the papa

2011-06-19T16:29:00.000-07:00

Hanging with the kids, everybody is pretty comfortable.

fillibuster

2010-08-23T12:05:00.000-07:00

If the republicans are serious about slowing the D.C. carnage that is going on then during the next Senate filibuster the Republicans should take turns reading the entire Health Care Bill. It would slow things down a bit plus they would see, and show the Democrats what is actually in the bill. Come on Hatch be a patriot!

Senatorial Mourning

2010-07-11T16:26:00.000-07:00

Once again one of the old regulars in the Senate has passed away causing an outpouring of grief and accolades for his years of service....Sorry but I don't see it that way, yes when a Kennedy or a Byrd dies at the helm there should be mourning but not for the loss of the individual (leave that to the family), what we should be mourning is that the citizens of the impacted state were on the take and had given up the founders hope that elected statesmen would have the interest of the nation in mind when they served rather than merely being on the take for constituents and voters. Taking money from other parts of the country and funneling into their state primarily to buy votes and keep themselves employed. We should also be mourning the fact that Congress has ceased being a government of citizens and has shifted to a government of professional politicians who have created a seniority system that awards longivity rather than honest performance.
There is plenty to be mourning when one of these "lifers" passes on, but it shouldn't be his leaving Congress, that should be celebrated - another professional politician has moved on and maybe there is a possibility that someone will be elected that will serve in the frame the founders wanted.

Zoological, Archiology dig

2010-04-07T12:17:00.000-07:00

Pulled off the rest of the old sheetrock from the ceiling of the garage. Amazing how dusty an enclosed space can be. Near the end I found the fabled Mouse Cemetery! There were over 10 full or nearly full mouse skeletons, they were pretty cool looking and must have been dead for years to have all their meat and skin gone. I wonder if they ate something or were trapped and starved? Another discovery, although there were scatterings of mouse droppings everywhere, there was a concentration of them in one area. Do mice set aside a potty place?
I need to knock out a bit more concrete in order to run new water lines for my sink, shower, and upstairs bathroom.

Politics

2010-01-12T10:38:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to justify my planned vote for the coming election. First of all I believe that the best future for our country lies in a citizen government and that we have strayed from that ideal by allowing career polititions to set their roots in Washington and actually praising some who have spent their careers there as patriotic. My take on it is that they have been unproductive leeches on society for the duration of their careers.
So my basic mantra is to "throw the bums out". However this creates a bit of a dilemma this year as I wish to see the Republicans gains a few seats so they can block the movements of the socialist democrats. But I don't think we need to send the same republicans back! the argument for thier continued terms in Congress is that their experience will pay off. Well, personally I didn't see it. The combined service of our two senators is about 100 years and yet they were powerless to slow down the socialist shifts in policy, not only powerless but pretty silent. In fact Jason Chaffetz in his first term made a bigger splash and got his opinions published much more effectively than the two older guys...So much for experience. I'm going to support Lee in the Republican convention or primary over Bennett...I still recall Bennett promising he would only serve one term...what was that 18 years ago?

Tuff School

2009-11-19T11:42:00.000-08:00

I work at an alternative school which also houses the teenage mothers and soon to be mothers, therefore we also have a nursery for the kids, which some of the staff use as well (for a fee). This week the asst. principal had to suspend a kid from the nursery for a couple of weeks. Apparently this 2 year old gangster had learned a new word, one that sounds a lot like truck, and was using it to the extent that some of the other kids were picking it up as well.
Now that's one tough school!

A Monday

2009-09-21T09:13:00.000-07:00

I'm not too far into Monday yet but It has lived up to the cultural designation thus far. I got up early and grouted the tile in the upstairs bathroom that I've been working on. That was OK but I was sweating buckets as I washed up the excess grout, and kneeling just hurts anymore. Then I started fixing breakfast (eggs & toast) only to find that we didn't have any bread out. I got some fromt he freezer and started defrosting it. Then noticed we didn't have any butter except in the freezer. Finally got all that put together and ate some semi-cold eggs.
Left for work, luckily didn't stop and get a drink. Stopped at the light by UVU. When the light changed we moved forward a bit then two cars ahead of me the guy stopped again. The guy behind me didn't see that and banged into me. When we finally got pulled over to the side I couldn't see any damage to my truck and his front end only had a bent licence plate holder....so other than a sore neck, maybe it wasn't all that bad after all?
Only justification was that whatever they guy was eating when he hit me was all over him when he got out of the car. Ha Ha

Cancer update

2009-07-29T16:29:00.000-07:00

Just got back from the Dr. (another hole in my vein) Pretty good news. My infected cells went from 64% 4 months ago to 24% in the last test (a month ago), so the pills are doing their job. Most blood count levels are near normal however it's suspected that the gleevec (the wonder drug) is causing me to be somewhat anemic so my platelett level is somewhere like a woman who just gave birth 2 days ago. I guess that explains why I still can't seem to jog very far or very fast and why I still get winded sometimes. Overall I feel pretty good for a 65 year old.

Water line LAID

2009-06-27T13:11:00.001-07:00

I like to have a few projects going on around the house, but this one was dragging on a bit. Our water line currently comes down the old lane, which you couldn't find now, but goes through the backyards of two neighbors. Its a good line, cold water, good pressure, and so forth but it is now about 55 years old.
When the cul-de-sac was put in I had the foresight to have them install a hook-up at the street. Then when we redid our TV room and made it an entrance (which included taking up the floor, removing the old porch, and building new stairs) I had the idea to bury a new line from the water heater area to the outside of the house. The plumbing store would only sell me a roll of 100' of the blue plastic pipe so I used about 30 feet on that deal.
So last fall I started digging some holes in our Japanese sand garden. I would dig for a few minutes and then sit there and pant and wonder why I couldn't work as hard as I used to could. Before winter set in I had a trench 3' deep extending to the lawn. During the winter some of the sides sloughed off requiring some extra digging, I also found out I had cancer which explained my shortness of breath and endurance. Monday I decided to finish the job so I started to dig the trench across the lawn, trying to save some of the roots of the trees I was going by. Here it is Sat. and with the help of Matt we were able to install the pipe from the house to the sidewalk. I was going to mine under the sidewalk but I would have been about 3 feet short so I'll do this part and then whoever is living here when the other line ruptures can call a plumber and have them hook up the two ends, splice the middle and connect to the new meter. Good luck whoever you are.

Libs and conservs.

2009-04-21T10:09:00.000-07:00

For many years I struggled for an explanation as to why the super wealthy are often found on the liberal side of the democratic debate. Based on what is considered liberal and conservative today its pretty easy to draw the economic line. The liberals should be the poorer groups that want some help from the rich which will result in a more equal nation or world. The conservatives would naturally be made up of those with excess wealth that would be stressing the need for independent achievement and opportunity unhindered by government regulations or taxation.
So why would the Kennedy's or the Sean Penn's of the world side with the liberals?
My cursory study of philosophy has made me realize that even tho many of the philosophers think they are discovering eternal truths they are naturally being guided by their circumstances or the zeitgeist of the day. For example Thomas Hobbs happened to be on the King's side when they lost to the Cromwell gang and the King was executed. From Hobb's perspective the masses were wrong and stupid and life in a world with them in charge would be nasty, brutish, and short. John Locke, about 40 years later was a tutor for the side that won the "glorious revolution" what he viewed was an example that the people were a rational bunch who could make proper decisions and govern themselves. So the eternal truth each came up with was based on their position as they watched the world.
So this thought came to me about liberals and conservatives. You tend to side with the group that reflects your own experience. Poor people who can't catch a break or are taught that their efforts against some form of "the man" are useless would tend to gravitate to a liberal attitude. Whereas people that feel they have worked hard and found success by their efforts will feel that everyone can do what they did and will natually fall into the conservative camp. The super rich who have gotten to their position because they were handed the money from their family will natually believe that the only way to make it in this unfair world is to have someone else give it to you. After all that's their experience and as they see the struggles of the poor it would only be natual that they would surmise that the suffering masses just need an injection of wealth from some rich uncle, after all that's how they made it.
Of course there are other factors involved in gravitating to your side of the political spectrum, mainly what a person is taught at home or by those he admires. Admittedly some of the Hollywood group have worked hard to get to the top of their game so they might lean conservative (Drew Carrey, Ted Nuggeut,) but the fact that many of them hang out and seek the adoration of their liberal peers they would tend to drift that direction.

Utah Weather

2009-04-02T15:58:00.001-07:00

last Saturday I mowed the back lawn, on Monday I shoveled 4 inches of snow off the driveway.

DC trip

2009-03-23T16:21:00.000-07:00

After reading what Ben wrote about his San Francisco trip I thought I could give an update of my trip which illustrates some real differences in how we view the big city life.
I flew into DC on Thursday afternoon, got to the hotel, in Chinatown, and promptly went to one of those exotic little joints to try some local tastes, when I found one that was reasonably priced I went in and ordered by favorite, sweet and sour. I spent the rest of the evening strolling around but since all the museums close by about 5:00, I ended up back at the hotel watching TV.
The next morning I thought I was getting a free hotel breakfast but apparently that Western Tradition hasn't gotten to the Potomac. I was shuffled into the adjoining resturant and handed a menu that required $8 for an egg and juice. Remembering seeing a Burger King around the block I snuck out of the place and choked down a dry McMuffin type meal. I had picked out a couple of places I hadn't seen before, the old patent office is now the architectural museum so I got there right at 10:00, it was open and free but was basically a big open building that itself had some interesting architecture but I assumed the real museum was still under consideration for construction. Next I tried the National Portrait Gallery only to find that it didn't open until 11:30. So I wondered up to capital hill and went inside the Supreme Court building. It was nice going to such a place without worrying about the behavior of 28 17 year olds.
I had to be out of my hotel by noon and the other one I was going to didn't check people in until 3 or 4. I considered taking the metro but then decided to just hoof it the 17 or so blocks. So putting my two satchels over my shoulders I sauntered Eastward (I think). On the journey I recognized a Mcdonalds that I had visited some years earlier and since I wasn't in a hurry and it was lunchtime decided to try the exotic menu there. The only thing exotic were the two fellows in the foyer singing their hearts out for the good customers. Only trouble was they weren't very good. After eating and reading a bit I decided against encouraging their talent further and headed towards the White House to see what the protests De Jour were. The anti nuclear weapons folks were still manning their posts as they have done steadily since 1984. Another group was doing some type of street threater, they had about 10 guys dressed up in orange robes and h oods, I got the impression they represented dead people? The third group was holding signs and standing against the WH fence. The signs were calling attention to someone who had been arrested in Mexico and asking the State Department to get involved and get this guy freed. I decided not to tell them that the state department was over a couple of blocks and that Obama himself was in CA doing a taping of the Jay Leno show, so their protest probably didn't matter much...they seemed to be enjoying themselves so I moved on.
I got to the 22nd street Marriot which was a giant step up from the Red Roof Inn. It was then about 2:00 and my room was ready so I was able to dump my stuff and find the metro for a trip to the DC zoo. Another attraction I had never been able to fit in. I got off at the right stop and rode what must be the world's longest escalator. I timed it on the way back in and it was 2 1/2 minutes, which is along time to stand there. I started up the road not sure which way the zoo was, but then I started seeing signs, baby strollers! Some were following me and others were coming from the direction I was headed. I surmised that since I hadn't seen a child in the whole city that the zoo must be a gathering spot of small people.
When I got back to the hotel then the next decision came up, what to wear to the reception? I hadn't brought a tie so I dressed with the best that I had. when I got there I was the only male without a tie or a coat. but it didn't matter much, it was a nice reunion with some people I hadn't seen for about 14 years.
The next day was work work work, reading applications till our eyes hurt. Then Dinner was on our own so I wondered to Georgetown (Ben would have loved this place) Busy foot traffic resturants every 15 feet. Ethiopian, Vietnamese, Italian, etc. I wondered around looking at the architecture and the menus. Finally I was drawn to a basic Subway where I bought a rather exotic sandwich.
As you can see my food tastes tend toward the mundane and based more on economics than taste. But it was a fun adventure all the same.

Good News and Good News

2009-03-04T14:07:00.000-08:00

We were able to host a couple of functions in our newly remodeled living room. It has been a 6 month project that included sanding down the oak floors and refinishing them, plastering a couple of walls, making the entrance larger by ripping out a pocket door, changing the lighting scheme, building and installing base boards, learning how to cut cove molding. And finally yesterday installing my home crafted threshold boards. We hung some pictures on Monday and its looking pretty homey. This all started because we put in a new window, which necessitated new drapes, which required a new paint job...but that wouldn't match the old carpet, and while we're at it lets make the door bigger, etc, etc.
Our progress was slowed somewhat by the fact that I was diagnosed with leukemia in the middle of it all which gave me a great excuse to lay around more and put things off till later, which I did. But the second good news was that on Tuesday I jogged 2 miles in the early morning. Its been about one year since I had done that before. It was last March when I started getting the shortness of breath and the weakness that I figured was tied to some sort of lung problem. In reality I had bad blood, the cells weren't getting the oxygen to their proper areas of need. My blood was running kind of like the U.S. Postal Service. Today, after a productive (costly, but productive) trip to the dentist I went to the cancer clinic and had them do a blood test, which showed that my blood is now much more like UPS or DHL. I have the right amounts of nearly everything and I'm feeling pretty good.
I continually get people telling me how much better I look, man I must have been UGLY before.

Texas Trip

2009-02-17T11:25:00.000-08:00

We finally made it! The flight down was great, the kids warmed up to us real quick. When people ask me what I saw in Texas over the weekend, I tell them "Two cherubic little faces." Clark scored big on his birthday getting both an elephant and a trike. Eva has a cute personality and she loves to talk...in some language.
We gave Ben and Jan an opportunity to do some jogging without pushing two kids along in front of them, and we went to a pre-rodeo fair, I could have taken my hat!
The flight back was delayed in Dallas, but we finally got home and got to bed by about 1:00 AM. Thanks Em for being our driver.

diagnosis

2009-02-09T12:10:00.000-08:00

I swore off these blog things because I didn't see much point to them. Generally what I have to say I'll say to the individual that is interested in listening. But just for kicks I think I'll follow up on my last blog in April and inform the uninformed world that I finally discovered what might have triggered that chest congestion back in April. It was a long and complex puzzle, I went to 3 different doctors because I just couldn't get over the bronchites stuff. I also had to limit my running because I went from doing a mile every other morning to doing 1/2 a block then having to walk because I couldn't get enough air. Then my feet kept falling asleep. I would lay down at night and my feet would go numb and feel cold from the inside. The next exciting complication was feeling a hard lump in my left side under my ribs.
On Dec 22 I got an appt with Dr. Durrans, he checked me over. They sucked some blood and set me up with a CAT scan for the next morning. The 23rd I went into Orem Community Hospital and got the scan about 7:30 (after drinking copious amounts of cranberry juice laced with something). By 10:30 Durrans was calling me and suggesting I come back and see him and bring Susan, she was at work so she couldn't come. He informed me that my spleen was a whopper maybe 5 times the normal size, thus the pressure on my circulatory system and the lump. He had also discovered from the blood work that I had 220,000 white blood cells per something when I was only supposed to have about 7,000. He had already set me an appt for an oncologist, which I soon discovered was a cancer doctor.
This time Susan met me at the Central utah Cancer Clinic, they sucked some more blood. Did a little exam, then placed me face down on those little tables and stuck giant needles in my back, and into my hip bone to suck out some marrow. By 5:00 I was downing some chemo pills and had been partially diagnosed with CML. Chronic Meg..... Leukemia, which I was told was "the good kind".
Since the 23rd of Dec. I have been taking oral chemo with no apparent side effects (I still have my hair) and I actually started jogging again and got clear around the block!! I also played basketball with the guys I've been playing with the past 17 years and they said my game had improved with the disease, which indicates where it was before.

Half a fun trip

2008-04-25T08:25:00.000-07:00

We had quite a time in the East. We went to Canada, where they sell gas in liters, so the prices look really good, initially. We saw the lights on Nigagra Falls, they are pretty impressive. We saw all the holy sites around Palmyra and got to do a temple session. We drove lots of backroads and really got a feel for the countryside.

Then I got walloped by a nasty chest congestion, cold, bronchitas, phenomenia (I'm sure I had them all). We were able to go on with the aid of modern drugs until we got home then I hit the wall. I finally got some antibiotics running though me but spent the next 2 days pretty much in bed, trying to breath, feelling my cranium expand and contract when I had a coughing fit, and drifting between chills and the sweats.

I'll put more up here when I get some help downloading my fine phone pictures onto this site.

New Baby

2008-02-25T17:58:00.000-08:00

Sorry to report that everyone dropped one step on the cute scale with the birth of Anna, she takes the top spot now.

A snowy day

2008-02-04T16:37:00.000-08:00

Sunday we got about 6 new inches and since our cul-de-sac had never seen a snowplow getting into the road was a risky thing. This morning we heard this constant and repeating roar and finally Susan said, "It sounds like the paper boy is stuck." So I got my boots on and found them in one of those little box cars with about a 3" clearance down by the Black's house stuck. Luckily there were two of them a young man and supposidly his wife, they spoke spanish more than english. Their method of getting out of the snow was to push the gas pedel in as far as they could so the tires could spin really fast. After trying a few things I finally got into the driver's seat and was able to gently rock the thing back and forth until I could get a run at it and push thru the deeper snow.
So I was feeling pretty good until I went to the shopko shopping center to mail Thad's computer cord and headed home. The light made me stop as I was going up toward University Ave. When I tried to get going again I just started slidding backward. Most people saw my dilemma and went around, but one lady pulled up behind me and then another car behind her, I just shrugged and kept drifting back toward her until she finally backed off enough for me to get turned sideways. When I finally got moving I realized how many muscles one uses when trying to make a vehicle move.

In the beginning

2008-01-14T14:25:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was ward conference, which isn't too big of a deal (after being involved in 10 of them) expect for the part about being one of the speakers in Sacrament Meeting. I gave a talk about families and even used the ole suggestion box and clown collar as examples on how to use mealtime and traditions to increase communication and teaching opportunities. I also went into the creation and the first couple and I came across a concept that I hadn't noticed previously. If you look into the Pearl of G.P. Moses 5, it discusses the creation and if you look at how the creation is presented it looks as though the spiritual creation happened the way we usually learn about it: Light & Dark, Water & Land, Flora, Fauna, then Man. But then it appears that the physical creation is a little different with Adam being the first flesh into which the breath of life was given, followed by the animals and finally Eve.
There are a few talks available from that information.

sub-zero fun

2007-12-14T17:24:00.000-08:00

This week, Wed-Fri, I got to go up with a couple of teachers and about 20 students to the Alpine outdoor camp at Clearcreek which is by Scofield Res. It was very pretty but I'm not sure the temp ever got about 0 degrees. Luckily they had heated cabins and warm water and I scored big by sleeping in the headquarter cabin WITHOUT any of the students in it. So I got some sleep while the other teachers were babysitting until 2 or 3 AM. We did some crosscountry skiing, played a form of football in 24 inches of snow, and did some school work. It was a nice diversion.

I noticed that the Orem CompUSA is going out of business, I guess that means that this computer will probably die in the near future. Luckily I have the employee of the Year in Computertonics on my team. Ben Can Fix it!!

Great Football

2007-11-24T18:00:00.000-08:00

today I got to go to the BYU/Utah game with some of the boys. Generally when I hear someone say, you need to be there in person to get into the spirit, I respond with a tip of my D.P. can from my sofa watching the game on the tube with all of the replays. Yet I think I got the idea today. There was some great electricity in the air, the stands were all full well before kick-off and as the game progressed you could really sense how the crowd had an impact. It was one of the best games I've seen for a long while!

Marrying Man

2007-11-03T20:20:00.000-07:00

today I got to marry a young couple. She has been married, divorced and has three kids. For him its the first time. The names were great to pronounce: She's Hawaiian and he's Chinese. When I ask him the solemn question, rather that saying "I Do" he said. "yeah, I guess so". I hope they have a great honeymoon.

working for "the man"

2007-10-27T17:53:00.000-07:00

Working for the University of Phoenix has been a nice bonus but I'm starting to experience a few problems. First is the economics of higher education. I am hired as a private contractor, meaning they don't have to pay any benefits, plus I'm supposed to come up with all the materials and resources for my own classes. I get paid a little under $1,000 per class and each student pays a little over $1,000 per class. That's a comfortable profit margin.
Second, they have decided that I can teach everything so the past four classes assigned me, three were new. Two of them psychology classes which I'm not too strong in anyway.
Third, there was a scheduling mix-up so they tabbed me to pick up a geography class, a week before it started. Its one I've taught so I wasn't too concerned until I looked more closely at the schedule and realized they had scheduled me over another class. They told me they would get me a sub for that night, now what I'm waiting to see is if they dock me pay for having to get a sub even tho its their fault. Oh well, I've almost made enough off of them to pay off my student loan, which was the original intent.

2007-09-21T12:41:00.001-07:00

Em wanted a new blog so here goes: By the way Joe died on Wed. and his funeral will be Monday.
Last night as I was driving home from teaching a class up by Clearfield I thought I saw a stange sight. It took me awhile to recognize the wierdness of what I was experiencing and I'm still not sure if it was true (being 10:00 PM and driving with only one eye open) but I believe I actually drove through a stretch of Utah highway that DIDN'T have any orange barrels or cones lined up along it. It was a surreal experience!

Death and dying

2007-09-10T14:05:00.000-07:00

It looks to be an interesting week for the old ward. Fletcher Norris went off dialysis 2 weeks ago and is certainly within a day or two of going to the great beyond. I was called on to give him a blessing to speed things along. His daughter wanted to do the right thing by having him come home to her house to die, but it is wearing on her as she watches the life ebb away.
Joe Peterson has decided his quality of life isn't worth extending anymore and is going off dialysis this week. I got a couple of calls this morning from other members (as news has leaked out of his decision) who wonder whether he is making the right decision or even if he might be doing something that is against God's plan. Its a tough dilemma? What is suicide? What does it mean when we state: "Do not recesitate"? Who gets to determine what quality of life is worth sustaining? It would be nice to make all those decisions early in life and take the burden off the children or spouse, but what I'm realizing is that the attitude about such things can change over time and maybe even daily. There are all sorts of issues involved and we have the chance to learn so many things by watching others.

Eating Healthy

2007-09-10T13:54:00.000-07:00

So as I was mowing the lawn last week I ate a couple of apple, some plums, and a tomato. Then to balance my diet I had a Jr. Whopper. Life's good in the fall.

Best of Utah

2007-09-06T11:08:00.000-07:00

Spring and Fall are great seasons in Utah, the heat isn't bad and the cold has subsided. The colors of the leaves are nice and the bugs aren't bad. Yup I really enjoy those three days each year!

Modern Football in Cougar-town, nation, universe

2007-09-01T20:17:00.000-07:00

I spent a lovely afternoon with 65,000 of my friends at the BYU Arizona game. It was a good game and we even won but as I was watching the crowd I had a few thoughts: 1) this large generation of diabetic prone people are going to change the seating at stadiums. The 8-10 inches allotted to each person's butt just isn't cutting it anymore. 2) Why bring young younguns to the game, sure baby sitting costs a little money but if you are reduced to reading the little tyke books about the destruction of the dinosaurs during the third quarter...well what's sacrament meeting for? 3) I'm waiting for an audience to really express their hatred for the purple hat guy. He is the gnome that works for the television people and decides abitraily to walk out on the field and stop the action so that some station can sell a truck or a beer to people watching the game from their easy chair. I think those that have paid the big bucks to be in the seats, squished between the large bottomed thousands are the one's that should be catered to, and if the oaf at home misses a play or two and is bothered by that, then they should pay the money and wedge themselves into those staduim seats that were designed by the Seven Dwarf drafing and engineering corp. (the 12" legroom looked plenty big to them).

family reunions and such

2007-08-18T11:17:00.000-07:00

The John/Dorothy Bus/Susan team had charge of the Gillespie family reunion this year. We actually met a couple of times, did some planning, looked over the venue and were kind of ready to go when this week actually hit us between the eyes. John was out of town until Friday evening, we couldn't find a projector, Aunt Laura informed us that she couldn't come, JoAnn flooded their basement (and I mean flooded!) and rain was in the forecast. So we made an early morning executive decision it cancel or at least delay the reunion for a couple of weeks. Nearly every sibling I talked to said "Oh thanks". Which gave me pause (not paws, or else I wouldn't be able to type this)...Does anyone really want a reunion? Deep in my left ventricle I believe they do but life just gets heaped up at certain times and this was one of them. My goal is to come up with the stress free family reunion that allows us to get together but doesn't make it such a big deal that people are happy it ain't happening. We are hoping to use the Labor Day Monday, then we won't have to think of something else to do for Labor Day...which would essentially be just another level of family reunion.

Grandbaby two

2007-08-09T20:21:00.000-07:00

We got another cutie, born Aug. 8th. He looks good and strong, is pretty active, figuring out the eating concept. I'm sure Robyn will be putting some pictures out as soon as she starts feeling better.

Another Logan adventure

2007-08-02T18:31:00.000-07:00

this time I decided to limit my workspace to 3'x3' with lots of things in the way to hinder my work. After six hours with my head stuck under the sink I was able to redo all the plumbing in the kitchen. I also got on first name basis with many of the workers at both Lowes and Home Depot. But I was also able to fix the short in the air conditioner, replace the pressure valve on the hot water heater and get some trim work done on my favorite bathroom. What a day.

Bishop's complaint

2007-07-26T20:18:00.000-07:00

One of the worst task's I have as a bishop is giving out welfare. A new bishop gets a pamphlet and about 6 seconds of training, and whenever an issue is brought up at the stake meetings the final answer is, "follow the spirit". In order to allow the bishop to follow the spirit I will give out these suggestions, I hope you never have to use them, but just in case: 1-Keep communication open. If things are going south let the hometeachers or visiting teachers or the bishop know about it. 2-Don't wait until the crises is dire, if you need medication don't wait until you've swallowed the last pill to go to the bishop. There are certain policies and procedures the bishop has to follow and it generally needs a sunday to get the paperwork in order. 3-Don't run up credit card bills...The church has a very strict policy about NOT paying off consumer debt. 4-don't borrow money from those check cashing places. If you do you are way too stupid to be trusted with any more money! 5-Maintain good relations with your family, the church expects the family to step up first, before the church is to step in. If you hate everyone in the family, or visa versa...it makes it difficult to ask for help and yet some bishops will insist on it. So keep the relationships good in order to get the help you need. 6-Utilize the resources available. Let home teachers into your home and be up front with them. If the ward welfare committee knows about the situation they can come up with some great ideas which may keep you from having to go to the bishop at all. 7 Finally, be humble and teachable. Sometimes these challenges are put before us to bring us down a notch and help us be more teachable. Pride cometh before the fall, and if the pride continues then its very difficult to help out.

The changing face of Logan

2007-07-20T18:41:00.000-07:00

I used to love Logan, of course I had the romantic view of it from my early 20's. I recall it being a place of fresh air, beautify mountain scenes, stimulating intellectual discussions, and fun activities. Now my view has been reduced to a 3 by 3 foot cell, encased in an 8X8 foot room with a temperature hovering around 95 degrees, and with an occasional trip to Lowes or Home Depot. So go the memories of youth.

papa's big day

2007-07-18T13:11:00.000-07:00

So we get up at 4:00 AM in order to get Jan and Clark off to the airport by six. We get home, only missing one turnoff and having to travel down Redwood Road for a few miles, by 7:10. I do some watering and weeding then its off to work. Luckily kind of a slow day which gives me a chance to correct my papers from the Monday U. of P. Class. In the meantime I register a few kids and answer the parent's questions. (My job is to have them leave happy, so I tell them what they would like to hear) Sitting at my desk is a german manuscript I am supposed to be translating for Aunt Pattie along with the packet assignment hanging over my head. [I'm writing 4 packets for the Financial Literacy Class, I have one finished]. Pretty soon I need to start thinking about what I will teach in my new U of P class which starts tonight. I will miss the ward service project as a result of the class. Also I need to figure out when I can do a key exchange with the Shumways so they can have a Thursday baptism.
Oh well its just one day, I'll catch up on my sleep at some point and I'm reminded of my mantra: Let the Mountain Rest You.

number 1

2007-07-15T20:35:00.000-07:00

Here is my initial blog post. A blog used to be something that stuck to your feet after trying to catch frogs. How times have changed. Now there's a Gandolphols sitting on the old frog pond.