Garden Philosopher

Stolen Rental Car

2009-05-06T12:57:00.003-06:00

We dropped our rental car in Salt Lake City and headed to San Diego for the funeral of Barb's cousin. We rented another car and drove to the hotel where I parked and we went to bed tired. The next monring I went out to get the car and move it closeer. I knew exactly where it was. When I walked out there this gut wrenching feeling went through me. The car was not there! I went around the whole parking lot carefully but no car. I pushed the unlock button but saw and heard nothing. I tried other lots just in case. Back again and around. Finally I slumped into the Hotel. Barb and her brother, Dick had been wondering why I was wandering amilessly around the lot. I told them and then talked to the registration clerk. He suggested I call the police. Great, I pictured hours of paperwork and maybe problems getting it covered etc. I was telling the clerk it was a white Pontiac and I knew where it should have been. My wife, Barb, piped up "What model was that?, I thought we had a black Sonata?"
Bang, I had done it again. I was so relieved and ran out into the parking lot. There was that precious black car where it should have been. What joy, what happiness! I tried the emergency button and off it went. Yeah! Why hadn't I tried th e emergency button before? Who knows. Last night we turned in a white Pontiac and that same night two hours later we rented a black Sonata. My problem was my mind was still driving the Pontiac. Old age is hard to live with.

Beer cans

2009-04-05T12:13:00.003-06:00

As Barb and I were leaving to take a walk I noticed two large, white garbage bags in the park across the street. I am fanatic in trying to keep the neighborhood and park clean so I went over and yes they were filled with garbage. I Walk back and as I am going to dump them I notice almost all of both bags are full of beer cans, a few sodas and empty beer cartons. So I put them in our recycle can instead.
We took our walk and later put out the recycle can to be picked up. They missed us, again, so we called and arranged for them to come by the next day. I got up leisurely and we watched Saturday conference on TV. It had been a windy night and finally I went outside to see that our big blue can had overturned. The wind had spread everything out nicely on our lawn. No sweat. I slipped on a shirt and went over to pick it all up. That's when I noticed and remember the hugh amount of beer cans - there they were. Some other stuff like a mountain dew can and some paper but mostly beer. We are Mormon and don't drink. I thought a moment and then it hit me. I laughed. Many of our neighbors take early walks. I wonder who is wondering about us. We don't drink at all but I am sure there are a few people wondering what kind of party we threw.

Electrical Storm - Mesa, Arizona

2008-09-14T19:33:00.005-06:00

A few weeks ago we got the longest and most intense electrical storm which went on for 45 min to an hour. After awhile I thought to record some of it. The video doesn't capture the strobe like lights as well as in person nor do we get the constant rolling thunder. Never seen this even in Arizona.

Speedgoat 50K mountain trail race

2008-07-28T16:36:00.003-06:00

One way to satisfy a midlife crisis - at 61.

About two months ago (in May) my son Shane said he was signing up for a really rugged mountain race called the Speedgoat 50 K (That’s 31+ miles) on July 26th. I was running often and though it would be a really good challenge – a goal. I continued running and thought about it for several weeks and then decided to register. Lots of increased training days followed including a 15 mile run when Shane visited Mesa and another 17 mile run on my own plus 7-8 mile runs 3-4 times a week. I added what hills and stairs I could. This run advertised rough trails, high mountain passes and lots of vertical climbs. Sounded great. I dream of cool mountain trails in the shade of tall pines with lots of gentle down hills to catch up time on from all the uphill parts. I am dumb or naive I will soon learn. (Actually both).

I flew to Utah early with my new running shoes and socks. Shane gifted me a great technical shirt and a light weight hat – Check. We spent Thursday kayaking down the Provo on his two Kayaks – Great fun. Neither of us got rolled out which is unusual since the water was pretty fast and lots of rapids.

The Friday night before the race we checked into a hotel at Snowbird, Alta, Utah. Elevation 8000 feet. Pristine Pines and wild flowers. This is a huge ski resort in the winter. We hiked around to get used to the altitude. Saw some deer etc. Then had a big meal to pack in some carb’s. Bed pretty early.

26 July 2008. 5:15 AM. We were paying good money for this race so we wanted to be ready. Dress, fill drop bag for the top with extra socks, snacks, sunglasses, whatever and jogged down the registration check –in. First sign a waiver of injury responsibility, get a cool T-shirt and a number pinned on. Check. No sweat. We got some last minute reminders. Watch for orange flags and white chalk arrows. If blue flags go back and look for orange. Water stations are not too close so we have to carry some water etc.

At 6:30 they started us off – I think about 150 people but not sure about late sign ups. Most are young. I am 2^nd oldest at 61. We run downhill for a mile or so to 7500 ft. elevation and then start a grueling uphill to Gad Mountain 10,000 feet. Then he (he is Karl Meltzer the race organizer who laid out the course) has flags out and down a steep, rocky slope with a little grass on it and no trail to a road.. This happens often. Soon I notice and continue to notice very few places where the running is on level ground. It always seems up or down. Up wears me out since I can’t run up steep hills very long before wheezing and deep breathing slows me to a hike. Down hill soon becomes painful since you can’t really run or you will soon be out of control and the braking jams your toes into the front of your shoe and causes pain and blisters. What happed to my dream?

At the bottom of Gad mountain it’s uphill again – straight up. This is the final grind to the top from a now 9500 feet El. to 11,000 feet El. – HIDDEN MOUNTAIN our first aid station (We did have a water only stop at 4.4 miles). I scarf down some Gatorade, banana, peanut butter and jam sandwiches, orange quarters and off I go I actually feel pretty good so far. This is 8.8 miles.

I notice the beautiful spring flowers and lush greenery. Red, yellow, blue, purple, orange, and white. So lovely. Temps are cool and since we are above the tree line there are glaciers all over. From 11,000 feet we go down a sheer non-trail he picked out in the rocks before heading back up Mt. Baldy. I am huffing and hiking. I think between the peaks there were a few yards of level trail so I break into a joyous lope. Then down from Baldy to the Skyline trail and along a ridge that separates us from Brighton. Steep drop on both sides and now heading south. Across a meadow and then down some impossible cliffs trail. There are two rescue people here and luckily some shrubs and stumpy pines to grasp. The rescue lady says my son was worried about me when he passed. I am careful as I pick my way to the rope basically repel down 20 yards or steep rocks and trail and then more without rope and finally off down a steep rutted and washed out jeep trail. Down, down, down with some jogging to the next water stop at about 9,000 Ft. EL. Water and a few cherries the guy had and I am off for what they call the 9 miles loop.

Basically it is down a rocky road/creek bottom with tons of roly rocks. So hard to jog with the rocks and I am now last and all alone. I just can’t run on these rocks so just pick my way with occasional jogging on flat areas. Down into American Fork canyon to the lowest spot on the race course of Dutch Flat, Mary Ellen Turnaround a

7000 Ft. EL. It is now hot, around noon and I am exhausted. This is sweet stop. The man puts an icy wet cloths on my neck and I drink glass after glass of ice water, a popsicle, several packages of Goo (energy glunk) and 3 electrolyte pills, and Gatorade. They give me some ice which I put into my hat and that is wonderful. I pull out of there refreshed. Uphill ... forever. I think this climb is about 6 miles with no level part just steeper as we go up a canyon that soon turns into a bowl shaped blind. I cross an icy brook and splash cold water all over and can’t figure out how we will get out of here.

I actually pass to young ladies who get slower and slower until I leave them behind. I am only walking now. Several mine tailings hills and high mountain flowers. Then the orange flags just go right across a grassy meadow. No trail – just pressed down grass from the herd up front. Then it starts to climb and gets steeper and turns into a goat path (I assume). I come across a young man sitting. He says he has bad cramps and can’t go on. He has water. I cheer him up saying I hope the resting helps. I pass him and he starts to follow me. We converse and then I slowly pull away and we cross a high ridge into another canyon and then down steep switchbacks into a beautiful, north facing forest. At last my shady trails. Only trouble is it is still so steep I can’t really run much. Down, down... I am starting to hate downs since they are painful on the toes and they mean more ups. All downs mean ups. I arrive at the water stop after this 9 mile loop. The cramps guy is in bad shape but he kept up with me. I give him some of my Gatorade powder, drink my mix and water and head up the canyon. There is only one way to go and that is up a bunch of switch backs to get to HIDDEN PEAK again. We cross a glacier several times and I remember the ice. I pack several handfuls of snow into my hat and let it slowly melt. It feels wonderful to have snow water trickling down my neck. I do that three times before angling away from the glacier. It is steeper now and lots of gravel rivers where glaciers have plowed it up. Hard to cross these gravel places. Just when I see salvation there is a pie plate pointing off in another direction. Drat.

Heading East on a steep trail I get to another aid station. This is at the tunnel It is now 3:00 PM, its hot and I have been at this for 8 and ½ hours. This older couple watches and I devour several oranges and lots of water and power drink. I fill my two bottles as usual. The radio squawks and says not to let anyone through after 3:30 PM or they have to take the Tram down Since the cramps guy is not in sight I know I am now officially last and far behind. I just didn’t train for this altitude and elevation changes. This is the 20 mile stop. Great, I still have 10 to go.

I run on through the tunnel and out on the west side into bright sunlight and those stinking orange flags going down. Now I am getting a bit upset. Can’t Karl give us just a moment of flat space to run on? This road is grueling. Not only is it down but it’s steep down. The gravel is so loose I often have to walk to keep from sliding out of control. By now my toes are screaming at me and feel like I am hitting them with a hammer. Down until I feel like I am back at Snowbird. I hate the thought of going up again as my legs are tiring out. The map says I have just gone from 11,750 to 9,000 EL again.

At last the flags direct me across a flat space and then up a road until they cut into a long west running trail leading to a high ridge. When I get to the ridge there is Snowbird just below at 8,000 feet. There is nowhere to go but up following the flags. Now I climb a ridge with steep drops on both sides. The assent angle is steep so it’s hiking again as usual. The scenery is magnificent and I can see much of the Salt Lake Valley in the afternoon haze. It is hot on the West facing mountain and no clouds today. Up, Up, Up until I want to cry. Finally I spot the avalanche fences and at last I break out onto the top. I can see the Aid station area on the top of HIDDEN PEAK just 500 yards or so further.

But no, the chalk says cut right onto a little deer trail going --- down. I stare at the flags. It is now near 5:00 PM and I can’t do any more ups. I know if I go down I will have to come back up. I stand there breathing and confused. Finally off I go until I drop from 10,800 to about 10,000. I remember I am supposed to go back up but it keeps dropping. Finally a split. The left is up and the right is down and says finish in chalk. I realize I can’t continue the last 2-3 miles up to the top and around another peak and back again so I head to the right for the last 5 miles of the race (hike). After awhile I hear Shane call out and yell I missed the turn. What a coincidence to see him on his last leg.. He runs down and tells me it gets brutal from that point on climbing back up to HIDDEN PEAK and beyond so he agrees I haven’t time to take it anyway and then he continues on and I limp along behind. He has been up to the top and is probably an hour or two ahead of me were I to go back to my missed turn. He says he is in pain also but wants to finish.

The road down is steep again as usual but now I walk most of the way but it still hurts. I take off my bib number (102) and finally pull in during the awards ceremony. They start to cheer but I signal I didn’t complete the race and I have no number showing. I figure I missed maybe 3 to 4 horrible miles but my total is about 27 miles. I pull in there at 6:00 PM for 11 ½ hours of vertical hell. I chug some water since it was at mile 20 that I last had a station. Shane came in 75^th or something and I am really proud of him. We both are afraid to look at our toes. I have blisters on the bottoms of my feet also. He gets some sweet prizes and then we amble to the car and head home.

On the way it finally rains and cools down the valley. At his house a cold shower and for me the count is 3 toenails on the left and 4 on the right that will probably be lost. But the good news is the body does replace them.

All in all I am very glad we made the run. I did better than I thought and now realize I don’t really want to do and all vertical race ever again. Some trail runs are OK. Even going up to HIDDEN PEAK twice would have been OK but not the three times that he planned. I really enjoyed running with Shane and we really had a good time. I will always remember this experience and won’t remember much of the pain. I was not in good enough shape and the altitude was not what I had trained for.

Back from our mission to Florida!

2008-06-13T17:39:00.004-06:00

Barb and I returned from our mission and we are now unpacking our house. We had a great time. During our absence we gained four grandchildren. I hope to blog occasionally.

This is our daughter Amy and Brad's new baby boy Brigham.

This is our daughter Jenny and Jake new daughter Tessa.

This is our daughter Rachel and Josh's new son Michael

This is our daughter Mary and Aaron's new son James.

It was so fun to see them for the first time. We still haven't been able to visit Mary yet but will soon.

Mission Training Center in Provo Utah

2007-07-31T14:15:00.000-06:00

The Mission Training Center is where the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints trains missionaries in how to explain the restored gospel of Jesus Christ to interested persons. It also is where many languages are taught. There are many training centers around the world also besides Provo, Utah. Peru, Brazil, Guatemala, and around 20 others.
We as a couple stay here about a week. All week long we watched as Elders (19-20) and Sisters (21-22) or so poured around us. There are about 55 or so seniors (some couples and a few single sisters) and 2000+ young missionaries. They hold the doors for us and take our food trays to the washer line. They are always working and singing and so fun to watch. They are from everywhere. A few we asked were from: The States, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Tonga, Samoa, Cape Verde, Tahiti, Fiji, Japan, Hong Kong, Honduras, Mongolia…. It looks so international. I know I am kind of prejudice but it is fun to see the church grow and be so diverse. Much more than when I was here (in older BYU campus buildings) in 1965.
Many now are going where we couldn’t in the 60's: Ukraine, Russia, Mongolia, Romania, Hungary, Lithuania, Cambodia, Thailand, Jordan, Indonesia, Myanmar, etc. They really consume the food and so do we. We have gained some. Tuesday we got more shots – goody. The laundry and Cafeteria are huge and efficient. The missionaries have their prep day on different days when they do their laundry and write emails home.
There seems to be about 10 percent sisters to 90 percent Elders.
We have breakfast around 7:00 and start class at 8:00, lunch and then class from 1:00 until 5:00 or so, dinner and then we walk and study language from 6:00
to 8:00. We are tired but happy. The younger ones work a harder schedule. Those speaking English go about 3 weeks of training and then fly to their missions. Those learning languages are about 9 weeks or so with longer for Russian or other more difficult languages. I just called the front desk. Spanish 9 weeks, Mandarin – 13 weeks, Russian – 12 weeks, English for non-speakers – 9 weeks, etc. Funny to see
Idaho boys going to Mexico and Mexican boys going to Idaho and learning English. We sat with 4 young ladies Wednesday at dinner: two Samoans, and a Tongan and Mongolian. They were going to SLC, New Jersey and San Francisco and Seattle. We got to know well our couples and hear where they were from and what they did before retirement. One young couple (55 or so) is going to Paris and will return to work after they return.
We are in Florida now and have been here a month but we are so busy we don't often have time to write. It's raining hard now and does so almost every day. Barb and I are really learning and love to meet the friendly people of rural Florida (We live in Welaka and visit people in Crescent City, Welaka, Satsuma etc.

Here are some pictures of the MTC we took in June.

Tip of the Day:

Going away party for mission and broken mirror

2007-06-07T13:23:00.000-06:00

Tip of the Day:
Mirrors that are attached to walls by an adhesive tar are prone falling after the tar drys and cracks. Check occasionally for wobbling.

Our neighbor, Candy, planned a going away party for us on Wednesday night and invited the neighbors and members of our ward (local church). Some of our children and grandchildren also came. We saw so many people we knew. Candy had composed songs about serving a mission and set them to known music. She and her son Jeff sang with Cody her son on the piano. Then Jeff sang a solo. Then Wayne sang a solo with his daughter on the piano and finally Brent and AnaJoe sang. I never knew these friends were that talented. Refreshments and lots of picture taking.

Later, while all slept, about 1:30 AM the huge mirror in our bathroom left it's 20 year position on the wall and crashed down on the two sinks and broke into many pieces. The sound was a cross between a horse falling and tons of glass breaking. We stumbled around in the dark and after seeing our bathroom floor and counters covered in glass we just all went back to bed. I guess there is opposition in all things. Since I am not superstitious nor did I cause this I went to sleep quickly. The morning cleanup with gloves and vacuum went quickly. The mirror was 3 feet by 7 feet and must have weighed around 80 - 100 pounds. We leave Friday morning (8 June) at 5:00 AM for Orem,Utah and a family and friend potluck and chat there on Friday night at 5:30.

Friends at the farewell party:

KIDS AND GRANDKIDS AT PARTY IN MESA:

Jenny, our daughter, Jake her husband and children and one friend.

Amy, our daughter, Brad and kids.

Julie our daughter-in-law and children

Our Bathroom:

Final Week of packing for mission

2007-05-30T12:13:00.001-06:00

Tip of the Day:
James 2: 2-10... "For in many things we offend all. [But] if any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body." ... "But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison." All I can add is 'Amen' to that scripture. I have worked on thinking before and during speaking for years and it is the hardest thing I have ever tried. Good luck to all in following James advice.

Barb and I gave talks in Church 2 Sundays ago to say goodbye and have a few friends and family come. Nice to see people we haven't seen in awhile. Barb talked on Gratitude and I talked on Commitment to the Lord. I flew up to Utah to help my son and his wife and two sons move out of their house. Dave is getting his Journeyman Electrician's certification after about 3 years of classes and work as an apprentice. They are selling their nice house in Lehi, Utah and they are going to live in ours while he attends Arizona State University to graduate in Construction Management.
Barb and I have been sorting and packing things we will leave and stacking everything in part of the house to make room for them in the rest. It is harder than one thinks until you try. We have had lots of family dinners and goodbye dinners with friends and family. We will leave for Provo, Utah around June 7 or 8 to have a big family reunion in Orem with our family there. My brother Johnny has 9 children and around 25 grandchildren plus we have a married daughter and a son there and my sister Ann has a daughter going to BYU University so it may be a big crowd.
On Monday June 11 we enter what is called the Mission Training Center where we will be taught, oriented and prepared for a mission for one week. Wish us luck. I will publish a bit about our mission as I have time.

Our mission call came at last.. Salt nose spray

2007-05-07T14:19:00.000-06:00

Tip of the Day:
A very cheap and effective way to prevent and shorten colds and sinus infections is to spray a solution of salt and water down your throat and into your nose and sinuses. It sounds a bit gross but when done in the shower is easy to do. This salt solution stimulates the bodies defense mechanisms to produce mucus which smothers and washes away the virus. I try to use a little salt spray daily and haven't had a cold in years. Also, when I do get cold, it shortens the time and intensity of the painful symptoms. Try it! Good old salt and water. Cost = $1.49 for the spray bottle and salt

Our Mission papers arrived in the mail box on Thursday, May 3. I had to work at the temple so we waited until later to open them. I got home about 6:30 PM and our front curb was buried in cars and trucks. Two of our children and their 8 grandchildren were there plus my wife invited about 14-15 neighbors and friends. I'm more (... shy?) something and would have preferred just family but Barb is a very social person (I would be a hermit without her). Anyway Barb played a little music tape on Grandparents going on missions that she found and then I had her open the envelope.
We are called to serve in the Florida Jacksonville Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Oddly I felt a bit subdued. Partly because of the noises and talking and partly because I secretly wanted to leave the States. Barb on the other hand was ecstatic. She had been afraid of a foreign mission (she has a very sensitive stomach and nose (weird foods and odors bother her) and she was also afraid of a cold climate). The guests were very happy for us and our kids also.

We report to our Mission Training Center in Provo, Utah on June 11, 2007 a Monday. We will be trained for a week and then on the next Sunday we drive to our mission in our own car. We will do a little sight seeing on the way. Except for Jacksonville, our mission is mostly rural and covers Florida from North of Orlando to the border but not including the panhandle. Also a big patch of southeast Georgia ending south of Savannah.
After reading about everything, praying and studying about the area I am very excited. I will get to use my Spanish which I was hoping for and we both love small towns and farms.
So that's it for awhile. We will be packing our house and moving it all into a couple of rooms so our son David and his wife Julie and their two boys Seth and Issac can move in while he attends Arizona State University in the summer and fall. We will write again in June after we start our trip.

Miracle Ants in strength and distance + Math

2007-05-02T12:53:00.000-06:00

Tip of the Day:
If God is our father and we are his children; what does that make us?

I am in Yuma, AZ and went for a long run this morning. I ran 1 hour and 45 min. (105 min.) along the fields of wheat and cantelopes. As I returned along a dusty, wide, dirt road near the freeway I saw an ant carrying a single grain of wheat from the direction of the wheat fields. The wheat grain was about half his length but wider and I guess about the same weight as he. I looked around for it's home but it was nowhere to be seen. I looked back to the wheat field and it was quite far off and across a dry small canal. I followed him and his fellows farther into the empty dirt field until I finally found a large red ant hill where hundreds of ants were entering and leaving. Hmm. He is carrying his own weight a long ways. Using my Boy Scout skills I marked off how far he had to come. I have a 5 foot stride (two steps .per stride) so I walked back to the field and 30 strides X 5 ft. = 150 ft. away from his home. As I ran back to the Holiday Inn I wondered how far he ran for that grain of wheat compared to me. Thus the problem. Ant = 1/4 inch. 48 ant lengths per foot(4 X 12 = 48 AL/ft.) 150 feet journey X 48 AL = 7200 ant lengths to get the colony one grain of wheat.

I am 5'8" or about 5.5 feet high. Therefore if I ran 7200 of my lengths it would be 7200 X 5.5 feet or = 39,000 feet. Divide 39,000 by 5280(feet/mile) and that = 7.5 miles. Now the ant had to go out empty and come back loaded so it actually went twice that far thus I would have to run (7.5 X 2) = 15 miles to equal its journey for one grain of wheat. (Is anyone still with me?)

This morning I ran a bit longer than usual and I figure I ran 105 min. At around 11 min per mile in my 1 hour and 45 min. Thus I ran about 105 min/11 min/mile = 9.5 miles. Therefore the ant actually ran my equivalent of 15 miles and I ran 9.5. miles. Walaaa! He beat me carrying his own weight on the 2nd leg of his journey by 5.5 equivalent miles (I carried nothing but my shorts and T-shirt). How many times does he or she do that a day? It's a miracle!

(Still waiting for our mission call.....)

Mormon Missionaries - 102 - Why this is harder for my wife

2007-04-29T17:38:00.000-06:00

If you are exercising to lose weight don't think of your weight, think of your fat. When you exercise you gain muscle. Therefore you may not lose scale weight but rather fat while remaining at the same weight. Don't be discouraged with the scale weight.

For me applying to go on a mission for our church is easy. I went to Nevada and California for my mission when I was 19 and can't wait to go wherever or do whatever is asked. My wife is a wonderful person but like all mothers she is a "nestor" she loves her home, kids and grandkids and all of her friends. Her mother is elderly and lives near us. Thus, the excitement and expectation differs a bit between us. Barb is really making an effort to have faith in what we are doing and look forward to it but struggles more than I do.
Our paperwork was processed slower than expected but we think we will get our envelope with our call tomorrow or the next day. So many people asked us about it at Church today. Not that many couples are able to go.

Barb and I

Our family at Christmas

Tip of the Day:

Boozers and Smokers are Slobs

2007-04-27T00:42:00.000-06:00

Tip of the Day:
Don't smoke or get drunk. Both effect your brain and nervous system and cause cancer. Soon you won't notice how stupid you are nor how much you smell.

I am a bit OCD and so I pick up trash when I walk or run. I may be prejudice since I neither smoke nor drink but I have noticed way too many cigarette packages and butts and beer cans and bottles compared to the rest of the trash. Maybe those who indulge are a bit insecure and secretly feel if they chuck their garbage everywhere people will notice and think they are cool? Actually, I feel they are morons who either are completely illiterate or just ignore all the dangers of these two poisons and masochistically want to torture themselves with a future painful and slow death. Whatever, they seem to have gotten high marks from the graduate school for litter bugs.

OKAY! Sorry! The above was written in a weak moment with some pretty cutting sarcasm and vituperation. I can just hear my son saying: "Dad, that's a little harsh" or some other wise advice. Well ... I am human and tired of picking up glass and empty cartons on our street. The above wasn't very kind. If I have offended anyone, (as if anyone is actually reading this), I apologize. Peace and Love.

Emotionally Disturbed Substitute Teacher

2007-04-26T00:46:00.000-06:00

Tip of the Day:
When you wake up it's best to do two things first before starting your day. (1) Drink a big glass of water because you are dehydrated and don't know it and (2) have a big healthy breakfast of fresh fruits, grains, or other non-processed, non-fatty, non-sugary foods. Happy health.

While waiting for our missionary call (which should come in May) I accepted a substitute teaching position at a "fenced in" center for very Emotionally disturbed kids. Our School District is huge with seven big high schools, thirteen Jr. Highs and Fifty Seven Elementary schools plus many alternative schools so this school is not a big percentage of our cities kids. This campus is K thru 12 and only for kids who can't control their emotions (tempers) at their own schools. Here are some of my notes: I taught grades K thru 3rd grades composed of kids they termed Emotionally Disabled. Read that Angry and out of control. I had two aides who did most of everything but I helped where I could. During the day we had to put 3 kids into this kind of padded cell room until they calmed down and weren’t a danger to themselves or others. Amazing how these normal looking kids would just erupt and throw things and scream and yell and pound on the door. Two men came in at the first of the class to tape down a desk for Alex. He is 100 pound Kindergartner and throws his desk at people. I decided to talk to him and listen and after awhile he was my buddy. At recess I got him to play with others and a football without getting mad all the time and stomping off. Later he got mad in class and threw a bunch of stuff on the floor and was sent into the timeout room. I took the rest of the class out 3 times while three different boys (including him) were acting out in the room. The aids and security took over until we could come back in. After quieting down they come out surprisingly calm and cheerful and seem normal again. I enjoyed the day and they said they would love to have me back. Miss Danny said every one of the kids need "the room" 2-3 times a week and all were from a single parent home. Very few had a Dad in their lives. One boy said he made his fish artwork for his Dad who was kicked out of the house by his Grandmother who is raising him. Interesting how such a simple thing as a happy family with Mom and Dad would prevent or cure most of this but the County can’t arrange that, naturally. Several kids on campus had two adults with them at all times. They have an elaborate system of rewards and loss of rewards and also a phase system for going back to their old schools. They all really want that but many can’t control their tempers. They also have security officers only 30 seconds away who move on bicycles. Usually it is quiet but even while loading the bus three older kids had to be restrained by several adults. I keep wondering what the future will be when these kids become adults. Note: Natural families are important if possible.

Mormon Missionaries 101 - running with a stick.

2007-04-24T08:03:00.000-06:00

Tip of the Day: Run with a stick: I am 60 and my father and brother had quadruple bypass on their hearts. Thus I run (after seeing their scars). Trouble is running mostly works the lower half and your heart and lungs. I had the idea of running with a stick since I meet rabid dogs on occasion. Now it works great for upper body work. While jogging you can pull or push the stick in an infinite number of directions. in front, above, behind the head or back. You can stretch arms over head, you name it and you can push and pull to develop your shoulder, arm and neck muscles. I push and pull while setting the stick against my head and moving it. Therefore you can get a total body workout while running with a stick. Cost = $0.00.

I thought I would explain a bit about Mormon missionaries. The men are eligible when 19 years of age. They must want to serve and be worthy; which means obeying God's commandments and living clean and honest lives. They and their families support them while away. The church doesn't pay for the two years but they are led by a Mission President and his wife and counselors who are adult (and also paying their own way). Sisters serve 18 months and are eligible at 21 years of age. After medical and dental checkups and several interviews they submit their papers requesting a call. The young, single missionaries do not get to select or suggest their mission destinations. I, for instance, had 2 years of high school German and family who had gone to Germany. I had purchased my London fog coat with liner and my rabbit skin gloves. My call came and I was assigned to California Spanish speaking mission. I ended up loving my mission and am glad I went. The coat and gloves stayed home.
Four of our six children served 2 year missions. Jenny to Korea, Shane to Brazil, Amy to North Carolina and David to South Dakota. Our four daughters spouses served: Jake to California Spanish speaking, Brad to New Zealand, Joshua to Peru and Aaron to Chili. Many family members also. Mormons take missions seriously but not all are able to go. My grandfathers served in Samoa and Germany. To Be continued.

Still waiting for missionary call.

2007-04-21T19:59:00.000-06:00

Tip of the Day: Floss your teeth at least every day. Why? Brushing only disturbs harmful bacteria on the teeth surface. The really bad stuff is in hidden crevices between the teeth. If those stay undisturbed the bacteria lay down harmful plaque and eat into the teeth This plaque also irritates the gums and causes them to retract. Floss daily! Good health.

Well Barb and I are still waiting to find out where and how long we will serve away from home. What will we be doing and when will we leave. We love the Lord Jesus Christ and feel he has blessed our lives. We want to follow his example and teach his principles and serve others. We expect our envelope this Next Thursday or so. Stay tuned.

A retired couple awaits a Christian missionary call.

2007-04-15T12:09:00.000-06:00

Barb and I are now 60 and retired from full time work. We decided to submit our application to become full time missionaries for our church. We belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often referred to as the Mormon Church. I would like to share some of our future experiences in this blog. We have spent several months filling out forms getting shots and Medical and Dental exams and tests completed. We submitted our papers to the headquarters of our church located in Salt Lake City, Utah last Sunday (8 April 2007). Now we now are waiting to see where we are needed and what we will be asked to do. We have lived in Mesa, Arizona for the past 21 years. We expect to hear where we will be going in about 1-2 weeks.
I was born to Mormon parents and grandparents while my wife, Barbie, joined this church when she was 21 years old. Barbie is Jewish and accepts Jesus Christ as the Messiah. I served a Mormon mission to the Spanish Speaking people of California from 1965 to 1968. We met in college, were married and have raised 6 children to adulthood. On our mission we hope to be able to teach people about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and help in any other way we can. More to come...

Turning down substitute teaching offers

2006-04-24T11:02:00.000-06:00

I had to work at Boeing most of this week so I decided to track all jobs I was offered and had to turn down. I found it hard to turn down some because I really was interested in taking them. It is fun to see how things really work in school and how the students are and the teachers and classes and administration between schools and ages. Anyway here is what I was offered Monday and Tuesday (17-18):
MONDAY: Wow. My phone rang at 5:45 and continued all morning. I have to finish my code problems at Boeing today. Here is a list I was offered and had to decline:
Brimhall Jr. General science
Rd. Mt. High Spanish
Westwood High Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD)
Mt. View High Spanish (I would have loved this)
Powell Jr. SLD
Boulder Canyon High –SLD
George Smith Jr. -Autistic
Fremont Jr. Girls PE. (I am curious about this offer) ?
TUESDAY:
The phone started again at 5:45 AM. I still have to turn down all jobs. This is the last time I will record what I get called on as it’s too hard to write it all. I thought Tuesday would be less that Monday but I was mistaken.
Fremont Jr. Dance (I am curious about this offer also) ?
Mesa Vista High Self contained?
Mesa Jr. SLD
Stapley Jr. English
George Smith Jr. MOMD (Moderate Mental Disabilities)
Brimhall Jr Gen. Science
Shepherd Jr. SLD
Poston Jr. English
Poston Jr. English
Shepherd Jr English (I’m beginning to wonder if there is an English conference somewhere)
Kino Jr. Algebra I
Rd. Mountain High Spanish.
I called the office on the Girl's PE and found that was a problem with the machine. They really don't want me to accept those and if I had they would have cancelled them later. Good.

Pesticide free cockroach traps

2006-04-16T13:15:00.000-06:00

We live in Arizona adn there are cockroaches, crickets and scorpions that invade our home. This was a former orchard and when our home when up we kicked them out so they moved in with us. My wife and I don't like pesticides. They may not kill us but long term they may cause cancer or nerve disorders. Who knows? Anyway I found the best solution. I buy glue traps of various sizes. I put them around where they can't be seen and leave them. These work for over a year or until they are full. They don't lose their stickiness. It is spring and so I went around replacing my traps. Some of the bigger and more discusting traps were alreay thrown out by my wife. Here are two smaller traps that show adults and lots of little baby cockroaches caught over the past year. Since using this method we have fewer cockroaches, no pesticide cost or danger. Try it.

Here is a close up for your viewing pleasure.

My life as a substitute teacher, Part 3.

2006-04-14T18:02:00.000-06:00

Thursday, I was going to sleep in but woke early so came in to work at 7:00. I don't need to be at the school until 9:30 since her first class isn't until 9:30. Worked on code for the Apache from 7-9 and then drove to Mesa Jr. High. Parked, office, got keys, folder (very nice secretary) and to my classroom. First class was reading.
Kids OK. Not hard to handle. Mostly 7th grade. This is a chorus room and they love to sit all over the carpeted elevated stairs. All Latinos. Next class was all girls chorus. Quiet good. They wanted the piano and since the teacher was the only one in all my classes who could play we sang them A'Capella. Three different songs. Some didn't sing much. I think because of the language. Some are loud and walk around and some very shy and just sit there or talk quietly with neighbor. Fun group.
next period was a smaller Concert Choir group. I only had 3 boys and 3 girls.
Better music and they sang well. Three songs again. Since I can read music and play a little for starting notes I actually had them going over parts and I led them. Quite interesting. We sang a Spanish song so I was able to sing along. My last class - 6th hour was horrible. All were Latinos except for 2 blacks. About half the class could speak no English at all. I spoke to them in Spanish and they were surprised. One girl said I spoke Spanish well. Wait, there was an Anglo but she had to leave for speech therapy session. Basically my classes were about 90% Hispanic, 5% Anglo and 5% black. This last class could not stay in their seats and it was hard to get them quiet. We struggled through one English language song and then did a Mexican folk song, lullaby, called 'De Colores'. It went well, at least the girls sang. The boys wrestled, went to get drinks (water fountain in room) or just sat and watched. If I ask them to sit or be quiet they will, for about 5 seconds and then when I turn to the next problem they just begin again.
Funny as they seem to know I can't concentrate on them long so they obey, wait a few seconds and continue. Never mean, or disrespectful.
They just seem bored and are used to acting up. They seemed proud that the had never had a substitute twice. They have a reputation among the other classes (which warned me about them). I tried to be complimentary
to anything positive and that worked pretty good. They had a
shortened day for a reward for good attendance at standard testing days of either swimming, dancing or a Movie (Ice Age). I wrote my feedback, cleaned the room and locked it and turned in my folder and left. Back to work at Boeing for a few hours. I am so tired. Tomorrow there is no school since its good friday.

My sister Linda wrote me after reading my journal:

Wow--that would be SO HARD for me. I take it really personally when people don't listen it just really hurts my heart, so it would be hard to be more objective about that.

How did you FEEL during that last hour? I think if I could just control my ATTITUDE about their behavior, I would be able to get through it, but it would be hard to "talk" myself into feeling all right. And I would feel so DISHEARTENED about their future--or their chances of succeeding in life. That behavior would just scare, frsutrate, and SADDEN me. (she has taught College classes but never Jr. High)

I responded to her.

I tell myself, they don't really care about me. They are there because they have to be and there is NOTHING personal about it. I don't feel bad because they are not trying to hurt my feelings - they just want to show off. I also try not to get scared. They watch to see if I will panic and fear them getting out of control. Because I taught High School for 4 years I am not afraid. I find the emergency office number to call before I leave the office if I need to send someone there then I would call and tell them the student will be there in 3 min. I could also call security and they will come and get him or her if I need. But I haven't had to do that yet. I know I am babysitting because they legally have to have a teacher there for safety etc. But I try to teach and to make a little difference. Actually most of the kids liked me. Even those that are rowdy because I don't get mad, I don't yell, and I respect them. That is the most important thing. I talk softly, say: "Gentlement, can you play dice later please?" or "No profanity please" Or "ladies, please let’s quite down so everyone can hear the singing". If I make a mistake I apologize. Always respect - treat them like responsible people. Some said I was a cool teacher or they wished I would come back. I can look for a loner or totally quiet person and at the end of class I try to chat with them. Anyway, for some reason I enjoy doing it. Maybe after awhile it would get hard to do. We will see. PS I remember back in 1972 when I was first teaching in Montpelier High School, Vermont. I lost my temper one day and yelled. I still remember their faces and I regret I didn't act better to this day.

My life as a substitute teacher, Part 2.

2006-04-14T17:23:00.000-06:00

12Apr06Wednesday I was eating lunch at Boeing and got a call at 12:20 to sub for an English Teacher at Westwood high. I quickly told my boss I would be back in 3-4 hours and took off. I got there about 12:45, used my parking pass, gave my job number to the secretary, put on my badge, took my sub folder and ran to class. I had about 5 min to read her plan material before class started. The good news was they were having all the english classes get ID photos in the AV room which took much of the time. I only sub today for 5th and 6th period American Literature. I took careful roll. The students were varied. About one fourth Anglo, half Latino a fourth American Indian with 3-4 black and other. Very nice kids, polite, loud and friendly. They all seemed to get along but hung with their own groups or mixed it up. No racial tension at all. they always did what I asked. One girl in a wheel chair was the twin of another in a wheel chair. She said they were the first successful separation of Siamese twins of their type and was very friendly. All helped me find my way around to get pictures taken. In 6th period I asked a lot about the school and they got around to commenting on Mt. View High. They spoke freely about how they thought Mt View kids were all snooty, rich, white, stuck-up, etc. They spoke of themselves as ‘poor’. One girl said she lived on the boundary but on the poor side of Stapley Dr. I just listened. My kids (not rich or snooty) went to Mt. View and were not pleased that I didn't defend it better. After school I returned the keys, attendance and folder and headed back to work at Boeing from 4-6:30. I can flex my work time with vacation time to make it up. After work at Boeing on the way to my car my cell rang and it was the MACHINE. They offered me a job tomorrow teaching at Mesa Jr. High: Secondary Chorus. I couldn’t resist and accepted. It’s a full teaching day tomorrow (Thursday). Mesa Jr. is in the poorest section of downtown Mesa. I had already told my boss I would probably be out on vacation tomorrow anyway so not a problem. I jotted down the job number and headed home. Tomorrow, Mesa Jr.

My life as a substitute teacher, Part 1

2006-04-14T17:15:00.000-06:00

I am a software engineer at Boeing and as I am approaching age 60 I wanted to retire a bit early if my wife and I could figure out the finances. Back in 1972, when we were first married I taught 4 years of High School Biology at Montpelier High School, Vermont. I enjoyed the teaching a lot but when we moved to California in 1976 I stopped full time teaching. For awhile I hunted for various jobs and while waiting I cooked at Sambo’s restaurant on the night shift and worked in an appliance store called Howard and Phil’s and I also substitute taught in the Los Angeles School District. These were tough kids but I found it interesting to teach photography, Spanish, Band, Biology, Health etc. I speak fluent Spanish so got along well there. I finally found a job with Sperry Univac as a software trainee. We had 4 children by then and it was so nice to get a full time job. We were dirt poor by then. Our neighbor was murdered – nice neighborhood.
Now, as I approach retirement, I wondered if I would like to substitute teach again just for the fun of it since I could say yes or no and keep busy on a few days a week. I decided to try it now before retirement and see if I liked it. So I got fingerprinted and took my transcripts down to Phoenix and got a substitute Certificate. Then, with my SSN and references and a long application I was put on the active list.
I marked my application sheet as being able to sub in English, math, business, Spanish, chorus, Special Ed, and a bunch more – in Senior and Jr. High. After waiting for training I finished the sub class and was taught about the automated system where a machine calls you up and you accept or reject the job. If you accept then it gives you a job number, directions, and off you go. Now I was ready for my first call
Therefore, since I haven’t blogged in months I am going to write up my experiences as a substitute teacher who is old, Anglo, and male in Mesa Public School System in Mesa, Arizona. See my next blog for an account of my first experience. Oh, I am continuing my work at Boeing and using vacation days one or two days a week until school is out – assuming they call me that is. Then maybe in the fall I will start up again.

Two different shoes

2006-02-07T08:52:00.000-07:00

This morning as I was walking along the sidewalk to work I noticed two different sounds. Click, Thunk, Click, Thunk..... I looked down and I was wearing two different shoes. I was already here so I will just forget about it. I doubt anyone else will notice. Beautiful day though. This is the absolute most perfect weather for Arizona desserts. Cool, clear, sunny and feels like spring. We get spring here in February through March, summer is April through October and Fall from November to December. Winter is January. Smile and heal yourself with humor. Most of our stress points just don't matter much.

Never skip breakfast (unless fasting)

2006-01-06T09:03:00.000-07:00

We don't eat breakfast because we are hungry, we eat breakfast because should - it's healthy. Think of it. We stop eating in the evening and go to sleep. The body rests, works on the immune system, fixes the brain paths, finishes digesting and repairs everything. When we awake our blood sugar is low and we need nourishment for all of body functions to get going, including our mind. However we havn't eaten for 10-12 hours depending on how late we ate the night before (note: it's not good to eat late at night just before sleep or our body is stuck digesting instead of what it should be doing during rest).
In the morning we feel tired, cranky, sorry for ourselves and sometimes depressed, especially if it is monday. The last thing we feel like doing is eating. However, I also don't "feel" like taking medicine, vitamines, exercise time etc. We don't "feel" like eating brocolli or like taking vaccine shots. We do good things because they are right. So read the studies. Your body and brain need good food early (not a soda or doughnut or coffee). Eat a healthy, balanced breakfast. I have found that after the first few bites of cereal and milk I am famished and love to finish it. If we eat complex foods and not processed we won't get hungry for hours and yet our minds will be alert and we will have energy to do our jobs. I have even heard that skipping breakfast causes weight gain. The best thing for our bodies is to start early and eat healthy, small snacks all day and stop early. Don't skip breakfast.

Intelligent Design and Evolution

2005-12-21T15:43:00.000-07:00

I’m not sure why evolutionary scientists are so afraid of intelligent design in the classroom. Both I.D. and evolution are theories with evidence and faith involved for each side. It’s certainly not a separation of Church and State issue. What church? Christian, Jewish and Muslim followers believe in a Creator God. Here is a little story I thought up:
Not so far in the future a group of cave people crawl out of a new cave exit from their mountain and discover a large, shiny Boeing 747 sitting there. They are surprised to find a user’s manual in their own language which tells them it can travel through the air at high speeds. They look over the seats and pilot’s cockpit and declare it must have been created by some really intelligent people. ”Blasphemy”, yells their medicine man. “It evolved slowly through the eons of time”. He then informs them that billions of years ago, according to his archeological garbage heap records the local volcano belched out a toaster. Millions of years and several mutations later a bicycle emerged. More eons and mutations continued to bring out unusual evolutionary improvements. Usually an odd-shaped rock or bolder but periodically were found a motor scooter, a washing machine, a cotton gin followed by a shiny car and now the confluence of billions of years and lots of mutations has produced this flying machine. It’s all purely accidental he smugly told his tribe. All that’s needed is time and eventually good things will happen. "Chaos always leads to order.”
One brave caveman suggested this airship had to be created by an intelligent being. “Look at the symmetry, the odd metals, the many colors of fabric and paint and its performance in being able to fly high and fast and carry people around.”
The Medicine man told them all to observe a small fly buzzing around a flower. “See how this fly can hover, land upside down, find its own fuel, mate, lay eggs which hatch into small worms that grow, turn into a cocoon, and finally a baby fly emerges. This small fly can increase in size, see, hear, smell, eat and continue to reproduce. We are taught by our school board that this complex little fly evolved totally by accident over eons of time and not because of any intelligent designer. So why would you even consider that this big hunk of metal, which can do none of these amazing things, would need an intelligent designer for it to exist?”

Judge Alito on Abortion

2005-12-07T13:06:00.000-07:00

I have to wonder about the impartiality of the media when they all seem to act the same toward the Supreme Court Nominee Judge Samuel Alito. All the democrats are digging furiously through his record to try and find some reason to veto his nomination. The news media seems on their side. I almost never hear about a 'positive' discovery.
Take abortion rights or as I like to call it “a license to murder children”. Sidebar: The only difference between a baby and a fetus is a few months and a few inches. Anyway, every time they find a memo that seems to indicate that Judge Alito had an opinion against abortion, the media reps. breathlessly announce they have found their smoking gun. Judge Alito is against abortion. Horror! What will they do? Is he supposed to feel guilty? Is he supposed to pull his name out in disgrace. From their tone and words you would think so. I happen to be against abortion. Does that make me unfit to be a judge? No, its my background, education and experience. Do they really expect each nominee to NOT have opinions? Do congressmen really think that if a nominee has had an opinion different from theirs in the distant past that that is a sufficient reason to veto him? Bluntly, I would ask: If you are pro-life does that make you unfit to be nominated to the Supreme Court? I can’t wait for the hearings. Will the media report a balanced story or the one sided witch hunt that has occurred so far?

Finally, I lose some weight

2005-11-30T15:36:00.000-07:00

Losing weight (fat) is difficult at any age but more difficult in older people. I had been maintaining my weight at more than I wanted for years. I exercised, I ate healthily and still I never could lose. It finally dawned on me that I had to do the last difficult step: Eat Less. I finally was able to drop 15 pounds in a few weeks and maintain that loss. Here are the common sense steps we all know.
1. Exercise – walk, run, jog, 4-6 times a week for 30 min or more or any other thing that burns up calories.
2. Change the type of food we eat from prepared, sugary, starchy, fatty and prepared foods to fresh, raw if possible, whole foods like broccoli, carrots, cabbage, peaches, apples, celery, whole grains, legumes (beans, lentils) whole grain cereals, lean meats and low fat dairy. Drop ice cream, cookies, puddings, white potatoes, white rice, white bread, white pasta, candy, lunch meats, pastries, etc.
3. Change from 3 big meals a day to many little snacks of healthy foods (Eat less). After about 2-3 weeks of this our stomach will shrink and make it much more difficult to “load up”.
4. Drink a glass of water before each snack or meal.
6. Make rules, and then don’t break them. No exeptions.
7. Think of hunger as a friend. Once we slip back to eating more than we should and not feeling hunger during some of the day our body will start storing more fat again.
8. Eat a good sized, healthy breakfast. I like low fat milk with whole grain cereal and either bananas or raisins. Breakfast is a must for health and mind – never skip it.
9. Take a small, healthy lunch to work. (example: Veggies, fruit (whole and fresh) and a small sandwich or yogurt.) Lunch is easy to do well on since we only bring healthy snacks so we are stuck and they taste good when we are hungry.
5. Try not to eat late in the evening – especially high calorie snacks. Eat one or two small dinner snacks early and then drink ice water until bed.
To summarize: One will lose fat and not muscle if we exercise, snack on healthy foods, eat mostly in the morning and noon, feel hunger and enjoy it. After two to three weeks our stomach will have shrunk and we will lose and keep on losing if we don’t break our own rules.
Or, we can be lazy, feed our hunger until it falls asleep and never lose those unhealthy pounds of fat – however, as we age, diabetes, heart disease, knee problems and many other diseases will dog us. Good luck.

Istanbul Cafe Surprise

2005-11-16T09:15:00.000-07:00

My wife and I and another couple were looking for something new in eating out. Finally Eric spotted a place called The Istanbul Cafe in Tempe on Apache Trail. We looked at all the exotic Mediterranean foods in the store part and then were seated. We ordered appetizers and Barb and I got fresh prepared Mango juice. It was so delicious – just like mangos but liquid. We were well into our Humus and lamb’s tongue, a sausage, a Turkish pizza and other delights when loud music played and a skimpy dressed belly dancer swayed out. We all tried not to oogle her. She moved around and Erik and I avoided looking at her so she slithered up to other tables where the men would put money in her belt and top. I love to be open minded and a good sport but she would have really moved in if we had given the slightest interest. Plus our wives were not comfortable about this either. I wasn’t about to slip a few bucks into her unmentionables and that would have been the outcome or she wouldn’t have left. Our waitress had on the head scarf and was very modest. Interesting – the contrast. We ate way too much but it was all so delicious.

Neptune’s Grill

2005-11-15T12:52:00.000-07:00

While in Switzerland this summer we spent our last night at a really nice Hotel and then decided after a day of traveling to eat dinner in the Hotel patio. It was called Neptune’s Grill. Aptly named – I made the mistake of ordering a Neptune Seafood Salad. I expected Fish, clams, oysters, scallops and shrimp. However, they brought this huge platter piled high with greens, olives, tomatoes, Two kinds of baby octopus, Mussels, shrimp, Squid rings and other rubbery items I couldn’t identify. The waitress seemed so glad we ordered it I felt like they had a lot in the kitchen and few takers. Barb tried not to look but I dived in and ate a lot of everything. I’m not going to send it back nor waste it. Sorry, but the weird stuff was just not that great tasting and had bad texture. The octopus and squid tasted ….. let’s see, a little like garden hose flavored with cold cream. I finished off the shrimp and mussels and everything else but not entirely all of my tentacled friends. I felt very cosmopolitan and full. I'm all for new foods but it has to have a little flavor to make me try again.

Italy and Switzerland

2005-06-10T11:33:00.000-06:00

My wife and I are taking our dream vacation starting Monday. We saved up our vacation time and money and booked a 2 week guided tour of Italy with Globus. After that we extended a week which we will do on our own touring Northern Italy and Switzerland. I have ancestors from Switzerland so we will try to visit a few towns and look up a few names while there: Cities are Nesslau, Grabs, Wildhaus in Saint Gallen Canton. We won't be back until July so I probably won't blog until then. Not that anyone is out there reading them anyway.
I have an inherited problem of worrying. I visualize getting stuck in traffic and missing our plane, having an accident and ruining the trip or having some emergency at home and having the dilema of deciding to stay on the trip or return. I have been driving extra careful lately and trying to remain calm. The more important and expensive an event the more I worry. Advice doesn't really help since I think this is mostly chemical but I do try and think positively. Hope we have an uneventful trip and arrive home to find all is well. I guess we all have our weaknesses to deal with and this is one of mine. With Love - Bob.

Bacon Grease

2005-06-08T10:17:00.000-06:00

I worked as a cook at a Radisson Hotel in Duluth, Minnesota back in the summer of 1970. Barb and I had just gotten married the year before and we were visiting her relatives and doing a little genealogy and earning money for College. We lived in a little apartment and both worked in food service. Barb worked in a Chinese Restaurant as a receptionist and I in the Radisson Duluth. This was a fancy hotel and we had a revolving restaurant on top, etc. They hired this older cook who used to work on the iron ore barges on Lake Superior. He was a pretty colorful guy. The Head Chef caught him putting bacon grease into the pancake batter and the eggs and anywhere else he could. He said the men on the boats loved it. The Chef had a hard time convincing him that we used real butter. I guess when you are out freezing on one of those boats in the dead of winter a little bacon grease would taste just great. I know when I was a kid my Dad felt the same way. Yum.

Shiites and Sunnis

2005-06-07T10:19:00.000-06:00

Now I am no expert on these two religious groups but I had a hard time getting all teary eyed when a Sunni cleric was complaining that the recent crack-down in Iraq seemed to be targeting Sunni areas. Hello? About 95 % of the recent bombings, beheadings, tortures and killings of non-Americans in Iraq are agains the Kurds and Shiites. The Sunnis in power over the last 20 years have killed hundreds of thousands of their Muslim brethren by assassination and gassing and other means (look at the charges against Sadamm). If this cleric wants his people to not be targeted by the police in searches for weapons and insurgents then he ought to be yelling at his followers to stop the stupid, wasteful violence and killing and instead live peaceful lives like religious people are supposed to do. No sympathy from me.

A Good Guy

2005-06-04T20:00:00.000-06:00

This week I was a good guy. How many other husbands and fathers would see the same chick movie twice in a week. I took my 20 year old daughter to see The Mystery of the Traveling Pants on Wednesday for a daddy daughter date. Barb was at a wedding shower. The whole place was female. Not one other guy. We enjoyed it. Good acting and plot. Then on Friday, Barb, my wife, wanted to see a movie for our date and she chose the same movie. There was one other man besides me and about 70 - 100 girls in the theater. I enjoyed it and hey, I don't often get to say it but I am a good guy.

Muslim Priorities?

2005-06-03T11:22:00.000-06:00

Muslim Priorities
I am confused. I see huge riots in Muslim capitals over vague reports that someone was not respectful to the Koran. However, when a suicide bomber, who is Muslim, kills himself and horribly kills and wounds other innocent Muslim men, women and children, there are no corresponding riots. There are no pronouncements from Islamic leaders that they don’t agree. What gives?
As a Christian, I am aware that our religion gives high priority to Life.
The Christian God forbids killing, except in self defense. We are not to commit suicide nor kill and wound others, especially in the name of our God.
In Islam, is Allah the same or different? Are there laws against killing? Why don’t the religious leaders of Islam come out boldly and proclaim that they don’t agree with so called Martyrs who kill innocents to make some point? I have heard Muslims who don’t want to be associated with the terrorists – but then what do they believe differently from them? Does Allah, according to the followers of Islam, have more interest in his writings on paper (The Koran) than He does in the lives of his people? I imagine with a lot of research I could find this out but why are Islam’s leaders not proclaiming their stand, their beliefs, their interpretations that contrast with these blood thirsty terrorists? Why don’t they help out the average, confused, ignorant person with this dilemma? I try to respect all religions, but I am having a hard time when there is so much silence out there.

Filibuster - right or wrong?

2005-06-02T13:04:00.000-06:00

Filibuster: The press is asking if people are for or against the filibuster in the Senate when it is used to block a vote on Judicial nominations. I feel the filibuster is wrong on many fronts. First it’s a huge waste of time, money and talent. Instead of doing productive business the minority is blathering on about nothing in a kind of childlike tantrum until the majority gets tired and quits. What a waste of congressional time. Secondly, it is wrong because the minority party is using it to actually determine nominations. The filibuster was originally instituted to give the minority a right to be heard. Now it has grown into a right to block and ultimately ‘choose’ who is not going to be a judge. The minority claims they are preventing "radical, right-wing" etc. judges from getting to the bench but they can claim that for anyone they disagree with. The right to select judges goes to he president. The right to vote for confirmation goes to the senate. If the nomination never comes to the floor for a vote then the Filibuster, whether used by Republicans or Democrats just wastes time and gives power to a small minority that they have no right to possess. Do away with it! Maybe limit debate time to something reasonable but to keep it and claim its some constitutional right is just …. Wrong.

Relationship with Spouse

2005-02-21T11:13:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share a few little thoughts about relationships - especially between husband and wife. Stuff I am still working on.
Keep a kind, quiet tone and when disagreements arise, pause, breathe deep and be willing to compromise. Keep a sense of humor and be willing to overlook things in your spouse that you feel are wrong but probably don't make much difference. Do little favors and make it a goal to please your spouse. I have faults and am not perfect so I shouldn't sweat a few in my spouse. When my spouse is happy and feels respected and valued I will feel better about myself and our love will increase. Love is a verb. We love others more when we serve them and put them first in our lives. I always remember that song in Fiddler on the Roof - "Do You Love Me?". Love is very little attraction and much more sharing, interaction and striving for similar goals. Caring more about the other increases our love toward them. Don't be defensive. It's not about you. Listen with sympathy. Try not to get irritated, angry or impatient. Notice the good and ignore the bad. Try not to judge. Try not to get offended.
Well, a bit cheesy and it would be nice if I were doing all this but just a list to share for what it's worth.

Two types of people

2005-02-17T16:03:00.000-07:00

I was picking up some big boulders and trash that some vandals had chucked onto the lawn in the little park near our home and I got to thinking that there are two type of people in this world: Those who create and those who destroy, those who help and those who hinder, those who build up and those who tear down, those who love and those who hate, those who pick up litter and those who spread garbage as they go, those who love and those who hate, those who compliment and those who criticize, those who give and those who steal, those who contribute to the community and those who suck up resources from others, those who sue and those who get sued, those who are kind and those who are nasty, those who build jails and those who go to jail, those who make laws and those who break laws, those who respect others and those who distain others, those who are honest and those who are corrupt, those who heal, and give life and those who hurt and take life. Luckily there seem to be more of the former than the later. I thought also that there is God and there is Satan

Weight Loss - Fat or Muscle?

2005-02-01T15:49:00.000-07:00

If we are trying to lose weight we usually eat less, exercise and weigh ourselves often. We jump on the scale and want to see weight loss. However this could be deceiving. We really shouldn’t be looking for loss but for the fat/muscle ratio to improve.
Let’s say we are ‘overweight’ and start eating healthily and walking or running a few times a week. We could go for weeks at the same weight and get discouraged. But, chances are we have gained 10 pounds of muscle and lost 10 pounds of fat. We weigh the same but are healthier and look fit. Muscle weighs more than fat and is in better spots on the body to make us look good. So, we shouldn’t really just look for a reduction in our scale amount.
If we exercise and eat less high calorie foods (eat more whole grains, fruits and veggies) we may lose weight but what may be happening is we are adding muscle and losing fat. After 50 pounds of loss we feel great. Maybe we actually lost 70 pounds of fat and gained 20 pounds of muscle. If we stop exercising and eat poorly after a few weeks we may gain 5 pounds. We think – that’s not too bad. But what may have happened is we just lost 15 pounds of muscle and gained 20 pounds of fat. A total gain of 5 pounds but an actual really bad gain of 20 pounds of fat. There are many scenarios that could occur, but the point is that the scale is not the way to determine our health. Look at our shape, our waist size, our legs and hips. Maybe pinch our lose belly skin and see how thick it is with underlying fat or have a professional fat/muscle ratio test done at the local gym. The body responds rapidly to what we do. Get a broken leg and go into traction and the body immediately senses those muscles aren’t being used and unused muscles start to atrophy.
Another example: If we are overweight and only reduce calories, we will start losing weight on the scale. However we are probably losing half fat and half muscle. As time goes on, since we are losing fat and muscle we weigh less so the body realizes it doesn’t need as much muscle to carry all that lard around and sheds even more muscle. It is muscle mass that burns calories. If we are losing muscle by reducing calorie intake we are losing our ability to burn fat. We actually will lose less fat the more muscle we lose. After an amazing 50 pound loss we may feel successful. What actually happened with no exercise is that we lost 20 pounds of fat and 30 pounds of muscle. Look at pictures of starvation survivors - Not a pretty sight. So…. we need to always exercise (climb stairs, walk, lift weights, bicycle, fidget, etc.) when we diet, to insure we add muscle and not subtract it. The more muscle built the more fat is burned in our muscle metabolism factories. Obviously the numbers here are made up but the principle is correct. It’s not the weight we lose that is important. It is both the fat we lose and the muscle we gain that benefits us the most.

Judgement

2005-01-27T19:43:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about criticism. We all do it. We judge others and often let them know in various ways how we disagree or disapprove. I feel that it's wrong. The problem is that its so prevalent. We judge others when we drive and in our families and it's so easy. However, I know how sensitive I am to criticism aimed at me. I can get physically ill when I receive certain types of criticism. There can be righteous criticism or prophetic criticism where a prophet is told by God to tell a whole people of their sins. However, most of ours don't really fall into that category and yet we justify our criticisms by thinking that since we are 'right' then it's OK. I'm mostly talking to myself. I have been trying to never criticise for many years and yet I fall back into it so easily - giving a lecture or asking a question that is really a judgement.
I've been watching The Amazing Race and noticed how much of the contention and bad feelings come when a mistake is made and the other person blames them. How refreshing it would be if we could just never judge others and let them realize their own mistakes. I guess the only time our opinion should be given is when it is specifically asked for. This would be especially true in families - Husband and wife, brothers and sisters and parents and children. It's a good goal. I am going to keep trying and see how it turns out. I really think the world would be a better place if we did like my Mom. She always built us kids up and, to my memory, never criticised us. It gave us a lot of confidence. Wonder what happened to me? I'm not horrible but certainly not as good as my Mother was. It's a good goal.

Not sure how much blogging I will do

2005-01-03T13:16:00.000-07:00

I am really not sure how much blogging I will do. I may run across something I want to sound off on but I just may let this die.
It is raining steadily here in Mesa, Arizona today and tomorrow. Very unusual and so enjoyable. I think I would love Seattle. I can't get enough of rain and clouds. Of course that is because I almost never see any. Some day I will have to put my blog address in my emails.

Retirement

2004-12-29T10:28:00.000-07:00

I'm now 58 and for some reason longing for retirement. However, I often feel like I did when I was in school. I wanted to be sick and stay home. Not because I didn't like school, it was more like the excitement of staying home, resting, watching TV and doing something different. Christmas vacations were so longed for and then I would find myself wanting to go back.
For various reasons, I am not enjoying work right now. I wish to retire and have the whole day to myself. Take some classes, garden more, jog regularly, putter around the house and fix things, go on a mission with my wife and help people, volunteer, etc. However, again, like when I was young, I find the extended vacation (we get off from 24 Dec to 4 Jan) getting old. Stay up late, get up late, go running each day. After awhile I find myself wondering what to do. There is plenty to do but it's hard to decide what to do next. At least at work I am kind of forced to do things I don't want to and then I get that rush of accomplishment when I finish something that was scary and hard to do but I did it anyway. Maybe reteirement won't be that great?

First Post to my Blog.

2004-12-27T17:04:00.000-07:00

My son talked me into starting one of these. I do want to philosophize some time about a few things but for now I am just testing this out.