Pick up Sticks

Truckin' Woes

2012-02-10T19:31:00.000-08:00

My oldest daughter has a Ford Fusion,front wheel drive. She was working 15 miles away down I80. It was snowing. She decided to borrow her sister's 4x4 Nissan Titan to drive fto work. Getting on the Interstate, she hit a patch of black ice while in 2 wheel drive. She spun out,hit the lane barrier, and totaled her sister's truck. No one was seriously hurt. The insurance, plus hthe gap insurance is going to pay for the vehicle,and is suposed to pay the deductible, plus $1000 towards the next vehicle. My fingers are crossed. Hang in rhere. Drive safe. Stick.

Trading...Across?

2011-12-05T20:31:00.000-08:00

Something new has been added. We went and traded in our Yukon, on a 2011 Chevy Traverse. It is smaller, so easier to park, and more fuel efficient. We hope it will give us years of service. We did lose our DVD player, but not much else in the trade. We are very excited. It is an All Wheel Drive vehicle, so should also be safer to drive on winter roads.

Stayin' Busy

2011-10-30T18:51:00.000-07:00

Saturday I took the final for my Law class. When I got out, I winterized our yard, putting away tools, hoses, draining the sprinkler system, etc. Then I butchered the last of my youngest sons deer, and pressure canned the last of the meat from his deer as stew meat. We have twelve bottle of stew meat, and three more of broth for meals, along with many packages of meat in the freezer. This morning, I got up and fixed pancakes, eggs, and sausage for my wife and I. Then I made a pasta salad for dinner later, and prepped some butternut squash to go with it and the chicken. Next, I carved a demon face into our last pumpkin.

I know I did a few other things, but can't remember what. I hate just sitting around. Tomorrow, I think I'll build a time machine, and rewire the house.

Stay busy. Stick.

And So, the Marathon Begins..Again

2011-10-14T05:41:00.000-07:00

Today is the begins the third weekend of my Intensive Weekend class for my Master's. This class meets every other weekend for four weeks; 6-10pm on Friday night, 9am-4pm on Saturday. In addition, this Friday I get to teach Friday school at my School. This is every Friday from 8-11am, and is to help any student who has a "D" or "F" Grade, or who is missing an assignment after the due date. The teachers all take this assignment on a rotational basis, and this is my first turn.

It's going to be a long weekend. Hang in there. Stick

I Believe!

2011-10-09T16:12:00.001-07:00

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints, and I believe In Christ. I honor him as the son of God, and the savior of the World. I believe he died for our sins, and saved us from death. I am a christian, I am a Mormon, and I believe. "By their fruits you shall know them."

Just thought I'd Share

2011-10-08T07:51:00.000-07:00

This is one of our favorite recipes.

Seafood Enchiladas

1 Onion, chopped
1 TBL Butter
1/2 lb Crab Meat (we use Krab, its cheaper)
1/4 pound shrimp-peeled, deveined and coarsely chopped
8 ounces Colby cheese grated
6 10 inch tortillas
1 C half-and-half
1/2 C sour cream
1/4 C melted butter
1 1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder or salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F
2. Saute the onions in 1 TBL butter til transparent. Remove from heat and stir in crab (Krab) and shrimp. Mix half of the cheese into the seafood. Place a large spoonful of the mixture onto a tortilla, roll and place in a lightly greased 9x13 baking pan.
3. In a saucepan, over medium heat, combine half-and-half, sour cream 1.4 butter, garlic, and parsley. Stir until blended and warm. Pour the sauce over the enchiladas, and top with the remaining cheese.
4. Bake 30 minutes

I like this with a few chopped jalapenos on top, but I think a little green chili sauce would be great.

Timing...It comes in threes.

2011-10-08T06:57:00.000-07:00

Recently, my oldest daughter was doing some minor repairs on her car. Working with her uncle and aunt, she re-secured her radiator in her car(Cheap plastic radiator mounts). However, in the process, she left her lights on and ran her battery down, not discovering this until she was preparing to leave. I own a battery charger, and told her we could charge her battery quickly so she could leave. Her younger sister, who just purchased a nice car, offered to loan her the new vehicle, just to be safe. They switched vehicles, and my oldest drove safely home. The younger daughter, on the other hand, drove the older daughter's newly charged car that evening to go to a friend's house. She only made it about a mile uphill before the car overheated spraying steam and radiator fluid everywhere. It turns out that in the process of doing the repairs, a small plastic part of the cooling system had gotten cracked, and failed. Part ordered. Car repaired.

My youngest daughter has been driving my Ford Ranger. While the part was in transit for my oldest daughter's car, she drove the Ranger to school. When it came time to drive home, it wouldn't start. It seems that the starter motor is failing. We can roll start, but not turn a key and start. I have purchased the starter motor, and will install it soon.

In the meantime, the van that I drive has been squealing like a stuck pig for a few weeks. We looked at it over the weekend too, and discovered that I had a bad bearing in my alternator. Now this alternator was installed last January, and is under warranty, so I removed it from the vehicle, had it tested, and am ready to put the alternator back in the van.

Three breakdowns, out of four available vehicles that we drive every day.

Now for the timing. Just after I took out the alternator, it began to snow. The weather has been so awful, that I have not had a chance to get either the truck, or the van running again. Figures.

Hang in there. Stick.

A rare and precious gem

2011-08-26T06:04:00.000-07:00

As I write this post, I am sitting in my daughter's hospital room. As a complication to contracting mononucleosis, she also contracted a rare ( 1 in 200,000) side effect of the virus that causes mono called EBV Encephalitis-an infection of the nervous system. She is getting better, but still has a way to go for her recovery. They say that most of the adult population of the World has contracted this virus at some point in their life, and that we all carry it within us. Most people who get sick fromthis never even know that they have mono. They just think it is another bad cold. In a way, they are right. Like a cold, mono is a virus. The only way to treat it right now is to treat the symptoms. Anti-biotics have no effect. Time, rest, and taking care of yourself and the symptoms is all you can do. The same is true of the encephalitis. The Doctors are great ( in spite of the multiple, repeated updates every day from each team that is following her case). We can see
improvements every day as well. We look forward to taking this rare gem home soon, until then, sign me...

Sleepless in Salt Lake. Stick.

And now for Something completely different!

2011-08-04T18:16:00.000-07:00

I just got back from three days at Scout Camp. I have spent a week at camp for the last two years, but they didn't need me for a full week this year. I always have fun, even though I complain. This year I took my Rendezvous bow, along with my quiver of arrows. I figured if I was going to shoot a bow, I should shoot the one I own. I found that you need to shoot more often than once a year to keep competitive. :o)

I did redeem myself a little at the rifle range, where I joined the "Dime Club" by shooting 10 rounds into a space that you could cover by a dime. (Using the scout rifles)

Here are a few pictures of the camp.

...The Adventure Continues

2011-07-30T07:03:00.000-07:00

A Hogwarts Adventure

2011-07-30T06:51:00.000-07:00

PDA-- On Steroids!

2011-06-26T09:46:00.000-07:00

For several years I have had a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) that I have carried for reading, playing games, and keeping track of appointments. I went form a very basic model, to my latest, which is a Palm TX handheld PC. As of my last post, I now have an IPAD. I am just starting to scratch the surface of what this can do, but I can already tell you, THIS IS GREAT! It is like a Palm on steroids. Much faster, more capacity, cleaner apps, easier to use, the works! The only thing I miss so far are the books I had on my palm. I have downloaded a few books, but I had hundreds of books on my palm. Now, there are hundreds of books available for the IPAD, but many of them are inappropriate, or cost $$. Maybe there is an app out there for converting my palm books so I can read them on my IPAD. If not, I guess I'll just have to hang on to the palm for that purpose. For now, color me EXCITED!

Have a great day! Stick.

And Now for Something Really Exciting.. Nothing up my Sleeve

2011-06-23T22:33:00.000-07:00

I have been working some extra training days this summer to pay for something I have wanted for a while. I already have quite a few items downloaded, thanks to daughter #3's ITUNES account for her IPOD. I have the scriptures and several games. This has 16 GIGS of memory, and 3G with WIFI. I am really anxious to learn how to use this to its potential. My wife is also working some extra training days to get one as well. So far, I LOVE IT!

Have a great day! Stick

Something new has been added

2011-06-23T22:23:00.000-07:00

We went car shopping today. Not for us. Our #3 daughter was looking for transport for work and college. This is what we found. She purchased (with our co-signature) a 2008, white Pontiac Torrent. It is a V-6, front wheel drive, with am/fm/CD, cruise and power windows and door locks. She is very excited! Now to pay for it.

Another day older and deeper in debt. Stick.

The Wedding Marathon is Over

2011-06-19T10:54:00.000-07:00

It began early Friday morning. We were off and running. We passed mile post after mile post of items on our checklist. Buy the food items needed for the reception. Bake 10 half sheets of brownies (of which we used 5). Frost and decorate as much of the wedding cake as we can do one day before the reception. Eat dinner, and treat the youngest son for heat exhaustion while in the restaurant. Decorate the room for the reception. Home to bed and fall asleep around 1 am. Get up at 4 dark 30, and get ready to leave for the wedding breakfast a three hour drive away. Eat breakfast quickly to be at the wedding location (Draper temple) 1 hour away from the restaurant where the breakfast was held. Hold the wedding (It was beautiful). Out at 2:15 to take pictures until 3:30. Get in the car and race the 3 hours back to where the reception is being held. Arrive at the reception location with the last few items 20 minutes before the reception is supposed to start (the bride and groom arrived with 5 minutes to spare). Meet, greet, and eat for 2 hours. Clean up for another hour. Home to put away the leftover food, and in bed by 11.

One down, 5 to go. Pictures to follow on facebook. :o)

Hang in there. Stick.

Somebody Wake Me--This IS A Nightmare

2011-06-13T19:41:00.000-07:00

I got up this morning with a list of things I wanted to accomplish. First on my list was to swap out the bathroom vent/heater fan in our bathroom. Ten hours later, I still have work to do to finish the job. It turned into one thing after another to finish. I had to cut out a big square of sheet rock out of the ceiling to get the fan out, then I had to re-wire everything, because the new fan was wired on the opposite side. Then when I got it all up in the ceiling, the light didn't work! I couldn't figure it out. I tested the wiring, and found that the light only had power when the other lights in the room were off. I still don't know what is going on. I sheet rocked, and have put on the first layer of mud to seam it in. I'll figure out the power later. Maybe.

Good luck with YOUR honey-dos. Stick.

You look like 40 Miles of rough Road--Nope, 50 Miles

2011-05-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

Friday evening, my sons had a scout camp out at a place about 30 miles North of town. My youngest son also had a Junior High Student Council community service activity that he had to be at, so we agreed to drive him out to the camp out after he was finished. We were given a map to the area. As we prepared to leave, it began to rain lightly. By the time we got my son from his activity, and got on the road, things were beginning to get a little muddy. We followed the map, and wound up out in the middle of nowhere, on a very slick, muddy road, and no tracks in front of us. We called the leaders in charge, and asked where we had gone astray. They told us where we SHOULD have turned off the road, and we backtracked to get on the right road. WE WERE FOLLOWING THEIR MAP! When we finally got on the right road, it had been raining for over an hour, and the road was MUCH muddier and slick. It took us another 40 minutes to get out to the campsite, and 40 more minutes to get back to the road. All in all, we had been driving on muddy, slick roads for 2 1/2 hours, and over 55 miles. I was beat, tired, and you could hardly tell what color our vehicle was SUPPOSED to be.

We found out today that one gentleman from our troop had gone out to that area Thursday, and got his big, four-wheel drive, Ram diesel stuck up to the axles out in that area. He wasn't able to get it out until this afternoon. Now both sons owe me!

Take care, and drive carefully. Stick.

Litter Locust

2011-05-14T14:59:00.000-07:00

Today was our city wide clean up. As part of that, our Boy Scout troop did a fund raiser out at our local trash dump, for their upcoming Camp. The dump backs up against some BLM land, and due to the high winds, garbage gets blown from the dump out into the sagebrush/rabbit brush field. When we arrived, it looked like someone had found a way to cultivate, and grow, plastic grocery bags. Every bush had at least one bag stuck into its branches. Even that would not have been too bad, except that most of the plastic was deteriorated due to the sun. As you would grab hold, the plastic would collapse into several pieces. It made it VERY difficult to clean up the area. We had 13 boys, and spent six hours. We filled almost 40 of the giant garbage bags, and even if it wasn't completely clean when we left, it was definitely cleaner,and you could tell we had been there. I was there as a stand-in for my older boy, who was occupied today with a choir performance in Utah.

All I can say is, "HE OWES ME BIG TIME!" Stick.

Marathon Madness

2011-05-09T19:33:00.000-07:00

Friday, we went to SLC to shop for the upcoming wedding of my second daughter. We walked miles of mallway, with her trying on dresses, and looking for every odd and end that we need for the upcoming nuptials. It seemed like every time we went into a store, we would find another little hidden treasure that we needed to fit into the puzzle that will make up this wedding. A dress on sale here, a cut glass punch bowl at a thrift store there, and everything kept falling into place.

We still have things we need, but there is time. I just hope we can avoid another weekend like this last one.

Hang in there. Stick.

What's My Name?

2011-05-01T07:53:00.000-07:00

We must be getting older. They say the memory is the first thing to go. Maybe we need Ginkgo Beloba.

I woke up an hour ago, and have been puttering around showering, getting a roast in the crockpot, and enjoying the quiet morning...until. My oldest daughter came upstairs all dressed for church. "Are you guys going to Conference today?"

Now it comes back to me. Stake Conference.(a large church meeting) Adult Meeting last night. Church at ten today, and no one is awake except my daughter and I. I can be ready, we'll see about the others.

On the other hand, it is a gorgeous spring day outside.

Hang in there. Drink more water to improve your memory. Stick.

And the Verdict is...

2011-04-29T17:47:00.001-07:00

This week is the last week of classes for the Spring semester of my Master's courses.
Luckily, all of my courses have projects instead of finals, so once I turn my projects in, I'm done. I have turned in two of my three projects, and I have received a grade back for one already. I'm starting to feel the relief, but it won't last for long. I have three more classes starting in just over two weeks. The good part is: after this summer, I will only have one class, and two practicums, along with my Master's plan to be finished.

On the flip side, I am just finishing my first year as a Special Education teacher. I have an exception to teach while I am getting certified. The school I work at has 175 students, from grade K-12. We have 8 seniors this year, 22 juniors, and 13 sophomores. My case load is 13 students from grades 6-12. These are really good kids, and the school is a very close knit community. The drawback is a 42 mile commute every day, each way. I am allowed to ride the school bus most days, but it still takes a big chunk out of my day.

Needless to say, this has been a busy year, what with learning a new job, and running to classes. Regardless, I am loving the life, and glad to be teaching and working only ONE job. The rest will settle down soon. By the start of fall classes, We will have three of our children living outside of our house, and three High School students. Times they are a'changin'.

Keep your head up. Stick.

Twenty-Four

2011-04-17T05:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was our twenty-fourth anniversary. That's right. In a time of disposable everything, and quickie divorces, we've been married twenty-four years. To the same person. Most of my brothers and sisters have been married just as long, or longer. And, I love her more today than the day we got married. Oh, and by-the-way, faithful to each other for that same time. Today people are saying, "Why even bother getting married?" They look at it, and consider what they already get out of their relationship (or should I say acquaintance) without getting married, and decide that they don't need that commitment. After all, from much of the World's viewpoint, it's just a piece of paper, a verbal "I do" in front of some person with a license. It can be undone with the slash of a pen on another piece of paper. "Besides", they say, "twenty-four years with the same person--BORING! Most of my relationships don't even last the weekend." The reason--They only want one thing out of their relationships, and once that is over, they are ready to move on. No commitment. No pain (or not much). No feeling (sorry, THAT's a sensation, not a true feeling). They were raised in homes, many times, with only one parent, and they turned out fine, didn't they? So why get Married?

Here's a few reasons:

-You won't wake up alone and wonder how long you'll be alone this time.
-There will be someone in your life who cares if you are still alive.
-You won't have to wonder if--after last night--do I have a disease that I caught that will kill me, or am I pregnant by someone I barely know.
-When you want to talk to someone about your day, or whatever, you don't have to struggle to think of who cares enough to listen.

This list could go on and on. I'm sure others could suggest more that I wouldn't even come up with. The point is this. After twenty-four, happy years, I'm looking forward to twenty-four, or fifty-four, or however many more. When the time comes that one of us must shuffle off this mortal plane, we'll still have the memories of our years together to look back on HAPPILY, and those memories will carry us on. All that those who chose not to get married will have is a list of names--if they can remember any of them.

Happy Anniversary Sweetheart. Stick.

Frozen Fans

2011-04-15T07:18:00.000-07:00

We attended a track meet yesterday for our two 8th grade boys. Let me preface this by saying, Wednesday was a beautiful day. However....Wednesday night a storm moved in and cooled things off. By Meet time, it was 39 degrees, but the wind was blowing with gusts to 41 mph. The wind chill probably put the temp at 20 degrees. It was FREEZING. Four hours, outside, in the wind, to watch two races. Of course their last race was also the last race of the Meet. At 8:00pm!

I love supporting my kids in what they do, and we try to be to every home event, but this was ridiculous--not only for us, but for the track kids as well. Some of them stood around in nothing but thin shorts and tanks. for up to 30 minutes, from check in, to when their race was actually run.

It took ME almost an hour and a half to warm up after we left. If you know me, you know that I am almost always warmer than anyone around me, always have been. One of the boys had had a drink spilled on his warm-up pants, so he was only wearing shorts the entire time. He will not do that again.

They have another Meet Saturday. It is an away Meet. Sadly, we don't go to away Meets. :o) Good Luck boys!

Take care. Stay warm. Stick.

Mother Nature Isn't Through Yet!

2011-04-10T07:33:00.000-07:00

After last week's April Fool's joke, with snow on Saturday night, the weather chnaged to Spring--For a whole 6 days. We had weather threats of rain and snow, but none of them materialized. That is until last night.

Again the storms moved in and we have snow on the ground, with a cold wind blowing around. Come on Mother Nature. I know that a woman is allowed to change her mind, but let's decide it is spring, and get on with it. Our week time weather was springtime, maybe she only works a 40 hour week, and has a temp cover the weekend.
At least it held off until night, so we could enjoy the day.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Hang in there, spring is coming. Stick.

Wedding Worries

2011-04-09T14:01:00.000-07:00

For any who do not read Facebook, my second daughter is getting married in just over two months. We are very excited for this event, and very happy for her. BUT...there are many things that must be done between now and then. Reserving buildings, buying dresses, sending out invitations, and the list goes on. We are lucky in that our daughter is very pragmatic about this. She didn't even want a reception. We told her she didn't get a choice. :o)

We are doing as much of the prep and decorations as we can ourselves. We are also going to use the friendly neighborhood Big Lots, Wal-Mart, and Costco wherever it seems most prudent.

One thing that my wife found online--what a great resource that is--is a check list for things to accomplish for the two months before a wedding. Step-by-step, week-by-week here's what you need to do. Isn't the internet grand!?

Keep on keepin' on. Stick.

Weather Weird or Not

2011-04-06T15:53:00.000-07:00

We had some very weird weather yesterday. There was moisture falling from the sky, and it wasn't frozen! Can any tell me what this strange occurrence is? I know we haven't seen it here recently.

Deja' Who?

2011-04-05T17:58:00.000-07:00

Today, while sitting at my desk, I decided to clean up my hard drive, and delete some old files. I would highlight several files at once, and then delete them. The high light would then go onto the next series of files, so I would have to click "off" of those files to take away the highlight, and then choose the next batch of files to delete. What I didn't realize...every time I clicked off the files, I clicked on one of the files up above.

Later when I went to submit a [paper that is due on Friday, I tried to open it, and it wasn't there! It had been one of those I had accidentally clicked on, and I had deleted it. I also had already emptied the trash. NO FILE! I checked all through my papers to see if I had printed a copy for my records. Nothing! I e-mailed tech support to see if they could recover it. Possibly, but it takes 4 hours, and they have to have the computer for an entire day. I decided that if I did have to rewrite, that I couldn't spare my computer for a whole day. Plus, I have three other papers underway for other classes, and I need to be working on them as well. So, I bit the bullet, and began rewriting the lost paper. I am sure I will finish it in time, but hated to redo work already done once.

Live and Learn, and back up your files! Take care. Stick.

Mother Nature Played Her Joke a Day Late

2011-04-03T06:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, it was almost 70 degrees here. Beautiful weather. I worked out in the yard all day in a t-shirt (no, not JUST a t-shirt). Last night, a storm blew in. We woke to road closures, and an inch or two of snow! Its not supposed to last past noon, but...give me a break!

Hang in there. Spring IS coming! Stick.

April Fool's Day Fun

2011-04-02T06:48:00.000-07:00

I started the day by waking my boys--like I do every day. Like every day, they didn't get up right away. Five minutes later, I ran into their rooms and shouted, "You've got to hurry! You feel asleep again, and its 5 minutes to 7!" Their bus leaves at 7. For one brief moment, as they scrambled to put on glasses and read their clock, they were in panic mode. April Fool's!

Then when I arrived at school--We have been taking the State standardized achievement tests. We just finished in the last few days. All of our test booklets had been stored in large, clear, plastic bins. We still have these in a storage closet. I borrowed one, and walked into the seventh grade first hour class (with permission from the teacher). I told them, "They lost your Math Tests, and we have to do them over." Panic spread through the room like wildfire. April Fool's!

Later, as I was on my way home from school, my third daughter texted me a picture message. It was a photo of a smashed Ford Ranger, like mine. The text said, "I'm okay, but on my way to the hospital to be checked out. It was the other girl's fault." Sorry, I didn't fall for it, but I did respond. A few minutes later I texted back. "You'll have to call someone else cuz I stole your dad's phone 4 a april fools joke." When I walked in the door (after seeing the perfectly fine truck in the driveway) I said, "Has anyone seen my phone?" They all started laughing. April Fool's!

My wife has an IPOD issued to her by the school. One of the free APPS that she has makes different sound effects. One is the unmistakable sound of someone farting. She put it under her desk in her lap, and started playing it. "Oh my, Oh excuse me." Then she would spray air freshener. One of the kid's finally said, "She is making the sound with her IPOD." She played the same trick while walking around the school. She would come up behind a group of student's and key the sound. April Fool's!

Later, daughter three asked her youngest brother to get her a drink of water. He said, "Why do I have to do it?" My wife (unwittingly) played right into the scene saying, "Because I want you to." What she didn't know was that daughter three had taped the sprayer handle on the sink so that when you turned the water on, it sprayed you. April Fool's!

We are already thinking about next year. Can't wait. Stick.

All the World's A Stage...

2011-04-02T06:11:00.000-07:00

I have recently had the opportunity to attend two different school produced plays. The first, "A Wizard in Wonderland", and the second, "Guys and Dolls Jr.".

The first play was put on by the small school that I work at. I mean SMALL. We have 175 students from kindergarten to 12th grade. Our Senior class size is 8. They did a fair job on the play, with moments of fantastic. The scenery was painted cardboard. The costumes were whatever clothes they could alter to fit the character, but their budget matched, and for what they had they did great. However, at production time, there were many lines forgotten, and prompted by fellow actors, and a song sung at the end of the play...well let's just say it hurt to listen.

The second play was put on by the high school where my kids attend, in the larger local town. My fourth daughter was in this play. The stage is full sized, with all of the elevator lifts, trapdoors, and pulley systems of a professional stage. They had 5 or 6 full-size, hand-painted, back-drops which they produced, along with spotlights, moveable scenery, and more. The costumes they created were all custom produced for each character. They had radio microphones for all of the major actors. For a high school production, I thought it was amazing. I only noticed one or two hesitations in the lines, and all of the songs were very well done.

I'm not mentioning all of this to criticize. I'm just trying to point out the disparity between two productions in the same school district. The small school production was supported by bake sales, donations from a local church, and I believe the play was free to the community in the school's 200 seat auditorium. The larger school charged $5 a ticket, and had large audiences in their 1000 seat theater.

I'm sure the smaller school wishes they had the facility like the larger school has for their productions, but when you consider that the cast of the larger school's play was almost as large as the smaller school's entire student population, who would watch the play?

Remember, speak to the back row of the audience, and enunciate. Stick.

Prom Dram'

2011-03-27T10:21:00.000-07:00

As part of my job, I have been assigned duties as one of two Junior class sponsors/faculty advisers. This has been a very easy position to fill for three reasons. First, my co-adviser has been doing this in this school for many years, and knows all the tricks. Second, the kids are great, and easy to work with, especially since there are only 22 of them. Finally, third, my co-adviser has done most of the work, since I am taking Master's classes, and have not had very much time.

That being said, we held the Junior Prom last night. It was themed, "A Night in Paris". My co-worker planned this entire event. I was in on the initial phase, but after that they held the meetings after school, while I was in class. He would just come and tell me what they had decided.

It was decided that they would have a dinner along with the dance. This is a very poor farming community, and most of these kids would probably have had McDonald’s if we hadn’t done this. The menu was set as prime rib, shrimp, cheesy potatoes, rice pilaf, baked potatoes, salad, and a peanut butter and chocolate cheesecake. These kids have never seen prime rib. We had 2, 17 lb. roasts, cooked by a caterer friend. They probably wasted one whole roast. Some did not even touch their plate of food. About half of every piece of cheesecake got thrown away. There was so much food left over due to overbuying.

Then came the dance. They hired a DJ, who played some very inappropriate music. The kids were dancing too close, grinding, and kissing. No one but my wife and I saw anything wrong. They were very happy with everything. I have already decided that if I have this same assignment next year, there are going to be some rule changes, or I won’t do it. I also think we can plan and carry off the whole thing for much less money.

The kids had fun. One point for the positive. Stick.

The Call

2011-03-26T20:38:00.000-07:00

I know this is long. It took on a life of its own as I wrote it. I'm not even sure what inspiration started this. I hope you like it.

by Stick
He was only eighteen when he first received the call.
Accepting was a given—He was young, and free, and tall.
Hugging his mom, And shaking hands with his dad,
He packed the things he’d chosen, In an old suitcase that he had.
Early morning found him boarding A red bus down on main.
A glance over his shoulder, For one last look was in vain.
They rattled down the highway For three days in a row,
And when they rolled into the camp, He was feelin’ mighty low.
The bus deposited its burden On the pavement flat and black,
And he stood broiling in the sun, Sufferin’ from its attack.
It didn’t take them long To have them sorted, shaved, and shorn.
He was poked, prodded, and looked at More than since he had been born.
It takes a good hard poundin’ To make a bar of steel,
And that’s how they were treated—As if they didn’t feel.
Up in the early hours of morn,And to bed when it was dark.
He soon came to realize This wasn’t Sunday in the park.
Soon, eight hard weeks had passed, And he became quite able.
He was hardenin’ his body, And takin’ on the label.
When basic was finally over, They all looked like chiseled rock.
Walkin’ downtown on leave, Not a single man dared mock.
He never hesitated, When learnin’ of his first post.
He was as good as anyone, And better far than most.
The zone where he was headed, Was hot—a full blown war,
And they landed in a hail of lead, And to a tank’s dull roar.
It wasn’t long ‘til he’d proved himself In the rigors of full battle.
He’d seen his share of blood and gore, And heard a friend’s death rattle.
Step by step, promotions came, Along with scars and pain,
Until his Sergeant stripes found him Standin’ alone out in the rain.
They were waiting on new orders, To send them in to the fray.
Not a one of them were sure, If they would live throughout the day.
When the word finally came, They took their weapons and their gear,
And headed up the hill—They smelled of oil, smoke, and fear.
The bullets and the bombs Soon began to fly.
It sounded like a hive of bees Takin’ to the sky.
In danger every minute, They fought like men possessed.
They knew that they could lose their lives, Being put to the test.
Cut off from their countrymen, Alone and in dire need,
They looked at him with eyes of fear, And silently did plead.
They fought for what seemed hours, And the battle grew no less.
Ammo started runnin’ low, And they were sorely pressed.
There was not a one of them Who did not have some hurt,
And he tried to think of what to do, While laying in the dirt.
Then in the light of star-shells, As they burst up overhead,
He saw a path, a way through, Though it too he did dread.
There was a gully, a ditch, or less, A way that they could crawl,
If only one remained behind To guard them from the brawl.
He didn’t call for volunteers, Just told them what to do,
Then settled in to guard their backs, With hope nowhere in view.
The men made their way to safety, While he laid down cover fire,
And when it was his turn to flee, He dove into the mire.
Alone and friendless, He huddled in the dark.
Of his hopes for his survival, There only seemed a spark.
The bullets now were seeking For him there in the night,
The enemy advancing Towards him in his plight.
A hot sting, and his arm Was pierced through and through
Another burned his leg, As his foe came into view.
Using his own blood, His face he tried to hide,
Then laid as still as death itself, As still as if he’d died.
The searchers thought they all had fled And pursued them in the night.
He laid there ‘til they were gone, And the cold began to bite.
He bandaged his wounds The best he could all on his own,
Then began to inch his way To where the others now had flown.
As for his little band of men, They’d made it to safe haven.
Fleeing back to friendly arms, Where the battle flags were wavin’.
They called for volunteers To go and seek him out,
But the officers thought that he was dead, Like so many in the bout.
They praised him, as they pleaded, For saving all their lives,
While thanking God that they’d return, To their children and their wives.
Then, as the sun was rising On the dawn of the new day,
There came a shout of joy, A shout of ‘Hip Hooray!’
From over the horizon, He came with a band of men.
They had found him while a’crawlin’ From that viper’s den.
He was hailed as a hero, Though he didn’t see it that way.
He was just a soldier fighting, Doing his duty day to day.

A Moving Experience

2011-03-20T18:07:00.002-07:00

Our children have decided to move. Not away, rooms. The girls want to take the basement, and move the boys upstairs. They were going to do this yesterday. Unfortunately, they didn't finish. The boys have their things piled all over the living room, and the girls haven't moved yet. Sara was in SLC at a concert all day yesterday, and nothing has been moved upstairs yet. I feel like I am living in a junk sale, but I don't want any of the merchandise. I hope they get it finished quickly. Sean won't have a bed tonight as it is.

Hang in there. Stick.

Spring is Relative

2011-03-20T07:55:00.000-07:00

We have been anxiously looking for the first signs of spring here. Last week, we had high hopes that it was on its way. Temperatures were in the mid 40's all week. We were running around in T-shirts. Then I started thinking about that. When we lived in Texas, in the town where Twist lives, 40 degree weather was time for Jackets and gloves. Later, when my wife and I spent a winter in northern Wyoming, we moved from there (with temps averaging -25 for two weeks near Christmas) to southern Utah where my parents were living. Again we had been having VERY cold weather. The temps at my parents house were in the 50's. My wife and I were excited to have such beautiful weather. I even wore shorts several days.

I guess it is true what they say about humans. We ARE the most adaptable creatures on the planet. We can live in the extremes over the entire planet, and we adapt to those extremes.

Having said that. WHERE IS MY SPRING WEATHER! It snowed last night. Not much. We only got an inch or so, and it will probably all melt by the end of the day, but still. It is the first day of spring. BRING ON THE SUN!

Hope SPRINGS eternal. Stick.

Atlas, You Can Have Your Load Back

2011-03-18T19:35:00.000-07:00

I feel like the weight of the world has been lifted from my shoulders at
least temporarily. I received my grade on my first project back from my
"fussy" professor. I had a good score, so I can relax now until his final
is due in May. This professor is very hard to read. It seems like I never
know what he wants, and when you are looking at a 20-page-project, that is
not a good way to start. I now have hopes for decent grades this semester,
and better hopes for the summer and following school year.

Here's hope for the future. Stick.

Ain't Modern Medicine Grand!

2011-03-10T05:10:00.000-08:00

A trip to the Dr., and I feel MU-U-U-UCH better. Or maybe its the stress relief of having that project turned in. :o)

I wrote most of one more paper yesterday, so I am on my way. (Until I get the grade from the project).

My interview got postponed, because the interviewer was out sick, so that is still pending.

Have a healthy, good day. Stick.

Sick and Tired

2011-03-09T04:46:00.000-08:00

My project is turned in. I worked most of Tuesday trying to make sure it was as good as I could make it. Made 19 1/2 page on a limit of 20. That's one thing off my shoulders, no matter what grade I get. Now to write the next five papers due in two weeks...

On the brighter side, I have an interview this afternoon for a position in town, and closer to home. I hope I get it, so I can cut down some of my travel time to work, but if I don't, the kids and teachers I work with now are great.

Gotta run. Time to make the Donuts. (some of you might get that) :o) Stick.

"Don't let them get you down!"

2011-03-08T05:11:00.000-08:00

I know, the original quote was a little more graphic, but I don't think the feeling is quite that strong.

I have a major, midterm project due tomorrow by 9 am. The professor, last night in class, raised the bar. I now have to go rework huge sections of my project. No problem,I have a WHOLE day. On top of that, I have been battling against a cold for three days. I'm not giving in, to either of them, but....

When I'm done, can I go to bed?

Hang in there. Stick.

Okay, just a few more

2011-02-27T08:15:00.001-08:00

More fun

2011-02-27T08:13:00.001-08:00

Just for fun

2011-02-27T08:10:00.001-08:00

I've always wanted an indoor pool.

2011-02-25T18:18:00.000-08:00

Here we go again. Woke up this morning to water in the basement. We thought we got this fixed a few months ago. The plumber ran his snake out 65', and the city main is supposed to be at 60', but here we are again with a problem. I called a different plumber, and they came out within the hour. They ran their snake out 95' to where the plug was at! They couldn't believe it. I vacuumed about 20 gallons of water off the floor. In the middle of that, the service repairman for our washer called. He was supposed to come replace a module that was recalled, and under warranty. I told him we had water problems, and could he call later. We cleaned up the water, and he called back. So now, we have a clean drain, clean carpets, and a washer that cleans our clothes. On top of that, Songbird wasa having a game party with some friends, so she was a white tornado, and cleaned most of the house. The youngest of our daughters had a date to go to a concert in SLC tonight, but she had the dish job rotation that she had to get done before she could go, so she worked very hard to get the kitchen all clean. As a result, we have a very clean house right now! There is a silver lining in every thing that happens!

Take care. Stick.

Tear Drops

2011-02-22T17:56:00.000-08:00

Snow, in its simplest form.
A snowflake. Crystalline beauty.
Lighter than a feather.
Its touch, a caress.
So fragile.
Try to hold it, and its gone in a moment.
It leaves nothing behind,
But a small drop of water.
A tear.

Then, it begins to pile up.

Clumping, drifting.
Blowing around like a white beast.
Adding weight to weight.
Breaking limbs from trees.
So Cold.
Try to move it, and it resists
With all that it is.
All we are left with is a small drop of water.
A tear.

Running down your face.

The Poet Strikes Again

2011-02-11T21:52:00.000-08:00

As part of my job, I have to make a commute of 42 miles to and from my school. Most days, I am able to ride the bus with the students. On those days, I am usually able to rest, or read, as we make the drive. However, lately it has been quite cold. Who am I kidding? It has been VERY cold. With wind chill, it has been as low as -66 degrees below zero. There is a decent heater on the bus, and it even gets too hot sometimes, but at those temperatures, it can't keep up. Especially when we first get on, the seats are like sitting on a block of ice. This experience got me thinking. The following poem is a result.

Cold Hearted?
by Stick

Some people have said,
In a voice full of dread,
There's one thing they fear more than another.
For the outhouse seat,
Didn't have any heat,
And they didn't have any brother.

It took someone bold,
To go out in the cold,
And put their cheeks down on the wood,
But it would be best,
Above all the rest,
To be next in line if you could.

The Green Red Show

2011-02-09T19:01:00.000-08:00

This week is "Make-A-Wish" week in our school district. It is a big rivalry fund raiser between this district and the district in the next town. In conjunction with this, the school sponsors a week of spirit raising activities: School color day, prince and princess day, etc. Today was, "Come dressed as your favorite cartoon/Disney character. My twins decided to dress as "Phineas and Ferb." Green and red hair, purple pants, and all. They had a friend who dressed as "Perry the Platypus." I guess they had fun.

The only problem, the red dye looked like twin 2 was bleeding to death where it got on his ear and neck and didn't wash it off, and twin 1 had the same look, but in green. :o) Luckily, it all washed off in the shower. Anything for school spirit (and a laugh).

Have a great day! Stick.

Poet's Corner

2011-02-06T17:38:00.000-08:00

Who by Two

Two by two, the Lord decreed,
That the animals should come,
And so they came, as they were want
Counting out their sum.

But as they came, the troubles
That poor Noah had did grow.
Until he was quite at the end
Of the patience he did know.

The rabbits were prolific,
And their numbers began to swell.
Not to mention the aroma
Round the place where he did dwell.

The bees were all quite flighty,
And would not settle down,
And the noise at night was loud enough
To make poor Noah frown.

The food that he must gather,
To feed the elephants and all,
Grew to such proportions
That it soon began to gall.

Finally, Noah was at his wit’s end,
With all the worry and the pain.
Then something happened that changed it all.
--It began to rain.

Haiku's to You

2011-02-06T17:26:00.001-08:00

A Haiku

A haiku, I knew
Counting out the syllables
I think that makes five.

The Spirit

Spirits touching near
Recognizing all the truth
We all learn and grow.

Husband and Wife

Two hands touching close
Supporting each the other
Together they stand.

Temptation

Let go of the rope,
The voice loudly called to me.
I fell—stupid voice.

Would the Real author, please stand up?

2011-02-06T08:31:00.000-08:00

My brother, Twist Tales, and I recently entered Amazon's Breakthrough Author Contest. He is entered in general fiction, while I have entered in Young adult fiction. The contest entry ends at midnight tonight. This is a great opportunity to try and get published, and from what I have experienced so far, I have better odds than through normal submission channels.

I suppose if I had money to spare to hire an agent, or money to pay an on demand publisher, that I could already have my book published. I don't. Six kids, and living expenses have seen to that. I do think that my book is worthy of publication, and that people would enjoy it if they read it, but trying to find a publisher who will even read it has been a search in vain thus far. I did have one say they would read it--for a fee, but if I had the fee, I could publish anyway. :o)

I'm not discouraged--yet. I know many authors tried MANY times to get their first book published, and many more never do. Perhaps mine never will either. I enjoyed writing it. I have two more sequels I am working on. Maybe its just one of those things you have to do, no matter the results. Like my poetry.

Hang in there. Keep those creative juices flowing. Stick.

You Might Live in Wyoming if....

2011-02-06T08:22:00.000-08:00

The temperature hits 33 degrees, and people are rolling down car windows because it is so nice outside.

The temperature is -5 degrees, and the kids STILL wear shorts and t-shirts to school, with no coats.

You are driving down the road, and you see a dog frozen to a fire hydrant.

If the temperature hits 45 degrees, and you see people outside sunbathing.

You need to install wildlife crossing signs next to school crossing signs.

The number of Antelope and deer in town outnumber the number of people in town.

(I could go on. Any you can think of?)

Mr. Giggles Rides Again (with us)

2011-01-29T16:48:00.000-08:00

While we were in SLC today. we were able to meet , have lunch with, and visit with Mr. Giggles (my younger brother). It was great to see him, and catch up on what is happening in his life. He has become my inspiration right now, because he has lost 30 pounds now in his effort to live a healthier life. I applaud his efforts (he looks great!), and am going to work to follow his example. I was losing weight for a while, but since quitting my second job, I have put some of that weight back on. I am determined to lose it again, and more.

Let's go Bro'! Lose it! Stick.

Deer, is that you?

2011-01-29T16:45:00.000-08:00

We went to SLC again today. We saw deer all along our route again. I believe this area must be a winter range for the deer, and we just hadn't seen them before, since wew have tried to avoid long winter drives in the past years. Fun to see though! (Including the big 5/6 buck right by the roadside.)

Hang in there. Stick.

Alternating Problems

2011-01-29T05:46:00.000-08:00

I noticed th last few days that my car battery light was coming on, in the van, when I would start it up in the morning. I just thought it was the cold weather, and figured that I would put it on the charger this weekend. However, on Wednesday mornings, my wife drives the van, and I take her vehicle to work. She had the van die on her that afternoon, while she was clear across town, and trying to get our oldest son to a dentist appointment on time. (They made it thanks to a daughter with a car). When I got back to town, we went to get the van. It started, so I drove it straight to where we bought the battery last summer. I JUST made it there before it died again. The battery had a bad cell, BUT the car also had a bad alternator. We bought the new part, and I put it in Thursday afternoon..evening..both. Getting the alternator out and in, wasn't the problem. Getting the stupid belt back on was! The area around the belt is so narrow, I couldn't get my arms down in to align the belt properly. After two hours of trying, my youngest son, with skinny arms, came out and helped me. Twenty minutes later, we were done. Thank you son!

I just need to pause before I end to recognize the blessings of the Lord here. Yes, our vehicle broke down, and we had to repair it. However, We had the money to do so right now, I was able to do it , with my son's help, and no one got stranded somewhere wout in the middle of nowhere. We were able to get the van to where the problem could be diagnosed--for free, and then were able to drive it to our house--all without any real problems.

Pay attention to the small blessings, and the not so small. Stick.

The Ballad of the Coyote

2011-01-27T20:29:00.000-08:00

This poem is based on a true story, but told from the coyote's perspective. :o)

-Variously know as:
• The Coyote’s Lament
• Bluecipher’s Revenge and
• Teresa’s Tale
By Stick

We were barely scratchin’ out a livin’
Amidst the bustle and the din,
On the fringes of the city—
It seemed we couldn’t win.
It took a lot of hustle
To find enough to eat,
So when we found easy pickin’s
That just can’t be beat.
There were two of them together,
One for my brother, and one for me,
Well-fed, and plump, and juicy,
And runnin’ loose and free.
I chose the first one,
With stockings all of black,
And my brother took the other,
As we started our attack.
We thought that we would take
Both of them by surprise,
But as I bit down, he spun,
And scratched right at my eyes!
I tried still to hold him,
Going in for the kill,
But that cat was like a demon,
So we took off down the hill.
We’d share the one we had,
While we looked for easier fare.
As we ran away,
Pretending we didn’t care.
Then out of nowhere,
We heard a scream, a yell,
And looked up to see a vision
That came straight out of …well,
We saw a warrior charging,
Like a Valkyrie from the mist.
Roaring down upon us—eyes blazing
Shaking a slender fist.
The shock alone of that sight
Was enough to make me quail.
My brother dropped his prey, and ran,
And all she saw was tail.
We looked back as we ran,
And saw her lift our victim up,
And blow the breath of life into
Him on whom we’d thought to sup.
Her body gleaming in the moonlight,
She took our former meal away,
And we tucked our tails beneath us
Awaiting another day.

Pardon me, Have you seen my Brain?

2011-01-23T06:38:00.000-08:00

Have you ever met someone who is a very intelligent person, but can lose their socks while wearing their shoes? This is my youngest daughter. Sometimes. Recently, she received her driver's license, and to celebrate, she went and bought a new wallet to keep it in. She promptly lost the wallet, the new license, and her mother's debit card. A month or so later, a friend found the wallet at their house (after we had replaced the debit card of course). She is constantly putting her phone down, and then can't remember where she put it. ( I admit, I do this with my glasses, but as my kids keep reminding me, I am getting older). :o)

Yesterday, my wife and I were driving back from SLC. This daughter had driven with some friends to see the Elk herds on their winter range near Jackson Hole. We suddenly got a phone call from our daughter's phone. Not unusual. Only she wasn't the one on the phone!
"Excuse me, but the owner of this phone left her phone and her wallet in my store in Jackson Hole."
A twofer! She left both! Luckily, she and her friends had not left Jackson Hole yet, and when they received our text message (her friend didn't answer the phone), they were able to return to the store and retrieve her property.
They say that people do this kind of thing because they have so much on their mind--so many things they are thinking about--that small details sometimes escape them (I'm sure that is the case with me) :o) I can only hope that she grows out of it. I can't afford to lose a car.

Maybe we'll try Ginkgo Beloba. Stick.

What do the Deer Know That We Don't?

2011-01-22T20:29:00.000-08:00

My wife and I drove to SLC today. There was the threat of a snow storm all day, and we worried what our drive home would be like. Luckily, we only hit a couple of small squalls, and had very good roads. However, as we drove home, we passed hundred's of deer and antelope along the side of the road. We usually see a few deer through this stretch, but today they were everywhere! In every field, for about 50 miles, we saw large herds of deer. I have not seen this many deer in years. I don't know why there were so many so close to the road, but I wondered if they knew there was a bigger storm coming that we didn't know about.

Watch For Deer on the road. Stick.

Remembering a Great Man

2011-01-16T08:44:00.000-08:00

My wife and I were sitting in a basketball game Friday night, when we received a phone call from here sister.
"Just thought I'd tell you I'm on my way."
"On your way where?"
"To the funeral."
"Whose funeral?"

It turned out that her dad's cousin, who they have always called 'Uncle Scott', had passed away a few days previously. We came home, packed a quick bag, and drove to the funeral, arriving at 2:20 in the morning. He was 88 years old, and was preceded two years ago by his wife. They raised 8 children, and had numerous grandchildren, and great grandchildren. The greats all sang a song at the close of the funeral, and there were close to thirty of them. The immediate family alone filled the main chapel area of the church, and the overflow area out inot the cultural hall were also filled. He served a mission for his church (companion to Elder Marion Hanks), served in the navy, and was friend to everyone he met.

He had a way of greeting you, as if he already knew you, and a handshake that could crush rock to gravel. :o) The funeral celebrated his life, with little sadness--just joy in the knowledge he was with his wife, and had lived a full, good life. He will be missed, but not forgotten.

I only hope the same will be said of me. Take care. Stick.

Looking

2011-01-03T05:18:00.000-08:00

We have been thinking about trading in our Yukon for a slightly smaller vehicle, with a smaller payment. We still want four wheel drive, and some of our other accessories, , and we're not in a big hurry to do this. Any recommendations? We have looked at the Dodge Durango, and a few others.

Road Daze

2010-12-20T10:22:00.001-08:00

The town where I teach is 42 miles from my house. Normally, I ride the school bus as an bus monitor to get to school. One day a week, I drive. Today, the roads were closed between here and there, so I am sitting at home doing jobs that have been ignored (and some that just needed doing). I dug out our snowblower, and got it running to help clear the driveway. I like to shovel snow, but my drive is about thirty yards long, and the snow was heavy and wet. On days like this, I might have driven my Yukon to work, but Songbird, or oldest, borrowed it to move the rest of her things home on Tuesday, so I am left without a vehicle that could have made the drive. Over all, this really isn't a bad thing. Most of the teachers (including me) were just going to watch movies today.

Hopefully, I can get there tomorrow, weather permitting. For now, sign me, relaxed in RS. Stick.

Under Repair

2010-12-09T18:25:00.000-08:00

By Stick

My body is in rebellion.
It¹s through no choice of mine.
If one more thing goes bad,
I think I¹ll lose my mind.
My back is not as strong
As it once used to be.
When I rise in the morning,
It complains with me.
My blood pressure has risen
So high that I should yell.
If it was a stock I owned
I would be yelling, ³Sell!²
My gall bladder says I must cut back
On rich and fatty food,
And my pancreatic system says
That sugar¹s bad and rude.
The acid in my stomach
Is boiling in reflux,
My eyes have begun to blur
--Was that a flock of ducks?
I guess I can¹t complain.
Others have got it worse.
Some are battling cancer,
Hitting deeply in their purse.
Just remember this one thing
When at the end of your rope.
My message is quite simple:
³Don¹t you give up hope!²

Easy Italian Fritata

2010-12-05T07:57:00.000-08:00

This is probably the easiest egg recipe I have found, and is very good.

Brown 1 lb. of sausage (I used a hot sausage that really went well with this, and wasn't too spicy for anyone)in a frying pan. While it is browning, add one medium, chopped onion, one chopped bell pepper (I used half of a red and half of a green), and 1 lb. of sliced, fresh mushrooms. Cook together untill the onions are translucent, and just starting to brown. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9 x 13 pan. Put the sausage/vegetable mixture into the pan. I seasoned this mixture lightly with a Seasoned Salt. (Mine is actually a salt free Mrs. Dash) Crack and lightly beat 12-14 eggs. Pour the beaten eggs over the meat mixture, and bake for about 25 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out clean, and the eggs are set. Serve and enjoy. The only real work for this is chopping up vegetables, and browning everything. I topped mine the last few minutes with a handful of cheddar cheese. You can cut this recipe in half, and the cooking time drops to 15-20 minutes. The full recipe serves 10-12 as a side dish (pieces cut like cake), but fewer as the main.

Many Good Times Were had by All

2010-12-05T07:43:00.000-08:00

Our church had a Christmas breakfast yesterday. They provided ham, sausage, and pancakes, and those who came brought their favorite egg dish, or breakfast side. I made an Italian Fritata that turned out pretty good. It was very easy to make. Recipe to follow. At 9, when it was to start, we only had 10 people there, but within 10 minutes, there were almost 100! (Mormon standard time)

Later, we went and did a little Christmas shopping, then went and watched the local Electric Light Christmas Parade, in a light drizzle of rain. All of the floats were decorated with lights and ornaments. It lasted a little over an hour, and we loved all of the floats. One came from the local Sports Bar. It was a stretch Station Wagon limo. It made it about 40 yards past our spot, and then died! :o) They had to quickly push it out of the line-up.

Finally, we hurried from there to the theater, where we watched Tangled. Really cute movie with fun 3D effects. I think my favorite scene is the chameleon giving him a wet willy to wake him up. :o)

All in all, it was a good day. I even got our basement put back together.

Enjoy the season, and remember the reason. Stick.

Remembering Christmas

2010-11-21T07:36:00.000-08:00

I know I am jumping the gun on this a little, since Thanksgiving is this week, but, this is what was on my mind this morning. Christmas to me was (and is) a magical time of year. I can remember Christmases when I was 4 years old, and as a family we would drive out to look at Christmas lights. One area in particular went all out, and every year we looked forward to seeing all of the decorations.

My mother would paint a huge Christmas scene on our living room picture window, and I was always amazed as I watched it take shape. One year it would be Christmas ornaments, another year would be holly and the words "Merry Christmas!" Each scene to me was special.

Of course, the idea of presents and Santa Claus always thrilled me as well. I know I started trying to find presents my parents might have bought, so I could "preview" the upcoming celebration, but I only succeeded once, and then was let down when nobody in our family got that present that year. In later years, I asked my parents about that. I had seen a beautiful red fire engine hidden deep in a closet. It turned out to be a present hidden in our house by friends of the family for their kids. No Fair!

I also remember the year I decided to try to catch Santa in the act. I waited until the house was quiet, then I creeped out to our family room area where the tree was located. There, I hid behind our sectional couch, where a door opened towards the back of the curved part of the sectional. That's where I was when I awoke the next morning. The sly, old Elf had put me to sleep before he made his delivery.

I have tried to carry on many of these traditions in my family today. We carol every year to friends, as we take them Christmas goody plates. We decorate the entire house, inside and out (more inside than out lately). We go out and see the decorations, and enjoy the season.

In all of this, we do one more thing. We remember and honor the "Real" reason for the season. We thank our Father in Heaven for the gift His son gave to all of us. We remember Him. We thank Him. We honor Him.

Have a Merry Christmas this year. Stick.

Awash in a Sea of Misery

2010-11-17T16:59:00.000-08:00

So, we came from work and school Monday to find our basement flooded. I vacuumed water for two days until we could get a plumber to come and snake out our drain. He ran the snake out 75' and said he was pushing something from 60' on. Now, I just have to clean all the carpets, sanitize everything in the basement (I don't even like to think about what backed up out of the shower drain!), and do about 10 loads of laundry to wash everything that got wet. It never rains, but it pours ( or floods as the case may be).

Have a better (drier) day. Stick.

Relief, Retraction, Regret

2010-11-14T06:13:00.000-08:00

The issue with my Professor has been resolved. It was based on a misunderstanding on my part. Originally, I wrote my projects using a chart from our text. Unfortunately, I read the numbers backwards, so received a lower grade than I had hoped for. The professor also told me that I was missing some information from my project. I had e-mailed the project in, and several of my graphs did not show up on his end. I immediately sent these by fax, and then set about re-working the projects. I discovered my error, and sent the two re-written projects back to the Professor. Five days later, I received one of the projects in the mail, with a higher grade, but a note that said the numbers were still backwards. This is what caused my confusion. What I did not understand at the time was that this paper was NOT one of my re-writes that he had graded, it was the original paper graded again with my faxed graphs included in the grade!

I just received my rewrite grades on Friday. Both projects are now exactly what he wanted, and received full points. I am relieved, because these two projects form the core of my final projects for both classes, and had to be correct for everything in the finals to be correct. Can so spell RELIEF?

Onward and upward. Stick.

Mixed Signals

2010-11-09T05:05:00.000-08:00

Recently, I wrote a couple of papers for my classes I am taking. The Doctor in charge of the classes returned them to me with several critiques, and asked me to rework the papers. As part of this, there were some facts and figures that he said I had backwards. I looked at them, and he was right. I reversed the numbers corrected the rest of the papers, and resubmitted.

I just got them back.

My grade was okay, but he says my numbers are still reversed! How!? He can't have it both ways. Either they were reversed originally, or they are reversed now. I am very confused. I will call him to find out what I am doing wrong, as these papers make the foundation for my final project in each class.

Sign me, confused in Wyoming. Stick.

A Murder

2010-11-07T13:15:00.000-08:00

They dragged him away
From his roots--his home,
And dropped him on
A huge slab of stone.

They topped off his head
With two quick cuts,
Then poked out his eyes
As they ripped out his guts.

With a poke in the nose,
And a few in the jaw,
They shoved a hot spark
Inside of his maw.

Now the fire glows
From inside of his head,
And poor Jack
Is dead, dead, dead.

Bad Day

2010-11-06T12:21:00.000-07:00

by Stick

It’s going to be a bad day.
I could tell it from the start.
I should have just gone back to bed,
But I wasn’t quite that smart.
It might have been the alarm going off
An hour before it should,
Or else it was the toast I ate
That tasted like burnt wood.

I hope that it gets better,
But I don’t have much hope.
I got ink on my hands,
And found we had no soap.
My grapefruit squirted right in my eye,
There were eggshells in my egg.
I knocked over my hot chocolate,
And it all ran down my leg.

There was something sticky in my left shoe.
The dog chewed up its mate.
I split my pants from stem to stern,
And dropped my bacon off my plate.
I stubbed my toe in the hallway,
Hit my head on the bathroom sink.
I pulled my white laundry from the dryer,
And found it all had turned bright pink.

I guess that I’ll get through it.
There’s nothing that can be done.
The morning’s quite half over,
Tho’ it hasn’t been real fun.
Now I have to hurry.
I’ve fallen way behind.
I’d stay a little longer,
But I’ve a briefcase I have to find.

Windy In Wyoming?

2010-10-08T13:14:00.000-07:00

Not saying it's windy in Wyoming, but....
-The wind stopped for a minute, and five houses fell down.
-There is no such thing as a "Good Hair" day.
-The only people who don't complain about the wind are bald.
-You get ten miles per gallon better mileage when going East.

Now you give it a try! :o) Any posts that don't work will be deleted. I am the final judge.

Pay Attention Now

2010-10-07T20:29:00.000-07:00

Tonight was the start of our Parent/Teacher conferences. Because I have a Master's class that meets each Thursday night from 4 to about 6:30, I sent a letter to the parent's of each of my students informing them that I would only be available from 6:30 on for the rest of the night. After my class was over, I went to my School room to meet with whatever parents wanted to see me. I had ONE student who came during the time I had left. I went by the office, and found out I had had another student who came by before 6:30. They NEVER listen. I would have liked to speak with them. I want to work with them to help their child succeed, but work with me!

On a lighter note, when the conferences ended for the night, I walked out to my car to find 40-50 MPH winds with rain, sleet, and yes, SNOW! It didn't last long, but it did rain all the way home. It was one of those "Horizontal" rainstorms. With the wind it blew sideways probably three times as far as it fell vertically.

I go back tomorrow for three more hours. Want to bet on how many more parents I'll see?

Take care, and CARE. Stick.

Is it time yet?

2010-09-25T19:12:00.000-07:00

We made a trip to Ogden today to visit our oldest daughter, Songbird. We took her, along with her boyfriend, to lunch at Olive Garden. Delicious over all, but my wife had one dish that no one really liked. Lots of food, and we gave the leftovers to Songbird for her to put in her refrigerator. She should be able to eat for several meals on what we left. Afterwards, we went shopping and bought a nice new set of pans for our kitchen, and a new bedset for our room. The only problem, now we need to paint the bedroom. Can I take a nap?

Take care. Stick.

St. George and the Dragon?

2010-09-19T07:22:00.000-07:00

"It's a scorcher out today,"
The people all proclaim it,
So I'll just saty inside,
And let my AC tame it.

You could fry an egg outside
If you let it lay too long,
So I'll stay where it's cool
'Cause heat like that's just wrong.

The thermometer is rising.
It passed one-o-one right by.
My friends invite me out with them,
But my icy drink asks, "Why."

They tell me it's a dry heat,
But inside an oven's dry too.
It's so hot that ice cubes burn,
And can melt the soles right off your shoe.

So you can keep your blazing sun,
And your colorful desert views,
As long as I can stay inside
With a cooler that I can use.

Two Down, and Counting

2010-09-19T07:15:00.000-07:00

I have FINALLY finished the first two projects for my classes. Even as I say that, I do still have to submit the second of those two. I spent three weeks working on the one still waiting to be submitted, and the Professor says that this is just a baby, warm-up assignment to the two that are coming, and that each assignment builds on the previous assignments. THEY ARE GOING TO GET HARDER! Word's of encouragement for sure. The problem has been that he keeps saying, "This information needs to be in this assignment, but we'll talk more about that next week." And then the next week he says the same thing! Frustrating. Ah, well, this too shall pass.

Hang in there. Stick.

Gaining On It

2010-09-14T05:45:00.000-07:00

For most of the last year I was working for a large Super store chain (W_ _ _ _ _ _).
One of the side benefits of this came from working many hours a day, and not having very much time to eat. I lost weight. Now, thanks to getting a full-time teaching job, I have been able to quit that position. Unfortunately, I have also started finding some of those lost pounds again. :O( I've started my campaign to stop this, I just hope it works). I don't want to end up right back where I was. Perhaps the stress of working on a Master's degree will help me lose some of it again. (Probably not, you eat more often when under stress).

Here's hoping to not get any larger. Stick.

Rahn-day-vooh

2010-09-04T07:31:00.000-07:00

Today we are going to Ft. Bridger to attend one of the biggest, and oldest Mountain man Rendezvous' in the United States. I have been to Rendezvous from Wyoming to Nevada, but have never been to this one. They say that there can be as many as 5000 lodges, and on any given day, upwards of 15,000 people attending. I am going as a "Flatlander". That is someone not dressed in period dress, and just coming to see the sights. I might even try to get someone to "teach" me how to throw a knife and tomahawk. :o) (For those who don't know me, I have been participating in competitions for over 20 years.) I am going to leave this post as a draft until I return later today, then I'll post my impressions. Until later. Stick
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, after going to this Rendezvous, I can at least say I've been, but I probably won't go again without taking someone who hasn't been, but wants to go. There weren't 15,000 people there. There was 30,000, or more! (that number came from the gate people who were trying to keep count, and since it cost $4.00 a head for a flatlander to get in, they will know for sure.) It was just TOO big! Probably 300 traders, and more tin teepees (trailers and campers) and lodges (primitive teepees or tents) to count. We ate lunch there, and had to wait almost an hour just to get served. There were a lot of food vendors, but there were long lines at every place.
By the time we circled MOST of the traders, we were beat. I didn't even want to go find the knife and hawk area. We packed it in and went home. Give me the Spring Mountain Freetrappers, or the Anasazi Rendezvous' any day. I'm glad I saw it--once.

Deflated, but not defeated. Stick.

The Road to Success

2010-08-31T05:51:00.000-07:00

I have been very busy lately with preparations for school to start up. This week will end three straight weeks of trainings that I have gone through, and my second week of Master's classes. (Although I missed the first class of each of my three) :o) This is going to be a long road to finish, but will be good in the end.
My new school seems to be a very close-knit group, and I hope they let me fit in. I hoped to never have to commute this far to work and back again (42 miles), but here I am doing it. I hope I don't sound like I am complaining. I think I just need to write this here so I can see it in black and white to solidify what I have ahead of me. This too shall pass, the Lord willin', and if the river don't rise.

Hang in there. Stick.

Saturday--the Final Frontier

2010-08-21T21:10:00.000-07:00

Woke at 6:30 am. Got up and got ready, and went and cleaned the church. Supposed to be the H.P. quorum. Two of us showed up. Finished in under an hour, with one more volunteer showing 20 minutes before the end. Went to a back to school sale, then went garage saling. Fixed a lamp, did three loads of laundry, moved a bed, moved two TV's, moved a piano, helped clean the kitchen, and saw a movie.

Now need to write a talk and prepare a lesson for tomorrow. Can someone add a few more hours to the weekend?

Keep smiling. Stick.

Probed, Prodded, Squished and Squashed...but Okay

2010-08-12T20:44:00.000-07:00

Recently my wife decided that she needed to have some check-ups done that she has been avoiding. This could be prompted in part by my mother's recent battle with cancer, but was definitely needed. She asked around town here, and everyone said go out of town to ave this done. Truthfully, they did tell her about one place in town, but after one phone call to them, she immediately decided to go elsewhere. That's another story. She asked a firend of hers for the name of the Doctor she goes to in SLC. With a phone call she found she could get an appointment the next day, so off she went.

Yesterday, they called to tell her their were some troublesome spots in her mammogram, and could she come in for a some follow-up diagnostic tests. SO off we went to SLC. Thankfully, after an hour of being squashed and probed, they discovered that the spots were only cysts, and she is fine. She doesn't have to do this again...until next year :o(.

Here's hoping all your parts are in the right place. Stick.

Reactions

2010-08-11T05:42:00.000-07:00

Self explanatory

By Stick

I woke up this morning early
And my head was a little stuffy
My nose was drip, drip, dripping,
And I really was quite snuffly.
I got up to blow my nose
In hopes of some relief
But no matter what I did
The results were very brief.
My drip, drip, dripping nose
Was determined not to stop
It was like a speeding car
Who ignored the traffic cop.
I know there is a cause for this,
I know there is a reason
I’m sure there is a flower out there
That is coming into season.
So while it blooms, I’ll suffer,
With a tissue in my hand,
But for now I’ll just wish
That that flower could be banned.

What I did on my summer vacation --part two

2010-08-08T07:39:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy summer, and it is not over yet. My wife and I both taught summer school. She taught the 6th grade severe handicap class, and I taught 9th grade World geography. I also started a Master's degree program through the University of Wyoming. I need to log on and see what grade I got for my first class.:o) I will be teaching Special Education starting this fall, and I need the certification that this Master's degree will give me.

After school ended, we traveled a little, and then my boys and I went to Scout camp. We went to a camp in Idaho called Camp Bartlett. It is on the Idaho/Wyoming border near Montpelier. It was a very nice camp, set up alongside a beautiful little lake.

We have done several little projects over the summer, and I still have a couple to finish before we start school again in a week. I hope I get them all done. All in all, a great summer. The only thing that would have made it better would have been seeing more of our family. I missed all of the reunions this year.

Here's hoping you had a great summer too. Stick

What I did on my summer vacation. I got up...

2010-08-01T09:23:00.001-07:00

Home again, Home again...oops off again!

2010-08-01T07:39:00.000-07:00

We have been traveling quite a bit lately. From the time our summer school jobs ended, we have been gone out of town all but three days.

First we went to visit my parents, and various members of my family and kin who came while we were there. Then we went to visit one of my longest lifetime friends. It amazes us to see how much every one has changed and grown. Everyone except my great aunt, who never seems to change.

Yesterday, we went to Lagoon, taking with us my wife's brother and two of his kids, and her sister's son. I think everyone had fun, even though the rain moved in around six and drenched almost everyone. It stopped after a few minutes, and then only sprinkled occasionally the rest of the night. It was still fairly warm, so wasn't too bad. It had been a scorcher earlier, with high humidity, so the rain was a little relief from that. We got home at around 12:30 last night.

You would think that would be enough traveling, but no. Now, the boys and I have to pack today to leave in the morning to go to Scout camp. For the second year in a row, I (foolishly) :O)volunteered to go to camp as an adult chaperon. I have the time off, and no one else could go for the entire week. Not sure where we are even going. Somewhere in Idaho I think. We'll see how it goes before I decide if I'll do this again next year.

For now, I think I'll try to enjoy the few hours respite.

Take care, and have a great day! Stick.

Rocky Ridge

2010-07-30T07:31:00.000-07:00

Sitting in church on the Sunday following the 24th of July, and wrote this.

I paused to take a breath
As I pulled our humble cart.
I felt my legs both trembling,
Quite different than at the start.
The hill seemed never ending
That we had to surmount,
And the snow came down in layers
In inches too many to count.

My father lay in fever
Atop our worldly goods,
While my mother and my sister
Trudged alongside through the woods.
The last meal we had eaten
Was cold gruel and moldy bread,
But so far we had avoided
Being counted among the dead.

I once more started pulling
Stepping slowly to reach the top.
I felt that I could make five more
Before I had to stop.
But then, five had passed,
And five more beyond those,
I felt my burden lightened,
Though I could hardly feel my toes.

Each time that I looked forward
I'd think to myself in my mind,
"I can go only so much farther",
And then when I'd get there I'd find
That my feet seemed to carry me upward
In spite of my weakness and pain.
I felt my cart push ME onward
Maintaining our place in the train.

Then at last the peak was surmounted.
The ridge lay behind us to stay.
I fell to my knees in exhaustion,
And while there, I started to pray.
I thanked my Father in Heaven
For the succor that we did receive,
And asked him to bless all the others
Who had reason to grieve.

We felt that God must have sent angels
To help us to get to the top,
For without help from our Father,
I'm sure that I would have said stop.
But, we made it on into the haven
Where the rescuers awaited us all,
And in spite of all of our trials,
We're glad that we heeded the call.

Trivialities

2010-07-11T20:11:00.000-07:00

A poem that I hope strikes chords:

I've got a little problem
That has been on my mind.
It really doesn't matter,
And I'm sure it'll be just fine.
But it keeps on nagging
At the edges of my brain,
And if I don't solve it,
I think I'll go insane.

It's just a little matter,
And I'm sure it'll be alright,
But it has kept me thinking
Through the day and through the night.
I spent one whole hour
Puzzling over this test of mine,
But I couldn't find the answer
In that entire time.

I'll have to let it go.
There's nothing else to do.
I'll have to be resolved
That my searching now is through.
I just don't know the answer,
And I'm sure that no one does.
You see I've got another problem,
I've forgotten what it was!

Decisions, Clarifications, and Other Miscellaneous Fluff

2010-06-27T08:11:00.000-07:00

AFter much consideration, I decicded to apply for the Master's Degree program at the University of Wyoming. I feel that the benefits for this far outway the work invovled compared to the alternative.

I will also be able to ride the bus with the students to get to work. Just a side note here though. If I had decided to get an apartment in the town where I will be working, the school provides help. The town is so small, that there is very little housing there, so they have several houses kept just for school teachers, and they subsidize those as one of the perks for working in this school. The cost to me would have been minimal, or nothing.

We have also been working on house renovations. We have almost finished laying laminate flooring (Tacoma Oak) in our kitchen, living room, and hallway. We still have a little ways to go laying the floor, and then the trim work needed to finish it up. It is looking very nice, and we are looking forward to having it done.

Included in all of this remodel, is the repainting of trim work {and in some cases, the entire room--got the wrong can of paint for the touch-up work :o(}, and the replacment of some tile edges removed to make room for the new floor. We can't wait to be a construction free zone again.

We took our kids to a local amusement park (is 180 mile trip one way local?) on Friday. We spent the entire day there, and got home VERY tired at 1:30 am. We all had fun, the kids more so I think.

Yesterday, I spent part of the day cooking pulled pork roasts for an outing for our older men's church group, and their families. (High Priests Social) It turned out really well, and we had a good turnout. We had the dinner at a little park located about 10 miles out of town in a little subdivision. Very pretty little park. If any of you have seen pictures of my 2nd and 3rd daughters posted on their facebook, they took pictures at this park. It must be a popular place for pictures, because there was a wedding party there taking pictures when we got there. Great time, great place, good food, and good company. What more can you ask?

Hope all is well with you. Stick

Patience for the Job

2010-06-20T07:58:00.000-07:00

I have been looking for a new full-time teaching position for about a year now. After seeing how many Special Education jobs were open, and nothing else, and after a lot of prayer, I decided to apply for those jobs with the understanding that I would have to go back to school and certify in order to teach. I GOT THE JOB!

I will be teaching 6th through 12th grade Resource at a school in our district. We don't have to move, but I do have to commute about 40 miles. I have been told that I can ride the school bus up and back each day, but have not confirmed that yet. If I cannot ride the bus (will it be a SHORT bus?), I will look into an apartment there, and will come home weekends. I really don't want to do that, but the cost of driving 80+ miles a day would take away the benefit of the better paying job.

I am also currently enrolling at the state University here to take online courses to complete the certification that I need for this position. I have two choices here as well, and I am seeking advice. I can either take 30 credit hours and just certify, or I can take 36-39 credit hours and get a Masters. The pay difference is minimal, but the workload might be higher to be able to finish in the three years I have to certify. As it is, it will be 6 hours a semester to certify, or 7-9 hours a semester for the masters. I think I can finish the Masters later.

Any Thoughts? Stick.

Renovation Station

2010-06-08T08:10:00.000-07:00

While I was at work Saturday, my wife had our boys start to rip the tile off of our dining room floor. We have been intending to do this, so that we can replace it with laminate floor. I didn't know they were going to start it, and would have waited. We are hosting some youth this Thursday night for our Stake Youth Conference. Now we are trying to finish the floor before them. Lots of work in a short amount of time. Wish us luck.

Take Care. Stick.

The Diner

2010-05-25T16:04:00.000-07:00

The chime at the door lightly rang as the old man entered in.
He strode on across the floor, and took a seat amidst the din.
He sat alone at the table there. The other diners did not know
Who this silent stranger was, so conversation began to flow.
“How’s your son?”, they asked, and, “What’s happening in your life?”
“What are you doing now?”, and, “I haven’t seen your wife.”
Then, in came a raucous crew full of vinegar and vim.
They spied the old man sitting there, and thought to have fun with him.
They thought themselves invincible in the power of their youth.
The idea of respect and manners had not touched them with its truth.
They bounced up to the table, and with a wicked grin,
The largest of their number sat down across from him.
“Make way old man! Give way! There’s more of us than you.
Even though you’ve barely touched your food, I can tell you’re through.
So saying, he reached right across to take the old man’s plate,
But that’s when things took a twist in the young giant’s fate.
The old man hardly moved at all as he grabbed his taunter’s arm.
“Son you don’t want to do that. I don’t want to cause you harm.”
He smiled as he continued, and his grip began to increase.
“You see I’m really quite hungry, and not finished in the least.
The youth was now confused, and in not a little pain.
He tried to retrieve his arm, but his efforts were in vain.
The old man’s sinews and muscles stood out in broad relief.
Hardened by years of farming chores, he said, “I’ll be brief.
Now son, you thought to bully me, a man unknown to you.”
He tightened up his grip once more as he took a moment to chew.
“You hadn’t thought what I could do If I took a mind to react.
You chose to try and intimidate, rather than try another tact.”
By now the lad wasn’t sure if he’d ever use his arm again.
He was sliding from seat to knees, breathless in his pain.
The old man continued eating ‘til his plate was wiped quite clean,
Then he let loose the boy, and gave him a look both bright and keen.
“I want to thank you son for keeping me company while I ate.
Now, I better be on my way, my wife hates it when I’m late.
From now on boy I expect that you’ll say, ‘Yes ma’am’, and ‘Yes sir’.
That you’ll give respect to those around, and your friends will all concur.
The next man you try to hassle may not be as nice as me.”
Then reaching down with that mighty hand, he lifted the boy off his knee.
He stood him up, and brushed him off, and chucked him lightly under the chin.
“Now be a good boy, or I’ll be back.”, then he spun away with a grin.
He paid his bill, and thanked the cook for the wonderful meal he’d had,
Then turned once more before he left saying, “Boy, don’t you feel bad.
There are men in this world of ours who’ve done just like you’ve done
Without a thought for the other man, or the battles that HE’S won.
Respect is earned when respect is given. From good manners we reap the same.
You can hold your head up high, and folks will praise your name.
A simple ‘Thank you’, and a ‘Please’ can go a long, long ways.
It might just save your life, and lengthen out your days.”
Then the old man turned and left. The boys just stood and stared.
Not one of them said a word. None of them even dared.
So learn this lesson in your youth. Be kind to those around.
For you never know who you’ll meet, when you try to put somebody down.

Snakes, toads, turtles, and other assorted collections

2010-05-18T12:32:00.000-07:00

I recently had the occasion to think about some of our childhood collections. I recall bringing home a bucket full of Western Ring-necked snakes, a box full of frogs and toads, and bike baskets filled with box turtles. Mom made us return the snakes to the kind lady who let us gather them from her root cellar. The turtles, frogs, and toads all got turned loose in our big back yard from which they would occasionally emerge to be found again (sometimes, unfortunately, by the lawnmower--ewww).

We collected rocks, arrowheads (before it was illegal), stamps, and coins. We had friends who collected toy frogs, teddy bears, anything strawberry, geese, cows, and owls. We collected knives and swords, UFO memorabilia, seashells, and in our mother's case fabric for quilts. Grandma collected EVERYTHING else. Buttons, pins, shoes, clothes, old magazines, toys. It seemed like nothing was beyond the realm of possibility when looking around her house.

Today, I don't see that same fervor to collect. Is it the nature of our society now? We do tend towards the disposable, and the immediate. Maybe things don't last long enough to be collected, or perhaps we are more concerned with the instant, not the enduring. I think I would like to see us return to that time of saving things for the future. Something to show for our time here.

I wonder where I can find a few turtles?.....

Take care. Stick.

This is it

2010-05-18T12:05:00.000-07:00

I thought I should blog today. I started to comment on the state of society and our country. It was too depressing. I thought about writing on work ethics--too boring. Perhaps I could have talked about our school system and what I perceive as the shortcomings therein--too preachy. So, sorry to say, I couldn't think of one thing to focus on. This is it.

Have a great day! Stick.

2010-05-06T08:51:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking lately about manners and morals. In the classroom I subbed in this morning, they had a poster "All I really need to know, I learned in Kindergarten", by Robert Fulghum. I post it here in its entirety for your perusal.

All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sand pile at school.
These are the things I learned:

* Share everything.
* Play fair.
* Don't hit people.
* Put things back where you found them.
* Clean up your own mess.
* Don't take things that aren't yours.
* Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
* Wash your hands before you eat.
* Flush.
* Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
* Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
* Take a nap every afternoon.
* When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.
* Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
* Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we.
* And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all - LOOK.

Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.

Take any one of those items and extrapolate it into sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your family life or your work or government or your world and it holds true and clear and firm. Think what a better world it would be if we all - the whole world - had cookies and milk at about 3 o'clock in the afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments had as a basic policy to always put things back where they found them and to clean up their own mess.

And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out in the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.

I also work at a major retail store in the evenings. My specific job includes helping customers in the toy and sporting goods section, and in keeping those areas neat and clean. My main difficulty in doing this comes from people who never learned those Kindergarten lessons, or for that matter, ANY lessons in basic manners. These people think that our section of the store is a babysitting service for them while they shop. One mother brought her three kids into the toy aisles saying, "Have fun, I'm going to go shop. I'll be back in a while." She left, and leaving left her three kids ages six and down, alone in the toys. They proceeded to destroy two hours worth of work by playing with, or just throwing on the floor, toys from every aisle there. Now lest you think only young kids do this, perhaps I should just mention the parents.

Many of these upstanding citizens, who probably consider themselves to be decent, upstanding people, feel no qualms about throwing something that they have decided not to buy on the nearest shelf, regardless of what it is, or where they are in the store. I have found melted ice cream, spoiled meat, gallons of warm milk, fresh vegetables, and many more thrown to the back of the shelves in random areas of the store. Then there are those who in spite of our low prices, think they cannot afford to pay for what they want, so we find empty packages also thrown to the back of those shelves. Some of these items only cost a dollar, or two. We have caught people trying to steal a five dollar item when their basket is filled with three hundred dollars of items they have already paid for.

I'll stop my rant, for now anyway. We need to teach more Kindergarten lessons, and more people need to learn them well.

Keep smiling. Stick.

For All the Pyromaniacs Out There

2010-05-05T11:25:00.000-07:00

I watched a Mythbusters episode six times today. It included a section on a cannon made out of a log. In the episode, they made their own gun powder. For those of you who want to do this as well, here is the formula.

By volume, not weight, mix together:

75% Potassium nitrate, 15% Charcoal, 10% Sulphur
add enough water to make a paste, and mix well. Let the mixture air dry. Using a non-conductive mortar and pestil (made of brass, or hardwood for example), grind the dryed paste into a powder. Finer grains are better for some applications. For a cannon, larger chunks (possibly as big as the first joint on your finger) are fine. Store in a non-conductive media, preferrably somewhere outside your house. :o)

Please don't play around with this mixture. This stuff is volatile! A single spark can turn this from powder to explosion! However, that said, in the right hands this is a way to create a means to power a muzzleloading rifle, and obtain food.

I don't feel bad posting this, since most people could find this on the internet as easily as I did if they wished. I also researched how to make Potassium Nitrate and charcoal if anyone is interested. Finding the sulpur could be a little more difficult. :o)

Have a nice day, and work responsibly. Stick.

Walkin’

2010-05-02T14:51:00.000-07:00

I started walking as a babe
A year just barely gone,
And have hardly stopped at all since then
With troops, or all alone.

I hiked a thousand miles
Just to see this land of ours.
I meandered through a thousand more
While whiling away the hours.

I paced the floor for hundreds more
As I was a-waitin’
Sometimes for the birth of kids,
Or else when they were a-datin’.

I’ve slogged through mud and snow
When I’d rather sit and rest,
And I’ve splashed my way down river beds
When on a private quest.

I’ve spent whole summers trekkin’
High in the mountaintops,
And have trudged along down city streets
Passing cars and traffic cops.

Yes, I have walked for miles and miles,
And I’ve run a step or two.
Now, having walked all that way
I would like to think I’m through.

I wish that I could skip this drudge,
It only makes me tired.
It brings me down to places
Where I only end up mired.

But though I trot out all my reasons,
For why I should be done,
None of them have set me free
From my pacing ‘neath the sun.

So I’ll continue my measured tread
Down street, or rocky way
Until I walk that last great path
Upon the judgement day.

Subbing

2010-04-28T07:25:00.000-07:00

I have been subbing for a variety of classes lately, everything from construction techniques to U.S. History. It amazes me what teachers expect (or should I say, don't expect) from a sub. I have watched more movies than I can count. I even talked to one teacher ahead of time, and told him that I was certified in Social Sciences/History, and he said he would make lesson plans where I could actually teach. He still had me show a video for two days, but he allowed me to comment on it as it played. :o( Students and aides in the classes that I sub for tell me that I do a better job than the teacher I am subbing for (not bragging here, just commenting). That is a sad commentary on how complacent some teachers get as they teach day after day. I hope I never get there.

Keep smiling. Have a great day! Stick.

TWENTY-THREE YEARS!

2010-04-18T17:16:00.000-07:00

We have been married for twenty-three years. We celebrated this weekend by going to SLC and spending two days. We ate too much, spent too much, slept too much, and in general had a great time! We cannot believe that 23 years have gone by. We just met a year, or two ago at school. We look at others we know, and are thankful for each other. Many are not even married anymore, and others wish they weren't. We have been very happy for our 23, and look forward to many more to come. To my wife--I love you, and I'm thankful you chose me! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

2010-04-18T16:40:00.000-07:00

I have discovered a Black Hole. It exists right here in our High School. I can make assignment sheets for every student in a class, and give them each one. I even make extras. Within 24 hours, those assignment sheets have disappeared, including the memory of them in every students mind. I can give review sheets for tests, which include all the questions and answers necessary for them to pass the test with ease. Within 24 hours, the sheets are gone, and so are the answers and any memory of them in many of the students.

I had a student sit and goof off while we reviewed for the test. I told the students MANY times that if they studied the review sheet, they would do well on the test. MANY. TIMES. The test contained the EXACT questions from the review sheet, and I gave them the answers when we reviewed. The EXACT ANSWER! This student scored well below the passing score, and had the gall to ask if he could retake the test, because--ready for this--he didn't study. Students who didn't read the book all the way through; students who didn't study, but listened in class to the review both passed this test. Some had an almost perfect score. I think for those that didn't pass, the block hole drained the answers away. Now if we could only get it to work on those ozone depleting CFC's and the liberal press.

Take care. Watch out for those Black Holes. Stick.

Spring In Wyoming

2010-04-18T16:31:00.000-07:00

The first official day of spring has come and gone. Wyoming is still confused about this season. Within in the two weeks following the first day of spring, it snowed more than it had all winter, and temperatures dropped down to single digits. Yesterday, it was warm and sunny, and today started out that way. This afternoon, the clouds rolled in with wind, and it has started to cool off again. Last year, we had six inches of snow on June sixth. I guess we just take each good day as it comes. (on a side note, we did see the sure SIGN that spring is really here--ROAD CONSTRUCTION AHEAD.)

Another Memory

2010-03-04T09:07:00.000-08:00

Thinking about my last post, I thought of so many other things that we loved to do when visiting our grandparents. Others have commented about a horse my grandfather used to own. We called him "Old Tony". He had been born to one of grandpa's other horses, and he was what grandpa called a "jughead". In horseman's terms that means the horse won't amount to much, and won't learn well. Grandpa wanted to put him down, but according to Lonehawk, our uncle, he talked his dad out of doing this.

That horse was trained, and turned out to be one of the best horses grandpa ever owned. He used to amaze people with the things he could do on voice command. He was part quarter horse, and part Morgan (I think), which meant that he was a very big horse. He stood over 17 hands (well over 6 feet), and would often be seen carrying 3 or 4 kids at once. He could climb into, and out of, a pickup without any loading ramp. When loaded with a deer, he could be told to go home, and he would take the deer back to the house without any rider.

We would often go to the field where grandpa grazed him, and call him to us for an impromptu bareback ride. He was in many parades, and even raced a couple of times in the holiday horse races.

He wasn't the only horse that I loved to ride though. My uncle Karl owned what was probably my favorite horse. It was a cream colored palamino looking horse called Flint. The summer I rode him the most, I was 16. I was tanned as brown as any Indian, and my hair was sun-bleached to almost blond. I would put on my moccasins, and a bandanna headband, and would ride all over town. I thought I was very cool. Probably not. Please let me keep my delusions though. :o)

Make some memories. Stick.

Walking the Fence

2010-03-03T07:29:00.000-08:00

Growing up, we used to love to go visit family in Southern Utah. There were people to see, horses to ride, rivers to swim and fish in, mountains and hills to walk and climb on, and many other things to do. Today, our children (nieces, nephews, etc.) will complain sometimes about nothing to do when we visit there. Have they lost the ability and imagination that we had, or is there really less to do than when we visited as youth.

One of my favorite things to do was walking Uncle Karl’s fence. It was like a right-of-passage to walk the entire length of his fence-line. You started with the white, log fence up near the house. It was the widest, but some of the logs could be loose and roll when you walked them. Then came the slat fence. It had board nailed flat on the inside that you walked on. This was easier to walk, but it swayed a little, so you still had to be careful. Then came the tall board fence where you had to walk the skinny side of the 2x4 nailed to the back. Finally came the barbed wire fence. This had a smaller log that ran on the inside that you walked on. I learned the hard way what could happen if you fell forward across the barbed wire on this fence. In spite of that, I remember the sense of accomplishment in walking the entire length.

We spent hours hiking in the hills, looking for arrowheads (before it was illegal), pine nuts, animals, or whatever we happened across. We hiked just to explore. We built forts and hide-aways, climbed mountains, and in general enjoyed being kids. If it was hot, we invariably ended up either in the irrigation ditch, or the river, and it didn’t matter if we had swimsuits, or not, usually we just went in clothes and all. The boys tended to fish more as we got older, but even that sometimes took a back seat to other activities.

Granted, today when we all gather, we like to sit and talk--probably not the most entertaining activity for younger kids. Maybe if we were more exciting, the kids wouldn’t complain as much. Tough. Make your own fun. We did.

Walk your own fence. Stick.

Something New Has Been Added

2010-02-28T08:08:00.000-08:00

My second daughter, R, decided that she needed a car for when she goes to college next fall. She has been working this school year and saving her money. So......

She just bought a 2007 Dodge Caliber. It is a cute little front wheel drive SUV. It has four doors, and will seat Five (four comfortably), with a decent sized cargo area in back. It is supposed to get 30 MPG highway. It has a nice stereo that she can plug her MP3 directly into, and handles well. I will TRY to post a picture of what it looks like. :o)

I hope that she is happy with it, and that it gives her many years of service. I also hope she is able to continue making the payments, for my credit score sake. :o)

Hang in there. Drive safe. Stick.

Where's My Spell and Grammar Check Button?

2010-02-23T05:24:00.000-08:00

I have just started a long term subbing position at our High School. This position entails teaching freshman and junior Language classes. The teacher just went on leave to have a baby (which was born yesterday morning at 7:45 am. Mother and child are doing fine). She ladi out 8 weeks of lessons that she wants me to cover--no problem. She wants to check in periodically during her time off to see how things are going--no problem. I have to grade all the papers and work turned in while she is gone--PROBLEM! I hate grading English papers!

My wife teaches reading, writing, and math at the 6th grade level. She uses a computer program that tells the students what they have done wrong on their paper. It counts up spelling and grammar errors, and suggests changes that could be made. The students have the choice to leave their story as written, or make the changes. When they are done, the teacher can hit a submit button, and this porgram will check it for errors, and cross check it for plagiarism. All the teacher has to do is read through the error sheet and assign a grade. Unfortunately, I don't have access to that program for the High School.

Guess I'll have to do it the old-fashioned way.

Wish me luck. Have a great day. Stick.