Well... I did it. Saturday I bought myself a new car, truck, SUV, whatever it is. It's a Jeep Cherokee Loredo so I guess it's more like an SUV. It's the base model but it's still the nicest car I've ever had. My old truck hasn't had air conditioning in years and now the radiator leaks so fast that I can't keep enough antifreeze in it to have heat either. It uses 2 quarts of oil every 500 or so miles, my power door locks have never worked, it pulls to the left no matter what the tire pressure is, and my custom shift knob won't stay tightened. The shift knob is what put me over the edge. My bike is great but when it's below 20 degrees out there my old bones and connective tissue reconstructions don't like it.
To be honest I have a little problem getting something this big for myself and to a small degree I have to supress a small, gnawing, always-in-the-back-of-my-mind feeling of guilt. But you know what, the more I drive that thing around and listen to the stereo (with a subwoofer), play with the digital gadgets, and experiment with all the things it will do (even the things I haven't discovered yet), I think I can get past the guilt.
Everything else around here is pretty normal. Saturday I'll fire up the old truck and make 4 or five trips to the landfill so I can clean out the garage to make room for the new one. Those of you who have seen the garage understand that this is no exageration. For those of you, and you know who you are, who have used our garage as your personal storage unit with no monthly fees and unlimited ablility to store your "valuable stuff", there is a remote possibility that about 5 or 10 years from now you may have a thought come to you something like, "I wonder whatever happened to my..." and then the light bulb will go on and you may think bad thoughts about me.
Merry Christmas!!
This is it!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
What?
According to a recent study, two-thirds of all people in this country think they are smarter than the average American. Don't think about that too long...
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Post Thanksgiving Muses
Well, another Thanksgiving has come and gone- and I survived. I may have actually learned some valuable lessons this year. Time will tell. These are a few my first thoughts after Thankgiving 2011.
First.....Never, and I mean never get a steroid shot in your knee the day before Thanksgiving; the day when its legal to eat yourself into a stupor. Steroids can make your blood sugar much higher than normal even if you're not diabetic and when you combine that with insane volumes of high carb, delicious, yet traditional dishes of your favorite Thanksgiving goodies you're setting yourself up for one miserable weekend. So unless you enjoy having your head feeling like its going to explode and looking like a ripe tomato, Don't Do It!
Second.....Consider upgrading your water heater, or even adding an additional one, before your children return home for the holidays with their spouses and their dirty laundry. I never realized there are so many varying degrees of tepid when considering the perfect temperature to jump into the shower. Once you realized the water is never going to reach your preferred temperature, how long do you let it run hoping that it will warm up a little more while you, in fact, are letting what minscule amount of tepid water you have left run right down the drain without giving you the tiny bit of warmth it has to offer. This is a very complex question; one to which there is no satisfactory answer. Basically whatever you do, it ain't gonna be pleasant. So you just jump in and set a world record for the fastest shower.
Third.....When taking a large group out to dinner to celebrate all the birthdays that have passed while not at home, or which will pass in the future while not at home, or birthdays of those yet unborn, do not go to the newest and busiest restaurant where the staff has the least experience. And when you order your steak medium its not unreasonable to expect medium. A steak burned beyond recognition, unidentifiable because there's nothing left but carbon, is not medium. And when its replacement is brought to you and it is so rare that it should be "R" rated for gore; that's not medium either. I guess we should just be thankful that we got out of there without injesting e.coli or anything else. I was a little disappointed though. I ordered catfish.
Now everyone has left and returned to their cozy apartments and/or houses. Order has been restored and our house is not in a state of constant entropy. Oh yea, and this morning's hot shower was great. Of course, I mean that in the nicest way...
First.....Never, and I mean never get a steroid shot in your knee the day before Thanksgiving; the day when its legal to eat yourself into a stupor. Steroids can make your blood sugar much higher than normal even if you're not diabetic and when you combine that with insane volumes of high carb, delicious, yet traditional dishes of your favorite Thanksgiving goodies you're setting yourself up for one miserable weekend. So unless you enjoy having your head feeling like its going to explode and looking like a ripe tomato, Don't Do It!
Second.....Consider upgrading your water heater, or even adding an additional one, before your children return home for the holidays with their spouses and their dirty laundry. I never realized there are so many varying degrees of tepid when considering the perfect temperature to jump into the shower. Once you realized the water is never going to reach your preferred temperature, how long do you let it run hoping that it will warm up a little more while you, in fact, are letting what minscule amount of tepid water you have left run right down the drain without giving you the tiny bit of warmth it has to offer. This is a very complex question; one to which there is no satisfactory answer. Basically whatever you do, it ain't gonna be pleasant. So you just jump in and set a world record for the fastest shower.
Third.....When taking a large group out to dinner to celebrate all the birthdays that have passed while not at home, or which will pass in the future while not at home, or birthdays of those yet unborn, do not go to the newest and busiest restaurant where the staff has the least experience. And when you order your steak medium its not unreasonable to expect medium. A steak burned beyond recognition, unidentifiable because there's nothing left but carbon, is not medium. And when its replacement is brought to you and it is so rare that it should be "R" rated for gore; that's not medium either. I guess we should just be thankful that we got out of there without injesting e.coli or anything else. I was a little disappointed though. I ordered catfish.
Now everyone has left and returned to their cozy apartments and/or houses. Order has been restored and our house is not in a state of constant entropy. Oh yea, and this morning's hot shower was great. Of course, I mean that in the nicest way...
Monday, November 21, 2011
Already?...
It seems like everybody just left and now they're all coming back again for Thanksgiving. Where has the time gone? I was just getting used to being able to go in my music room and play my guitar whenever I wanted and now there'll be somebody living in there. We've got rooms figured out for everybody and only Cameron is sleeping on the floor (sorry Cameron), but we still only have 3 bathrooms. Think about it... a house full of people, we all stuff our faces until we can't walk... what do you think is gonna happen 4-6 hours later? I think we need some additional port-o-potties outside in the yard. I think the neighbors would understand. They've seen stranger things going on at our house. How may times have you seen people jumping off your neighbors house with a cardboard wing, or doing donuts in the cul-de-sac with my truck (that was me), or trying to get airborne during a windstorm with a tarp. You see? It's been worse. Port-o-potties would be no big deal as long as the wind is coming from the north. Just a thought...
Friday, November 4, 2011
It could be worse...
The past couple of weeks have been pretty stressful for me at work and today is no exception because we're one person short. That's different that one short person Ashley. So to remind myself that I don't have it so bad, I've tried to think of a few stressful job situations that would be worse than mine.
- Being colorblind and working on the bomb squad
- An ER trauma doc who faints at the sight of blood
- A motivational speaker with a lisp
- An urban window washer who's afraid of heights
- A hypoglycemic Indy driver
- A long haul trucker with a bladder problem
- A hostage negotiator with anger management issues
- A farmer with an allergy to hay
- Coordinating a flash mob when you have a phobia of crowded places
- A germaphobe working in the landfill
- A white water river guide who can't swim
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Monday, October 31, 2011
I'm a wimp
Yes, I've reached a terrible milestone in my life. The sun is shining, it looks like its going to be a beautiful day in the 50s and I drove the truck to work because, and I quote what I said as I walked out the front door, "I don't feel like being cold." I never thought I would reach this level of wimpiness. Who would have thought that I would reach a point where I can't endure 10 minutes of coldness to get to work so that I can enjoy riding on a beautiful day later.
I've been caught in so many rainstorms I can't remember them all. I was caught in an April blizzard in Utah once with snow blowing sideways so hard I couldn't see right in front of me. I've been hailed on. I've had poop fly out of the back of a cattle truck and hit me right in the faceshield. Just a few years ago I was riding to work when the air temperature was 16 degrees (at 70 mph that's -23).
What has happened to me?! I've been looking around for a new vehicle of some type because my truck is slowly dying. I've always thought Jeeps were cool until I sat in a few of them and now I've ruled them out because the seats are not padded enough! Can you believe that!!! This is a reality I never thought I would have to face.
I still have no idea what I'm gonna get but for now I'm not gonna worry about it. I'm just gonna go home from work tonight, wrap a blanket around me, sit in my rocking chair and drool while I hum to myself.
I've been caught in so many rainstorms I can't remember them all. I was caught in an April blizzard in Utah once with snow blowing sideways so hard I couldn't see right in front of me. I've been hailed on. I've had poop fly out of the back of a cattle truck and hit me right in the faceshield. Just a few years ago I was riding to work when the air temperature was 16 degrees (at 70 mph that's -23).
What has happened to me?! I've been looking around for a new vehicle of some type because my truck is slowly dying. I've always thought Jeeps were cool until I sat in a few of them and now I've ruled them out because the seats are not padded enough! Can you believe that!!! This is a reality I never thought I would have to face.
I still have no idea what I'm gonna get but for now I'm not gonna worry about it. I'm just gonna go home from work tonight, wrap a blanket around me, sit in my rocking chair and drool while I hum to myself.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Blogger's Guilt
I realize it's been a long time since I've updated this blog thing, but honestly I have excuses. My first excuse is that I lost a good friend of mine; my next door neighbor. His sudden death has left me feeling sullen and a little down. I'm amazed at how quickly things can change and I feel so sorry for his wife. It's one of those things where I wish there was more I could do to help her but I don't know what it would be. He was a great guy and very patient with me; a perpetual klutz in everything I did with him it seemed. There are just some things that certain people should never do. It's a simple fact. He tried to take me golfing once (and I'd never been) and I was so bad that it took hours and hours just to play nine holes. Every hole we had to stop and let people play through to avoid mass rioting. I know I embarrassed the heck out of him but he never said a word. Strangely enough, he never invited me to go golfing with him ever again.
He got a Harley and we went on a couple of rides together. Nothing very far, just half day trips. But it was really fun. Most recently he helped me paint my motorcycle. He taught me how to do all the sanding and prep work and stood back and let me do it. He had a lot more experience with anything to do with cars, or in this case bikes, than me but he still let me do a lot of the work; and that's the best way to learn. When it came time to actually apply the coats of the color he gave the paint gun to me on one of the smaller parts and after a few strokes back and forth with the gun he realized that it was gonna be a lot easier for him to actually paint the thing than to go back and fix it after I do it. And I'm glad he did. It turned out absolutely perfect. There are a few very small areas that show we were amateurs who did a paint job in his garage, but only someone who knows what they're looking at would see them. And I'll never change anything about it because every time I look at the little spots or areas I'll think of him. Every time I see a black Roush Mustang, or any Mustang, I'll think of him.
I really miss him and I think about him all the time.
Below are a few pictures of our work. Let me know what you think.
He got a Harley and we went on a couple of rides together. Nothing very far, just half day trips. But it was really fun. Most recently he helped me paint my motorcycle. He taught me how to do all the sanding and prep work and stood back and let me do it. He had a lot more experience with anything to do with cars, or in this case bikes, than me but he still let me do a lot of the work; and that's the best way to learn. When it came time to actually apply the coats of the color he gave the paint gun to me on one of the smaller parts and after a few strokes back and forth with the gun he realized that it was gonna be a lot easier for him to actually paint the thing than to go back and fix it after I do it. And I'm glad he did. It turned out absolutely perfect. There are a few very small areas that show we were amateurs who did a paint job in his garage, but only someone who knows what they're looking at would see them. And I'll never change anything about it because every time I look at the little spots or areas I'll think of him. Every time I see a black Roush Mustang, or any Mustang, I'll think of him.
I really miss him and I think about him all the time.
Below are a few pictures of our work. Let me know what you think.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Reflections
As I sit here beside myself I occassionally catch myself gazing into the mirror reflecting about stuff like this:
- If most kid's habits are similar to mine, why are toilets white?
- Why does the truly funny 10 year old humor always involve bodily functions?
- How do you know a person with no sense of humor is only joking?
- How come older and wiser don't always go together?
- Why do I gain 20 lbs. everytime I get a haircut?
- When a child poops in his pants, how do you know it was an "accident"?
- Where do Hawaiians go when they need a vacation?
- Why am I more facinated with history the older I get?
- Why do I feel like I have hair when I crank up my electric guitar?
- Why are "sit" and "stare" verbs? They're not actions words.
- Why is there a size 0?
- Why did the leaf springs on my truck break only on the driver's side?
Friday, September 9, 2011
All or Nothing
It's amazing how fast things can go from chaos to boring. For the past 10 days or so we've had some of our married kids home with us between semesters. Drew and Ashley squeezed a honeymoon in there too. Travis and Lindsay were with us for almost 2 weeks. I think I can speak for the entire family when I say that in a weird, twisted sort of way chaos can be calming. I think it follows right along with the whole "comfort food" theory. How can stuffing your face with high carb, high fat, high sodium delectibles such as buscuits and gravy make you feel better and in some strange, unexplainable way comfort you? Or double cheeseburgers. Same thing. BBQ short ribs. Peach cobbler...oh yeah. Sorry, I digress. Anyway, you know it may affect your overall health and possibly even shorten your life span but you eat it anyway.
I'm convinced that somehow, similar to comfort food, chaos can take years off your life while at the same time giving you a strange feeling of well-being. I think there are probably some drugs that can do that too. From that time back in 1989 when we brought home 2 babies from the hospital our home life has never been serene. And then they just kept coming. So peace and quiet are 2 things that we will have to eventually experience again so that we can fully comprehend what they are.
Now that we are down to 2 at home and the noise level has come down a few decibels the feeling of normality has definitely changed. As foreign as the quiet may be to me now, I'm willing to try to get used to it. It will be tough. For now though I think I'll go home and crank my guitar and play a little Pink Floyd.
I'm convinced that somehow, similar to comfort food, chaos can take years off your life while at the same time giving you a strange feeling of well-being. I think there are probably some drugs that can do that too. From that time back in 1989 when we brought home 2 babies from the hospital our home life has never been serene. And then they just kept coming. So peace and quiet are 2 things that we will have to eventually experience again so that we can fully comprehend what they are.
Now that we are down to 2 at home and the noise level has come down a few decibels the feeling of normality has definitely changed. As foreign as the quiet may be to me now, I'm willing to try to get used to it. It will be tough. For now though I think I'll go home and crank my guitar and play a little Pink Floyd.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Beautiful can be painful
This morning I noticed that once again what little hair I have on the top of my head is starting to curl up into a natural mohawk. That's the unmistakable sign that it's time. I've waited too long. I've got to get a haircut. So at lunch I went over to the closest hair place to my office to remedy the situation before the reception this weekend.
I signed in and had a seat to wait my turn. I usually have it buzzed. How hard can it be to do a #1 on top and a 1/2 on the sides plus its easy for me to remember. After about 10 minutes its my turn so I have a seat and get started. The lady reaches for her electric clippers with the appropriate attachment on it and dives right in. Immediately I'm confused. I saw the clippers so I know that's what she's using but it feels more like a power scalper. She pushing so hard that I look in the mirror to check for blood dripping on my shirt. You know how when you take your first bite of Ben and Jerry's Double Fudge Brownie Sundae and you let a little inadvertent moan of joy escape when you didn't mean for it to; well I tried not to whimper but with each pass of the power scalper and subsequent flash of pain I can't be sure that I didn't. Mercifully in about 5 minutes she spun the chair around so I could see the mirror and asked, "How's that?" I'm thinking, " I'm fat and I'm bald and now what little hair I have left has been cut below the level of the epidermis" but I quietly squeak out "That;s great." I pay and finally I'm out of there. I get out to the parking lot and glance at my shoulders to check for blood. I'm good. Luckily I can put on my helmet to apply pressure to the wound. (First Aid merit badge) Looking back now there was a bright side; it hurt so bad that I didn't even notice being itchy the rest of the day.
I signed in and had a seat to wait my turn. I usually have it buzzed. How hard can it be to do a #1 on top and a 1/2 on the sides plus its easy for me to remember. After about 10 minutes its my turn so I have a seat and get started. The lady reaches for her electric clippers with the appropriate attachment on it and dives right in. Immediately I'm confused. I saw the clippers so I know that's what she's using but it feels more like a power scalper. She pushing so hard that I look in the mirror to check for blood dripping on my shirt. You know how when you take your first bite of Ben and Jerry's Double Fudge Brownie Sundae and you let a little inadvertent moan of joy escape when you didn't mean for it to; well I tried not to whimper but with each pass of the power scalper and subsequent flash of pain I can't be sure that I didn't. Mercifully in about 5 minutes she spun the chair around so I could see the mirror and asked, "How's that?" I'm thinking, " I'm fat and I'm bald and now what little hair I have left has been cut below the level of the epidermis" but I quietly squeak out "That;s great." I pay and finally I'm out of there. I get out to the parking lot and glance at my shoulders to check for blood. I'm good. Luckily I can put on my helmet to apply pressure to the wound. (First Aid merit badge) Looking back now there was a bright side; it hurt so bad that I didn't even notice being itchy the rest of the day.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
We're back...
OK, so I admit I'm a big baby. All this worry about the wedding and feeling older was for naught. It was a beautiful day; sunny and warm but not hot. The marriage was perfect and the Logan Temple was very cool. I'd never been there before. Even pictures were kind of fun. Everything went fairly smooth until we picked the cake up and found that it was crooked. But Drew's sister-in-law Heather decorated the cake with daisies and made it look perfect. The wedding luncheon was great; lots of shrimp. The drive back to Inkom from Logan was uneventful which is always a good thing. Drew comes from a great family. They really are super people. The reception went great. Lots of Inkomites showed up to wish the happy couple well. I even played and sang the song for their first dance; Keith Urban's Only You Can Love Me This Way. I forgot the second verse but managed to mumble something similar and I don't think too many people noticed. All in all it was a very nice event.
And now, the rest of the story...
We got up Saturday morning in Pocatello, packed up everything, loaded the cars, and then Jake started puking. We were ready to walk out the door and we had to put him back in the shower. Wasn't even an option. Once he was cleaned up we were ready to start again. This time we made it down the hill to the Chevron station. I filled up both cars with gas, Cameron added some oil to the Escort, and everyone else went in to get some breakfast at the adjoining Burger King. Cameron and I went in and ordered our breakfast. I got one bite and Jake took off to the men's room. Naturally I went in to help but he had already locked himself into the only stall. It was worse than I had imagined. Lucky for him I was there or he would not have had anyone to go get a new change of clothes or to turn away those who innocently came in thinking they were going to be able to use the restroom. He finally emerged and we left. I told the lady working there that she would probably need to send the maintenance person in to unclog the toilet. I felt bad because she probably was the maintenance person.
We met Merrianne in the parking lot and I watched as the rest of my biscuit fell in slow motion from the relative safety of Merrianne's overfilled arms to the filthy parking lot below. I went back in and ordered another, but I didn't get to eat it because as soon as I got outside we got a call from Cameron who had already left and headed up the freeway. It seems the engine in the Escort had blown and he was covering all of west Pocatello in a blanket of thick, oily smoke. We quickly caught up to him (because he was easy to find) and followed him off the next exit.
OK, OK I'll speed this up. We had the car towed to a mechanic that Drew's Dad knew in Inkom and we rented a car at the Pocatello airport and drove home. I got word today from the mechanic that the engine is toast, so he's checking on how much a replacement would be and we're looking at Craig's list and Wheels and Deals just in case. Merrianne says that it could have been worse; it could have all happened the day before on the wedding day. How's that for optimism.
So Ashley and Drew's day went great. Their reception here in the Tri-Cities is Saturday and then they'll be off on their honeymoon to the Oregon coast. Sooner or later they'll have to come back to reality; hopefully later. I've had a little too much reality this week.
And now, the rest of the story...
We got up Saturday morning in Pocatello, packed up everything, loaded the cars, and then Jake started puking. We were ready to walk out the door and we had to put him back in the shower. Wasn't even an option. Once he was cleaned up we were ready to start again. This time we made it down the hill to the Chevron station. I filled up both cars with gas, Cameron added some oil to the Escort, and everyone else went in to get some breakfast at the adjoining Burger King. Cameron and I went in and ordered our breakfast. I got one bite and Jake took off to the men's room. Naturally I went in to help but he had already locked himself into the only stall. It was worse than I had imagined. Lucky for him I was there or he would not have had anyone to go get a new change of clothes or to turn away those who innocently came in thinking they were going to be able to use the restroom. He finally emerged and we left. I told the lady working there that she would probably need to send the maintenance person in to unclog the toilet. I felt bad because she probably was the maintenance person.
We met Merrianne in the parking lot and I watched as the rest of my biscuit fell in slow motion from the relative safety of Merrianne's overfilled arms to the filthy parking lot below. I went back in and ordered another, but I didn't get to eat it because as soon as I got outside we got a call from Cameron who had already left and headed up the freeway. It seems the engine in the Escort had blown and he was covering all of west Pocatello in a blanket of thick, oily smoke. We quickly caught up to him (because he was easy to find) and followed him off the next exit.
OK, OK I'll speed this up. We had the car towed to a mechanic that Drew's Dad knew in Inkom and we rented a car at the Pocatello airport and drove home. I got word today from the mechanic that the engine is toast, so he's checking on how much a replacement would be and we're looking at Craig's list and Wheels and Deals just in case. Merrianne says that it could have been worse; it could have all happened the day before on the wedding day. How's that for optimism.
So Ashley and Drew's day went great. Their reception here in the Tri-Cities is Saturday and then they'll be off on their honeymoon to the Oregon coast. Sooner or later they'll have to come back to reality; hopefully later. I've had a little too much reality this week.
Monday, August 15, 2011
No kids...
It's really weird not having the constant stream of people coming and going, or the constant questions that begin with "what would happen if...", or being able to watch what I want to watch instead of the Disney channel, or not having to remind certain family members to brush their teeth before they rot out of their head, or to have to jump up and take someone somewhere or go pick somebody up whose been gone all day, or having to constantly say "stop it, stop it, stop it", or to see the house stay clean, or only needing to take the trash out once the whole week instead of needing a green dumpster in front of the house, or not having a muffin ripped out of my hands by someone saying "you really don't need that", or not hearing country music blaring from the downstairs bathroom, not having to go through the whole house turning off all the lights in the empty rooms, not having to explain why showers really are a necessary part of personal hygiene, not feeling foolish because I'm the only person in the house who doesn't know who would win if the Avengers battled the Fantastic Four, or taking several days to fill the dishwasher instead of filling it several times a day, or seeing the 2 gallons of milk sit in the fridge unopened and the cereal boxes not being emptied out in just a few minutes after being removed from the grocery bag, not coming home from work and having no place to park in front of my own house and realizing that the situation is even more ridiculous because I'm riding a motorcycle.
In a sick, twisted sort of way I miss these things.
But on the other hand I get to nap on the couch on Sunday afternoon without kids wrestling on top of me, eat whatever sounds good for dinner instead of choosing something that we think he might like. I get to run errands on Saturday at a leisurely pace instead of worring how long they've been alone and whether or not the house is burning down. I get to take off on a motorcycle roadtrip with my #1 biker chick to Walla Walla to take in a movie (even though she pointed out that the same one was playing just down the road.) But best of all, date night turns into date week and nobody can interfere with our plans. Wait...one of the kids is calling. I better run. Talk to you later...
In a sick, twisted sort of way I miss these things.
But on the other hand I get to nap on the couch on Sunday afternoon without kids wrestling on top of me, eat whatever sounds good for dinner instead of choosing something that we think he might like. I get to run errands on Saturday at a leisurely pace instead of worring how long they've been alone and whether or not the house is burning down. I get to take off on a motorcycle roadtrip with my #1 biker chick to Walla Walla to take in a movie (even though she pointed out that the same one was playing just down the road.) But best of all, date night turns into date week and nobody can interfere with our plans. Wait...one of the kids is calling. I better run. Talk to you later...
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Still Counting...
I'm sure Ashley and Drew are still counting too. We sent Savannah and Jake off to Idaho to spend a week with Lindsay and Travis before the wedding. They're gonna get to do lots of fun things and get out of town for a little while. One more fling before school starts. They are riding part of the way with the Haueters so Travis is driving to Burley today to pick them up. That means our house will be strangely quiet for the next week or so. Cameron is still home but he's not much of a trouble maker. He spends his time working on various projects on his computer and when I ask him what he's doing I know the answer I'll get..."nothing". He seems to get a lot done considering that he's never really doing anything.
So now Cameron's found a ride to Idaho. Good thing Merrianne and I like each other.
8 days left till the wedding. We've been working toward this all summer and its almost here. Weird. I'm sure its seemed like an eternity for Drew and Ashley but it has flown by for me. I think we've finally worked out some important details like Merrianne's dress color and some other things for the reception here. Its strange that Moms get so worked up over these details. Me, not so much. I'll just put on my suit with the tie color that has been predetermined for me. No decision there. Stand where I'm told to and shake hands in a friendly manner exuding happiness and fatherly authority. Not too tough. Pay the wedding bills when they all start coming next month...AHA. Now I know where I fit in. I may be a small part of the puzzle but I'm an important part. It's nice to feel needed.
So now Cameron's found a ride to Idaho. Good thing Merrianne and I like each other.
8 days left till the wedding. We've been working toward this all summer and its almost here. Weird. I'm sure its seemed like an eternity for Drew and Ashley but it has flown by for me. I think we've finally worked out some important details like Merrianne's dress color and some other things for the reception here. Its strange that Moms get so worked up over these details. Me, not so much. I'll just put on my suit with the tie color that has been predetermined for me. No decision there. Stand where I'm told to and shake hands in a friendly manner exuding happiness and fatherly authority. Not too tough. Pay the wedding bills when they all start coming next month...AHA. Now I know where I fit in. I may be a small part of the puzzle but I'm an important part. It's nice to feel needed.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Oh well...
Update: From the newsdesk. There will be no painting this weekend. Bummer. My partner in grime and neighbor who is helping me paint the bike is leaving town to visit his ailing mother in Nevada. Yea right; like I haven't heard that one before. He'll have to come up with something better than that. So the "project" is on hold.
That's OK though because this weekend is the father and sons' campout and if I had forgotten that I would never had heard the end of it. So Jake and I will be going up to Camp Zarahemla to sleep in the back of the Prius on Friday night. Sounds like a party you say? You don't even know. There's nothing like sleeping inside a small car with a gassy 10 year old who considers each gaseous infraction a monumental personal acheivement and the highlight of his methane filled day. I think I'll leave the windows cracked.
That's OK though because this weekend is the father and sons' campout and if I had forgotten that I would never had heard the end of it. So Jake and I will be going up to Camp Zarahemla to sleep in the back of the Prius on Friday night. Sounds like a party you say? You don't even know. There's nothing like sleeping inside a small car with a gassy 10 year old who considers each gaseous infraction a monumental personal acheivement and the highlight of his methane filled day. I think I'll leave the windows cracked.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
What's New?
Good question. The countdown continues until daughter number 2 becomes the 3rd one married. (Math is not my thing). I need to interject a little clarification here. I'm excited for Ashley's wedding. I think Drew is perfect for her and I know they'll be very happy. I guess she's old enough so that's not it. She's not tall enough but there's nothing I can do about that. I think my "issue" is that I'm not old enough to have 3 kids married. That means I could be a grandpa at any time. And it's not being a grandpa that's the problem; it's the title. I still love to cruise around on my motorcycle. OK a lot of grandpas do that. But I still like to crank up my electric guitar and play with the guys. For heaven's sake my kids are usually the ones that have to tell me to turn it down. How many grandpas do that? I don't feel like a grandpa. Wait a minute... I'm not one yet. So I guess we'll see how I handle it when the time comes.
Things have calmed down a little this week. We had a "work in the yard" FHE last night and for varied legitimate reasons I felt like a one man family. I received a little help and for that I'm grateful, but I was very alone for most of the time. I tried singing FHE songs in my head while I cut the grass but my mind kept going back to "Bohemian Rhapsody." Not really FHE music. It's hard to give yourself a short lesson in your head over the roar of the lawnmower when your attention span is already genetically impaired. But I did get a lot of yard work done. And that frees up my Saturday for painting...
Woo hoo
So if my face looks a little redder than normal on Monday morning its probably not a sunburn.
Things have calmed down a little this week. We had a "work in the yard" FHE last night and for varied legitimate reasons I felt like a one man family. I received a little help and for that I'm grateful, but I was very alone for most of the time. I tried singing FHE songs in my head while I cut the grass but my mind kept going back to "Bohemian Rhapsody." Not really FHE music. It's hard to give yourself a short lesson in your head over the roar of the lawnmower when your attention span is already genetically impaired. But I did get a lot of yard work done. And that frees up my Saturday for painting...
Woo hoo
So if my face looks a little redder than normal on Monday morning its probably not a sunburn.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Gotta start somewhere
Well, here goes. I never have thought of myself as a blogger. A blog sounds very much like something that Merrianne's been waiting for me to clean out of the bathroom sink. But I thought this would be a good way for us to let people know what's happening with us. There's a good reason the title is Life In the Fast Lane (completely separate from the fact that I'm an Eagles fanatic).
A year ago my oldest daughter Lindsay had a steady boyfriend who I had met twice. I was really impressed with him and excited that she had displayed such good selection skills when picking a boyfriend. Things seemed to be progressing pretty quick with them and we expected them to officially announce something soon. Honestly, I thought it was great because Travis was such a good guy and I thought that if anyone could tame Lindsay, he could. She would listen to him when she wouldn't listen to us. Also, Cameron and Curtis were still on their missions and Ashley was in school at BYU-I. Now that may sound a little hectic, but when all your older kids are basically the same age these things are to be expected. I had no idea that this would be the calm before the storm.
In September Curtis came home first. We were immediately amazed at all the wonderful changes that serving the Lord for 2 years had made. It took him a few weeks to get "normalized" but he managed to do it some how. I think he probably still waves at strangers on the street and asks them how their day is going. Well, 2 days after getting home he decided to head over to Rexburg and see his sisters that he hadn't seen for 2 years. He stopped in Boise to see Nicole Grant who was going to BSU (where BS comes before U) and who had been writing him for the past 18 months or so. By the time he had gotten home from Rexburg he knew he had met the girl he was going to marry. Of course he stopped to see her on the way home too. I thought, well, who am I to argue with such sudden certainty because I knew after 2 weeks.
Well 4 weeks later when Cameron came home Curtis met him at the airport with an announcement. Lindsay also had her announcement by then too. He was more than a little surprised, but he hasn't let all this excitement pressure him into making a hasty decision. In January Cameron joined Ashley and Lindsay at BYU-I for his first semester back in school since his mission.
December 2010 and January 2011 were wonderful months that I hope we never have to live through again. Lindsay and Travis were married on December 18th and Curtis and Nicole were married on January 8th. Thank goodness for good friends in the Church who selflessly helped with both weddings. I still feel like I was dangerously close to becoming a single parent anyway because Merrianne was almost worn out.
Well things were just starting to calm down a little when Ashley called from school and told us that she had met Drew. Here we go again. We've had a little more time to get to know Drew and I must say our luck is still holding. I couldn't have hand picked a better spouse for Ashley. Drew is the epitome of patience and goodness and I'm excited to welcome him into the family on August 19th. He will be good for Ashley.
So there we are. A toe-nail sketch (a little bigger than a thumbnail) of what the past year has been like for us.Cameron is still working himself to death saving money for school and we're counting the days till our middle daughter is sealed and drives off to start her life of wedded bliss. Merrianne is helping Ashley get ready and seems to be holding up pretty well. Instead of losing kids we've gained; but I'm not complaining. Their choosing skills are almost as good as their mother's. Savannah and Jake are just trying to survive summer. It's tough.
And me. Well, all I want to do is paint my motorcycle red. It won't make it any faster, it'll just look better going slow...
A year ago my oldest daughter Lindsay had a steady boyfriend who I had met twice. I was really impressed with him and excited that she had displayed such good selection skills when picking a boyfriend. Things seemed to be progressing pretty quick with them and we expected them to officially announce something soon. Honestly, I thought it was great because Travis was such a good guy and I thought that if anyone could tame Lindsay, he could. She would listen to him when she wouldn't listen to us. Also, Cameron and Curtis were still on their missions and Ashley was in school at BYU-I. Now that may sound a little hectic, but when all your older kids are basically the same age these things are to be expected. I had no idea that this would be the calm before the storm.
In September Curtis came home first. We were immediately amazed at all the wonderful changes that serving the Lord for 2 years had made. It took him a few weeks to get "normalized" but he managed to do it some how. I think he probably still waves at strangers on the street and asks them how their day is going. Well, 2 days after getting home he decided to head over to Rexburg and see his sisters that he hadn't seen for 2 years. He stopped in Boise to see Nicole Grant who was going to BSU (where BS comes before U) and who had been writing him for the past 18 months or so. By the time he had gotten home from Rexburg he knew he had met the girl he was going to marry. Of course he stopped to see her on the way home too. I thought, well, who am I to argue with such sudden certainty because I knew after 2 weeks.
Well 4 weeks later when Cameron came home Curtis met him at the airport with an announcement. Lindsay also had her announcement by then too. He was more than a little surprised, but he hasn't let all this excitement pressure him into making a hasty decision. In January Cameron joined Ashley and Lindsay at BYU-I for his first semester back in school since his mission.
December 2010 and January 2011 were wonderful months that I hope we never have to live through again. Lindsay and Travis were married on December 18th and Curtis and Nicole were married on January 8th. Thank goodness for good friends in the Church who selflessly helped with both weddings. I still feel like I was dangerously close to becoming a single parent anyway because Merrianne was almost worn out.
Well things were just starting to calm down a little when Ashley called from school and told us that she had met Drew. Here we go again. We've had a little more time to get to know Drew and I must say our luck is still holding. I couldn't have hand picked a better spouse for Ashley. Drew is the epitome of patience and goodness and I'm excited to welcome him into the family on August 19th. He will be good for Ashley.
So there we are. A toe-nail sketch (a little bigger than a thumbnail) of what the past year has been like for us.Cameron is still working himself to death saving money for school and we're counting the days till our middle daughter is sealed and drives off to start her life of wedded bliss. Merrianne is helping Ashley get ready and seems to be holding up pretty well. Instead of losing kids we've gained; but I'm not complaining. Their choosing skills are almost as good as their mother's. Savannah and Jake are just trying to survive summer. It's tough.
And me. Well, all I want to do is paint my motorcycle red. It won't make it any faster, it'll just look better going slow...
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