hindered the most.

So a good deal of kid effort went into it.

So as a parent your heart sinks a little when you see that CLEARLY not all effots were solely 9-year-old born. I pass no judgement, just observations based on testimonials from unwitting wives.

We press forward with faith knowing that inside the walls of your local cultural hall, miracles can happen.

And they did.

No, the flaming bullet didn't take first place. In fact, it took all places. It came in last one race, 2nd another, and 1st another. There were only three tracks, so 3 races each. Matt couldn't have been more pleased. As a parent, you can't ask for anything more. A complete 'break even'.

Then, the best par of the night: 3 prizes were given out: 1st place overall, best paint, and best design.

You guessed it:

The big HERSHEY'S bar he's holding is the first prize for "Best Paint".

Congratulations, Matt.

Mmmmmm, Derby Chocolate.

Where would we be?

2008-11-11T06:47:00.003-07:00

if it weren't for our men and women in uniform? No, I'm not talking about those helpful people behind the counter serving up your delicious Happy Meal. (Although they have a role in American history, too.)

I am talking about those brave souls who stood up for the cause, answered the call and risked it all so that we can drive down the street on an early fall morning and see our flag waving in every yard.

My grandfather was one of those men. He served in the Signal Corps in the Pacific Theater in World War II. He was born here in Utah to meager means, lived through the depression as their family moved from house to house. He went to Jordan High School and then to the University of Utah for a year, because that's all he could afford. He worked at the Salt Lake Country Club in the days leading up to the war. Wanted to be a pilot but then found out he was color blind. When he was first sent to training camp they all were using World War I era equipment. They sent him on a ship halfway around the world to live in a jungle. His daughter was born while he was gone and she was 3 months old before he knew she had been born. He saw and heard things he doesn't like to talk about. And he wasn't even on the front lines. He came home and he and millions of American's built this nation on hard work and values. He knows how to struggle, he knows how to sacrifice, he knows what it means to give something your all.

Where would we be without these men? Are there people out there like that today? Is there someone who we will talk about like that in 50 years? Are we teaching our children to be that kind of person? Are we that kind of person? I would submit that I have a long way to go, and these kinds of days are here to remind me that someone has made sacrifices for me that I can't understand. Someone has given their all. What have I been asked to give?

I will change.

Thank you, Grandpa.

I am a nerd

2008-11-10T21:05:00.004-07:00

That's right, I haven't blogged since before Halloween. I have been so tremendously busy trying to think of something to blog about. Nothing.

Nothing still.

My life have become so incredibly boring. I am a broken record at work, telling people the same thing day in and day out.

"Stay in the market!" he cries, as the soft sounds of sobbing on the other line slowly drift away only to be interrupted by a distant 'click' of the receiver.

That's my day job.

Sometimes I feel like I just want to sit back and watch someone else having fun. I heard where the church invited a number of youth from different wards in the area to come down to the Conference Center and participate in a recording of a New Year's Eve broadcast. The broadcast would be shown throughout the church on satellite tv on New Year's Eve. I guess that sounds like the fun I am interested in having. "Come on down, watch other people having a great time." For some reason, it makes me feel like my 'fun' meter just hit 'empty' if I am watching someone else having a good time.

I put this link in solely for the audio, and NOT the video, please kindly disregard the video. But the great comic Brian Regan illustrates this point perfectly.

A Busy Week

2008-10-30T21:15:00.004-06:00

Well, in case you are horrified by the gory graphic I have posted, please understand that I made this picture black and white because my bride felt that the color version was "too graphic".

This is Nick's finger.

When your father tells you not to put your finger in the moving spokes of a bicycle tire - YOU LISTEN!

Sure enough, Jodi was out of town and I was working my hardest on cleaning the garage, fixing the bikes and getting all things in order. I was fixing my mountain bike tire and had the bike upside down and Nick came in, I was working at the work bench. I had my back turned for just a minute, and turned back to see Nick turning the wheel on the bike with the pedals. I said, "Nick, don't put your finger in there."

"Okay", came the reply. I then turned back to what I was doing, and literally seconds later Nick came to me and said that he had cut his finger.

Off to the emergency room. 6 stitches and a cut exterior flexor tendon later, we survived. This last Monday Nick went in for surgery to repair the tendon, and will be in this lovely cast for 3 weeks. He did incredibly well through the surgery and since. The only tough time was coming out of the anesthesia, which was awful. He's a champ, doing better since the surgery than he was doing before. Amazing.

We love you Nick.

Brandon's wife speaking here . . .

2008-10-24T11:21:00.008-06:00

It was a typical morning full of scrambled eggs, hair gel, socks, brown sack lunches, Sally Foster fundraising packets, backpacks and scooters. By the time we had things under control it was obvious that Nick wasn't going to make it to school on time if he walked. I kissed my sweetheart goodbye and asked him to put the dog outside before he left. As I loaded the little ones into the bike trailer I had to giggle as I watched Brandon chase Murphy around with a milk bone, commanding and then begging him to head to the out of doors. The ride to school was unusually difficult thanks to a flat tire that wasn't discovered until the trek home. Par for the course on a day like today I thought.

When I returned home I saw this great note:

Brandon, thank you for scrambling eggs, combing hair, reading scriptures, tying shoes, signing homework, buttering toast and gathering the family in prayer each morning. You are wonderfully hard working and flexible. I know this isn't exactly what we must have had in mind when we signed on for the family life . . . but it really is a blast doing it with you by my side. Life with you is amazing.

I love you too Babe.

jod

Another Kind of House

2008-10-23T07:52:00.004-06:00

My Oldest son, Brayden, has a real talent for scary things. He is famous in our family for being the one hiding around a corner waiting to scare us. So, naturally, when he designed this Haunted House for school, he had the best ability to bring the terrifying to reality.

Kids today get to build such cool things for school. All I did was a collage about the space shuttle. Where did that get me?

The Finished Product

2008-10-18T11:08:00.016-06:00

We are so glad the changes are done! It was well worth the wait. Here are the before and after pictures of the remodel. Mostly the main floor since that is where the majority of the work went.
Here's the front room. Out with the pink, in with the new...

Now to the kitchen. This change was a little more dramatic. We raised the ceiling, which I think made a world of difference.

From this angle you can really see how much raising the ceiling added.

We haven't gotten the pantry doors painted yet, they will be red.

A little wider view.

You may remember this wall:

It's gone.

A little change to the entry way.

The cabinets are alder, done in two different glazes, the island is a mushroom color. Then there is a close up of the tile.

Another Article to Read

2008-10-17T22:27:00.002-06:00

Are you sick of hearing about the markets? I am and I am in it every day. It was finally nice to see someone who knows a little bit about investing come and clear the air though. Give this a read:

Buy American. I Am.
By WARREN E. BUFFETT
Published: October 16, 2008

THE financial world is a mess, both in the United States and abroad. Its problems, moreover, have been leaking into the general economy, and the leaks are now turning into a gusher. In the near term, unemployment will rise, business activity will falter and headlines will continue to be scary.

So ... I’ve been buying American stocks. This is my personal account I’m talking about, in which I previously owned nothing but United States government bonds. (This description leaves aside my Berkshire Hathaway holdings, which are all committed to philanthropy.) If prices keep looking attractive, my non-Berkshire net worth will soon be 100 percent in United States equities.

Why?

A simple rule dictates my buying: Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful. And most certainly, fear is now widespread, gripping even seasoned investors. To be sure, investors are right to be wary of highly leveraged entities or businesses in weak competitive positions. But fears regarding the long-term prosperity of the nation’s many sound companies make no sense. These businesses will indeed suffer earnings hiccups, as they always have. But most major companies will be setting new profit records 5, 10 and 20 years from now.

Let me be clear on one point: I can’t predict the short-term movements of the stock market. I haven’t the faintest idea as to whether stocks will be higher or lower a month — or a year — from now. What is likely, however, is that the market will move higher, perhaps substantially so, well before either sentiment or the economy turns up. So if you wait for the robins, spring will be over.

A little history here: During the Depression, the Dow hit its low, 41, on July 8, 1932. Economic conditions, though, kept deteriorating until Franklin D. Roosevelt took office in March 1933. By that time, the market had already advanced 30 percent. Or think back to the early days of World War II, when things were going badly for the United States in Europe and the Pacific. The market hit bottom in April 1942, well before Allied fortunes turned. Again, in the early 1980s, the time to buy stocks was when inflation raged and the economy was in the tank. In short, bad news is an investor’s best friend. It lets you buy a slice of America’s future at a marked-down price.

Over the long term, the stock market news will be good. In the 20th century, the United States endured two world wars and other traumatic and expensive military conflicts; the Depression; a dozen or so recessions and financial panics; oil shocks; a flu epidemic; and the resignation of a disgraced president. Yet the Dow rose from 66 to 11,497.

You might think it would have been impossible for an investor to lose money during a century marked by such an extraordinary gain. But some investors did. The hapless ones bought stocks only when they felt comfort in doing so and then proceeded to sell when the headlines made them queasy.

Today people who hold cash equivalents feel comfortable. They shouldn’t. They have opted for a terrible long-term asset, one that pays virtually nothing and is certain to depreciate in value. Indeed, the policies that government will follow in its efforts to alleviate the current crisis will probably prove inflationary and therefore accelerate declines in the real value of cash accounts.

Equities will almost certainly outperform cash over the next decade, probably by a substantial degree. Those investors who cling now to cash are betting they can efficiently time their move away from it later. In waiting for the comfort of good news, they are ignoring Wayne Gretzky’s advice: “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not to where it has been.”

I don’t like to opine on the stock market, and again I emphasize that I have no idea what the market will do in the short term. Nevertheless, I’ll follow the lead of a restaurant that opened in an empty bank building and then advertised: “Put your mouth where your money was.” Today my money and my mouth both say equities.

Warren E. Buffett is the chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway, a diversified holding company.

Tomorrow I plan to post pictures of the finished house. If I can clean it.

A Sign of Hope

2008-10-12T21:45:00.003-06:00

We had our first snow storm of the season overnight last night. It came on the heels of a day spent canning grape juice from grapes we harvested in our backyard. It's scenes like these that make me think no matter what happens tomorrow, things are still right in the world. There is something about the coming of winter, when fall is upon us that makes me want to slow down, cuddle on into a nice warm blanket, watch a movie and then take a long winter's nap. Maybe this snow is a blanket from above.

Too Heavy

2008-10-10T06:27:00.002-06:00

My wife said that my last post was too heavy. Maybe you felt the same. Sorry. This should help.

Yep, that's more like it.

Thank you

2008-10-07T20:24:00.002-06:00

In response to the thousands (I'm rounding here) of inquiries as to my well being and mental status during this market downturn, I wanted to let you all know I'm doing fine. Hey, when life gives you lemons - make lemonade. Yes, right about now I wish I was standing upright in the front of a Hot Dog on a Stick in the mall wearing that cute little rainbow outfit and that wonderfully flattering hat mixing that lemonade up and smiling, knowing that the market turnaround is just around the corner.

Really, though, this is what I signed up for. When a heart surgeon goes into surgery he knows it may get messy, he knows there's gonna be blood, he knows that there is a good chance something might go wrong, and he's gonna do all he can to avoid the difficult talk at the end of the surgery. For those of you with weak constitutions, I suggest you leave the theater.

I may get in trouble for this, but I thought this article was worth a read. I have simply cut and pasted, since the option to post is not available.

It is from Monday's Investor's Business Daily Editorial.

A Replay Of 1929? Don't Count On It

By INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY | Posted Friday, October 03, 2008 4:20 PM PT

Those who don't know history are destined to repeat its serious mistakes. Today some have questioned whether we could have another 1929-style Depression. The answer is no — at least, it shouldn't happen.
Then we had over 25% unemployment; now it's 6% and could move somewhat higher, which is typical for economic corrections. Then, by 1934 about one-half of mortgages were in default, today it is only 6%. Nearly 94% of homeowners are still making their monthly payments.

America is far bigger today, more diversified, productive, innovative and resilient and the government's rescue package will help stabilize our banking credit system and economy for the benefit of all Americans. The price of oil and other commodities has topped, so interest rates can and should be lowered, helping all consumers.
Understanding history now is absolutely vital: How did we get where we are? What was the real cause, what were the true reasons behind our current subprime real estate loan mess — and not what politicians are now attempting to falsely claim? Finally, what are the most serious threats America will face in the next five years?
The reason we shouldn't have another 1929 is our Nasdaq composite (the stock index that includes America's modern-day entrepreneurial leaders) already had its 1929-like break in the three years from 2000 through 2002. Since then it put in a strong five-year recovery up to last November. That recovery was due to the broad-based, and highly successful, tax cuts pushed through by President Bush in 2001 and 2003. We are now in the midst of a normal cyclical market correction, with the economy having created 9 million jobs since the 2003 tax cuts.
The Nasdaq's price action since the 1990s, like clockwork, closely parallels, tracks, and eerily replicates the Dow Jones Industrials' wild speculative run-up to its 1929 bubble peak, the ensuing three-year, 88% collapse to the Depression lows in June 1932, followed by the recovery run-up to 1937 and the ensuing sharp correction. Based on historical data, today's market is likely to be a repeat of 1938 — not 1929.
To show what we mean, the accompanying chart overlays the Nasdaq index from the early 1990s to October 2008 with the Dow industrials chart from the early 1920s to the end of 1942.

Maybe you're surprised to see these two indexes seem so remarkably similar — both their up cycles and their down cycles. The reason for this is simple: while technology continually changes, human nature remains the same. The stock market is human nature on daily display, and history continually repeats itself.
Psychologically, the roaring 1920s were just like our "anything goes 1990s." America had just won World War I (the war to end all wars). It was the auto and airplane age, the radio was invented and speakeasies boomed.
Likewise, in the 1990s we had just won the Cold War when the 70-year-old Soviet Union disintegrated onto the ash heap of history as Ronald Reagan's successful policy of "we win, they lose" replaced containment and the nuclear doctrine of Mutual Assured Destruction — dubbed "MAD."
The "peace dividend" resulting from sharp cuts in defense spending helped Bill Clinton achieve a balanced budget. It was the new age of the Internet, biotech and high tech stocks. For nearly five years, prices on the Nasdaq soared. Indeed, to its peak the Nasdaq increased 2 1/2 times what the Dow Jones industrials did during its 1920s climax run.
But those astronomical Nasdaq price gains culminated in the Clinton stock market bubble, which burst in early 2000. Within the space of months, an estimated $8 trillion in U.S. stock market wealth was erased.
So how did we get where we are now? What was the real true cause of the current subprime real estate debacle that endangered not only our entire financial system, but put so many lower income people out of their homes and forced the government to an emergency rescue package?
Every American should know the truth about who engineered the rules for this extraordinary mess so that we all learn a valuable lesson. We need to be much smarter the next time around.
In 1977, President Carter and a Democrat Congress created the Community Reinvestment Act mandating that banks must meet the credit needs of everyone in the banks' community, including uncreditworthy borrowers. It was done for a good social purpose and had the greatest intentions — expanding home ownership. And, through the 1980s and into the 1990s at least, it seemed to work.
However in 1995, President Bill Clinton imposed more and stronger regulations and performance tests. These coerced banks into significantly increasing their loans to low-income borrowers in economically-troubled communities, or face possible fines and expansion restrictions.
These new rules encouraged banks to bundle their risky subprime loans together with prime loans and re-sell them in packages to other financial institutions, thereby freeing the original lenders from any further risk. Thanks to the new rules and oversight from the CRA, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac got involved in a big way, buying literally trillions of dollars of the questionable loans from banks and feeding the dangerous cycle that had begun.
Eventually, it turned into a kind of pyramid scheme that overwhelmed some lending organizations when housing prices softened in late 2006 and 2007.
So what's the big lesson to be learned here by the public? That this financial crisis was the result of yet another Big Government program that had great intentions but created devastating unintended consequences that hurt millions of people.
It was not the fault of African American groups, which naturally want to help their people. Nor was it the fault of America's free enterprise system, or a lack of enough regulation. No, it was Big Government once again trying to run a private industry.
You can't take one dollar and loan it 50 times. Watch out when Big Government spenders tell you they can run our entire medical industry, give you far better care and save you lots of money.

How about this guy for Vice President

2008-10-02T23:24:00.002-06:00

Thank you Thou King of Ireland.

A Pigeon and a Broker

2008-10-01T21:42:00.002-06:00

When I got to work this morning, a client had left us a voicemail message that went something like this.

"Hello, Matt? This is George _______, I wanted to call, I thought you and Brandon might get a kick out of this.

What's the difference between a Stock Broker and a Pigeon?

A Pigeon can still make a deposit on a Ferrari.

Have a great day!"

God bless you, George.

He really is that handsome

2008-09-26T20:53:00.004-06:00

Since I have a new policy to only put pictures of myself with famous football players and/or General Authorities, I thought I would post this one with both.

Actually, this is from a June fireside I was at. But Chad Lewis, the other guy in the picture with his wonderful wife, Michele, just mailed this to me.

I wonder if you felt the same way I did when I saw Pres. Uchtdorf speak at General Conference when he was first called into the First Presidency. There is something wonderful about hearing him speak. This was truly a special evening, and Chad, who himself may very well be a GA someday, was generous enough to invite me to go with him.

Being around men like this really makes me want to be a better man myself. Someday I want people to say something like that when they spend time with me.

Sometimes it's just crappy

2008-09-24T21:22:00.004-06:00

I decided to let you in on more of the not so glorious side of what I do. I've been in the business of working with people on their financial planning and future for over 14 years now. Sometimes things not in your control make people loose money. It is a very difficult thing when people loose money. It pains me. It crushes me. But I can't let it destroy me, otherwise I would have to re-recruit myself back into the business everyday. In that way, I'm probably a little bit like a detective, sometimes things don't end up the way you want them to and if you let it get to you too much you wont come back to work.

Take, for example, your clients whom you have been working with since you started in the business. One of your oldest clients, who loves you like a grandson, or so you think. And you invest their money in something that has proven a safe-haven for many, many years. And one day you wake up and the government has decided they are not going to pay interest on that investment and it goes to almost zero, literally, in one day. After talking and talking and talking and more talking and explaining and explaining and pondering, they tell you that they have lost their trust in you. They ask you how you could have let this happen. They tell you that you should have seen this, that many people saw this coming, and you have let them down.

That's crappy. The truth, I tell them, is that no one saw this coming. No one, not even people who are incredibly smarter than me, who have more things on their wall than I have dog poops in my yard. I tell them that I make my decisions based on the best information that I have, and at the time when he claims I should have known to get out, I made a decision based on the best information I had. Sure, I could tell you right now we should have all gotten out of the market and gone to cash in October of 2007. Do you know what that was? It was the very top of the market. Hindsight is 20/20. I apologized to him many many times, but this is what makes this time so difficult. It is nothing anyone has every experienced or could have dreamed would have come about. But I truly believe that this will work itself out. It always does. I am not just being an eternal optimist, though being one sure makes it easier to go into work. If you look throughout the US financial markets history, every year, nearly, there is a reason for disaster. Here is a look through historical bear markets: Some may take comfort in this chart, some may be freaked out by it. It is what it is.
Currently the Dow hit a high of 14,166 on October 9th of 2007. It's low point was 10,595 on 9/15/2008. A 25% drop, peak to trough in nearly a year. Sure, this is dramatic, this is different, this is the end of the world. But it was at those other bear markets too. I don't want to belittle the feeling and sentiment out there, believe me I deal with it every day. It is very real. VERY real. But that is where I guess the strength of my philosophy can help my clients understand that we have been here before. It may feel like it's different, but it's not. History has shown us that yes, markets go down. Markets go up. It is the way it works. It will recover, it will make it through this, it may take some time, but it will work itself out. I might be talking to no one, I might be talking to myself. But I am also not ready to give up on history, hard as that might be.

So cheer up, don't despair. Look to history to tell us what to expect. We have a very resilient economy and country. I have confidence that things need to and will change. So put on that matador outfit and head out into the ring. The bulls could be running soon.

Moving

2008-09-23T07:31:00.002-06:00

My wife and I are probably the last to find a good restaurant. We are the last to wear clothes that aren't jeered at by kids at the bus stop. We are the last to see the biggest movie of all time. The last to discover good music. The last to find a sale at the store. It would only be fitting then that we are probably the last to discover the most moving musical since West Side Story.

Les Miserables

Are you kidding me? Why hasn't anyone slapped me across the face and screamed, "Snap out of it!" A-la Moonstruck? I should have been wearing a sign that said, "Hasn't seen Les Mis" with a sad, downtrodden French youth on the back with a tear coming down. We should have had our house toilet-papered hundreds of times by now.

We saw it over the weekend at Tuachahn. Let me say that the venue alone would have been sufficient to move me. But the play was incredible. I have been moved by productions before: Top Gun, Where the Red Fern Grows, Savannah Smiles. The Classics. But this, this was different. It had a message, it had meaning. Once again, I am talking about something and excited about something that people have known for years. It's like I just discovered the gospel, and everyone else has known the truth for years.

Thank you for being patient with us. Thank you for not making fun, at least in front of us. We are one of you know. We can talk about it. We can share.

We can sing "Master of the house".

If my life were a musical

2008-09-18T06:58:00.003-06:00

In an effort to continue to convey my feelings this week, I created a playlist for your listening enjoyment.

Just make sure you are not operating heavy equipment.

Don't Cry Out Loud - Melissa Manchester
Grown Men Don't Cry - Tim McGraw
Free Fallin - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
It's the end of the world as we know it - R.E.M.
Gravity - John Mayer
Sad Eyes - Bat for Lashes
Crying - Roy Orbison

Since I can't see the screen anymore from the tears, I'd like you to suggest some to add.

A Bull, A Bear and A Bank

2008-09-16T22:26:00.004-06:00

I'd like to take a minute and talk a little bit about my week so far:

Crappy.

Mostly crappy.

I'd say crappy to fairly crappy.

No, it's not the merger that has me down. The merger is a good thing. Actually, it's a great thing. It's the best case scenario. At least right now. What? What's that you say? You haven't heard? Well, unless you get your news from Radio Disney, you are probably aware that the firm for whom I work has been purchased by Bank of America. The same Bank of America that does business with half of the population here in the US. To make a long story short, it needed to happen. And I think it makes all the sense in the world. I couldn't be more excited for what it will mean for my business. Merrill will keep it's name, basically will be an autonomous entity inside of B of A. So, to paraphrase a convict, "It's a good thing."

This market is just crappy. That's not been the fun part of the week. You see, part of my job as a financial advisor is helping clients in the difficult times to not make the wrong decisions. Sure, when the market is going up, it's a great thing. People are happy, the refer their friends. They make you cakes. They name their children's middle name after you. It's so wonderful.

Then the market goes down. It always does. And the people who were singing your praises, curse your name. The make you death threats. They lock their children with your middle name outside. And there is so much emotion tied to it all. It is as it should be, people are tied to their money with their emotions. So when the market goes down, I spend a lot of time talking clients through the current conditions. Helping them to understand what is going on, helping them focus on their objectives and goals. Basically, in some cases, talk them down from the ledge. I love that part of it. I love being part financial advisor, part psychologist. I have spent countless hours on the phone the last few days with clients, listening to their concerns. Hearing them out, bad or good, and then rendering my thoughts. You become very close, it's an emotional time. Hopefully, if I am doing a good job, they don't sell out at the bottom. They hold on, keep a long term perspective. That's when the rewards come. Seeing them stick it out and reach their goal.

Maybe it's like being Michael Phelps' coach. You coach him through all the bad and difficult times, the countless hours in the pool, with breaking all the records at the Olympics as the final goal in mind. Then, to see him actually do it, I can't imagine the satisfaction his coach must feel. It's a lot like what I do. See them through the bad times of the market so that they hold on, stay invested, ride it out, and reach their goal: be it retirement, kids education, weddings, second homes, etc.

The Michael Phelps Approach to Investing. Sounds like something I could take on the road. I already have the 12,000 calorie/day diet.

When a little something goes a long way

2008-09-08T23:00:00.003-06:00

I sit back in amazed stupor as I think about the power of small actions. Stephanie and Christian Neilsen's blog, their struggle to recover, their family, their amazing story, and more importantly the effort to raise money to help them all started with a loving effort to make people aware, and now it has turned into This. A New York Times article for Pete's sake. Coverage around the country of how incredible it is that people are holding auctions, raising money, baking cookies. Do your part, get involved, send your love. Is there any other medium that could make this possible? To think I used to use this as a way to simply make stupid comments about golf and life and Xanadu and exercise balls.

No, this is much more powerful than I thought. This is something. We're on to something here.

So kudos to Kara Jayne, and all those that make this blogging thing something to be proud of.

Having a Ball

2008-09-05T23:20:00.002-06:00

As I was hanging up my clothes tonight, my foot nudged something on the floor in my closet. It was square, in a box, in a bag. I looked down to see what it was. "Oh, it's you." I thought. My exercise ball.

I decided to use some of my birthday money from a while ago, like July 17th, to buy an exercise ball. So I could, you know, exercise. Tone my abs. There are many ab-tacular exercise aides out there, but I like the exercise ball. I figure if it doesn't work out, literally, then I don't necessarily have any shameful expensive unused exercise equipment in the garage or being given away at a yard sale. All I really have is a really expensive, really durable beach ball. I can live with that. Of course, I'm living with a really durable beach ball right in the mid section of my person right now, anyway. I plan to get it out soon, maybe I'll put one of those exercise meters on the blog so you can track my progress. Something like the "Crunch Ticker". On second thought, maybe not. Maybe just a picture of us at the beach, with our really expensive, durable beach ball.

Xanadu, your neon lights will shine

2008-09-05T18:00:00.004-06:00

So on the commute home tonight, I was browsing through my iPod while sitting in traffic, and I was browsing by album, which I almost never do. Then I came across this little gem that was tucked way back in the back of the "guilty pleasures" section of my music. Although, I don't know if it really counts as a guilty pleasure, since I did not know it was there, and don't have any other ELO hits.

But what in the world was the world thinking? Could there be a bigger waste of film and or audio track than this rubbish? Yet, I recall, and readily admit, I liked the film and the music when it came out. It was so futuristic. I mean, this magical place that existed with VERY advanced architecture, it could only happen in a world where Olivia Newton John is the angel to save love.

So as I drove home, I listened to the whole song. This is very important to note, since the iPod makes it insanely easy to push through the tripe that sometimes exists in one's music library. I consciously didn't hit "forward". Even better, as I noticed, was people's reaction to my loud music from the late 70s. Particularly the glares from two hand-in-hand parking lot goers as I made my way through a short-cut past Farmington City Hall made me believe that I was on to something: Find the most ridiculous song and play it loud with the windows down in a crowded place and see what kind of looks you get.

That's Xanadu.

A Day at the office with dad

2008-09-03T21:24:00.004-06:00

For the last 3 or 4 years we have had a tradition at our home. Before school starts the boys get to join me at the office for a day at work. They each get their own time, so there's no fighting. I think the thing that they love the most is the breakfast.

We go into the office for an hour or so and then we walk down to Lamb's Grill Restaurant. If you are not familiar, it's one of the oldest restaurants in the state. Been in business since 1919. Some of the same utensils are still being used. Actually, that may not be true, but what may be true is that some of the original waiters are still there. But it's a great old place, the kind of place that makes you want to spell old like this: OLDE.

It has look that is absolutely depression era: lots of bread lines, unemployed brokers, failed bankers, etc. Quaint booths that are still a little small for the typical human born after World War II. The lighting and decor, as you can see, make me feel like I am in a Batman movie. A little "Now-tro", as it were. So "then" - that it's "now". The kids love it. They order pancakes and doughnuts and chocolate milk and we sit together and talk about the summer and what the school year is going to be like. In all honesty, it's my favorite part of the day too. I need to take more opportunities like that.

Then it's all business after that. The filing, the runs to get water, the trashing, the runs to get copies, the desk organizing, the runs to get stuff off the printer. Then I have work for the kids, too. Actually, without having them here to comment, I don't know how much they really care what I am doing at work, they just want to be there. With me. Which makes me very, very proud. Not in a negative way, the good proud. Where you count your blessings.

The other best part of the day is seeing everyone at the office react to little kids dressed up and following me around. Maybe it's because they are used to seeing me with much shorter clients. Brayden actually picked that suit out at DI. He wanted to wear a suit this year because he wanted to look "professional", not "cute". I made a note of that and passed it along to my assistant, making sure she used that when he came to work.

To quote one of the masters of sentimental lyric -

Time it was and what a time it was. It was a Time of innocence, a time of confidences. Long ago, it must be, I have a photograph. Preserve your memories, they're all that's left you.

Wrapped around her finger

2008-09-01T09:51:00.003-06:00

Allie's first talk in Primary was today, and she captivated the congregation with her ability to boldly testify of the merits of baptism:

"Jesus came to John the Baptist....daddy, you say it"
"In Judea long ago.....daddy, you say it"
"Daddy, you say it."

Well, at the very least, one of the audience was captivated.

What in the world......?

2008-08-29T23:55:00.003-06:00

Now......where is that receipt?

A Crazy Good Cause

2008-08-29T06:04:00.003-06:00

I am a regular reader of Kara Jayne's blog. She's witty and creative and it's a fun blog to read. As I ventured onto the site the other day, I was touched by the story of her friends from AZ who were recently involved in a plane crash. I remember hearing about this crash in the news and thinking what a tragedy it was. But as I read more of the story, and got to know more of the precious lives that were involved, I couldn't stop thinking about them. I wanted to post a link to their recovery site, where you can also access their family blog. There are times when the faith and prayers of a few are sufficient. But this is a time when the faith and prayers of many is needed. I hope you will join me in remembering Christian and Stephanie Nielson.

A Little Shocking

2008-08-28T07:32:00.002-06:00

So we decided in the new yard we would use a perimeter in-ground electrical fence for the dog. It took a couple of days to install, but when we finished on Saturday my sister suggested we check out some videos on YouTube just to see humans putting the collar on themselves before they put it on their pets. Either for comedy or for humane-ness, it doesn't matter the purpose. This one is for a anti-barking collar.

We can't think of any other forms of entertainment? I guess with the Olympics over with there is more free time to do the things you REALLY wanted to do.

Lunch in Beirut, Dinner in Sarajevo

2008-08-20T23:14:00.006-06:00

So now that you have a picture in your mind of what our main floor on the house looks like, picture, if you will, a stunning similarity in my view from my office window:

That's right, my offices are smack-dab in the center of all the amazing projects going on downtown. So when I look out the window - it literally looks like I am working in Beirut, simply because everything looks like it has been bombed out.

I had to come back to this post and edit this last paragraph. I have absolutely no idea what my thought was that I was trying to make, it was a completely incomplete thought. It seems that my blogging is in as much disarray as the world around me. So please, Pardon our dust.

A Little bit of Construction never hurt anyone

2008-08-16T08:02:00.005-06:00

This is what our new house looks like:

Thats a wall that is missing, the fireplace is gone, and the kitchen is ripped out. A little project for the end of summer. We will keep you posted as to what happens next.

Pioneer Children Sang as they walked

2008-08-10T23:01:00.003-06:00

Mary Ann has a much anticipated picture of me with as good a beard as I have ever grown. Until that picture arrives, however, this stock photo will have to do.

Yes, we did the Pioneer Trek.

For those of you who don't know, it's all about our Mormon Pioneer heritage and walking in their actual footsteps across the dusty plains of Wyoming, or wherever your Stake has the ability to go. And it is amazing. It's more hard work than natural childbirth (according to my wife) and almost as rewarding. It's 4 days of sweaty tears, no sleep, blistered toes, and strengthened resolve to have more faith in Christ and in yourself. And I think a greater understanding and appreciation of how incredibly strong and faithful those pioneers were.

Up at 5:30 or so every day, walking about 14 miles a day pulling a handcart that weighs 500 pounds or so, falling asleep on the ground around 11:30 or so, doesn't sound like your kind of fun, does it? Not the ideal summer vacation, perhaps.

But I will tell you it will change your life. There are angels around us wanting us to succeed. I can't help but wonder where we would be without them? Too deep for you? Could be. But I will say this: A theme that was repeated many times during those 4 days was one I want to pass along to you and anyone who has been on trek - that is that maybe one of the reasons the pioneers had to experience some of those hardships like Rocky Ridge and Martin's Cove, was so that the youth and adults of today could experience something similar to grow closer to God and have a better understanding of hard work and faith.

That is why I think trek is so powerful. I think putting ourselves in those clothes and those places and pulling those handcarts brings a spirit that can't be duplicated anywhere else. And you think to yourself as you are walking out in the middle of nowhere, "These people had only the Book of Mormon, and faith. That was it. And they sacrificed EVERYTHING for the chance to join the saints." It's enough to move one to tears just thinking about some of those stories.

I haven't mentioned the family yet. All the Ma's and Pa's were given 'children' to be in their family. We had 7 kids; 2 girls and 5 boys. And they couldn't have been more diverse. We had one of everything:
1. A "Jim" from The Office
2. An oriental student body officer
3. An athlete
4. A no-nonsense hard-working spiritual girl
5. A Dancer who was also a butterfly
6. A cowboy who worked harder than anyone, and who was the youngest
7. A Singer who could bring in the spirit in just a few notes
And they all worked their hearts out, and we laughed and laughed and laughed.They had to come and tell us on two nights to be quiet and go to bed.

And that's what it was. All the preparation, the anticipation, and then it was over. And we were changed, just like that.

In closing, let me just say one thing about my wife. I will be riding her coat-tails all the way to heaven. She is the only reason I have a chance. I love her and am grateful for how strong she is. In every sense.

The Worlds Fastest Cat

2008-08-03T07:49:00.003-06:00

For the past couple of months our children have been dying to get a cat. That's right. A larger yard requires more dependent animals and/or stray children. Since Jodi and I are not about to adopt any more kids and since our good friends the Carlings cat had kittens we had been anticipating the arrival of another mouth to feed with much excitement. But in all honesty, a cat is so low maintenance, how could you say no? We have a cat already that came with the house, it's name is Patches. I can't decide whether or not that is because the previous home owner's daughter loved quilting, or if it is describing the clumps of fur the cat leaves behind. But this cat is a typical open area cat. You know the kind, totally like a teenager. Doesn't like to play with the family, doing its own thing all day, only comes around when it needs to eat or use the bathroom. Not too friendly, but just friendly enough that we keep feeding it.

Well, the kids had fallen in love with this kitten from the new batch, and we relented to let them raise one from it's infancy. I had grown up with cats so it was no big deal. This is a collection of photos from the big adoption day.

It wasn't soon after these pictures, however, that our son Nick and Brayden both broke out in hives and started sneezing and sniffling. I brought the cat inside, held it for a bit, then I started sneezing uncontrollably.

That's it, 3 out of 6. So in 10 minutes the worlds fastest cat had not even laid in the crate that we bought him, nibbled the food we'd placed in the new dish, or pooped in the freshly manicured litter box.

Goodbye Dusty Bottoms. I mean, Hello.......Now goodbye.

Dynamic Duo

2008-08-02T07:15:00.004-06:00

I thought I would share with you a couple of shows we got to see a couple of weekends ago. Concerts are a funny thing, when you buy tickets when they go on sale by the time the show comes around you forget how much you paid, so it makes the concert all the more enjoyable. The bad thing is, you may not have planned that the weekend the concerts fall on happens to be the busiest of your life.

So on the actual day that we moved into our new home, Saturday the 19th, after all the crying was over with, we zipped on down to the Usana Amphitheater to see The Police on their reunion tour. Both Jodi and I have a thing for Sting. That's right, I am a grown man (somewhat) and can admit that I am a rabid fan. The minute they started their first song, Jodi turned to me and said that they sounded as good as they did on any album. And they did. It was an incredible show. Having been exhausted from the move during the day, it was nice to sit under the stars and scream a lot.

Then 2 days later on Monday the 21st, we got to go to the same venue and see John Mayer. We absolutely loved the show. It was a beautiful night again. The music was incredible, John put on a great show, but I think at both concerts one of the highlights was sitting down near the entrance before the shows started and people watching. Such an incredible diversified grouping of people. Very entertaining. In fact, they should put on the ticket where it says "No Coolers, Camera's or Recorders", it should say "Come Early and People Watch".

So no concerts for a while, or the only ones we plan on attending will be taking place on the back deck. Amazing what happens in 4 months. The tickets went on sale, then we sold our home and moved. What will the next 4 months bring?

The timeline begins

2008-08-01T21:54:00.008-06:00

So I finally had a minute to put together some outside pictures of the new house. We absolutely love it, and it is starting to feel more and more like home.

Allow myself to introduce....myself

2008-07-30T22:48:00.003-06:00

My entire life I have made fun of Rod Decker on KUTV 2 News. Now, I know why: He manages to pick out the most outrageously ridiculous people to interiew.

As Simple as it should be

2008-07-29T07:33:00.002-06:00

Well folks, it's all over with. When I say over, I actually mean the part where we have actually moved from being in the house to actually living in the house. We finally have our carpet upstairs, beds in rooms, kids in beds, and our home is a little less like a refugee camp than it was yesterday. Waking up this morning on a bed that wasn't just a mattress on the floor somehow felt so much better. Yes, pictures are forthcoming. Many, many more details are forthcoming. We have the internet back so we will be posting many updates.

But for now, life is as simple as it should be. Stay tuned. And thanks for your patience during this long delay.

Client Golf

2008-07-16T21:52:00.001-06:00

Few things can compare to client golf. A place to relax, build a relationship outside of business, work on your game. Get close to nature. Find peace and tranquility.

Sometimes, though, you end up seeing sides of people you never knew existed.

Golf is an incredible game. You can take otherwise calm, refined, smartly-dressed people and by the end of a 2 or 4 hour session they have become hideous ball-babies with bent metal sticks in their trunk. You can have highly educated men who spend thousands each year on new equipment, only to find they are unable to hit it past the lady's tee. Then you have a lanky teenager with a borrowed set of 1970 knock-offs who hit's it 280 off the tee, putts "lights out", and makes you want to run him over with a golf cart.

There are many things to remember when golfing with a client:
1. Never talk business after he/she hits one into the water/hazard/clubhouse/adjacent freeway.
2. Always talk business after he/she gets a better score on a hole than you.

I guess it's pretty simple. But there is also one important thing that is maybe not commonly known amongst golfers who take their clients out: Never let them see you laugh at them.

Take a case in point. A few weeks ago we are out on a 9 hole golf expedition with a client. A brilliant man who has changed the industry in which his profession lies. He's also one heck of a nice guy who loves golf. I'd like to think we have a lot in common. We pick a beautiful day with little wind, pleasant temperatures and an afternoon tee time to relax the day away. Matt, my business partner/brother-in-law, and I start the round with 2 pars in a row. Our client, who probably plays to a 23 or 24 handicap, is struggling, but making the best of free golf. As we set up to tee off on the 3rd hole, there is water about 50 yards in front of us and to the left. The fairway is more to the right, so a little over the water shot is the right line. Matt tee's off first, hitting a beauty into the center cut, I miss-hit one, not too bad that goes to the right side of the fairway. Then our client sets up his shot. He swings and there is a helicopter-like sound as his club rotates freely from his grip, sailing through the air, passing his ball, and lands about 4 feet from the water.

Our client stands in amazement, serious faced, and indicates that the grips on his clubs were gifts from his "@$%@$# Brother-in-law" and he is going to have to give him a call to ask him about those grips as soon as the round is over. As Matt turns from retrieving the clients club, his face is contorted in a way as to make it look like he is passing a watermelon, and it gives me pause for a moment until I realize he is doing all he can NOT to laugh out loud at this wonderful, dear man.

We can all see the humor in our own actions from time to time. Just don't look for it on the golf course.

Finally a chance to blog

2008-07-11T07:13:00.003-06:00

This morning, the first in many many days, I have one chance to update the blog. I don't hesitate to tell you I have had absolutely no time in my life, our lives, to dedicate. I even thought of shutting it down. Not really. When I say that it makes me feel like my blog is this perpetual living thing that will die if it's not tended to and that thousands, nay, millions of people would be saddened if updates weren't streaming out into blogdom. But I do love you. I have just been away. I hope to be able to talk more now.

Not that life is any simpler going forward. Just a little more......roomy?

Puns are always enjoyable, and that one is no different.

We bought a new house.

New to us, old to the neighborhood. Oh, and yes, 4 houses away from where we live now. But we closed on it on the 30th of June. A wonderful day. Filled with joy, gratitude, fear, and faith.

"Fear", you say? Yes. We took the Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade leap of faith across that cavernous expanse of buying a new home with the anticipation of the contract on your house going through to closing. If you've never done it, it's a lot like closing your eyes and walking across the freeway at night.

By the way, don't try that.

Needless to say, despite our inabilities, shortcomings, and overall normalcy....I will say it right now that miracles do happen. They happen today, and if you ever doubt that God is aware of you and I - just look up at the moon.

Now, I will start another blog sometime to just talk about the tender mercies of God, but it will be sufficient to share with you that when you step off of that precipice, holding hands as a family, and ask Heavenly Father for a little extra help...it is so humbling to know He is there.

Sure, owning two houses can be fun. But we really needed to have the Henderson's (the people who are buying our house) sell their home sometime soon. I mean, I can only mow so many lawns and keep my day job. But this past Monday night we got a call, they had an offer on their home which they accepted, and it was anticipated that they would close on the 25th. Of July.

Incredible.

So, we have now gone from the low gear of moving, to the high gear. We will close on selling our house on the 28th. Which means that we have exactly 2 weeks and 3 days to move. Oh, and paint. Carpet. Other stuff.

Did I forget to tell you we also go on the Pioneer Trek on the 4th of August.

Life.

Incredible.

P.S. Lots more pictures of the house, projects, etc. to come.

LA on a dime

2008-06-22T22:07:00.009-06:00

Remember a long time ago I told you about doing LA LA Land in 17 hours? Well, in another attempt to defy common sense, my oldest son and I took our inaugural 5th grade trip. We received a gift travel package that included airfare for two this year from Jodi's parents. We were lucky enough to get LA, and Jodi and I decided I would take Brayden. Just a daddy/child trip for a day or two, to go out and see the world.

During the planning phase we found that our flight would be arriving in LA on Wednesday night at 9:30 and departing at 6:30 AM on Friday. So essentially one full day in LA. Just enough time to have fun in the sun, forget about your worries, and return before you get mugged.

I tried to find a hotel that was close to the airport since I didn't see the benefit of renting a car for a single day, maybe I am too cheap, but you weren't invited so who cares what you think.

Then I found it - The Radisson Hotel LAX. When I say LAX I mean that it is about a 8 minute walk from where our gate was to the hotel lobby. No rental car or hotel shuttle needed.

But the rooms were clean, there was only one working elevator out of 4, so we felt those were good odds. We settled in with a visit to the snack shop and ESPN.

Brayden is an incredible traveller. He loves everything and is so grateful to have these kinds of experiences. I loved being with him. Just a chance to talk about everything and nothing. Which, when you are a father, isn't very often. I think I try to get the "What did you do today?"'s in a little too much and not listen enough. It was nice to listen. No pressures of chores. No pressure of bed time. It gave me a new perspective on being a dad I think. I hope I can keep that feeling.

The hotel was actually a great pick because they also had a free shuttle that took us down to Manhattan Beach, also went by the Mall in El Segundo which came in handy later. Here we are out front waiting for the shuttle. You can see the airport control tower in the back, that should give you an idea of how close we were.

The trolly was great, though it did have a little bit of an old person smell. Just Brayden and I and a couple who was out looking for a breakfast spot.

We found one, right in downtown Manhattan Beach. The World Famous Uncle Bill's Pancake House.

Worth every bit of the ride there. Wonderful Green Chile and Jack Cheese Omelette for me, Pancake, eggs and bacon for Braydo.

Then it was off to the beach.

The Weather started off cloudy, as it always does....

Then the sunny sunshine came out.

Then we stopped for a low calorie lunch.

Well, actually Brayden just couldn't resist. He pulled a "Hey lets go look at that bakery again and see if they have anything." When really what he should have said was "Dad can I eat a small cookie with a whole gallon of frosting on it that looks like Cookie Monster?"

Then we rode back to the hotel. Got showered and hopped back on the trolly and rode to the El Segundo Mall and had dinner at the Olive Garden - Brayden's favorite place. I went to the Bath & Body Works and bought Jodi a little something. I thought it was this sweet lip gloss, but when I got it home and gave it to her I realized it was roll-on scent thingy. Good thing I didn't put it on her lips.....

Then we went Plane Spotting. It is actually one of my most favorite things in the world to do. If I didn't have a job I would watch the airplanes land. That's all I would do. From the time I was little I have been enamored with planes. I used to go out to the airport with my family when my dad was coming in from out of town, we would watch them come in. Then I started meeting Jodi out there and we would watch them too. Sometimes. Now, I am trying to pass it on to the next generation. My kids. More than once I have driven them out to watch the fascinating spectacle that is flight. There is even an entire web community built around plane spotting. Airliners.net.

Then we had to take a picture of the beautiful glowing art out in front of LAX.

I loved it. I hope he did too. I want to have more experiences with my kids like this. No airfare needed. Just time to talk about nothing and everything. No pressure, no hype. Oh, and planes. There has to be planes.

A lone man...

2008-06-07T19:33:00.003-06:00

I am alone, man. Let me tell you, bachelorium, as a place, isn't all it's cracked up to be.

It's quiet. No matter how loudly you play your music.

It's cold. No matter how much the sun is shining.

It's no fun. No matter how much you try to pack into a day.

Jodi and the children have gone to St. George for 5 days. 5 days never seemed so long.

I am pining. It's like waiting, but whenever I hear the word I think of someone in a Pine Forest, whittling something like a canoe, while he looks across the water anticipating the return of his loved one, or ones for that matter.

I miss them.

It's just me and the dog. I can tell he misses them too. Chewing on me isn't the same as chewing on someone younger. Although there's more to chew.

I haven't been sitting here doing nothing though. I was active today. My brother, Mike and my dad and I went for a bike ride today. Mike and I rode from my house to Antelope Island. About 50 miles round trip. My dad met us on the causeway and rode out and back with us from there. Then we stuffed ourselves with a whole lot of BBQ, then went to see Indiana Jones.

So, a little fun. But now I am in an empty house. I guess I will just curl up with a BBQ rib and fall asleep in front of the computer as I finish writing this.

Finally some pictures from the Golf Tournament

2008-06-04T22:14:00.004-06:00

Well, it is once again over with. Although it has been about 3 weeks since it happened, I still feel a tremendous lift of burden and stress off me. Matt and I managed the process much more efficiently this year, and I think it was a huge success. We ended up raising over $100,000 again this year to help find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis. We had a bit smaller tournament this year, only 112 golfers as opposed to last year's 170. It made it more manageable. And as you can see we had incredible weather.

Chad is such an incredible man, I can't saw enough about what he has done for this event and for CF as a cause.

On the move

2008-05-28T21:08:00.002-06:00

I want to give you the details on our huge move. We are moving a whole 4 houses away. We remodeled our home in 2004 and had no intention to move for a long, long time. But this home is just amazing. It's on a bigger lot with mature trees and a creek running through the back. The home is a 3 story with a walk out basement and plenty of room. We couldn't be happier. Here is a map to give you an idea of where we will be.

I had almost forgotten...

2008-05-27T20:48:00.010-06:00

how amazing camping is. We spent Saturday through Monday camping in the desert of Central Utah, a place called the San Rafael Swell. If you are familiar with the area, we were just on top of a place called "The Wedge". This is what it looks like from the Wedge Overlook:

Amazing. Here we all are, except Jodi who is taking the picture:

Starting on the left, that's Lori, my brother's wife, her daughter Hannah, son Eric, then Brayden with the hat on, Allie in my arms, Nick above her, me, Matt, Mike's son Jed and my brother Mike.
Our weather was simply perfect. We were camped next to Good Water Canyon, a dry wash with plenty of exploring and lizard killing for the kids. We spent the evenings around the fire, being entertained by kids talent shows and mediocre guitar playing, which made some of the natives restless.

But mostly visiting under starry skies and a crackling fire was enough to give us the bug to go again.

The invention of the trip was a little thing we called "The Bucket". We had a 5 gallon bucket from food storage that was empty. I cut the bottom out of it and we had a toilet seat that you could use on top of a 5 gallon bucket. It was our port-o-potty. We would dig a hole, place the bucket on top, then move to another area, preferably not near the road. EVERYONE LOVED IT.
It just felt good to have the kids out, learning, doing, exploring in ways they just can't while they are grounded at home.

Jodi has decided that we are going to go at least 2 times a month this summer. That is our goal. Now that the kids are out of diapers, etc. it is so much easier to take them. I can't tell you how incredible the kids were. No whining, no complaining, even Allie and Nick loved hiking around. It was heaven.

With mornings like this, who needs civilization?
Just give me the open sky, a campfire and a guitar, my sweetie and brood in tow and I am paradise bound.

Oh, and don't forget the bucket.

There is Beauty all around, when there's FUN at Home

2008-05-27T20:42:00.002-06:00

I know all of you with a Mac have seen these kind of things a million times, but my kids just discovered "Photo Booth" tonight for the first time. Remember finding something for the first time and laughing your head off until you almost pee your pants - and it's usually over the silliest thing, like taking a picture that makes your forehead look like it's 3 feet tall? I wish you could bottle that wacky-ness and sell it.

First Things First

2008-05-23T21:57:00.003-06:00

First things first

I am in a rut. I have a little streak going of people use my last name as my first. It happened today when I bought a map at the store, the lady asked for ID and I showed it to her and she said, “thanks, Ross.” It has happened numerous times at work with email, despite my replies stating my first name, “Brandon” I will get emails that start, “Ross”. Not Mr. Ross, not Hey Ross, or Bro. Ross, just Ross. Like from “Friends”.

The final straw came today when I received an email from my sister-in-law in Boston. Now, granted, she’s in Boston, and pregnant. Maybe they do things differently back there, but she started her email like this:

"Ross,

I can’t stand it……"

I love her, even if she doesn’t remember my first name.

I have been absent for a while. In fact, that’s what Becky in Boston was writing about. Where have I been? I will tell you it’s due to one reason only, I have been searching for the lost phone.

Just kidding. Nothing more than neglect. There has been a lot going on lately, like – oh, did we mention we are moving? That’s right, selling our home and moving. We had not even planned on it, but it’s happening. Our house is on the market, and we are moving a whole 4 houses away. A bigger house, a bigger yard with tall trees, a creek and a whole lot of yard work. We couldn’t be happier. We are going to do a little remodeling, we’ll be sure to post the before and after pictures. It’s going to be great.

So there has been packing and cleaning, showing the house and cleaning, cleaning and packing and moving. Jodi has been incredible and the house has just been immaculate. The amazing thing is that despite the intense cleaning – we have yet to find the runaway phone. The kids have been so excited, even the dog is so excited he has been peeing on everyone he meets. That’s right, the dog is getting bigger and is at the stage, for those of you who are familiar, where he pees when he meets someone. Two classic examples of this can been seen in the following excerpts from our recent history:

Our neighbor comes to see our house because he is remodeling his kitchen. The dog comes out to see him and he picks up the dog to greet him (the dog was still smaller at the time). The dog proceeds to pee on him as he is picking him up.

The other incident, though more recent and much more entertaining, is a little less dramatic. The dog runs out the front door, which is opened by Allie, and runs to greet two teenage girls walking down the street. Both wearing flip flops, undoubtedly on their way to text some boys, they bend down to greet the dog. The dog then pees on both of their naked feet, causing an awkward greeting by the dog’s owner upon retrieving him, and as they “eeeeeeuuuuuuu”-ed their way down the street I had to stifle my bursts of laughter.

So there’s that. Otherwise, what else has been going on? Oh, yes – that Crazy Golf Tournament.

Actually, this year’s event went off soooooo much smoother than last year from an organizational standpoint. I think Matt will agree that by tackling it head-on, designating Friday’s of every week preceding the event to work on it really reduced the amount of stress and job loss from the tournament. It was a perfect day. I plan on blogging more about that as soon as I get some pictures, but the Cliff Notes version is this: Amazing Miracles surround this event, it has just been incredible to see the generosity of people, people like Chad Lewis and his wonderful friends. I will post a big old blog with pictures when we get back from camping.

But for now, enjoy your Memorial Day weekend. I will be in the wilderness of central Utah, looking for a toilet.

Words cannot describe my joy

2008-05-09T06:26:00.004-06:00

Since I have no creativity of my own, I seek to scour the blogs and ideas of family and friends for my posts recently. Our friends Megan and Hubert recently posted about their trip last week to St. George. It was there that true shock and awe came into my home. An In-N-Out in Utah. The most wonderful creation from Burger-dom is now only a quick 4 1/2 hour drive away?!!?!? And those fries, those fries, those fries! This truly is the promised land! I can practically smell the chopped onions sauteing, and the cheese partially but not fully melting over the fresh cut fries, and the aromatic delicacies wafting throughout the state as we hear cries of "Animal Style", and "3 x 3". It's enough to make a grown man pretend to go to work and put an extra 600 miles on his car in one day.

To give you perspective on how good these burgers are, and I am sure you have tried them, on a recent business trip my brother-in-law Matt and I were in Carlsbad, CA. En route from the airport to our meeting location we had the taxi driver take us through the drive-in at In-N-Out burger and then to our hotel. We then proceeded to take our animal style burger, fries and shakes through the lobby at the Four Seasons Aviara and plop right down and devour our delectables, creating a minor stir as the hooty-hoos raised eyebrows and whispered gasps. Never you mind, expensive-hotel-food eaters, we have no plans to wipe the special sauce off our faces. At least not until our meetings begin....tomorrow.

Needless to say, I enjoy them. I enjoy them alot. I am glad to hear they are near. Somehow, it makes life's little trials all the easier. If you really want your taste buds to start dripping, check out the not-so-secret menu.

Thank you Megan. Thank you.

Since he wont, I will

2008-05-07T20:37:00.002-06:00

Most of you who know him know that my brother-in-law, Matt, is a political junkie. I think if it were up to him, he'd be running for office somewhere. I would probably be writing the speeches he would be giving to elementary schools, that is all I would trust myself with. Anyway, he made an incredible observation a day or two ago, and he has yet to blog about it, so I will.

I site him here, here, and here.

Last week, as many of you horse racing fans are aware, was the Kentucky Derby. I must confess that I missed it because I was scooping dog poop in my backyard. Anyway, a few days previous to the event, Sen. Hillary Clinton made a statement about putting her money on the only filly (female horse) in the race, a horse called Eight Belles, to win place and show. In fact, she said, and I quote, "I hope that everybody will go to the derby on Saturday and place just a little money on the filly for me. I won’t be able to be there this year -- my daughter is going to be there and so she has strict instructions to bet on Eight Belles."

In her neat-o way of "working hard for America so you don't have to", she compared herself to that filly, racing against the colts, for the big prize.

I need to state here, with an emphasis on seriousness, my comments are in no way intended to make light of a tragedy with a horse. Reader discretion is advised. I respect and love horses and all animals, except those that repeatedly bite my children or my wife or me. I do not need a call from PETA, I am just stating some interesting observations between real life and the land of make-believe we call the political system.

Now, tragically, Eight Belles didn't win the race. She came in second. Even moreso tragic (pause) (pause) (pause), she broke both her ankles on the post-race trot and had to be "put down" right on the track. Now, this is not the kind of put down you make to your high school buddy about his dancing abilities. This is veterinarian "put down".

It would mean a lot to me personally if this were where the story ended. But I find that the second lap of this race is a little more than peculiar. You see, the winner of the race was a colt (male horse) whose name was Big Brown.

For your consideration.

A Beautiful Day for A Neighbor

2008-05-04T21:14:00.004-06:00

The 2008 Utah Walk for Autism Now!

To sum it all up, my oldest son, Brayden who is 11, got in the car after the event and said, "It was so neat to see so many people who care about autism." And it truly was. I was amazed at the thousands of people who assembled on a perfect spring day to walk to support autism. Thank you to all of you who came out and supported Nick. This morning when we woke up he was so sad because he wanted to go "to the walk" again. As a father you can imagine what it does to your heart to see so many of the ones you love showing your little family so much love and support, and for one little Nick especially. It softens my soul like ice cream in the afternoon summer sun. When I think of how far Nick has come, it gives me great gratitude in my heart and a witness of the reality of miracles. When people talk about miracles in our day, you believe them. They do occur. With the support and love that is shown our little boy, he cannot fail! Thank you. You will never know.

I need a soapbox

2008-05-01T21:08:00.002-06:00

These things have been on my mind a while, and I just want to get them out there, because it seems like no one is taking these things seriously. If they are, then they are the minority. If they are the minority, then what better forum to get them out in.

1. When was the last time we had a real clear candidate who talked about the issue that are facing us and not just conjecture? Washington? I don't even know if they had issues back then. Oh yes, how to sustain a democracy. Well, it seems like there is no one talking about the issues I want to talk about. Don't get me wrong, I am a Republican. But come on, McCain? Is this the leader of our country? Is this who is going to be inviting heads of state to dinner? I am afraid he'll fall asleep halfway through the evening. I am all for tax cuts, but McCain is talking about making all these tax cuts permanent, and honestly, I don't know what we plan to do in the future to fund what this government deems a budget. At some point we have to pay the piper, and that piper is Social Security. A number of weeks ago I read some commentary by Glenn Beck titled The $53 Trillion Asteroid and it shed some light on something I have worked on in my professional career for nearly 14 years. The fact that Social Security, as you and I know it, will cease to exist in 2019. 2019. Matt and Jenny's twins will be my oldest son's age. And yet, do we have a plan to fix that? Is anyone talking about that? Do you realize that there is no "fund" that is holding that money that is coming out of your paycheck every month. Each time I sit down to work on a financial plan for a client's future I tell them, "We are not counting social security into the equation." Do you realize what an amazing failure this is? Yet it seems that we all just anticipate that the government will just print more money. It's what they do best. But the more money we print, the less the dollar is worth. What do you plan on doing for your social security? What about your kids? Time to get those Roth IRAs set up I guess. Or I will be welcoming you to Wal*Mart.

2. Who is going to fix this economy? Are we in another 1970s scenario with runaway inflation, soaring gas prices, and a nation grinding to a halt? One of the main forces in the economy is the Federal Reserve. I assume not many of you care what the Fed really does, but it's my blog and I can rant all I want, right? Besides, I don't have any funny golf stories yet. The Fed controls the money supply in the economy. They do that by lowering or raising the rate that is charged to banks. See, banks have to have so much in reserves at the end of each day. If they have too much out on loan or not enough in the coffers, they borrow from the Federal Reserve overnight to meet that requirement. They are then charged a rate for that loan. This is the Fed Funds rate. This is how the Fed controls the money supply. Interest rates are basically the cost of borrowing money. When the cost is low (interest rates are down) there is more money in the economy because it's cheaper to get money. The opposite is true. Now go way back to your Econ 101 class that you thought you would never use again. When you have lots of money chasing a set number of goods, what happens? Prices rise! Again, the opposite is true. If interest rates are higher, that shrinks the money supply. So now, we have fewer dollars to spend on a set number of goods. What happens then? Prices fall! Well done. Bored? I'm just getting warmed up. Now here is the kicker. We have an economy that is stumbling around like your uncle at last year's Cinco De Mormo (July 24) celebration. The credit crisis has caused all kinds of havoc on the efficiency of our nation and you have probably heard the "Recession" word many times. It means people are loosing their houses, their jobs and their confidence. So when the economy needs a shot in the arm, what does the Federal Reserve do? You were listening! That's right, it lowers interest rates so that more money comes into the economy. More money means spending, building, expanding, growing, buying, hiring, sunshine, rainbows, a world of make-believe. But wait, what about that "inflation" word we heard about. See.....? The Fed has one heck of a job ahead of itself. 1) Keep this economy rolling along. 2) Keep inflation down. 3) But keep the economy going by making more money available. 4) But make sure that prices don't rise.

It's dizzying. Who is going to fix that? Hillary? Ha! I know Bill wants to take credit for the amazing economy and stock market surge during his 2 terms. But I have 2 words for you Bill, "Baby Boomer". That's like saying I was in control of the plane I just flew back from Hawaii. Actually I was just along for the ride. I have yet to hear anything worth while out of Hillary as far as an economic plan. Oh yea, she and McCain are on with the proposed suspension of the $.15 gasoline tax. Again, when are we going to see something really take place? When are we going to get someone who stands up and says we need to fix this and do it right, right now? Does anyone not see a pattern here? Am I the only one taking crazy pills? Bush 1, Clinton 1, Bush 2, now Clinton 2? These are the SAME PEOPLE who do the SAME THINGS and know the SAME GAMES and know the SAME PEOPLE. How many times do we need to drink sour milk to realize, it's STILL SOUR?

I am beside myself. I know I don't get that way very often. But you've been so good to listen to me. I know, it may have scared you a little bit. Don't blame me, just blame someone else, then sue me. I had pasta for dinner, so I know it's not something I ate. But I just can't sit by and not say anything anymore. I am sure you all have those things that just bottle up inside, and one day they just pop. Like that guy at the office who clicks his pen, you can hear it over the cubicle wall. He wont stop, and then one day you just up and push the cubicle wall right over on him.

Thanks, I needed that. I really want us to be friends, I want to talk about things on my mind. Don't hesitate to correct me if I am wrong. I can take criticism. I can take rejection.

Just be careful the next time you sit down in your cubicle.

Is "Spot Free Rinse" a sham?

2008-04-26T20:26:00.001-06:00

Because I swear it looks just like the water that rinses the soap off. Is it "Spot Free" because it comes out slow? Amazing.

That's right, we're jumping!

2008-04-25T22:37:00.002-06:00

We're jumping for joy! We're jumping for joy at the amazing generosity of all of you. It is with hearts filled with undeniable gratitude that we say "THANK YOU!!!" to all of you who have so generously given to support our Walk Now For Autism Team! We are humbled by your support and love for Nick, and it strengthens us beyond what words could ever convey. If you take a look at our TEAM WEBSITE you will see that we have exactly DOUBLED our goal of raising $1,000 for Autism Speaks...that's right for all you using an abacus - that is $2,000 that has been raised by you!

Thank you, I hope that you can feel our gratitude through your screen. You all deserve a hug. Having friends and family like you make any trial this world can muster against us do-able. We love you.

Another Artist

2008-04-24T21:44:00.002-06:00

While we were at our friend Jeff Hein's studio the other day we met another incredible artist, Sean Diediker. You can see his art here.

Would the Real Colonel Sanders please stand

2008-04-20T21:08:00.009-06:00

Often times in this busy, mixed up world, we need to pause and take a good look around us. I find that from time to time, this can be accomplished in the few seconds we have while waiting at a traffic light. Think of all that time we are wasting there. Use that time wisely.

The other day I had opportunity to do just that and I noticed something that shocked, even angered me. What have they done with The Colonel? As my eyes focused through the exhaust and heat of the afternoon, I sought out the familiar elderly man in red and white that often beckons me to his southern fried delights. No, not Alabama Santa. I speak of The Colonel from KFC, or what those that were born before the discovery of the harmful effects of fried foods call "Kentucky Fried Chicken". That's right, it has "fried" right in the name. I noticed something strangely different in this jolly old elf...he now has a hairdo as hip as your missionary companion. Gone are his wrinkles, his jowls, and his portly appearance. They have been replaced by an "Ironman Grandpa". This guy is a svelt, phat daddy. See for yourself.

<--Then vs. Now-->

It appears that the one discernible factor in finding good chicken is this: It's wherever the cook has a goatee.