Now That's the Holiday Spirit!

The above photo was sent to me by a friend at work. Rather than forward another e-mail full of internet banality...figured I'd just post it on my blog. Oh, and I had fun translating the story too if any of you want to brush up on your spanish:)

"Good news is that I truly out did myself this year with my Christmas decorations. The bad news is that I had to take him down after 2 days. I had more people come screaming up to my house than ever. Great stories. But two things made me take it down.

First, the cops advised me that it would cause traffic accidents as they almost wrecked when they drove by.

Second, a 55 year old lady grabbed the 75 pound ladder almost killed herself putting it against my house and didn't realize it was fake until she climbed to the top (she was not happy). By the way, she was one of many people who attempted to do that. My yard couldn't take it either. I have more than a few tire tracks where people literally drove up my yard."

La buena noticia es que realmente hice algo muy grande este año con mis decoraciones de Navidad. La mala noticia es que tenía que retirarlos hace 2 días. Había más gente venga a gritar a mi casa que nunca. Buenas cuentas. Pero dos cosas me hizo tomarlo abajo.

En primer lugar, los policías me aconsejaron que podría causar accidentes de tráfico, ya que casi lo hizo.

En segundo lugar, una señora de 55 años cogió la escalera de 75 libras, casi se mató ponerla en contra de mi casa y no se dio cuenta que era falso hasta que se subió a la parte superior (y ella no era feliz). Por cierto, ella fue una de muchas personas que trataron de hacer eso. Mi jardín no podía apoyarlo tampoco. Tengo más de un neumático de algunas pistas de un neumático donde la gente literalmente llevó hasta mi jardín.

Merry Christmas to All

Believe it or not, this is a actually a tumbleweed. But, even tumbleweeds can capture the holiday spirit when covered with frost. I love this holiday! Okay, technically not yet the holiday, but I have the day off work...so works for me:)

yep...still there

Kind of strange how often the music we really like needs some time to grow on us. Well, yesterday at the gym I reached the “from good to great” transition with a new album I’ve been listening to.

It’s called Shewolf by Shakira. Shakira is an incredibly talented Hispanic artist (definite plus in my book) who has also released albums in English. BTW, her English is pretty much perfect, so if it wasn’t for the Spanish tracks on the album…you might never know.

So yeah, to the point now where her singing pretty much blows me away. My only complaint…is that her songs are a little TOO catchy. The title track (which appears on the album 3 times if you count the Spanish version) has been stuck in my head pretty much non-stop for the past 24 hours. Ah well…

Waoooooooo…

:)

kinda cool...

So, tonight I learned what I had been doing wrong that made it so only some of my pictures could be viewed full size. Played with the html on this post for quite some time until I figured out the code. Those flowers look a lot better now, eh? Then I learned I just needed to upload all my photos at once and problem solved. So deciphered the code for nothing?

Well, click on the photo below. I think it's cool.

I love this woman...

The Terminator-El Terminador

So this Saturday I visited my little bro Nick in the hospital. It was good to see him, even if the reason I was seeing him wasn’t all that great. Nick has terrible scoliosis and had a metal rod put in his spine when he was seventeen. The doctors believed that if he did not get a rod, he would most likely end up in a wheel chair.

Well…a couple of months ago the rod broke. He’s actually been able to get around just fine, but been in quite a bit of pain too. The surgery was to repair/replace the broken rod, and fortunately it appears that everything was successful. They actually had to clamp a new rod alongside the lower section of the existing one. Fortunately, they only filleted him up to his shoulder blades this time around (instead of the entire length of the spine as before).

When I first saw Nick Saturday morning my first thought was…wow life has been beating this guy up. The pain was definitely visible in his face. But, we had a really good time chatting and what not. His mom, Terri, (my former step-mom) was there too. As a matter of fact, ends up it was her birthday. When she stepped out of the room, Nick told me to come closer and he quietly explained that there was a birthday card he wanted me to sign, and that a cake would be arriving shortly. Apparently, around 4 am the night before as he was unable to sleep (presumably due to pain) he had remembered it was his mom’s birthday. As she was sleeping on the couch, he dragged his sorry ass out of the hospital bed, chased down a nurse and made all of the arrangements.

It took a little longer than expected for the cake to arrive, so ended up visiting for a few hours. I couldn’t help but have a big smile on my face after we sang Happy Birthday. Nick even asked me why I was smiling so much. Didn’t quite have the balls to tell my baby bro who had just undergone a fairly agonizing endoskeleton replacement (without the assistance of Skynet) just how proud I was of him, but I did manage to utter a “good job Nick” and continued to smile.

Este sábado visité a mi hermano pequeño, Nick, en el hospital. Fue bueno verlo, incluso si la razón por que yo estaba viendo él no era especialmente bueno. Nick tiene escoliosis terribles y había una barra de metal puesto en su columna vertebral cuando tenía diecisiete años. Los médicos creen que si no reciba una barra, muy probablemente iba a necesitar una silla de ruedas.

Bueno…un par de meses atrás, la barra se rompió. Él ha sido capaz de moverse bien, pero tenía un poco de dolor también. La cirugía fue de reparación / sustitución de la varilla rota, y, afortunadamente, parece que todo fue un éxito. En realidad Tenían que adjuntar una varilla de nuevo junto a la sección inferior de la existente.. Afortunadamente, sólo se lo cortó hasta sus hombros esta vez (en lugar de toda la longitud de la columna vertebral como antes).

Cuando vi Nick por primera vez el sábado por la mañana mi primer pensamiento fue…wow, la vida ha maltratado a este tipo. El dolor era claramente visible en su cara. Sin embargo, tuvimos un momento muy bueno en el chat. Su madre, Terri, (mi madrastra anterior) también estaba allí. De hecho, era su cumpleaños. Cuando salió de la habitación, Nick me dijo que se acercara y él tranquilamente explicó que había una tarjeta de cumpleaños que él quería que yo firme, y que un pastel llegaría en breve. Al parecer, alrededor de las 4 de la noche anterior, como no podía dormir (presumiblemente debido al dolor), se había acordado que era el cumpleaños de su mamá. Como ella estaba durmiendo en el sofá, se arrastró fuera de la cama del hospital, persiguió una enfermera e hizo todos los arreglos.

Tomó un poco más de lo esperado para la torta en llegar, así que no terminamos de visita por unas horas. Yo no podía dejar de tener una gran sonrisa en mi cara después de que cantó Happy Birthday. Nick incluso me preguntó por qué yo sonreía tanto. Yo no lo tiene los huevos para decirle a mi hermanito que acababa sido objeto de una sustitución endoesqueleto bastante dolorosa (sin la ayuda de Skynet) sólo lo orgulloso que estaba de él, pero me arreglé para pronunciar un "buen trabajo, Nick", y yo seguía sonriendo.

VERY COOL

No, not another rant about the weather today, though it was crazy cold, but fortunately...no snow.

What was VERY COOL is something that happened while I was asleep last night.

My new nephew was born. Wow, I get butterflies in my stomach just writing about it. I am so incredibly excited for Lani and Steve. I'm confident they will be incredible parents, and I think it is so awesome that Mom and John got to travel to Germany to be with them for this amazing event. I really do hope I'm able to get away and go see them this spring.

Definitely puts a different twist on the whole cold weather problem. I was complaining about standing in the cold for 10 minutes, while unbenownst to me, my sister was in labor. 24 freaking hours of labor!

Lani, you are amazing...and you will be (are) an amazing mom! Very very glad the little guy is doing well. Love you all!

Utah SUCKS!

I did not enjoy getting up for work this morning. Had very little to do with work. Just the getting there part. Looked out the window, and there were 6 inches of newly fallen snow. Personally, the snow itself doesn’t bother me…too much. I mean, I don’t hate snow. But I do hate cold weather. It was obvious from how “fluffy” the flakes were, it was going to be cold.

So, I put on my parka (yes…parka) and my snowboots and my mittens and bravely faced the elements. Yes, it was a good thing I had bundled up as much as I did, because it was COLD. So cold…that if I wasn’t so protective of them…I’m sure my balls would have right frozen off. And then of course, since there was so much snow, safety boy had to drive the Durango, which meant spending like 10 minutes standing outside filling up the gas tank…

Hard to believe that just 3 weeks ago I was playing in the ocean in my speedo swimsuit (accumulated less sand) off the tip of Baja California. Ah well, at least I have my butterfly photo on my computer desktop to remind me that habitable regions of this planet do exist.

'Tis Official...

When I got home from work on Friday and checked my mail, I found one of the keys for the “big package box” among the usual ads and junk mail. A little surprised, as it was a bit early to be getting Christmas packages, and I couldn’t think of any recent online purchases.

Well, I open up the big box and there’s this big-ass envelope labeled “DO NOT BEND.” I look a little more closely, and it is addressed to (my full name) followed by the letters “CIH.”

Yes, in safety geek lore, it was the big moment we all talk about. Used to be, the exam didn’t have any preliminary results whatsoever, and you simply obsessively checked the mail (sometimes for months) hoping to discover the letter had arrived. At that moment, the gratification (or lack thereof) was instantaneous. If on the letter it said CIH after your name, you had reason to smile. If not…time to hit the books. I was a bit luckier, as I did know my “preliminary result.” That being said, it was still rather special to see the magic letters.

CIH. Certified Industrial Hygienist. If it doesn’t mean much to you, don’t feel bad. I had never even heard the term “industrial hygiene” until near the end of my second year in college. Considering it was to become my major (well, major emphasis, Public Health was my official major), I find that lack of knowledge rather intriguing. How many people major in something they’d never heard of before entering school?

Since I’ve made such a big deal over all this, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to explain what this means to my career, etc. Considering where I’m at professionally, the truth is, the letters aren’t all that important. At least not right now…other than they do give me a little more job security. However, if I decide to look for greener pastures, they could be very significant, especially if I get involved in consulting…or decide to go after a government funded job. For now though, the main benefit was the certification process itself. Sounds strange to say considering how much I disliked (okay…resented) spending hour after hour with my head in a book.

When I took the exam, it was rather cool. I had feared I would leave discouraged and overwhelmed, but such was not the case. It was a tough exam, and yes, it did exhaust me. But my feelings upon leaving the exam were somewhat different than anticipated. I left with the feeling that I had set out to master a very sizable body of knowledge…and succeeded in my goal.

My job still does present new challenges to me each day, and probably always will. But, and this is the cool part, I feel like I am better prepared to face them. I may not always have the answers right away…but I know much better how to find them. Feeling good about what I do…and doing it well. THAT is what this has proven to be really about.

Getting back on track...

So, I did something really cool this morning. I listened to a book on tape in Spanish on the drive to work. This is cool…because other than the trip to Mexico, I haven’t done much with Spanish in like 2 or 3 months. As I’m writing in English, you can probably see I have a ways to go.

The nice thing this time around…is that I seem to be a lot more relaxed about the whole learning a language thing.

Not that I didn’t enjoy it before, but I think I was expecting a bit much of myself…and perhaps overrating the value of becoming bilingual. Now, it seems a lot more like the main motivation is that it is just something I enjoy…which is definitely good.

It’s been kind of a strange year. I set out with a whole list of things that deep down I really wanted to change. It had been a long time since I had been so focused on “improving my life.” Not everything is “just how I would like it” and I suspect life will never quite be like that, but I think I will always reflect on this as the “year of change.” Maybe not the year I became a man…but definitely a year in which I did a lot of growing. Some of that growing by choice…and some not.

The book I was listening to is called “Winning with People.” Well, that’s the English (and original title). The Spanish version is titled “Cómo Ganarse a la Gente.” It’s a really good book, and I would recommend it strongly to anyone. So much of happiness in life comes from the lovingly empathic relationships we strive to develop.

One thing I’ve found about books though…is they only help as much we truly internalize the ideas, and more importantly, weigh them out and decide for ourselves what we really believe. I actually have read the book I was listening to…from cover to cover already this year. There were a lot of good ideas…but no question I could have done a better job in making those ideas a part of me. Sometimes when we try too hard to do too much…it can be a bit self defeating. Nobody ever found happiness overnight. You just work at it bit by bit, and take in life’s lessons as they come.

I’ve got another book I’m working on finishing (bilingually as well). The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. I know a lot of people who’ve heard of it, and many who think it’s dumb…but for me…I think it’s one of the most profound compilations of ideas out there.

To a large extent…for me…success is about learning to be the type of person that deep down I would like to be. But it is also accepting who I am…and that life really is a process best taken one day at a time.

Holy Crap!

Well, looks like once again I have attained new levels of strangeness when it comes to dreams. I actually had several dreams last night, but one in particular stands out.

It had to do with a visit to my great aunt “auntie Carol” who is now living at the same assisted living center in Idaho Falls where grammy spent her last years. Uncle Johnny passed away about a month ago, and I thought it would be really nice to pay her a visit. Interestingly, until I put it in writing I didn’t realize just how often that side of the family liked to use terms of endearment ending in “ee”.

Anyways, when I got to the center, auntie Carol looked a little different. Okay, very different. You see, she was a blue egg. Still had the same hairdo, and basic facial features, but in all other respects she had the appearance of a blue Easter egg. The cool thing was, she was the fastest egg I’d ever laid eyes on. She could do circles around all of the other old folks, and she didn’t need a wheel chair or anything. Just did one of those wobbles like in the cartoons. I actually had to yell “Hey auntie Carol, how are you?” to get her to even notice me. Fortunately she did, and immediately stopped and gave me a big smile.

Well, apparently on this visit, Grandma Waite and some others from the “other side of the family” were with me. When auntie Carol stopped, she had been about to zip between Grandma’s legs. Unfortunately, at that precise moment, Grandma dropped something that landed on top of auntie Carol. Not sure if it was shawl, or a pillow, or what, but took auntie Carol completely out of the field of view. Just then, Grandma stepped back and was about to step on what had dropped. I yelled out “STOP!, STOP!”, but it was too late, and Grandma stepped on auntie Carol.

It wasn’t an especially sad funeral, as everybody kind of knew auntie Carol had been close to her time. It was good to see the family and what not, but, can’t deny the sense of awkwardness was palpable. Everybody knew it was an accident, but poor Grandma…she kept saying to everybody “who knew she was an egg?...who knew she was an egg?”, and there was me with the feeling “if only I had let her zip around in peace.” And….there was a definite sense that “the other side of the family” was less than welcome. Fortunately, as far as deaths go, it was about as clean and painless as they come. Apparently auntie Carol was one of those blown out eggs, and there was no gooey mess left behind.

So, that was the dream worth sharing. Interestingly, it was immediately followed by a dream involving a zombie who wanted to use my bathroom. Apparently, there was this zombie who had been "living" in my bedroom closet for years, and after so much time “saving up” he was finally ready for a bowel movement. I can honestly state this particular zombie bore no resemblance whatsoever to any person (living, dead, or both) I have ever met, and I had no qualms about refusing access to my facilities and insisting (despite vociferous protestations from the zombie that such places were unsanitary) that he leave his mother load of zombie stink at a nearby public restroom.

Yes, even a zombie version of Sigmund Freud would likely take years to analyze those dreams, but the fact is…reflecting on them has been a lot of fun, and I’m glad there are enough crazy things going on in my subconscious for me to be able to explore such alternative realities...

Muy agradecido...

Perhaps I’m a bit late in posting this, as this post is about Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays, mostly because I am blessed with such a wonderful family (not a huge fan of turkey…truth be told). They don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in Mexico. It was rather strange to see all the Christmas decorations up ahead of Turkey day. Okay maybe really strange, as I’m also not accustomed to seeing Santa Claus standing next to a palm tree. Pretty lucky they don’t have to worry about snow…but as far as Turkey Day goes…I tend to think they are missing out. So yeah, this year was pretty great. Here are some of the things I’m thankful for:

• Mom and John home from their mission
• Stephanie, who is now sweet sixteen and shared her birthday with
• Caleb who celebrated his first birthday
• The boys (it was cool to be their transportation, even if the their occasional arguing and the non-stop questions from the most inquisitive 5-year old on the planet tested the limits of my patience…and my ability to stay focused on the road)
• The fact Johnny finished the garage all those years ago so we could have a place big enough for turkey day dinner for everyone
• The fact that the swimming pool at the hot springs really was warm this time
• Grandma “whistling” at my vacation swimsuit pics (of course it felt weird, but it was cool too)
• The fact that when grandpa was sleeping…he only LOOKED like he was dead
• The fact I got to go to Mexico
• Having the will power to go back to the gym for a solid workout on Saturday
• All the rest of my wonderful family and friends

Oh…and something else that made the holiday unusually special. Passing the big exam!

Okay, technically won’t get the official results (and know with certainty) for about another month, but my preliminary (unofficial) result was a pass…and I feel really good about how things went. If I didn’t pass, I at least know I was extremely close. That being said, an acquaintance of mine who took the exam the same day commented in a state of utter exhaustion:

“I hope I never subject myself to something like that again.”

Yo también, mi amigo. Yo también…

la mariposa

Muchas flores bonitas

Aqui están unas fotos de las flores de Baja California Sur.

I took all these photos the last morning I was in Cabo. Apparently, I was there at just the right time for everything (well nearly everything) to be in bloom:)

La vida diaria mexicana

Well, definitely in need of another study break. Yes, today was one of three "full study" days, on this crazy vacation. I've taken some cool breaks though. Played in the ocean this morning (too much of an undertow at the resort to swim, so mostly just stood or sat in the water and tried to see if the waves could knock me over...they did a few times, but mostly just filled my swimsuit with sand). Swam 10 laps (in the pool) this afternoon. Took a hot tub break earlier tonight...so now...the blog break.

Some more (yes, more than a few) photos to share about daily life in Mexico...


This is the coconut palm just outside the door to my unit.


This is the pig that lives next door. Can't really tell from the photo, but he's huge. About 5-6 feet long.

A Domino's delivery bike. They have "Mexican" pizzas here (in addition to the usuals). The one with chorizo (spicy ground meat) and jalepenos is my favorite. Domino's is actually within walking distance, but I still thought the bikes were cute.

A sign close to Domino's. It didn't take me long to figure out that "mini super" is Mexican for convenience store, but the sign still put a big smile on my face.

This is the milk section at the grocery store. They actually do sell refrigerated milk too, they call it "leche fresca."

Me gusta mucho...

In part to make sure my friends and family know I'm still alive and well...here's a few pics from good old Mexico...

This was taken just after I went parasailing. That is the closest I've ever been to a cruise ship. They're big!

Muy bello...

This is what they call the Mickey Mouse shot. Kind of like when you go to Disneyland, you have to get your photo with Mickey. In Cabo, they have the arch.

Yes, I did get to see a pelican. Many of them! This was the only one willing to pose.

Then I became an ATV bandito.

Yeah, it was cool.


This is my favorite shot so far from the trip. A guy and his young daughter fishing in el mar pacífico.

Well, back to studying:)

The Pelican Brief-aka ¡Hola México!

This upcoming week I will be going on what may prove to be my most unusual vacation to date. At long last, I will be traveling to a Spanish speaking country. Thought I’d be brushing up on the Spanish prior to the trip, but a little focused elsewhere right now. Fortunately, I watched some Spanish TV the other day and seemed to be able to understand what they were saying well enough…so not totally nervous from that standpoint. Probably the scariest thing is that I’m going to a foreign country all by myself, but, I’m pretty sure that is for the best.

I scheduled (and paid for) this vacation over 6 months ago when I had planned to go to Mexico in May. However, that was right around the time the swine flu scare took hold, and not wanting to be “the one” who brought it home, I went to southern Utah instead. Fortunately, didn’t cost me a dime extra to reschedule for the fall. What is unusual about this vacation is that it is more of a study retreat than an actual vacation, as I take the big exam a week from Tuesday. Of course I plan to do some fun stuff while there, but I also plan to spend a rather large chunk of my time studying (hence better to be going alone). Studying that intensely is fairly stressful, and being isolated in a foreign country may be just what I need. Definitely looking forward to freedom from the damn blackberry…

Oh, regarding the pelican. My parents went to Cabo (where I’m going) a couple of years ago and told me about these cool gray pelicans. Hope I see one.

Wow was that early...

So this morning I went to the gym before work. That’s the first time I’ve been before work in almost 3 years, and I have to say, I have a lot of admiration for the folks who can get up that early (5 a.m. for me) to work out on a regular basis. There were a lot more people at the gym than I anticipated. Seemed to be a few more housewives and older people than usual, but overall, a pretty diverse crowd.

I had an unusual experience in the locker room, and even though I usually subscribe to the sentiment that what occurs in the locker room should stay in the locker room, I’m going to share this particular experience. I happened to notice this old guy (unintentionally, I assure you) changing in to his gym shorts. What surprised me was not only how old this guy was (in his 70s at least), but the fact that before he slipped on the gym shorts it was apparent to all he was wearing…zebra striped panties. While my first reaction was a deeply disturbed “OMG-what did I do to deserve such a visual image,” I couldn’t help but ponder the situation a bit more on my drive to work.

This guy deserves some credit. Firstly, he’s in his seventies and getting up at 5 am to go the gym. I only hope I have that much perseverance when it comes to taking care of myself in the later years. And secondly, this guy must have a pretty awesome sense of self-esteem. If in my old age if I can have the confidence to wear, in public (more or less), zebra striped panties, or leopard panties, or even better yet, a hot pink thong with yellow and purple polka dots…I will consider mine to have been a life well lived:)

At the end of the tunnel...there's a light!

As much as I love Halloween (one of the best holidays of the year in my book), I can’t deny I’m very grateful October is over and November is here. November is usually not my favorite month, and I guess it still isn’t, but I’ve been looking forward to this one (with both gratitude and trepidation) for quite some time.

In three weeks, I take my CIH exam. Okay, three weeks from tomorrow. Since I still have a lot of study material to digest, part of me wishes it was further out, but for the most part I’m really grateful to know that this crazy lifestyle of work, work-out, then study until your brains are fried…is coming to an end...well...the fried brains part at least.

The exam is tough…8 hours long…with only a 30 to 40% pass rate among a candidate pool where about 90 % have master’s degrees, but, I think I’ve been studying intelligently, and I suspect my odds of passing are at least 50/50. Not the end of the world if I don’t pass, as I will be able to sit for the exam in another 6 months, and having experienced the exam should make any future studying substantially easier (always helps when you know what you need to know), but it sure would be nice to have this particular project behind me. Either way…it will be a very thankful Thanksgiving!

I love Monday nights!

No, I am not talking about Monday night football. But, Monday is a great night for television.

A few months back, my little brother Randy told me about a show he thought would be right up my alley. I was a bit skeptical, but decided to record it with my DVR. Now I’m addicted. It’s called “The Big Bang Theory.” It’s about a bunch of PhDs and their dysfunctional social lives. No, I do not have a PhD nor do I intend to ever get one, but considering that I am in the middle of what is probably (hopefully) the nerdiest activity of my entire life…it was an excellent recommendation. It’s always nice to know you have at least one night a week to just laugh your ass off.

Thanks Randy!

Thanks Butch!

Well, last night I had my last session with Butch. In case you are unclear what I’m talking about, Butch is the name of the personal trainer I hired through Gold’s gym. Technically Butch isn’t his real name, but that is what he likes to be called…and he fits the name perfectly. Other than…he’s probably a lot sweeter guy than the name would suggest. Doesn’t mean he didn’t work me hard though…he was one heck of a trainer.

It’s pricey hiring a personal trainer. I had mine for about a ½ dozen sessions over the course of six weeks, and it was about $200 bucks. But for me, it was definitely money well spent. I haven’t quite yet added the 10 pounds muscle mass I’m shooting for, but in six weeks I gained 8 pounds. I was sure it was pure muscle, as the blubber on my belly seemed to have shrunk down (I’ll confess, I even noticed I was getting in the habit of checking myself out in the mirror whenever I took my shirt off), but I did a body fat test and I’m actually about the same percent body fat as before I started working out. I figure I’ve gained about 6 pounds of muscle and 2 pounds of fat. Really caught me off guard, ‘cause I feel so much stronger…and feel so much better about my appearance. Maybe the extra muscle helps balance things out better…or…maybe I just feel so good I don’t care if I’m a little chunky.

The important thing to me is just feeling so good. I think. Anyway, I do feel good, and I hope exercising (including weight lifting) just becomes part of my lifestyle. I have a friend at work who over the course of about six months changed from beer belly Joe to muscular slim Jim (not his real names). I asked him about his workouts and what not, and he told me he had been having really bad anxiety issues. His doctor had instructed him to work out. I thought he’d taken up running, but actually he had changed his diet a bit (quit drinking alcohol) and started lifting weighs. Says that now, he doesn’t struggle with anxiety at all.

Pretty rare that I experience anxiety, but it does seem to be part of my nature to be prone to worry…or at least get nervous, and weight lifting has definitely helped. Though, tonight I am a bit nervous. My boss was scheduled to deliver a presentation at a professional conference in SLC this Friday. Just found out…he’s been called out of town and the honor is now mine. Not too bad, just a room of 40 or 50 people with master’s degrees and PhDs in the subject I’m speaking on! Well, I am telling them about where I work everyday so maybe I have an advantage…oh, and my boss was kind enough to have written the presentation materials for me. But, as far scary things go…

Ah well. I had a good workout tonight…and…I’ll survive…I hope.

I love you mom!

About a week ago my mom had knee surgery (yes, I do have her genes…and bad knees). Anyway, I got this really cool phone call from her shortly afterward. She wanted to let me know she’d gotten through the surgery okay and to let me know that she loved me. Well, what was really neat is how many times she told me she loved me during the phone call. I’m thinking at least a dozen. Granted, she was fairly medicated and probably had had quite a bit of anxiety associated with the surgery, but it was cool and good to hear from her.

Well, I spoke with her again last night. She is doing much better and getting around just fine. We had a good chat. I told her about my car breaking down on Tuesday and how much I’d stressed over whether or not to buy a new car. Decided I definitely DO NOT want car payments again anytime soon and that gambling with another $1500 or so invested in repairing old blue was the best bet. We also talked about my step dad being sick, and how when I’d talked with him Tuesday night he had seemed confused (he answered her cell phone-and when I asked to speak with my mom after a good chat, gave me the number to his cell phone to call her). She told me that after I spoke with him, he’d told her (my mom) one of her sisters had called, so no mention of me or my whining about my car. He’s a sharp guy…so definitely on the sick side that night.

Our conversation last night ended with my mom telling me she loved me again, and since I’d teased her about the conversation the previous week, she tried to tell me she loved me a few extra times in saying goodbye. Unfortunately, I hit the wrong button on my cell phone and hung up on her right in the middle of an “I love you.” Oops. So mom, if you read this: Sorry for hanging up…and I love you too.

A Very Educational Weekend

Well, I guess this past weekend was educational. Perhaps too educational. Yep, studying for the CIH. I’m really glad I’ve gotten the ball rolling on this one so well, but I came to realize this weekend that maybe cutting back on the studying isn’t such a bad idea. It’s sad. I actually spent much of the weekend sleeping trying to avoid getting sick because I wore myself out Friday night taking a practice exam. No question life should be more fun than that. Fortunately it usually is.

Last weekend was a little better, though I did study a lot then too. I’ve been a little discouraged about blogging recently. Kind of sucked last Sunday when I went to tell my family about stumbling upon a crime scene...and they already knew the whole story from reading my earlier blog. And...kind of disappointed I don’t feel like I have time to write in Spanish. Ah well.

The majority of my blog today is about my weekend two weeks ago, which was fun, a lot more interesting than the last two, and unquestionably educational even if I didn’t study one iota. So, about that weekend...

My little bro John came to visit from Idaho. He doesn’t head this way very often, and it was really good to spend some time with him. He hadn’t been to see the kids in a long time, so I ended up meeting up with him at my sister’s house. It was interesting to see how the kids reacted to him. John looks a lot like me (Jenna even goes so far as to call him my twin-11 years difference and half-sibling status notwithstanding...and I don't think I was every quite that skinny...though probably pretty close), but he was still somewhat of a stranger to the kids. Jairen hit things off with him great, but the younger ones took their time warming up. It was kind of sad that none of them wanted to sit by him when we went out to eat at Carls’ Jr., but he could tell they were just being shy, and didn’t feel too bad when Josh, upon realizing his seat was next to John’s, rather than sitting down asked the question “Do I have to?” and being told no, chose a seat 3 tables away. I do feel bad about joking with Jasen that John bites. Rationally, I’m sure Jasen knew I was joking…but my comment certainly didn’t help things.

Another highlight of the visit to my sister’s house was that I finally got to hold baby Jordan. What a precious little guy. Lucky to have all those older siblings, and beloved by all, though we did almost forget and leave him in the car when we went to Carls’ Jr.

After going to eat, we went on a hike while Apryl fed Jordan. We hiked up to the cross at the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon. It was fun, but proved to be a lot steeper going down than anticipated. It was a bit scary thinking I would fall on my butt and slide down the mountain at any moment...dragging my nephew Justin (who was holding my hand for support) with me.

Later that evening the kids decided they wanted John and I to spend the night. But John wanted to go see my place, and one thing led to another and it was determined to have a slumber party at Uncle Zeke’s condo. At first Jasen didn’t want to come...because of scary Uncle John, but eventually he warmed up to the idea. We had a fun time. Stayed up late watching Johnny English that night, then the kids watched the Simpsons with John while I went to the gym the following morning. Could barely walk within the condo with air mattresses and blankets strewn across just about every inch of floor space, but it was all good. On the way to take the kids home, we took my Durango up over the Oquirrh mountains and looked down on the copper mine. Very fun, but as you can see from the photo…rather cold. A very long drive that way too. We were all pretty well starving by the time we stopped at Wendy’s in South Jordan.

So, after dropping the kids (and John) off at Apryl’s, I had my educational moment. My sister and brother-in-law are freaking amazing. Taking care of kids is incredibly hard work. I was having fun when we went on our adventures so I didn’t notice until they were over just how utterly exhausted I was. It was like the moment I left my sister’s house...bam...just wanted to be back home and go straight to bed. I even called up my brother Randy and told him I wouldn’t make it for Sunday dinner after all because I was so tired. Fortunately, on my drive home I found recovery strength and ended up heading north to have a great evening at the parents’ house. Even had enough energy to join Mom, John, Randy, Jenna, Jared and Liz in playing with the entertainment center (ten month old nephew Caleb).

Way too close to home…

So last night, after running about a mile and a half and entering my “cool down” walk, I came across something unexpected. This lady police officer parks next to another police car and proceeds toward the house kiddie-corner across the street from me holding a gun and using her police car as “shelter.”

Part of me wanted to hide behind a bush and watch the action, but the (perhaps wiser) safety pro in me decided maybe I wasn’t tired of running after all considering how far stray bullets can travel (I actually started thinking about the Kent State shootings). Well, I booked it for about ½ a block until I landed on my knee wrong, then I just walked fast and endured the pain. My knee is doing just fine now, but the situation I had walked into was definitely one worth getting away from.

Reading the news this morning I got the story. It’s not a good one. This guy who lives about 3 blocks from my condo had shot his wife, with his daughter watching. He had been momentarily resisting arrest at the time I stumbled upon the scene.

I wish I could say this is the first time something so tragic has happened. Well, this is the first time I’ve ever scene a cop go in to lock and load, but domestic violence has been close by at least two times before while living in the Tooele Valley. When I first moved to Tooele, I lived about 3 blocks from the court house when a guy bludgeoned his wife to death with a screw driver in the courthouse parking lot. Then, when I lived in Grantsville for a while, this guy had chased his wife into a nearby restaurant (about 3 blocks away from where I lived) and shot her and the restaurant owner before turning the gun on himself.

Tooele is a really nice place to live…but apparently not if you have issues with your spouse and live within 3 blocks of me.

Solamente diez dólares en Walmart-Only 10 Bucks at Walmart!

Goddess of the Goddesses-Diosa de las diosas

I thought a post of the above title would be about Sarah Brightman, who I worshiped for years, and still regard as a goddess (even if her voice is nowhere what it used to be). However, I realized that I was overlooking the woman I believe truly does deserve to be called goddess of the goddesses…at least in the world of musical theater. And, when it comes to personality…the woman I truly love.

Patti LuPone

In case you haven’t heard of her, let me share some of her major roles:

First of all. EVITA. Hands down she was the best. Her raspy voice makes her Don’t Cry for Me Argentina perhaps a bit disappointing, but she understood what Madonna unfortunately missed. Eva Peron was a BITCH!

Perhaps you’ve heard the London cast soundtrack to Les Miserables. If you haven’t, you should listen to it. Or at least download her version of “I Dreamed a Dream.” Yes, Patti was the original Fantine.

She was also the original Norma Desmond. When Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote the most soaring melodies of his career (not Phantom) he knew who should sing them. Glenn Close…I don’t think so. Sunset Boulevard was Patti’s baby.

But, where Patti gets really cool is in her concert musical performances. She was the definitive (and hilarious) Mrs. Lovett in the concert version of Sweeney Todd (which is much better than the movie, and I really liked the movie), and of course at the Sondheim celebration, she showed that Being Alive really was best sung by a woman.

Okay this has gotten a little long. But as you can see, I really like Patti LuPone!

Diosa de las diosas Pensé que un puesto de título anterior sería sobre de Sarah Brightman, que he adorado durante años, y todavía considero como una diosa (aunque su voz está lejos de lo que solía ser). Sin embargo, me di cuenta que me olvidé la mujer que creo que realmente merece ser llamada la diosa de las diosas ... al menos en el mundo del teatro musical. Y, cuando se trata de la personalidad ... la mujer que realmente amo.

Patti LuPone

En caso de que no has oído hablar de ella, quisiera compartir algunas de sus funciones principales:

En primer lugar. EVITA. Era absolutamente la mejor. Su voz ronca le hace Don't Cry For Me Argentina tal vez un poco decepcionante, pero entendía lo que Madonna, lamentablemente no entendía. Eva Perón era una perra!

Tal vez usted ha oído la banda sonora de Les Miserables London Cast. Si no oíste, debes escuchar a la misma. O por lo menos descargar su versión de I Dreamed A Dream. Sí, Patti fue el Fantine original.

También fue la Norma Desmond original. Cuando Andrew Lloyd Webber escribió las melodías más crecientes de su carrera (no el fantasma) que sabía quién debe cantarlas. Glenn Close ... Yo no lo creo. Sunset Boulevard era bebé de Patti.

Pero, donde Patti se pone realmente interesante es en su concierto de actuaciones musicales. Ella fue la Sra. Lovett definitiva (y graciosísimo) en la versión de concierto de Sweeney Todd (que es mucho mejor que la película, y realmente me gustó la película), y por supuesto en la celebración de Sondheim, mostró que el Being Alive realmente era mejor cantada por una mujer.

Está bien. Esto se ha vuelto un poco largo. Pero como puedes ver, realmente me gusta Patti LuPone!

How Very Cute!-¡Qué Lindo!

This week an unusual “safety concern” was brought to my attention. After this crazy big (and long) site-wide training meeting we had on Tuesday (most boring training in the world I’ve ever had to develop…but…went over surprisingly well), someone returning to our admin building noted a bat just above the entrance and made the comment “we say we care about safety, but wait until that bat bites one of us and gives someone rabies.”

So, of course, we have to respond to the employee concern. Our security chief volunteered to go smack it with a shovel, but, I just don’t have the heart to order that done. Personally, I suspect a PMS moment may have influenced the employee to make the comment, as it is the cutest bat I have ever seen in my life. Our answer for now: LEAVE THE BAT ALONE…AND HE WILL LEAVE YOU ALONE. As of this morning, the bat is still there. He is alive, and has switched positions a few times (apparently at night), but just above the door to our admin building seems to be his declared home sweet home.

¡Qué Lindo! Esta semana un "problema de seguridad" inusual fue traído a mi atención. Después de esta loco grande (y larga) reunión de capacitación para todo el sitio que tuvimos el martes (el entrenamiento más aburrido en el mundo que yo tenía que desarrollar ... pero ... se desempeñó sorprendentemente bien), una persona que se vuelve a nuestro edificio de administración tomó nota de un murciélago sólo encima de la entrada e hizo el comentario "decimos que nos preocupa de la seguridad, pero espera hasta que el murciélago muerde uno de nosotros y le da rabia a alguien."

Así que, por supuesto, tenemos que responder a la preocupación de los empleados. Nuestro jefe de seguridad se ofreció a ir golpe con una espada, pero, simplemente no tengo el corazón a fin de que hacer. Personalmente, sospecho que de un momento de SPM pueden haber influido en el empleado para hacer el comentario, ya que es el más lindo de murciélagos que he visto en mi vida. Nuestra respuesta por ahora: DEJÉ EL MURCIÉLAGO SOLO ... Y TE DEJARÁ SOLO. A partir de esta mañana, el murciélago sigue ahí. Está vivo, y ha cambiado de posiciones a veces (al parecer en la noche), pero por encima de la puerta de nuestro edificio de administración parece ser su casa declarada domicilio dulce.

Una pelicula muy divertido-A very fun show

Por la noche del sábado, me decidí para recompensar a mí mismo un descanso merecido de todos los estudios (así, otro descanso ... yo había un tiempo muy divertido de nuevo con mi familia el sábado por la tarde ... afortunadamente sin lesiones en esta ocasión).

Finalmente llegué a ver la pelicula 17 Again. Personalmente, no tengo ningún deseo de tener 17 de nuevo, pero me gusta esta pelicula. Algunas de de las escenas eran predecible y tonto…pero no me reía tan duro en mucho tiempo. En serio, creo que puede dar miedo a los vecinos con los ruidos provenientes de mi apartamento.

Algunas de las líneas de Zac eran simplemente increíble, y los gestos también. Excelente trabajo de mostrar cómo, cuando uno se hace viejo ... se obtiene mucho más inteligente ... y ... un poco tontos. No me había dado cuenta de cuántas expresiones son exclusivos de los adultos.

Probablemente, lo más tonto de todo el show fue el mejor amigo/compañero/padre Ned. Su parte, fue demasiado, pero para mí, fue la guinda del pastel. Sobre todo, porque podrían estar relacionados. Hasta cierto punto. No tengo mi propio sables de luz, y todavía no han aprendido élfico ... pero el ganso que de lo contrario tiene el éxito pero tiene mariposas en el estómago que a veces parece que no tiene ningun idea, etc. Sí, bastante bien yo me reí de mi culo. (Umm, I hope Google translate knows what they are saying, because the literal translation of that last one...hmmm....apparently I had very gassy evening).

So Saturday night, I decided to treat myself to a well deserved break from all the studying (well, another break…had a blast playing with my family again Saturday afternoon…fortunately injury free this time).

I finally got around to watching 17 Again. Personally, I have no desire whatsoever to be 17 again, but I did like this show. Some of it was predictable and cheesy and what not…but I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time. Seriously, I think I may have scared the neighbors with the noises coming from my condo.

Some of Zac’s lines were just incredible, and the mannerism’s too. Excellent job of showing how when you get old…you get both a lot smarter…and…a bit dumber. I hadn’t realized just how many expressions are unique to adults.

Probably the cheesiest part of the whole show was the best friend/roommate/father Ned. His part was way over the top, but for me, it was the icing on the cake. Mostly, because I could relate. To an extent. Don’t have my own set of light-sabers or anything, and haven’t yet learned elvish…but the otherwise successful nerd with butterflies in his stomach who on occasion has been known to come across as though he doesn't have a clue, etc. Yeah, I pretty well laughed my ass off.

Words in Spanish...

Over the past year and a half I’ve really come to love the Spanish language, which is somewhat surprising as I was fairly biased against it growing up.

I’ve gotten to the point where often I feel like I can express myself more accurately in Spanish than in English. It’s a cool thing.

So, I’d like to share some of the cooler phrases I’ve learned, and why I like them:

¡Increíble! (een-kray-EE-blay) – This is probably my all time favorite, in part because they say it so often and with such emotion when I watch those natural disaster home video shows. Most readily translates as “incredible” but a big loud “UNBELIEVABLE!” is more accurate. Also can be substituted in a number of locations where some of us would be inclined to use the F-word.

Todo el mundo – (TOE-doe ell MOON-doe) - Used as we use the words “everyone” or “everybody.” Literally means “the entire world” or “all the world.” Makes me think of a little kid saying to his father “But Dad…the ENTIRE WORLD is doing it…”

¡Qué barbaridad! (KAY bar-bar-ee-DODD)– Translates as “How barbarous!” or more literally “What a barbarity!” I think this phrase should become common to the English language.

Genial – (hayn-YALL) - I actually dislike this one, though it is used very frequently. Used as we would say “cool” but too close to our “genial” to be very palatable to an English speaker. I like fenomenal (fay-noe-may-NALL) better. Kind of a cross between “cool” and “great.”

Qué agradable-Wow was that nice

Yo estaba recogiendo mis cosas para ir a levantar pesas en el gimnasio por primera vez desde golpeando mi codo (haga click aquí para mi lloriqueo posterior) ... y recibí una llamada telefónica de un número desconocido. Yo estaba un poco molesto como la búsqueda de mis auriculares y mi candado había exigido una cantidad significativa de la búsqueda ... y yo estaba dispuesto a ir.

So, I was gathering my stuff together to go lift weights at the gym for the first time since banging up my elbow (click here for subsequent whining)…and I got a phone call from an unknown number. I was a little annoyed as finding my headphones and padlock had required a significant amount of searching…and I was ready to go.

Era un hombre de nuestra asociación condominio. Él me recordó que me había olvidado de pagar mis deudas. Yo era aún más molesto al escuchar esto... porque me recuerdo claramente escribir el cheque y anotándolo en mi Quicken. Él me dijo muy pacientemente que no lo había recibido... y él no quisiera cargarme nuestra cuota loco alta. Entonces, le dije que lo comprobaré. Me voy a casa y claro…yo tenía toda la razón, he escrito el cheque. Fue todavía en mi chequera.

It was a guy from our condo association, reminding me I had forgotten to pay my dues. I was even more annoyed upon hearing this…because I distinctly remembered writing that check and logging it in my Quicken. He very patiently told me he hadn’t received it…and didn’t want to have to charge me our crazy high late fee. So, I told him I’d look into it. I run into the house and yep…I was absolutely right, I did write the check. It was right there in my checkbook.

Gracias a hombre de HOA!

Thank you HOA guy!

Yes, I did GET-R-DONE-Sí, lo hice.

So, I was going to wait until I could show my actual report card, but I’m growing impatient for the actual paper to arrive.

In case you were wondering what happened to the Spanish…well…I’ve been fairly busy. To get me motivated for the CIH exam this fall…I signed up for a college course. Actually I took the same college course just over a year ago…and ended up getting a BIG FAT “F”. It was kind of a crazy time in my life to say the least.

Anyways…not the case this time around. Okay, from my grades it’s pretty obvious I over-studied a bit. But I kind of needed to.

That being said…I must admit…I was really resentful of being told what to do…and not at least getting paid for it.

I would like to continue with the master's program…but I probably won’t take another course for another 6 months or so as CIH exam prep is pretty demanding…and I would like to have some semblance of a life…

But it does feel great to have that class done…and I think translating my most recent posts should be fairly entertaining!

Yo iba a esperar hasta que pude mostrar mi tarjeta de memoria real, pero estoy demasiado impaciente para esperar para el papel.

En el caso que se preguntan qué pasó con el español ... bueno ... he estado bastante ocupado. Para obtener mi motivación para el examen CIH de este otoño ... me inscribí en un curso universitario. Realmente tomé el mismo curso de la universidad hace más de un año ... y terminó recibiendo un "F" GRANDE. Mi vida era un poco loco entonces.

De todos modos no es el caso esta vez. Bueno, de mi grado que es bastante obvio que he estudiado un poco más. Pero fue necesario.

Dicho esto, debo admitir que yo estaba muy resentido de que se me diga qué hacer ... y no, al menos, que me pagó por él.

Me gustaría continuar con el programa de maestría ... pero probablemente no va a tomar otro curso para otros 6 meses como la preparación del examen CIH es muy exigente ... y me gustaría tener cierta apariencia de una vida ...

Pero me siento muy bueno para la clase ha terminado. ¡Y la traducción de mis mensajes más recientes ... debe ser my divertido!

Hmmm....

I know I could just delete my last post if I wanted to...as it does seem rather bizarre to me at this point. But I find it intriguing...and the monkey is way cute.

I watched this documentary on primates a few weeks ago that I thought was kind of cool...but there was no crap flinging or anything. I did drink a beer last night while watching part of a movie about crazy people...but who knows.

It's strange how sometimes it can be hard to get back in touch with reality after a weird dream. When I was in scouts, I had a friend wake up in the middle of the night screaming his hair was on fire during the middle of this really terrific rain storm. It was an overnight canoe trip and we were all out in the open air except for this plastic tarp someone thought to bring. My friend had thrown the tarp off of everybody in his panic to put out his hair.

Unfortunately, when I woke I had no memory of the rain storm...or my friend's panic attack. So...I kind of had a panic attack of my own. Upon waking, all this twelve year old knew for certain...was that I was wet and warm...

Primate Adventure-aka SHIT!

It’s not uncommon for me to have incredibly vivid dreams. Well, I had one last night…that on some levels is probably best forgotten, but I think it’s too funny not to share.

We had a big family get together this weekend, and perhaps that influenced my dream. Anyways, I dreamed the family (including my Nelson cousins who were my best buds growing up) went to the zoo and got to go on a new special primate adventure. It was really cool, at first it was like watching donkey kong come to life, with these primates swinging through the trees in their jungle environment. Well, the adventure, was that you you got to join the primates…and experience playing in the jungle with them first hand. The safety guy in me thought…ooohh…this is dangerous, but it looked like fun!

So we gear up and enter the cages and what not…but no primates. Just monkey poop every where. Well, I think the primates were some sort of ape, but monkey poop sounds nicer than ape shit. So yeah, we swing through the jungle, looking for primates…and all we find are their remains. There was even this pond you could swim through…that the primates just LOVED to play in. You guessed it…floaters everywhere. Somehow Linda and Blair’s old house was in the exhibit too…covered with…yeah...on the floor, on the walls, in the kitchen...

So we went through this shower toward the end, but it wasn’t especially effective…and eventually I woke up at 2:30 in the morning terrified that I would always be covered with ape shit. There was a highlight to this. Right after the shower (in the dream) we actually did finally get to see some primates. But they were rather strange. Imagine the cutest monkey you’ve ever seen…crossed with a zucchini…and that speaks English. I think…don’t quite remember what they were talking about.

Unfortunately, after waking up worried about being covered in shit…I had an OH SHIT experience. No, PJs are perfectly clean. More of one of those “wake and worry” ‘cause when you woke up you immediately thought of something you didn’t think of before…that maybe was really important. So, the rest of my morning pretty well sucked. Too tired to be able to think things through better and realize that there is no point to worrying…but too worried to actually sleep.

Feeling much better now…worry-wise at least…but kind of a crappy way to spend a morning:)

It’s just not fair…

So, yeah, I banged up my elbow pretty badly over the weekend. My safety record is pretty good considering this is probably the most serious injury I’ve had…since I was like 3 years old.

Well, this week at work insult was added to injury. Literally. Talk about a double standard. Apparently, the safety guy is not allowed to get hurt. Even my friend Dusty started laughing when he saw my bandage.

To all my coworkers (who may or may not even realize this blog exists)…I have this to say: Think of all the times I have been there for you. Think of all the times I came rushing to your aid when you got injured at work, and often even drove you to the hospital myself. And think of all the times I’ve done my best to make sure we could find some light duty job for you to do because of that dumb thing you thing you did at home…because you were…well…let’s face it…more than a little wasted. In all those occasions, did I ever once laugh at you or worse…call you a DUMB ASS?

Well, come to think of it. I probably did. But I never did it to your face…

A Very Fine Week Indeed

Wow did I have a good time this past week. There is no question I am blessed when it comes to family. My mom coming home was every bit as wonderful as I thought it would be (and my expectations were rather high considering I was so excited I couldn’t fall asleep until somewhere between 2 and 3 a.m. Monday night.).

It was so awesome to spend so much time with Lani and Steve! Well, and with everybody! Timpanogas cave was great (even with the niece and nephews’ last minute wimp out and my old man knees on the way down). The baby shower…exciting stuff! Lani and Steve are going to be awesome parents.

Not sure if I buy into the Korean culture enough to start using a Korean pillow, but all the souvenirs were way cool too. Never thought my parents would own a GONG…

Well…something bad did happen this past week. On Friday night, just before Lani and Steve said their final good-byes prior to heading back to Germany, I experienced what is probably the worst injury yet sustained in my adult life. Not much more than a minute into a basketball game with Randy, Jared and Steve, I went chasing after the ball and somehow managed to take a dive into the parents’ driveway. Not a cool thing when you leave a skid mark made of your own skin on the concrete. Don’t expect skin grafts will be needed, but I will likely have a scar on my left elbow for the rest of my life…and may be a while before I can participate fully in yoga again.

On the plus side, looks like I’ll always have a story to tell about that exciting week spent playing with my family:)

The pillow. Essentially, a decorated rock...but it does have a cool spot for stashing your money.

My bro laughing at me while I try out the pillow. No it is NOT comfortable, contrary to the smile on my face.

Baby sister expecting a baby.

Caleb beating up Grandpa Johnny