The Crane Wife

A Rare Occurence

2012-01-21T23:09:00.003-07:00

I always joke with people and tell them that I was born with a ping-pong paddle in my right-hand, chopsticks in my left, and a camera around my neck. I always love to have a camera with me BUT I usually only like to take pictures of inanimate objects or people in social settings. My forte is definitely not taking pictures of people...I choose to leave that to the professionals. On the rare occasion that I agree to do it there has to be an understanding that I will not get paid for doing it. There's too much pressure when someone is paying you...at least this way if they are not satisfied I can say, 'you get what you pay for.'

Anyway, one of my friends was able to talk me into taking a few pictures for them for a Christmas card. Admittedly, because the lighting wasn't ideal we didn't get as many good shots as we had hoped. So, I think I was overpaid for my services when I was treated to a ranch-style breakfast before taking the pictures. With that said, here are a few of the shots that I liked:

I can't really take credit for these photos...it's hard to screw up when you have such photogenic subjects. Thanks Bells for the chance to dust off the old camera...!

2012-01-06T03:38:00.001-07:00

I realized tonight that I’m a pretty sentimental person. Not the kind of sentimental that will land me on the next episode of Hoarders because I collect anything and everything that has any sort of significance…more like the kind of sentimental that makes me value lasting memories when I am reminded of someone. Up until today, I had an obvious daily reminder of my grandparents…it was a mountain scene that occupied one of the walls in my living room. In a lot of ways it is what made this house a home for me.

Anyone who has ever visited my house has had the privilege of seeing ‘the mural’ on the wall that I’m referring to. In fact, for as long as I have been coming to this house I have seen it every time I’ve walked in the front door and looked over my shoulder. The mural itself is older than most, if not all, of the grandkids in the family.

Some of my favorite memories of spending time with my grandparents were created in front of the mural. During Sunday visits we would sit on the couches in the living room while grandpa made chocolate shakes in the kitchen. As we each waited patiently for our own cup we would sit and talk about what was happening in each of our lives.

I was reluctant to remove it because I genuinely loved having it here but what surprised me more than anything is just how much it affected me once it was gone. After I had finished I found myself sitting in front of the white wall where the mural used to be and staring at it as if it were an abstract piece of art. However, in this case, it was not the blank canvas (wall) that was the art…it was absence of what was once there that held my attention for so long.

One of my favorite quotes is by Rose Kennedy, she said:

“It has been said, ‘time heals all wounds.’ I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone.”

As I pulled down the mural piece by piece I reminisced about the time I spent with my grandparents and it was great to have the ‘jabs of red hot memory’ come back. Among the memories that came to mind were the times I miss the most…the lunch-time talks around the kitchen table and the hugs each time I arrived and left when my grandmother would stand on a stair and wait with open arms for a hug and then smile each time she got one and tell us how much she loved us before sending us on our way. My grandparents and the mural may be gone but they have both left lasting memories that I will forever be grateful for.

Now and Then...

2011-12-14T21:50:00.003-07:00

It's been an interesting day. I think I've had a lot of time to reflect on the past couple of years. On Saturday I found myself reluctantly taking pictures for a friend. I use the word reluctantly because I'll be the first to admit that when it comes to taking pictures of people it's something better left for the professionals. We agreed that the price that they would pay for my time was a nice home-cooked meal...those are hard to come by as a bachelor. I was quick to remind them that 'they get what they pay for.' Since I come cheap, they couldn't expect to much. I showed up early and received the home-cooked meal (one of my favorites) biscuits and gravy...ranch style. I think I came out ahead on that deal.

Well, I shot the majority of the images in RAW (NEF if you're a Nikon user). Anyway, I guess I like things in that format. I like my steak on the raw side, my sushi of course...raw, and sometimes my thoughts. There is something about a hand-written letter with scribbles through misspelled words, white out and ink over covered up phrases, etc. Unfortunately, you can't see those things in a blog post...unless of course I were to write it, scan it, and upload...but, let's be honest, I'm too lazy for that. However, I will keep this one as raw and unadulterated as possible. That's a long intro to this post...which is fine, this one is meant as more of a catharsis for me anyway.

The blog title for this post is 'Now and Then'...it refers to the past two years of my life. Today is the birthday of a girl that I used to date (I don't like the term ex-girlfriend because it sounds so negative). Two years ago today I was rushing home from a work party that she was unable to attend with me because she had to study for finals, so that I could wish her a Happy Birthday in person. I remember ordering a dessert at the restaurant (chocolate cake if memory serves me correctly) to take to her along with the roses (her favorite flower) that I had picked up earlier that day. I got to her house around 10 o'clock we shared the piece of cake and I sang to her in Portuguese before telling her goodnight so that she could get some sleep and be well rested for her exams the next day. After her finals were over I took her out to dinner and to the Nutcracker to officially celebrate and we ended the night with a quick trip to see the lights at Temple Square before we both left town.

Honestly, there's a part of me that would like to go back in time and relive those few nights BUT I realize that was then...and this is now. I know it's probably unhealthy (emotionally) but I've had allowed thoughts come and go throughout the day wondering just how she is spending this birthday...after all, this is her first birthday since she began her college career when she won't have to stress over final projects/exams. I can only hope that someone made it a special day for her and that the coming year is even better than the last.

She was my best friend and it doesn't feel right not to reach out on a special occasion like a birthday. I've even debated a couple of times today whether to send a text message, an email, or join the host of well-wishers on Facebook to tell her Happy Birthday but have decided against it. Instead, I'll use this post, that she will likely never come across, to wish her a Happy Birthday...Happy Birthday, Milo!

My Name On A Cupcake...

2011-07-12T20:38:00.006-06:00

I had lunch with a close personal friend today…in fact, she and I used to date. As we sat and ate our authentic Thai food at a small little restaurant in Orem we reminisced about the time we spent together and some of our current dating frustrations. When it comes to relationships I’ve always considered myself pretty ‘easy to please’ and I was relieved to find out that she agreed with me. You see, it doesn’t take much to keep me happy. Here’s a list:

A) Ever since I had long hair in high school and girls asked if they could play with it, I’ve been a fan (not of the long hair but having it played with). I’m half-tempted to grow it out again and see if it will produce the same result.

B) An occasional kiss on the cheek when I’m least expecting it. When you kiss someone on the cheek you don’t expect anything in return.

C) I think everyone likes a nice foot massage (I keep my feet really clean).

D) Maybe a text every once in awhile to let me know you’re thinking about me.

E) A home-cooked treat/meal never hurt any bachelor…present company included.

F) Finally, if you’ve spoken with me in the past few months you would know that my new approach to dating is to find someone will put my name on a cupcake.

That may not sound like much to you. Especially when you consider the fact that I don’t even really care for cupcakes. I’d actually prefer a homemade frosted sugar cookie or, short of that, one of those $0.99 jumbo sugar cookies from Smith’s with the hard plastic frosting on it.

It’s not the cupcake with my name on it that means anything, it’s what it symbolizes. I just want to find that girl that is proud to call me her boyfriend, to hold my hand in public, to introduce me to her family, AND to put my name on a cupcake and post a picture of it on her blog or facebook account. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t always make that easy, but I do try. That may sound like I’ve never had any of those things done for me…I have.

Let’s be honest, I really don’t have the right to complain, I have been blessed to spend time with some extremely thoughtful girls. For example: one of them was waiting patiently on my doorstep for me to come back from a bike ride with a fresh peach pie in hand simply because she understood just how much I LOVE fresh peach pies. That same girl was concerned for my safety and bought me a reflector and lights for my bike that I use to this day. I’ve gotten chocolate covered cherries from a girl who would have bought strawberries if the candy store had them. And, I’ve even been the recipient of those fun little handwritten coupons that are given at random times and can be redeemed at anytime (assuming she’s around long enough to use them). That is to say nothing of the thoughtful girls that I consider the best of friends and the amazing things they have done for me.

Anyway, I guess what I’m trying to say is that I feel like the success to any healthy relationship is for each person to do whatever they can do to make the other person happy. I’d like to think that I’ve tried to do that BUT you’d have to ask the girls I’ve dated to know for sure. With that said, I don’t think I’m alone in wanting my ‘name on a cupcake’. So, regardless of whether you’re dating someone or you’ve been fortunate enough to get married, do me a favor, write your significant other's name on a cupcake (AKA do the little things that make them happy).

Innocence of Youth

2011-06-16T09:23:00.014-06:00

Yesterday morning the cops showed up on my sister's doorstep. Apparently, during the night someone had pulled all of the freshly planted flowers at Sheri Dew's house.

When Sister Dew noticed that all of her flowers that she planted the previous night had been taken from her garden, she called her friend and neighbor, Wendy Nelson (wife of Russell M. Nelson). Sister Nelson hurried next door and the two of them had decided that it was probably a good idea to inform the police. Since she had just returned from a two-week trip to Russia Sister Nelson ran home for 15 minutes to clean up so she could run to the nursery and pick up some more flowers for Sister Dew. In the meantime, the police officers had arrived and wandered into my sister's backyard to see if her house had been vandalized too. Much to their surprise they found the pile of missing flowers.

What they thought could have been the work of a group of disgruntled teenage pranksters turned out to be the innocence of my cute little niece. You only have to meet Ella and you'll quickly realize just how sweet she is and understand that malice was the furthest thing from her mind. My guess is that she just wanted her mom to have some pretty flowers in her garden too.

Fortunately, the officer was very cute with her so she wouldn't end up traumatized by the experience. Sister Dew was great too. She put Ella in charge of garden security and asked her to keep an eye out for anyone trying to pull flowers from her garden.

After things had settled down Sister Dew and Sister Nelson headed to the nursery to buy some new flowers as some of them had been damaged. They were so sweet and thoughtful...while they were at the nursery the picked up a flower for Ella and were eager to give it to her so she could have a flower or her own. She was fast asleep by the time they returned...a little too much excitement for one morning.

It's not quite as tasty as a plate of freshly baked cookies but what a memorable way to meet the neighbors!

Thank you Ella for being the most adorable niece ever and for having such a huge heart!

5-22-11

2011-06-02T18:22:00.009-06:00

May 22, 3:45 am: We were the only two left in the living room...everyone else had left or gone to bed. It wasn't until I could no longer stay awake that I reluctantly decided to leave...

Candy: 'I feel like we should hug or something but that would be awkward.'

Me: 'I was just thinking the same thing.'

That's the way we are...the best of friends that would do anything for each other...except hug. BUT, the fact that I could easily count on one hand the amount of times we've actually hugged does not make the friendship any less meaningful.

As we were driving to the Spazmatics she turned to me and said, ‘when you walked in you almost looked like you were going to cry.’ She was referring to my response to the surprise party she had put together. The truth is, I did get a little choked up...still do when I think about it.

For the past few years I have planned my own birthday parties...not because I'm that vain but because it is a good excuse to guilt people into spending time together. The usual excuses are no longer valid when it’s someone’s birthday…everyone has to come. Okay, they don’t have to but they are more inclined to do so. My birthdays usually involve some sort of food and 80’s dancing…this year I planned pretty much the same thing. The plan was to meet at Candy’s house for dinner (take-and-bake pizza from Nick and Willy’s), take pictures of our awesome 80’s costumes, and then head out to see my favorite 80’s cover band.

I made it easy for her to get me to her house since that is what I had planned on all along. But that was the only easy thing for her that night. As I walked toward the kitchen I saw a few people that I wasn’t expecting and by the time I made it all the way there I heard a big shout, ‘Surprise!’ That was an understatement.

Lots of people have surprise parties, right? So, why would I (the person who boasts not showing emotion) get choked up? Because of the time and effort that was spent in my behalf…to make this birthday special. It is one thing to have balloons, decorations, and treats BUT it was entirely another thing to have all of those things catered to my individual tastes. There was everything from a fondue pot with chocolate covered strawberries, pretzels, and marshmallows, to Oreos, to black licorice, to ‘purple soda’, to homemade frosted sugar cookies, carrot cake (she enlisted the help of my mom on those two), ‘argyle’ and Pac-Man cakes (thanks to Carly), pulled pork sandwiches (thanks for her parents) and the list goes on.

As wonderful as the food and decorations were, they paled in comparison to the people that were there. Candy made sure to invite everyone that she could think of that I would like to have there...for some of them, it was the first time I was able to share my birthday with them, for others it had been years since I had that privilege. For the few that had other commitments, this is my way of sharing with you the amazing night that Candy had arranged.

No party is complete without a piñata, right? Well, there were even a couple of those thanks to Lance and Mike. The problem…no bat. The solution…’ninja punching’. I now believe that every piñata should be ninja punched as the puncher is attacked by the piñatas.

After eating, picture taking, and piñata punching the group sang Happy Birthday as loudly as I’ve ever heard it sung. Some people left and went home, the rest of us headed out for an evening of dancing. While we were at the club I was approached by two different people who said things that perfectly define the night:

The first was Brysen. He first asked why Candy and I aren’t married…not an uncommon question for either one of us to hear. He then said, ‘who does something like this.’ I quickly responded by telling him that Candy is easily one of my best friends…he replied saying, ‘I have lots of good friends but none of them would do something like this.’ I thought about it for a second and it made me realize just how fortunate I am to be friends with Candy.

Raymond was half-drunk but fully sincere when he pulled me aside and said that the party and everything that went into it was a testament that ‘not all nice guys finish last.’ He went on to tell me what a blessing it was to have such a close group of friends, especially a friend like Candy that would go above and beyond to plan such a memorable night.

That is the best way to describe the night…memorable. I will not soon forget my 31^st birthday or, as my dad calls it, the second anniversary of my 29^th birthday. I can’t thank everyone enough for all that they did to make it such an unforgettable night. ..especially Candy!

mir·a·cle /ˈmirikəl/ noun

2011-04-15T22:20:00.005-06:00

In my last blog post I used a scripture from the book of Luke when the Savior was praying the Garden of Gethsemane. As he prayed he asked saying, ‘remove this cup from me: nevertheless my will, but thine, be done’. Immediately following that scripture is of my favorites of the New Testament. It reads simply, ‘there appeared unto him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.’

I have always held those two scriptures close to my heart because of the profound lessons that they teach. With that said, I have come to appreciate them even more this week as I have pondered about how they apply to miracles.

When we speak of the miracles surrounding the Life and Atonement of the Savior we focus on the fact that we can receive forgiveness for our sins, hope for a reunion with those that we hold so dear in this life, and eventually partake in the resurrection. I think one that is often over-looked is illustrated in the scripture listed above.

Miracles are defined in two ways:

1. A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is considered to be divine.

2. A highly improbable or extraordinary event, development, or accomplishment.

It’s only natural in times of sickness and suffering that we pray for our loved ones to be healed. But, we should not limit our definition of miracles to be confined to those times when our requests are granted.

The thought that has been on my mind this week is this: sometimes the miracle is not to be healed, the real miracle is to be strengthened through those trying times.

Earlier this week I attended the funeral of a man that I consider to be among the best of friends. I was at the hospital shortly before he passed away. As I was leaving his children showed up to be with him. They each had a chance to tell him that they loved him, that they knew he loved them, and that they would be okay.

While he was not able to be healed from such an aggressive cancer he was blessed with the miracle of having his own angels, in the form of family members and close friends, with him as he experienced what must have been one of his darkest hours. The beauty of the miracle does not stop there…just as they were there for him, certainly he will be there for them when they need him most. They will be reminded of lessons taught and counsel given that will stick with them throughout their lives.

We have the opportunity to be miracles in the lives of those around us. As we seek to help those in need we become the angels they need us to be.

Elder Henry B. Eyring made these two promises to those who would choose to serve the Lord by helping those around them:

“Hard as things seem today, they will be better in the next day if you choose to serve the Lord this day with your whole heart. Your circumstances may not be improved in all the ways which you desire. But you will have been given new strength to carry your burdens and new confidence that when your burdens become too heavy, the Lord, whom you have served, will carry what you cannot. He knows how. He prepared long ago. He suffered your infirmities and your sorrows when He was in the flesh so that He would know how to succor you.

The other promise I make to you is that by choosing to serve Him this day, you will feel His love and grow to love Him more.”

I will end with these words from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland:

“Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are close, perhaps even closest through the Holy Ghost when we are experiencing difficult trials…bad days come to end, faith always triumphs, and heavenly promises are always kept.”

Trib-HUGH-te

2011-03-27T10:46:00.003-06:00

I have sat down a couple of times to try and come up with a fitting tribute to someone that I truly consider to be a best friend. I first met Hugh when I began working for Simmons Outdoor. As my ‘trainer’ he brags (rightfully so) that he ‘taught me everything I know, just not everything he knows.’ We laugh about it a little bit but there is a lot of truth to that statement. I constantly find myself learning something new from him.

On one of our combined sales trips to Texas we stood in line behind the rental car counter waiting for our turn. I had reserved my car in advance and had gotten a cheaper rate. True to form, Hugh tried to negotiate with the girl to get the same rate that they had offered me. His argument was that I, his associate, had a cheaper rate and because we were ‘associates’ we should be paying the same price. She refused to give him the discount and he reluctantly agreed to pay the rate she was asking for. Well, Hugh and I have become much more than ‘associates’ over the years. In addition to considering him a best friend and associate, I also consider him an outstanding example, personal confidant and mentor. I would be hard pressed to think of someone that I admire and respect more than Hugh.

Some of my favorite memories of Hugh are the times that we spent working together. Whether is was singing along to ‘Sailing’ (Christopher Cross) as we were driving on I-80 out to Wendover, mountain biking on a sales retreat, or hitting up the closest Chinese buffet, we always had a great time. There were times that I would be driving the two of us around and he would turn to me and say, ‘I’m going to go Kawabata on you’…which meant he was going to take a nap until we got to where we were going...he coined the phrase because when he was training me I would fall asleep on some of our long drives.

Speaking of phrases, a couple of week ago, I sat in the living room with Hugh and read aloud some of the letters he had just received from Darren. As I read through them, I’d come to phrases that made no sense to me but that brought smiles to Hugh’s face because he understood and appreciated them. Fortunately, there were some of the phrases that he used the carried over into his work life that I came to know all too well. It is not uncommon to hear Hugh say, ‘what do you want, the sun and the moon with a fence around them?’…‘what do you want, eggs in your beer?’...’what the fetch!’…’he totally got poned’…and my personal favorite was when someone would tell an unbelievable story he would ask them if ‘they found a $10 bill too.’ More than the phrases are the smiles that come to his face when he says them.

There were also some common phrases that he used when it came to training me how to be a better sales person. He would encourage me by saying, ‘see the people’, ‘press the flesh’, or, ‘all they can say is no’. I still love to go on sales calls with Hugh and see him in action. I consider it one of the great privileges of my life. He always seems to know when it is time to talk and when it is best to be quiet and let the customer break the silence. He has a way of finding common ground with just about everyone he meets. I didn’t know him as a missionary but I’d be willing to bet that the same qualities that make him a great sales person are the same ones that made him an even better missionary.

One of the things that I am most grateful for in my association with Hugh is that the greatest lessons I learned were not about sales but about life and love. Among his greatest attributes are his love for, and faith in, God and his family. I’ve always felt that the best compliments given are the ones that are unsolicited and will likely never get back to the person that they are said about. That is one of the reasons that I appreciate hearing about the most recent accomplishments of his children and wife. Whether it was Diane getting a new job, Darren playing the piano for the school musical, or Jerry playing for BYU, he speaks of their accomplishments as if they are his own. You can see the pride that comes over his face each time he speaks of any of them and you catch a glimpse of just how much he loves them.

Of the many proud moments that Hugh has had as a parent, few compare to seeing Darren receive his mission call. When he told me about the mission call he humbly admitted that he wasn’t sure how he was going to get along without him. He then proceeded to tell me all of the ways that Darren had helped pick up the slack when Hugh didn’t have the energy to do things that he needed to do. It is compliments like those that are most sincere and long-lasting. They are a tribute not only to Hugh but also to his family that he cares about so deeply.

Sadly, Hugh has been fighting an uphill battle with cancer for the past three years. He began going through chemotherapy a few months ago only to find out recently that it hadn’t been working as well as they had hoped. The cancer had spread to other parts of his body so quickly that the doctors explained that there was not much else that they could do.

Well, a couple of weeks ago we found ourselves behind another check-out counter and he turned to me and said, ‘I’m not in denial…I know that I’m sick but I don’t have any other choice than to have faith and hope because it is better than facing reality.’ That was another great lesson of having faith and hope in the face of adversity. Anyway, I have always appreciated Hugh’s hope and unwavering faith and later that same day as we drove in the car he explained to me that his faith was not necessarily to be healed but that Heavenly Father’s will would come to pass. He assured me that trials like these in life are not meant to weaken faith but to strengthen it.

There will be plenty of reality facing Hugh in the coming days and weeks but I will stand by him in faith and hope…because it is in fact better than facing reality. As Moroni said, ‘God has not ceased to be a God of miracles.’ The children of Israel were spared at the borders of the Red Sea, Lazarus was raised from the dead and Daniel and his ‘associates’ were also saved. So, I will continue to hope and pray alongside Hugh and many others for one of those miracles to happen in his life.

In doing so, I know it is also important to remember that even when the Savior prayed and said, ‘remove this cup from me: nevertheless my will, but thine, be done’ he was not spared. However, ‘there appeared unto him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.’ in cases like those when we are allowed to go through unimaginable pain and suffering that we would prefer to avoid, the Lord provides us with heavenly help to strengthen us.

Hugh has taught me to be the salesperson I am, and the person I want to be. Thank you, Hugh. My love, thoughts, and prayers are with you and your family during this trial!

$37.74

2011-02-01T21:06:00.002-07:00

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. My dad boasts that he doesn't read novels, he reads spreadsheets. I'm am not as well-versed as he is but I have developed an affinity for rows, columns and cells myself. I have taken my new-found love and created a budget for 2011. There are about as many different ways to budget as there are to spend your money and I'll be the first to admit that my budget needs to be modified. As I make the necessary changes to it throughout the year it will become better.

A few weeks ago I asked my dad for some pointers on improving my budget. He gave his suggestions and also said that there is probably a statistic out there that states that those who budget save more. I'd have to agree. Just like the calorie-counting dieter, the budgeter begins to see where to trim the fat from a spending diet. I have noticed that I have been more aware of where I'm spending my money and consequently where I can save it. That's not to say that I don't avail myself of paying a little extra for some conveniences...I love On the Spot renewal at Jiffy Lube. $10 is a small price to pay to avoid the lines at the DMV.

Anyway, this month I am happy to report that I came in $37.74 under my budget goal, I spent 37% less this January over last January, and was able to put a little over 17% of my gross income into my savings account. Initially, it sounds like a triumph but in retrospect those figures could have been even better. Hopefully, the trend continues as I strive to stick to my budget. It's exciting to try and find new and creative ways to save money and eliminate expenses...so, if you have any suggestions, let me know.

Finally, while I geeked out on creating my own budget, there are plenty of budget templates online. Find the one that works for you and stick to it.

right of passAGE (literally)

2011-01-29T15:06:00.005-07:00

During our youth we reach certain milestones as we grow older. At age 16 we get a driver's license, at age 18 we become adults and have the right to vote, at age 21 we reach the legal drinking/gambling age, etc. Those are all exciting birthdays but as we get older they start to lose their appeal. First comes 25, then 30, then 40 bringing nothing with them except clever phrases like, 'the dirty 30' or 'over the hill.' That is until you qualify for the senior citizen's discount at the local Denny's, get your AARP card or can retire and start collecting Social Security (assuming it's even still around when WE get there).

Well, today as I talked with someone who has made it past each of those earlier milestones and is currently working on some of the others, we spoke of the other 'privileges' that come with old age...or rather the behaviors that become more acceptable/excusable the older we get. There are three major ones that we discussed:

1) You no longer have to be politically correct. You can say whatever you want. People can chose to be offended, or they can just chalk it up to your old age and grumpy disposition...or the fact that you 'grew up in a different generation.'

2) You can drive erratically (for example: you can drive 20mph under the speed limit in the fast lane, you can back up without looking over your shoulder, and you can leave your blinker on indefinitely, or not turn it on at all.)

3) Perhaps the most important (and the reason the person wishes to remain anonymous) is the fact that you can 'fart anywhere you want.' By way of example this individual explained that at the beginning of a relationship we are all careful not to break wind in front of the other person; as the relationship progresses we become more comfortable and, in certain instances, passing gas is at least tolerable; but, it is not until we reach our golden years that it is okay to cut the cheese freely in private and in public.

My response to those three suggestions was: 'haven't you already been doing all of those things anyway'...and quick came the reply, 'yeah, but it's getting worse.'

I have to admit that suddenly getting older doesn't seem so bad.

If you have any others you would like to add to list, feel free.

Best Blind Date Set Up...

2011-01-20T15:45:00.005-07:00

We've all been set up on blind dates before, right? This email that I received this week is quite possibly the best approach I've ever seen, heard or read.

"Before we begin, let me say that this (email) will probably fall in the category of “Emma’s top 10 all time most awkward emails." And trust me I’ve written A LOT of awkward emails.

That being said, here we go…

Travis this is Stacy. Stacy this is Travis.

1. You both are sort of Asian… I think, 'hell I don’t know, but I’ve been set up for weirder things.'
2. You both travel. (or so I hear)
3. You both are outstanding members of the LDS church. (as far as I know)
4. You both are single (if this is not the case then you can stop reading now).

So when you combine these four factors, the result is (obviously) Matchmaking Nirvana… or at least to a certain coworker I have. I personally think it’s ridiculous. The chances of crap like this working is about as likely as Matt Damon showing up on my door step… riding a unicorn… nekkid.

Anyhoo, normally (because I set people up soooooo often) I would have just given a phone number to you, Travis, and let things go from there. But oddly enough, Stacy here doesn’t have a phone at the moment (sigh). She claims she didn’t really need one while she was in ECUADOR taking care of little ORPHAN BABIES (fact) and also claims to “really enjoy” the freedom that phonelessness gives her (crazy hippy talk). I figure that will change now that she’s got a big girl job … if not we probably won’t be friends anymore (kidding, sort of… you're walking a fine line Miss Stacy). So I’m giving you each other’s email address and you can exchange whatever information y’all want (if you want). Or you can totally blow each other off (at least that is what I would do).

Moving on, based on my conversations with you (Travis, I’ve talked to you probably less than 5 minutes since I’ve known you. HA! And Stacy, minus that whole phone bit, and the stint with old-man window air conditioner repair guy) I think both of you are pretty normal. I doubt you’ll have to worry about stalking issues or the like. Just in case, though, you’ll probably want to meet up in a public place (Walmart, Redbox, Super Target if you're fancy-like).

So there you go kids… have fun stormin’ the castle.

Oh there’s one more thing. Did I mention, I think you two are probably related? (Queue “Big Love” theme song…Warren Jeffs is applauding right now).

The more I write the more I’m realizing this is bound to be an EPIC FAIL, but I figure it will result in a hilarious story… so just to pacify my coworker (she digs playing matchmaker), go to dinner (lunch? Ice blocking?). Definitely keep it cheap (del taco on a Tuesday?), go dutch even!… you can exchange frequent flier miles, talk about your cousins, write a travel log (or whatever you kids do these days), then go your separate ways.

On the off chance that this does work (which it won’t, these things never do) I’ll expect this email to be printed, framed and hanging in your living room.

Best wishes for wonderful life together... or at least 15 minutes at the Dairy Queen."

I guess all that remains now is to see just how great Del Taco can be on a Tuesday night.

David Brooks

2011-01-10T18:15:00.002-07:00

I recently discovered a new columnist whose writing style I really like. His name is David Brooks.

One of my favorite articles is one that he wrote about 5 years ago. It's called Saturday Night Lite.

Here are some of the best quotes from the article:

"I blame the arbiters of virtue. Sometime over the past generation we became less likely to object to something because it is immoral and more likely to object to something because it is unhealthy or unsafe. So smoking is now a worse evil than six of the Ten Commandments, and the word "sinful" is most commonly associated with chocolate.

Now we lead lives in which everything is a pallid parody of itself: fat-free yogurt, salt-free pretzels, milk-free milk. Gone, at least among the responsible professional class, is the exuberance of the feast. Gone is the grand and pointless gesture."

OR

"This isn't the empire of an American Caesar; it's the empire of faux Caesar salad.

I blame parents. Kids are raised amid foam corner protectors and schooled amid flame-retardant construction paper. They're drugged with a vast array of pharmaceuticals to keep them from becoming interesting. They go from adult-structured tutorials to highly padded sports practices to career-counselor-approved summer internships."

He ends with these words:

"no matter how dull and responsible you become, an alternative and much stranger moral universe is always just one slippery step away."

Agreed.

Smile

2011-01-08T14:51:00.007-07:00

This message is as much for me as it is for any who might read this.

A few years ago on one of my first sales trips to the Texas panhandle I visited an advertising agency that prided itself on being the 'oldest ad agency west of the Mississippi River'. Their office looked as though it was stuck in the 70's with the earth-tone decor, the smell of old books, and outdated office furniture. As I stood in the waiting area I saw a door full of interesting quotes and thoughts. The one that stood out to me the most was one that said the following: 'Smile, it gets worse.'

I laughed silently to myself and thought about something my mom had taught me as a kid. She explained to me that the reason we experience tough times is to prepare us for the tougher ones to come. There is definitely some truth to that.

Fast forward to the present day (well a couple of days ago), I found myself sitting across the table from a friend sharing the fortunes from the cookies we had just eaten. As 'luck' would have it, my fortune said something with a completely different tone...it said, 'Don't Give Up! The Best Is Yet To Come.'

It was a timely message and one I felt compelled to share. As a missionary I would often receive little stories enclosed in each of the letters that my grandfather would send. One such story illustrates the idea of the fortune cookie well. The story is told of an elderly woman who had reached the end of her life. She called the pastor of her church to her home so that she could get all of her affairs in order. Upon leaving, the pastor turns to the elderly woman and asks if there is anything else that he can do for her. She responds by telling him that there is one more small thing she would like him to do...make sure that she is be buried with a fork in her right hand.

Obviously puzzled, the pastor asks her to explain her unique request. She proceeds to tell him that her favorite part of church gatherings was when someone would tell those in attendance to, 'keep their forks' after they had finished eating dinner. Those words meant that dessert was to follow shortly.

Nodding his head, the pastor agreed to do as she requested because he understood perfectly what she was trying to say. She had lived a full life, eaten all of her dinner so to speak, and now she would hold her fork in anticipation of partaking of the dessert that awaited her.

Our lives are much the same way. We must eat all of our vegetables if we hope to have a bowl of ice cream afterward. Through the trials and tribulations that we face we become better and stronger. If we endure those difficult times that come to each of us and see them through to the end not only will we come to understand their purpose in our lives, we will also prepare ourselves for better days ahead.

I know that sometimes it is easy to get discouraged, to lose faith, or to give up hope in the face of adversity. But, remember the words of the fortune cookie, 'Don't give up. The best is yet to come!'

The Value of Opinions

2011-01-04T18:07:00.003-07:00

In keeping with Harper Lee, there is another great lesson in the classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird.

'People are certainly entitled to think what they want, and they're entitled to full respect for their opinions, but before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience.'

I don't mean to discount the value of other people's opinions of me...in fact, in many ways, those opinions have helped me to make changes in my life for the better. With that said, there is danger when we allow the judgments of others to affect us in a negative way.

I have found that we are often hard enough on ourselves as it is and we do not need to allow other people's words, thoughts, or actions to burden us even more. It doesn't matter how many people share the same opinion (majority rule), what matters it what we think of ourselves.

I've always loved the phrase, 'keep your chin up and your nose clean.' When our lives are in order (noses clean) then we can keep our chins up regardless of what others may think of us.

The best way to keep your nose clean is to follow this counsel: 'Good, Better, Best...never let it rest until your Good is Better than Best.' There's always room for improvement.

The Courage of Dating

2011-01-03T23:47:00.004-07:00

I made a promise last week to write something on my blog with the condition that I would be given a topic to write about. The topic was dating. I don't consider myself any sort of authority on the subject. In fact, the thought, 'those who can't do, teach' comes to mind.

So, rather than offer any of my own profound insights on the subject, I'll allow Harper Lee to do it:

"I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do."

Dating can be tough. Rather than winning sometimes...you really only win once. But, it's important to remember that the times that you don't win only become losses when you choose not to learn something from them. I know that I have learned something new from each relationship that I've been in and I'm a better person because of it.

Knowing that the majority of the relationships that we're going to be in will either end in heartache and disappointment for one or both parties gives us the impression that we 'are licked before we begin' but we must have courage and 'begin anyway' and, more importantly, 'see it through no matter what.'

Each 'no' brings us that much closer to a 'yes'. Some have already found it. Some of us are still looking.

PFC Little Brother

2010-07-18T21:53:00.010-06:00

I don't know when Austin started calling me Big Brother but ever since he did, I've always referred to him as little brother. I'm lucky to have two.

A little over 11 years ago as I left on my mission my youngest brother, Austin, wrote me a short note to take with me. I'm not sure if he knows it or not but I carried that note with me for a full two years. If I ever got discouraged I would think of that note and it always made me smile. Here's what the note said:

'Dear Travis, thank you for helping
me with my math and jumping on the trampoline.'

I was impressed at how much those small and simple things meant to him. This week, as I sat on the bleachers at the National Infantry Museum at Fort Benning Georgia and watched the same little brother march in cadence onto the field with the rest of his platoon, I couldn't help but look back at some of the 'little things' that I was thankful for.

I'm not sure how it happened but Austin and I have been really close over the years. I remember him laying next to me with a bottle in his mouth and listening as he would drink it slowly until he fell asleep. As the years went by there were the times he mentioned when we would jump on the trampoline or I would help him with his math. It seems like the older we got, the closer we became.

Despite the 10 year age difference we started hanging out more. We even had our own unspoken traditions, every Summer we made it a point to go to Raging Waters at least once, or we would get together and drink matte on the porch and talk about what was happening in each other's lives. We shared a love for "the number 6" at Wendy's, and we always washed it down with an ice cold Coke.

Of course there are the family vacations but he and I would plan our own vacations. Whether it was a weekend trip to Southern Utah or a surprise birthday trip for my mom in Hawaii we always had a good time wherever we went.

When Austin left a few months ago and began a new chapter in his life I think we both realized that we weren't going to have the same frequency of little moments that we were used to. However, that does not make the ones that we have had since and will have in the future any less meaningful. In fact, their scarcity makes them perhaps even more valuable now.

This week, after his graduation from Basic Training we sat in the hotel swimming pool and talked...my 'little brother' wasn't so little anymore. He described it best when he said that the only thing that changed was that he 'added a new personality setting.' After spending two days with him I agree. He's still the same fun-loving kid he's always been but now there's a more mature side to him. A side that has taken upon him the 'Soldier's Creed.'.

It was a truly unique experience to attend a Basic Training Graduation. As Austin's Platoon marched onto the field the announcer was narrating their training. It was one of those moments when you're overcome with a sense of pride knowing that the person he is referring to in his narrative is the same young boy you said goodbye to two months before. As the soldiers grew closer the narrator ended with these words:

'When called, the Army has never let the Nation down. We will continue to prevail...these victories are not won by technology, but by the sweat and toil and perseverance of the American Soldier. He is well trained, led and equipped, and he has the tremendous support of his Family, Friends, and Nation. He has the confidence and competence to accomplish the mission!'

They stood in perfect formation on the field as the ceremony progressed. Before they did their 'Pass in Review' they recited the Soldier's Creed...that same creed that Austin has so bravely taken upon himself. There is something about listening to 240 kids say in unison, 'i will never accept defeat, i will never quit, i will never leave a fallen comrade' and knowing that they mean it.

One of the things I found most impressive is that despite their different backgrounds and varying reasons for enlistment these men and women, young and old, have come to share a common purpose and work toward a common goal...maintaining the freedoms that we enjoy at whatever high price they may be asked to pay.

I have a greater sense of reverence and respect for all of those that serve in the armed forces and especially those that serve alongside my little brother. In the coming years as he advances in rank raises his hand to show respect for those with a higher authority than his own, I will always take my hat off to him and salute him.

June Roses

2010-06-25T18:46:00.005-06:00

I was at the Chalk Festival the other day with a friend and we came to this drawing of Peter Pan.

It was also known as "The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up." Anyway, J.M. Barrie, the playwright was once quoted as saying:

“God gave us memories, that we might have June roses in the December of our lives."

We all pass through Decembers of our lives whether it be the death of family member, a separation from a loved one, financial difficulty, stress from school, loss of employment, etc. The good news is, we still have our June roses...this one is for you:

Building Boxes

2010-06-18T23:05:00.006-06:00

I was watching Forest Gump the other day and, any time that you mention that movie, there are a few quotes that are inevitably brought up:

"Stupid is as stupid does."
"Run Forest Run."
and of course:
"Momma says, life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get."

I've come to the conclusion that not only is 'life like a box of chocolates,' life is also filled with other boxes and you never know what you're going to put in them.

As a child growing up each of the kids in our family had a 'big red box.'. It was one of those boxes where you put all of the stuff you wanted to keep...rather, it was a box where our parents put things they thought we would like to have someday.

I no longer have that box. I outgrew it. Now, I have many boxes. They vary in shape and size but their purpose hasn't changed, they still hold all of the things I 'will want someday.' To say that each item in the box represents a memory would not be entirely true...sadly, I don't remember doing a lot of what is in that box. There are elementary report cards, childhood drawings, old poems, and a host of other things that I have collected over the years. They all have my name on them so while I can't remember doing them, I'm pretty certain that I did.

These boxes are almost like time capsules that were never got buried...instead they were stored under beds and in garages. I'll be the first to admit that it is fun to look back and think about those days and that I'm glad that I have those things to help me recall those memories. I have not reached hoarder status, nor do I consider myself a 'pack-rat' but occasionally I find myself thinking, 'someday I'll wish I kept this or that' so I'll add it to the box.

But I have also found that sometimes I need a box to help me heal and in some cases to help me forget...at least for awhile. In addition to these tangible boxes that find their way under my bed, there are also the ones that I create in my heart and in my mind. I tuck things away until some future date when I can look back and not feel the sting of the 'red hot irons' of memory that those contents bring to mind.

It's like Rose Kennedy once said:

"It has been said, 'time heals all wounds.' I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone."

Some boxes are not meant to be opened again, and others we return to time after time...either way, within those boxes are all of the things that have made us into the individuals we are today. They have made us stronger and they help us remember where we have come from and point us in the direction we will go. Here's to my boxes and yours...cheers!

Refuge In Times of Trouble...

2010-06-06T23:53:00.007-06:00

'Look At The Sky' was the text message I received from my friend...and, I immediately went outside to see the sky for myself. It was an amazing sunset,...one my grandmother would have liked.

Since it was such a beautiful night, I decided to drive to the Salt Lake Temple. As I wrote this, I was sitting next to the reflection pond listening to the water pour over the edges, there was a gentle breeze, and the lighted granite temple stood in stark contrast against stormy night sky. The only thing that made it better was the cool rain, and the intermittent lighting of the sky with lighting and the accompanying crack of thunder.

As I sat there, the words of Psalms came to mind:

"The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.' (Psalms 9: 9-10)

The temple, like the Lord has always been a place for me to seek refuge from the storms of life. It is a place where I can forget my burdens and remember my blessings and tonight, as I sat in the light of the temple I was able to reflect on some of the beautiful teaching associated with it.

One such teaching is that of the special relationship that we have with our Father in Heaven and how it is essential for our happiness here. Through prayer I am convinced that we can receive guidance and direction in our lives...as David said, 'the Lord will not forsake them that seek him.'. In fact it is quite the opposite, He will be a 'refuge in times of trouble'.

There will be times when we may hear the Lord say to us:

'In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment...'

but then come the reassuring words:

'...but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee...for the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed..." (Psalms 54)

I once heard the phrase, 'Life is a heck of a thing to happen to a person.'. Each of us will face trials and tribulations, some of them will seem to be greater than we can handle. We also live in challenging times when natural disasters are abundant, economies throughout the world are failing, and wars are taking place everywhere. In addition to these temporal afflictions that we face there are spiritual ones with perhaps even great consequences.

In a world where variables are constantly changing, there is one invariable constant and that is the love of our Heavenly Father. He will be there to comfort in times of sorrow, lift up in times of despair, and guide us when we've lost our way.

We must seek refuge from the storm through prayer and temple attendance. I will end with a scripture that was shared with me by the same friend who told me to 'Look Up' tonight...in that scripture is a beautiful promise:

'Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.' (Psalms 3)

Let us not only 'look up' but let us also 'look to' the temple and the Lord to be our refuge from the storms that swirl around us. As I left tonight the storm clouds had disappeared, the wind had died down, and there was a stillness in the air...the storms of life will pass.

All They Can Say...

2010-02-24T23:03:00.002-07:00

As I started a new job over 6 years ago, I was taught a valuable lesson about sales...and about life. When I was hesitant to make a sales call, Hugh would always reassure me by saying: 'All they can say is no.' Of course there are some people who go above and beyond your typical 'no' but, for the most part, that is the worst thing you can hear.

Along those same lines is the idea that, 'you'll never know until you try.' I've been thinking about those two phrases and how they cover so many different aspects in our lives.

My brother wants to get a dog for his apartment/house however, he lives in a place where no pets are allowed. He asked me if I thought it would be a waste of time for him to even ask his landlord if he could have the dog. Using the same words that I had heard so many years before, and so many times since, I said, 'all she can say is no.'

There have been times when I have pulled up to a potential client's business and before going in I think of all of the reasons that they would NOT be interested and then I hear the distant echo urging me to at least give it a shot.

As I said before, this principle not only applies to sales but to many other aspects of life. If you want something...ask for it. Let the person you're asking tell you no. 'If you don't at least try, then you'll never know.'

I remember the disappointment that inevitably came every time I asked if I could have a sleepover and I was told no. Or the times I would ask to be taken bowling and met with a similar response. BUT, I never stopped asking. Why? Because sometimes the answer was yes.

I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to ask a girl out but before giving her the chance to say no, I did it for her. With that said, some of the best relationships I've had (both romantic and otherwise) have been because I put myself out there...I have wanted to know, so I tried.

It has been a valuable lesson to learn and here are a few ways you can apply it to your lives:

If you feel like you deserve a promotion or a raise, ask for it.
If you have a crush that you want to go on a date with, ask.
If you need something from someone, ask for it.
If you want to borrow a cup of sugar from a neighbor, ask for it.
If you would like to get some advice, ask for it.
If you want help, ask for it.
...this list could go on and on but you get the picture.

What's the worst that can happen?...you'll hear someone tell you no, then again, they may just say yes. Either way, you'll never know until you try. Good luck!

The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow...

2010-01-06T12:14:00.006-07:00

I have always loved sunsets. Up until my senior year they were one of my favorite aspects of nature. Sunsets, like snowflakes and fingerprints, are each unique. The sun never sets the same way twice. The light it leaves behind as it disappears on the distant horizon changes each and every day.

As the sunset on graduation night, I couldn't help but look back on all of the wonderful memories I had made up until that point. It was hard to say goodbye to those wonderful years filled with late night runs to 7-11 for Orange Bang, awkward school dances, high school crushes, etc. That night after all of the festivities were over we ended up underneath the bleachers on the high school football field. It was the perfect place to end the night, and an even better place to start the day.

Most of my friends had fallen asleep but I had stayed awake to see the sun rise slowly above the Wasatch Mountains and fill the western half of the valley with warmth and light. As it got higher and higher the light made it's way to the east carrying with it all of the hope and anticipation of 'the first day of the rest of my life'.

Since that day, sunrises have gained a slight advantage over sunsets. The contrast in their symbolism is as different as night and day and they are each the more beautiful because of it.

The following song articulates the idea better than I can:

"I think over again my small adventures, my fears,
Those small ones that seemed so big.
For all the vital things I had to get and to reach.
And yet there is only one great thing,
The only thing.
To live to see the great day that dawns.
And the light that fills the world."
(Inuit Song)

As you see the sun set today and think of the days events, look to the sun rise tomorrow and all of the possibilities it carries with it.

2010-01-03T23:05:00.005-07:00

The English author G.K. Chesterton once said:

"Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed."

We are often painfully aware of the 'dragons' in our lives. They do not hide in far away caves. They are not waiting for us to approach them. We do not need to be reminded of their fiery flames...we've been burned before.

What we do need is to know that those dragons can be slain regardless of their size or strength.

We need to know that we possess the power to overcome the trials and tribulations that we face on a daily basis.

We need to know that we are not alone. We have fellow dragon-slayers in our midst. Those who struggle with problems of their own, and perhaps more importantly, those who will join our fight and help us slay our dragons. We should also be willing to wield the sword of defense for those who are struggling to support its weight on their own.

That is one type of fairy tale...of course there are others. They have a similar theme. By changing just a few of Chesterton's words we can see another example:

"Fairy tales do not tell us that love exists. We know that loves exists. Fairy tales tell us that we can find that love."

We could explore a variety of different versions but the idea is the same.

“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”* - John C. Maxwell

*i may have already used that quote before, but i like it so you get to read it again.

Friday of Firsts...

2009-11-29T23:21:00.003-07:00

In addition to learning how to fly fish, I also learned how to make candy canes. Rather, I should say that I learned how candy canes are made. There is something about traditions that make the holidays that much better. This was a tradition that I was allowed to be a part of. Apparently, the tradition goes back quite a few generations and continues in the modest kitchen of an elderly couple from Layton.

I rang the doorbell and waited patiently on the porch for someone to open the door. The warmth of their home was the perfect contrast to crisp night air outside. They had just finished rolling/forming the candy canes from the first batch...black licorice. If you know me, you know I love black licorice. I sampled a few of the small broken pieces that had cooled just enough to be edible.

I was introduced to everyone as we waited for the second batch to be prepared. For those of you like me, who have never made a candy cane, I'll give you the readers digest version. The batter (I guess that's what you would call it) is brought to a boil on the stove. After it has reached the perfect temperature it his poured out onto a cold marble stone (the size and shape of a cutting board), as it cools it is folded over itself until it is 'cold' enough to be handled. The quotations marks are there because it is not really cold. In fact, it is still hot enough that if you were to hold it in your hands they would be burned quite easily. The flavor is added and then it is then placed on a hook where it is pulled, twisted, and then pulled again. It is to allow air to work it's way into the batter and 'cool' it quickly and effectively.

The stripes are then added to batter and it is pulled and rolled into smaller rolls and each is then individually shaped into candy canes. Apparently, that is the ONLY shape they are supposed to be made into. I was warned against making any other shapes...I deviated from that counsel and made a heart out of the root beer flavored batter. If you know me, you know I love root beer.

The third time is the charm. By the third time everyone had been taught the part they would play and it went off without a hitch. The third and final flavor...cinnamon. If you know me, you know I love cinnamon.

After the candy canes were formed and bagged, we were each given a treat bag to take home. After we had finished making the candy canes we sat and listened as they told stories of how they met, their courtship, and their lives in general. I love old people. It made me miss my own grandparents and the memories I shared with them. Those memories left a better taste than black licorice, root beer or cinnamon ever could. If you know me, you know I love my grandparents.

Fly Fishing...

2009-11-29T22:45:00.004-07:00

For some 'black Friday' began as early as 10pm on Thursday night. For me, it began a little after 9 am. I got off to a late start and skipped breakfast. Stink wanted me at his house at 10am...I told him no. I knew myself well enough to know that I would not be there that early, so I reluctantly committed to 11am. By 10:45 I was sitting on his living room couch. He was going to take me fly fishing for the first time.

We left his house around 11:30 and I made him stop at Wendy's before going to the river. Bacon Cheeseburger in hand, we drove up the dusty dirt road and pulled up alongside a couple of other cars parked on the side of a gated-pasture. We sat in the bed of the truck getting ready to walk out to the river. We couldn't have asked for better weather. Once we had put on our waders and assembled our fishing poles we set out for the water.

I had debated whether or not to bring my camera with me. After realizing that we would be walking through the river and that I didn't not bring my waterproof bag, I decided to leave it locked up in the truck. I imagine we looked like the 2009 version of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn as we walked through the open field and alongside the river. We found a safe spot to cross and when we reached the other side we began 'rigging up.' Aaron (aka Stink) taught me the basics of tying of hooks and the proper way to cast.

By that time the weather, the kind that was 'better than we could have asked for' had changed. It was cold but not unbearable. We stood thigh-high in the water and continued to cast and mend the lines in hopes of catching fish. That never happened. I'm not sure if it was the pessimist in me or the realist, but I had no intention of catching any fish anyway. The good news is, I was not disappointed. Instead, I just enjoyed myself.

For me, fly fishing was never about catching the fish. Sure, I paid $26 for my 365 day license but that was just to make it legal. Instead, it was about learning something new. It was about being outside and being able to clear my mind. It was about appreciating nature, seeing bald eagles and deer in their natural environment. It was about being inconsequential in comparison to the grandeur around me. And, it was about spending time with a friend and creating great memories.

Blog Names

2009-11-22T22:53:00.002-07:00

I sat talking with a friend earlier this week about creative blogs names that have already been taken...

One of the most frustrating thing is to come up with a 'great' blog name only to find out that it has already been taken by someone else and it's even worse when that blog hasn't been updated in years.

I'm sure I don't run the risk of anyone really wanting the tscotriverside blog address but I figured that is not a good enough reason to stop updating it. Of the 35 posts I've made since I've started this blog, there is a large percentage of them that refer specifically to this same idea...

So, I won't spend any time tonight trying to recap the events of the past month, I'll just make a renewed commitment to do it going forward...

MEMORY Grove

2009-10-26T00:00:00.002-06:00

A couple of weeks ago Lindsay and I decided that we were going to get together and take some pictures of the fall leaves. I picked her up on Friday afternoon and she suggested that we go to Memory Grove in Salt Lake to see what was left of autumn. The great part about two people, each with their own camera, is that you get to see the world from the eyes of two separate individuals. I hope you take the time to check out some of the pictures that she took as well. You can find them here.

Apparently I like to take pictures of ugly things...fire hydrants happy to be one of them...

I've gotten behind on some of my posts so I will try to catch up on those soon...

The Mayan Adventure...

2009-09-30T22:30:00.003-06:00

I sat across the table from 'lil Corey'. He was wearing a red beanie with a DC logo just left of center and his shirt bore the logo of Independent Truck Company. He ordered the bean and cheese burrito that turned out to be more cheese than bean or burrito. He scraped the excess cheese off the top as he spoke about his goal of becoming a professional skate boarder. I asked who his idol was using my limited knowledge of the skateboarding world. The obvious question, 'do you want to be the next Tony Hawk' was answered quickly in the negative. Next I asked about Bob Burnquist (he's Brazilian) and he was a little more receptive and said, 'yeah, he's a little more street.'

I decided to give up on guessing and asked who his favorite skater was. I should have known the answer...Rodney Mullen. If you've ever seen him skate, you would probably agree with Corey...he's one of the best 'street' skaters of all-time.

Corey is no different from any other kid who has dreams or aspirations of becoming the next professional athlete. In fact, his story is strikingly similar to a variety of them. He lives in a two-bedroom apartment with his mom, little sister, older brother, his niece, and sometimes his brother's girlfriend. He doesn't have much contact with his father and sadly, he prefers it that way.

The few hours that we spend together a few times a month provides him with a chance to escape his harsh reality. I call it harsh but I've never heard him complain about his circumstances...not even once. If ever there was a 'chain-breaker' Corey is it. He is one of the most polite and respectful children you'll ever meet. He's not perfect, he still struggles with his grades and fights with siblings (who doesn't?) BUT, he tries AND that is what matters.

As I sat and picked at my food I thought about what the few hours we spend together a few times each month means to me. It is a chance to learn and to grow, it's a humbling reality check, it's a time when I can forget about my own concerns and worry about his, and, perhaps the best part, it's a chance to let the kid in me come out.

At 7:15, we put down our forks and made our way closer to the edge of the balcony to get a better look at the show that was about to begin. A man and a woman alternated turns taking dives from different platforms. When it was over Corey turned to me and said, 'that was too short'. He was referring to the entertainment but that same sentiment rings true for life. Life is too short not to take advantage of the time that we have been given, and to spend time with the people that matter most.

The Mayan is a place for decent food, good entertainment, and great conversation.

If you're in the position and you have a few extra hours a month that you would be willing to set aside and volunteer...try out the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. There's a good chance you can help a child from a broken home BUT, more than likely, that child will end up helping you.

Colorful Colorado

2009-09-28T17:01:00.002-06:00

Colorful Colorado:

When I first drove across the Colorado border and came to this sign, I wasn’t really seeing it.

That changed. On my return trip from the Four Corners area I stopped by Mesa Verde National Park. During this time of year it’s more like Mesa Amarillo, Rojo, or Laranja. Mesa Verde is primarily known for its ancient ruins. I was only able to scratch the surface of what the park had to offer.

Mesa Verde is generally pretty resistant to fires however, over the past century there have been a variety of lighting-sparked fires that have burned their way through thousands of acres of the National Park.

As I drove through and saw the scars of those fires, a thought came to mind…it was inspired by a book that I had finished the week before. It was this: ‘God can take even the greatest of tragedies in our lives and turn them into something beautiful, or at the very least create something beneficial to us.’ I guess is along the same lines of the ‘silver-lining to every cloud’ theory.

In the past 15 years there have been two large wildfires in Mesa Verde and archaeologists were able to discover many of the ancient artifacts, etc. hidden by the vegetation. In addition, to those wonderful discoveries, the old/burned trees provide a beautiful contrast to the vegetation that has now taken the place of the ash covered ground.

Colorado is indeed Colorful!

My Dream Home

2009-09-26T19:51:00.004-06:00

Located just a few miles up Spanish Fork Canyon on Highway 6 is my dream home. I know, I know...guys probably aren't supposed to have those. I like this house more for it's location than anything else (i could do without the pink exterior...but i'd also put up with it just to live there). Anyway, I'm sure after looking at the picture below, you'll understand why.

Nothing beats a leisurely drive up the canyon during this time of year. Unfortunately, the camera just never seems to do it justice...at least not when I'm behind the camera. But, you get the idea.

My Life's Aim...

2009-09-25T08:33:00.003-06:00

In a letter to his brother Theo, Van Gogh wrote the following words:

"And my aim in my life is to make pictures and drawings, as many and as well as I can; then, at the end of my life, I hope to pass away, looking back with love and tender regret, and thinking, “Oh, the pictures I might have made!”

I was on a trip to New Mexico this weekend and because of past experiences, I've learned to never leave my camera home. And, after this trip, I'll learn to never leave my spare camera battery home. I thought I was doing well to charge it the night before leaving. But, as I quickly learned, a charged battery does little if you don't have it with you.

After making a couple of stops along the way to take pictures, I looked down and noticed that the 'low battery' light was flashing on my camera. Fortunately, I had taken all of the pictures that I wanted to take that day...knowing that I would be back in a few days to take any others that I might like.

On my return trip to Salt Lake City, I made a quick stop at my favorite 'elephant graveyard' and took a few more pictures. A few miles down the road I also passed a familiar tree. The last time I saw it was on a cold December afternoon. This time it was a lot different. It turns out that the last picture I was able to take was of this tree against a blue sky.

I made many more stops on the way home and as I did, I looked back with tender regret and thought, 'Oh the pictures I might have taken.'

I came across long stretches of straight roads that trailed off over the horizon, the silhouette of deer feeding along the side of the road, the Balanced Rock & Delicate Arch, as well as many other photos that made wish I had remembered to bring the spare battery.

So, take as many pictures as you can, as well as you can...then, when your battery runs out, you can look back on the pictures that you might have taken and save them for another day. But as 'way leads on to way' it's never certain you'll be back.

This is what is believed to be one of Van Gogh's last paintings (Daubigny's Garden...there's also a version with a black cat).

He followed up his thought to Theo with these words: 'But this does not exclude making what is possible, mind you.' So, do what you can while you can...AND do the best you can.

Sunflowers and Trees

2009-09-17T17:19:00.002-06:00

For anyone that doesn't know me (or at least this fact about me)...I like to take pictures of random trees. Of all of the trees I've ever seen, this one has to be my favorite. It stands tall along one of the busiest sections of I-15...on average, over 115,000 people pass it daily. I finally took a second to snap a picture of it.

I also happen to love sunflowers. If you drive through Colorado around this time of year you'll come across miles and miles of sunflower farms (the seeds have to come from somewhere). But, if you live in Utah you might just have to settle with a sunflower growing in between the asphalt and sidewalk...

Or, you can get a close-up of a flower and your favorite tree in the background.

If you haven't had your fill of sunflowers and trees, you can check out a couple more pics on my other blog.

Number 12

2009-09-15T17:50:00.001-06:00

I know it’s a little bit late but I was inspired by a ‘wounded mosquito’ to pay tribute to one of the greatest basketball players to ever play the game. Last week John Stockton was enshrined in the Hall of Fame. As I listened to his speech and that of Michael Jordan I was grateful that I had chosen number 12 as my childhood idol.

Stockton, like many of the memories I associate with him, has faded into relative obscurity over the years. As he spoke, those memories came flooding back along with my admiration for him. He seemed just as humble and gracious as ever attributing a large part of his success to those who helped him along the way.

I spent countless hours in the backyard pretending to be John Stockton. I watched him every chance I got. In fact, one of the most meaningful experiences of my younger years was the night that John Stockton broke the NBA All-Time Assist record. My dad bought two tickets to the game. He calculated when he thought that Stockton would do it and he was right.

There were banners hung over the upper bowl counting down the number of assists until he broke the record. Half-way through the second quarter, he did it.

From the draft pick when he was booed, to the night we was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame with a standing ovation, John Stockton has always maintained the characteristics that made him great, integrity, loyalty, humility, etc.

Red White And Blue...

2009-09-11T15:15:00.003-06:00

"They say time heals all wounds. I don't agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone” – Rose Kennedy

It was a day that we promised to never forget. A day that the American spirit was rekindled in each and every one of its citizens. A day that age, race, religious denomination, and political faction were set aside and we became united as one people, ‘indivisible with liberty and justice for all.’ The American Flag was displayed in car windows and store front displays. ‘Old Glory’ hung from the highest buildings and was hoisted up throughout large cities and small towns across the country. There was a renewed sense of pride in the Star Spangled Banner and a strengthened conviction to defend the ‘red, white, and blue’ and everything it stood for and symbolized.

The price that was paid that day for the unity that was borne from such a senseless act has been increasing ever since. In addition to the innocent people that lost their lives on September 11th, there have been countless more who have given their lives to ensure that something like that never happens again.

Pride, honor, respect, and love were not the only emotions that we experienced that day. Sorrow, anguish, fear, anger, and multitude of other feelings ran through our veins. Time will not heal those wounds, and that pain may have lessened with time but it will never be gone. I do not pretend to understand or comprehend the pain of loss that was experienced by family members, co-workers, and friends that day and every day since. The best that any of us can do is to maintain that sense of community, unity, and brotherhood…and, treat each other accordingly.

To the innocent people that lost their lives and to their families that were left behind, I offer my deepest sympathies. And, to the people who have given their lives throughout the history of this great nation to defend a cause greater than themselves I give my utmost respect for the ultimate price you have paid. I am deeply humbled by your sacrifice and eternally grateful for it.

Sun Valley

2009-09-09T23:10:00.002-06:00

Every year my family has a tradition of going to Sun Valley, ID. If you've never been, you need to go. If you've been before, you need to go back. May I suggest Labor Day as the perfect time to go. The weather is perfect, the commemorate Wagon Days, and they hold an auto auction. The only thing better than that is to be able to spend the weekend with family.

You may notice that there is a certain individual missing...(Kurt). As part of the celebration for Wagon Days, there is an art gallery stroll held on Friday night. Last year we only caught the tail end. Determined to see as much of it as possible this year, we made sure to get to Sun Valley early. We had time to get settled in and to grab a bite to eat before walking between the galleries. We settled on mexican food. Kurt is deathly allergic to cilantro. Being the concerned brother-in-law that I am...I made sure that he made it to the emergency room in time and then rushed back to check out the art on display. He reassured he'd be in good hands and that he would call when he was ready to be picked up. Unfortunately, this photo was taken before he made it back.

Labor Day Weekend was an adventure to say the least. The important thing is that we got to spend time together as a family and we ALL made it home safely.

365 1/4 days (aka 1 year) later...

2009-08-25T01:04:00.009-06:00

“A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere. Before him I may think aloud.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The most I can do for my friend is simply to be his friend. I have no wealth to bestow on him. If he knows that I am happy in loving him, he will want no other reward. Is not friendship divine in this?” – Henry David Thoreau

On September 5, 1847 Henry David Thoreau spent his last night at Walden Pond. The following day, he left the simplicity and solitude behind and moved in with his dear friend, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Whether they were speaking specifically of one another or of friendship in general both quotes illustrate the depth of true friendship.

To say that I lived in solitude or simplicity prior to meeting Lindsay would be a disservice to the many other friends that I have been privileged to have throughout my life. But, on September 5, 2008 I embarked on what would be the epitome of the immortalized words of Thoreau and Emerson.

Another one of my favorite quotes that has become increasingly more meaningful as I have gotten older is the one below:

“Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some moves our souls to dance. They awaken us to new understanding with the passing whisper of their wisdom. Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon. They stay in our lives for awhile, leave footprints on our hearts and we are never, ever the same.”
- Anonymous

Lindsay, in addition to 'making the sky more beautiful to gaze upon,' 'moving my soul to dance,' 'awakening me to new understanding' and leaving 'indelible, elephant-sized footprints on my heart,' has also taught me that LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL.

Mr. Charles Darcy, accounting for his falling in love with Elizabeth, said the following: 'I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or THE LOOK, or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.'

In a similar fashion, I was in the middle of an amazing friendship before ‘I knew it had begun.’ Lindsay and I actually met a couple of weeks before September 5th, but it wasn’t until that Friday afternoon that I began to understand what a truly unique individual I had met.

So today, on the anniversary of our first date, I pay tribute to the ‘best of bests’. In an attempt to describe her in my own way and in my own words I will move away from quotes and other literary references and give you my words without 'arranging them in flowery bouquets' and just say them 'as they enter my mind of their own accord.' RAW!

Perhaps the best way to describe her is by sharing a little bit about our first date.

I remember the feelings of anxiety and anticipation before picking her up. I was nervous that we would run out of things to talk about, that she would think I was a ‘dork’, or that she wouldn’t have a good time. Less than five minutes into the date most of my fears had disappeared but, admittedly, I was still intimidated by her.

We showed up at UMFA for the Monet-Picasso exhibit. As we waited patiently in line for our turn to enter the exhibit we read a variety of quotes on the wall. I can’t for the life of me remember any of them but, to this day, she and I exchange random quotes (which is why it seemed so fitting to start this tribute to her with some of the quotes that she has shared with me). Lindsay has an affinity for good literature and is a talented writer herself. For proof you can visit her blog. www.lifeisbeautiful.blogspot.com

We moved from exhibit to exhibit looking at various paintings and listening to the narration that went along with some of the better known paintings. It is amazing how a story changes a painting and adds significance to it. The most touching of the exhibit was that of Monet’s ‘Red Kerchief’…it was meaningful then and perhaps even more so now. As we walked throughout the exhibit she reminded me of the need to ‘keep an open mind’ because that’s what artists do. Lindsay is an artist…it is evident in everything from her writing, to her graphic design…to her photography. www.lindsaykayphotography.blogspot.com (if you happen to visit one of her blogs, I have it on good authority that she likes comments).

Lindsay possesses a childlike curiosity and adventure for life which is both adorable and endearing. That curiosity may at times get her into trouble…at least with over-zealous security guards at an exhibit of priceless paintings. I’ve never seen an overweight, underpaid civil servant move so quickly. Who knew you were supposed to stay at least 6” away from the art?

I quickly realized that one of the things that I have admired most about Lindsay is her ability to love. She has a deep and abiding love for God, Jesus Christ and the Plan of Salvation, for her ENTIRE family, for life, for photography, for traveling, for cheesecake, for all things Italian, and the list goes on.

Knowing beforehand that she had a mild obsession with Italy, I took her to Cinnegrill in an attempt to impress her…it is a quaint little Italian eatery for dinner. We even ordered the cheesecake for dessert. Since I had picked her up so early in the afternoon, we finished eating by six o’clock or so. At that point I wasn’t sure what to do. I didn’t want to make her go through a marathon date and I didn’t want to take her home either.

We decided to visit a place that neither one of us had ever been, the International Peace Garden in Rose Park. If you’ve never been, you need to go. It is a park with a variety of countries represented by individual gardens. After taking random pictures at random places throughout the park we came to a rock near the center of the park. We climbed on top of it and sat talking about anything and everything. We spoke of our families, of our dreams, and of the purpose of life. The conversation was effortless. We began talking that night and haven’t stopped since. I was surprised by her ability to articulate her thoughts so well but, more than that, I was impressed at how mature and intelligent she was.

It ended up being a marathon date of sorts. From the time I picked her up until the time I dropped her off…we had spent over 9 hours together and they ‘seemed but a moment’. After visiting IPG we came back to my house, ate chocolate covered pretzels, played the piano, and talked some more. Finally, I took her home. I walked her to the doorstep, thanked her for spending time with me, and then she gave me an amazing hug.

In summation, Lindsay is an example and an inspiration not only to me but to all of those around her. She will brighten your day and light up your night with her unique sense of humor and her contagious smile. If you’ll let her, she will change your life for the better as she did mine. I will forever be grateful for the friend that she has been. She has helped me to grow and progress in ways that I never could have done alone. I am humbled by her innate goodness and amazed at her sincere interest in others. She is a genuine a person as you’re likely to fine. In the beginning I struggled to ‘break-the-ice’ with her but that ice has long since melted and formed rain-like puddles at my feet…I have been splashing in those puddles of friendship ever since.

Finally, I will end with her words and speak them as though they were my own: ‘Lindsay, you are a dear friend that has left a remarkable set of footprints on my heart. Footprints that the waves of time may beat upon again and again and never erase.’

I doubt if I will ever be able to thank you enough for your friendship but I will always strive to be the friend to you that you have been to me for the past year…cross my heart!

Demolition Derby

2009-08-15T21:10:00.003-06:00

I can't remember the last time that I went to a Demolition Derby. It must have been years ago. I had forgotten how much fun they could be. Really though, I just like County Fairs in general. The demolition derby was just icing on the cake. We began the evening like any evening should begin at the County Fair...with a hot dog. I spilled ketchup all over my shirt but thanks to the wonders of Photoshop (the digital stain remover) you'd never know.

We watched one round of the derby and decided to explore the rest of the fair. We went to the animal portion where kids fed all of the caged animals. One of the best things that the fair has to offer is a variety of booths. One of the booths we came to had a man doing caricatures. I've always had a mild obsession with them...not sure why. The first time I ever had one done the artist looked at me and said, 'wow, you've got some big eyebrows'. It happened to be on a first date...he tried to recover for it by saying that it was a good thing because it made me look like 'Burt Reynolds'. To this day, the girl still calls me Burt.

This time was a little bit better I suppose. The artist turned to me and said, 'do you know who you look like?' I was not surprised when he responded with, 'John Cusack.' For whatever reason, there seems to be a general consensus that we look like each other. I'll take John Cusack over Burt Reynolds any day of the week...(no offense Burt).

It has been decided that Corina and I look like the same person in this caricature...

After the derby was over we hung around and took a couple of fun pictures. I had to have some proof that I was wearing one of my favorite outfits...bandanna and a cowboy hat.

Take off the cowboy hat and flip the bandanna around and you have the makings of the Rose Park Renegade.

The Many Faces...

2009-08-15T20:57:00.003-06:00

It was a bit coincidental that the week after my post about the movie Seredipity that I should find myself in the newest addition to the Serendipity Family...Serendipity 3 at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. The food was a bit over-priced but then again, it is Las Vegas.

So, we got bored while we were waiting for dinner at Serendipity so I took full advantage of the opportunity to make faces for the camera.

The highlight had to be the frozen hot chocolate (also over-priced). It was large enough for all 7 of us to share which was no surprise after having a 24" chili cheese dog for the main course.

Bell

2009-08-11T01:05:00.002-06:00

A couple of months ago I spoke with a friend about some of my fears. On that list was the fear that I would leave this world without ever telling those I cared most about how I truly felt about them.

It is in the spirit of facing that fear that I’m going to begin a series of random posts about the people that have had a profound and lasting impact on my life. Since there will be no rhyme or reason to the sequence of the posts I will likely write about these individuals the next time I share a meaningful experience with them.

Just a little over 4 years ago I got up to give a toast to Aaron Bell at his wedding. We’ve joked about it quite since then. The idea was to record all of the toast that were given. Oh how I wish that had been done. I gave what I thought was a nice toast. It was a little bit of humor mixed in with some serious sentiments about his friendship. Unfortunately, the only thing he can remember is me telling him that he was a bum/mooch.

Allow me to take this opportunity to set the record straight. I do not remember what I said that night verbatim because it was off-the-cuff but, I remember the point I was trying to get across. I spoke of the many things that Aaron had been called over the years that I had known him. When I first met him, everyone called him Taco (see last name). As I understand it, he hated that nickname. As time when by his nicknames changed. I later began referring to him simply as Bell.

Bell always had a knack for getting something for nothing. It was a bit of a talent. This is where the confusion about my words that night comes in. I said that he was so good at getting things from people that he could probably get a bum to give him the shirt off of his back. After I said that I got a little more serious and this is the part that people missed, I said, ‘of all of the things that Bell has been called or known for, the best thing that I have ever been able to call him is, friend.’

I mean it even more now than I did then. He has always been a true friend to me and the many others that he has. As is often the case, it’s the small things that have the greatest significance in any relationship.

I’ve actually been sitting at my computer for awhile now thinking about the last 10 years that I have had the privilege of knowing Aaron. We’ve shared a lot of fun experiences. If I were to compile a top 10 list of memories that I have of Aaron it would read something like this (in no particular order):

- Long weekends in Bear Lake with Chad Heitz out on the Mastercraft.
- Doing doughnuts in the parking lot of Acres
- Drinking full bottles of sparkling cider after long days at work
- Snowshoeing and sitting on the tailgate afterwards having sunflower seeds/Gatorade
- Vacations (‘surfing’ in San Diego / SIA Tradeshow in Las Vegas)
- Drinking some Yerba Mate with fresh limeade
- Being roommates for a couple of years (going to the Laundromat, climbing up on the roof, doing yard work, grilling steaks on the deck, etc.)
- Riding longboards up at the U…going down the steps at the Huntsman Center
- Making a fence out of railroad ties
- Many, many more….

While all of those experiences have left an impression on me, perhaps the greatest experience I had with him was this past weekend. Aaron became a father for the first time on Sunday morning (11:56 a.m….I think). I was on my way back from Las Vegas so I wasn’t able to see him until later that night. I showed up at the hospital around 6 o’clcok to find him in the room with his in-laws, his wonderful wife, and their beautiful new baby girl (Isla Sue).

Like most guys, I was hesitant to hold her at first because she was so small and so fragile. After a half-hour went by I finally decided to hold her. Aaron told me that the most important thing was to support her neck/head. I took her and held her in my arms for awhile before we got up to take her into the nursery to have her IV removed and to get a shot.

He placed her into the crib and with a heart full of fatherly pride he wheeled her across the hall. He invited me into the nursery with him and I followed closely behind. As the nurse carefully removed the blankets and took out her tiny little hand to remove the IV Isla began to cry. Aaron reached out and touched her gently and whispered quietly to her that everything would be okay.

Before the nurse could administer the shot she had to confirm that the consent forms had been signed. She sent one of the other nurses out to retrieve the chart. Aaron caressed Isla’s face while we waited for the nurse to return. Once she was ready to give the shot Aaron took Isla by the hand and again reassured her that everything was going to be okay.

As I sat there watching the whole thing take place, and for some time afterward, I had this thought come to my mind: ‘the same characteristics that had made Aaron such an amazing friend, were the same things that would make him an even better father.’ He has always taken a sincere interest in his friends and their well-being. He’s been loving and supportive. I believe that Aaron would do almost anything for any of his friends and I know that it is true for his wife and daughter.

Allow me to raise my glass, or my keyboard, in a toast to Aaron:

“Here’s to the amazing friend that you have been and to the amazing father that you will be. To the memories of the past and the experiences of the future. To late-nights and long-chats. To rolled-down windows during evening summer drives. To the lessons learned and the growth of friendship. To your great example and strong support. May you be blessed with the type of friendship that you have always extended and receive the best that this life has to offer! I toast to you Aaron! CHEERS!

Letter

2009-08-03T01:06:00.003-06:00

I was driving down the road the other day talking to my little brother about preparing to go on a mission. I found myself starting sentences with: 'when I went on my mission'...

I'm getting old. Age is just a number, right? At least that's what I tell myself.

Here are a couple of examples of some of those sentences:

'When I was on my mission we still used film cameras and had to get the film developed...now they have digital cameras.' Isn't that crazy? It makes me appreciate the camera I have now that much more.

or,

'When I was on my mission we had to hand-write all of our letters. It would usually take two weeks for the letter to get home and another two weeks to get a response. By the time the month had past any concerns from the original letter had already been resolved.'

While it would have been nice to have a nicer camera on my mission, I'm actually grateful that we still had to hand-write our letters. My family was nice enough to keep them all. To this day, the hand-written letters that I have received are among my most prized possessions. There is something about how personal they can be...they are more RAW and consequently more real. There is no delete key. Every word, every sentence has to be thought out before writing it.

I received one such letter on my birthday. In tiny blue ink in the lower left hand corner of the page is a quote from Henry David Thoreau:

"The most I can do for my friend is simply to be his friend. I have no wealth to bestow on him. If he knows that I am happy in loving him, he will want no other reward. Is not friendship divine in this?"

I have been abundantLY blessed by friendship. Because of it, I am a different person...a better one. Perhaps the greatest measure of friendship is the size of the void that is left in its absence...like the depth of a footprint and its indelible impression (impossible to be removed). Here's to you, CHEERS!

Serendipity

2009-08-03T00:33:00.002-06:00

I've been told on a number of occasions that I bare a resemblance to John Cusack. He happens to be one of my favorite actors...maybe I'm a little vain. He's been in from of my favorite movies. Some of them are a little more on the 'weird' side than others.

About 5-6 years ago I saw the movie Serendipity for the first time. Out of curiosity, I looked up the etymology of the word serendipity. I always assumed it to be coterminous with the words fate and destiny. It turns out it's has a separate meaning. Perhaps that is why it was chosen as the name of the film.

The basic idea is that when we are in search of something we discover something entirely different...accidental discoveries.

In the movie Jonathan Trager is already in a committed relationship as is the girl he meets, Sara Thomas. At the end of a wonderful evening together, Jonathan suggests that they exchange phone numbers...Sara instead decides to leave everything up to 'fate'. She explains that if they are meant to be together they will find their way back into one another's life.

Neither one of them was looking for love they 'accidentaly discovered' it.

What is the correlation between seredipity and destiny? Is there one at all.

I spoke at length tonight with a friend who had come across three 'coincidences' this weekend that made him question the reason for those coincidences. Since similar thoughts had been on my mind this weekend, I asked him what he thought of them. I asked him if he attributed those coincidences to fate or destiny. He said, 'I believe we make our own fate, and choose our own destiny.' That sounds like a contradiction. Isn't it something that is determined for us? If it is determined for us who is it that makes those things happen?

If it's not fate or destiny...does everything really happen for a reason? If it does, it would be important to us to find out what that reason is but how do we do it? I certainly have my own thoughts and opinions but I will reserve those for now.

Clearing the air...

2009-08-02T23:48:00.004-06:00

Here are some wonderful truths about me:

Sometimes, in moments of unoriginality, I use the words of other authors...but, often times I use their phrases in different contexts. For example, Tom Stoppards 'smell of smoke' is different than mine. He refers to the burning of bridges we've crossed, and I am speaking of the smoke coming from a red hot iron. Nothing depressing about that...

Along the lines of red hot irons, I often times find myself doing things to make sure that the brand of such irons remain.

I tell people that I had my tear ducts removed when I was young and that's why I don't cry. The truth is, I just pick weird times to cry. Like when the janitor runs out in front of the plane in The Terminal. I use the term cry lightly because it is usually confined to a few tears...but man does it feel good when it happens. What a release.

I also like to tell people that I have small feet because my mom used to wrap them up when I was younger so they wouldn't grow as quickly...that way she could save on the cost of buying shoes. Truth is...never happened.

For the most part, I don't think anyone makes better cookies than my mom. That's not to say that I don't like the cookies that other people make and, in some instance, some people can do it better than her. Luckily, she won't be reading this.

I hate the feel of fleece.

I was once told that I was 'emotionally detached'. The real truth is that I often times allow myself to get too attached but I don't consider it a bad thing. Some of the most meaningful friendships I've ever had have come from such attachments.

I used to have a yellow blanket with it white pieces of yarn.

I like my alone time but would gladly sacrifice it for some good conversation of just about anything...it's not the subject matter that is important but the person you're talking with that counts.

I used to have a variety of stuffed animals. I was the proud owner of a pound puppy, a cabbage patch kid, an penguin and a carebear. I had the blue bear with the storm cloud on it...that's either where my love of rainstorms came from, or my grumpy disposition.

Against my better judgment I find myself hoping for the long-shot...I always root for the underdog, the Dark Horse (James K. Polk), or the outcome that is least likely to happen. At least it keeps life interesting...even if it ends in disappointment.

There are things I would like to do but won't and should do but don't.

This list could probably go on forever...but I'll save it for the sequel.

Seatlle Part 1

2009-07-28T23:50:00.005-06:00

The Ferry area in Bremerton has changed quite a bit since the last time I went. They have done some amazing things with the area and it sounds like there is more to come.

If you look closely, you can see that there are some etchings in the large propeller.

For some reason, I decided that I liked the Bird's Eye View of this photo.

It had already been a long day so we spent most of the 60-minute Ferry ride into Seattle asleep on one of the large benches. I woke up in time to get a picture of the city as we drew closer to it. Unfortunately, by the time we got to the city some of the main attractions (i.e. Pike's Place) were already closed.

But, I was still able to do what I wanted to do most...get some fresh clam chowder. While it is no secret it may still be a little-known fact that I have a strong affinity for clam chowder...and, the Pacific Northwest does it best. Each restaurant has its own variation of the delectable dish and each one seems to be just as good as the next. Ivar's was no exception. They have various locations but the one that I went to was at the Ferry Harbor/Pier in Seattle.

After eating our soup on the pier we took the leftover french fries outside to the hungry seagulls anxiously awaiting to be fed. Seagulls will allow you to get pretty close when there's a chance that you're bringing them food. I'll be the first to admit that I actually like pictures of seagulls but in this particular picture I like the blurred out boat in the background just a little bit more.

If you've never been to Seattle GO, if you have been GO BACK! I love that place.

Sunset in Seattle

2009-07-28T23:23:00.005-06:00

Seattle is easily one of my favorite places to visit. In addition to the wonderful city, I have some of the most amazing friends that are just a ferry ride away. On the first night of my visit last week, some friends and I took the Ferry from Bremerton to Washington. Since it had been a long day I spent most of the ride to Seattle asleep on one of the long benches. After spending a couple of hours in the city we boarded the ferry for the return trip.

We made our way to the top of the ferry to get a better look at the sunset. As is often the case, the picture below will not do it justice. I believe it's because when you look at a picture, you're limited to your sense of sight...the others are left out except where imagination fills in the blanks. As you look at the picture below, try to use that imagination and picture yourself atop a large ferry in the middle of Puget Sound...you lean up against the cool steel railing as a soft gentle breeze caresses your face. You look out toward the horizon to see the sun bid a fond farewell to the day it leaves behind. Beneath you you can hear the sound of breaking waves as the ferry slowly makes its way through the water. You take a deep breath and fill your lungs with fresh air that cools and calms you as you do. A woman says more to herself than to you, 'I've never seen those hues of pink and purple in a sunset before,' and another man nearby sighs, 'this is what life is about...beautiful sunsets.' You silently agree as you grasp for your own elusive words to describe the sunset. You settle with the feelings of peace that it brings to you, and leave words for another day and turn your thoughts and attention to two sail boats drifting in the distance...

Hopefully that allows you to enjoy, at least in part, the wonderful Seattle sunset.

Firework Fun...

2009-07-21T19:44:00.002-06:00

Of all of the blessings that I have in this life, my family has to be the biggest and best. I've got some amazing siblings...and my niece isn't too bad either.

We went to the fireworks up at Weber State on Sunday night and had a good ole-fashioned, fun-filled, family-oriented, Founder's day firework festivity.

5:16 Tee-Time / 8:16 T-Time

2009-07-21T19:11:00.004-06:00

I've recently taken up golfing...and, if you've ever seen me play, you'll know that 'recently' is an understatement. My golfing buddy, Colin Bell, and I decided to play Central Valley Golf Course today...some people affectionately call it 'Stinky's" since it sits right next to the water treatment plant. Anyway, I called this morning to set up a tee-time for 5:15 and I was informed that they only had a 5:16 tee-time. It was a bit of an inconvenience to wait the extra minute but sometimes it's worth it. What can I say, when you're in good company and out on the golf course, Life is Beautiful. With that said, I think my next 'T-time' will be scheduled for 8:16...and that one I wouldn't miss for 'The World!' even if I don't play the full round, I'll be sure to be there.

Return to Slumber

2009-07-19T09:32:00.006-06:00

Between the dark of night and the LIght oF day,
2:36 a.m.
awakEned suddenly.
a flash of lIght, a fleeting image, a fading memory.
trying to remember...
the only remnantS:
faint smell of smoke,
& the Brand of a rEd hot iron.
dry mouth Accompanied by thirst.
Up for waTer.
relIeF.
sUmmoned back to bed.
return to sLumber.

He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named

2009-07-14T17:07:00.001-06:00

So, about a month ago, I was persuaded to open my mind (like artists should...not that I'm an artist) and to read the Harry Potter series. I thought that I was doing great and would meet the deadline of having caught up on all of the books before the Half-Blood Prince hit the theaters. Turns out, I was wrong. For whatever reason (probably my unfamiliarity with said series) I thought that it was the fifth movie that was coming out (I haven't seen any of the other movies). So, on my last trip to Texas, I finished up the fourth book (The Goblet of Fire). It wasn't until I spoke with a friend on Saturday and he informed me that it was actually the sixth movie...unfortunately, there wasn't enough time to finish the fifth book. I happened to be given a couple of tickets by Ferrari Color to see a pre-screening of the movie. Naturally, I accepted. I won't give any thoughts or opinions as there are some who may not have seen the movie yet. I will now finish reading the Order of the Phoenix, skip the 6th book (I can only handle so many 700+ page books) and move on to the seventh.

To those who have not yet seen the movie...enjoy.

Bzzzz!

2009-07-14T17:06:00.001-06:00

I've never been a fan of baseball...in fact, I've decided that the only time it is even worth watching is when you're there in person. It also helps when you have awesome seats.

What's even better is the ballpark food...the hot dogs, the churros, and of course, the nachos. I was so hungry by the seventh inning stretch that I scarfed down the hot dog and churro before the girl even finished getting my nachos. I was thrilled to learn that she shared my affinity for over-cooked food (i.e. cookies and churros).

With that said, the best part of the game happens to be the people that you are with...

Especially when you decide to pretend you're a celebrity avoiding the paparazzi.

Go Bees!

Ensign Peak

2009-07-07T18:47:00.002-06:00

One of my favorite places in Salt Lake is Ensign Peak. It's even better when you can share it with the people that you care about. I'm glad that Tami & Kurt let me tag along with them.

As you can see, the view is amazing from the top. I've been surprised to find out that there are a lot of people that have never been there. Take the time, it's worth it. It's even better at night. The city lights are beautiful and you don't sweat as much on the way up.

Ensign Peak

Friendly Fourth

2009-07-06T21:08:00.002-06:00

These posts are not chronological...

Word on the street is that this was the last year for fireworks at Sugarhouse Park...we made the trek to see them. Afterward, we went Leatherby's for a tasty treat.

ah-ma-ree-yo

2009-07-06T20:29:00.004-06:00

They say, 'everything is bigger in Texas' and that goes double for the steaks. Just south of the 'beef capital of the world' is the the 'panhandle' town of Amarillo. It is home to The Big Texan Steakhouse. On any given day 1 or 2 people will attempt to eat a 72 oz. steak...if they succeed, they get their meal for free...if they fail, it ends up costing them $72.

As we sat eating our much smaller meal, a young man from Las Vegas sat down to challenge the reigning heavy-weight champion...the 6lb piece of beef (only 4.5 lbs once it was cooked). In order to win the free meal he had to finish the steak in less than one-hour as well as a baked potato, two fried shrimp, a dinner salad, and a bread roll. That my friends is gluttony at its finest. The 240 pound kid from Nevada won the fight with over 10 minutes to spare. While that seems amazing, the record is actually held by someone who was able to eat the whole thing in less than 9 minutes.

But, the real entertainment was the small band that went from table to table playing for the guests. They approached our table, one with a guitar, another with a violin, and the third with a bass. We requested a couple of more modern songs that they weren't familiar with so they decided to play George Strait's 'Ace In The Hole'...a great song, lyrics below.

You've got to have an ace in the hole
A little secret that nobody knows
Life is a gamble a game we all play
But you need to save something for a rainy day
You've got to learn to play your cards right
If you expect to win in life
Don't put it all on the line for just one roll
You've got to have an ace in the hole

If you're headed down a one way street
And you're not sure its the way you wanna go
In money or love or all the above
Have a little more than what you show
No matter what you do
No matter where you go
You've got to have an ace in the hole

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign...

2009-07-02T17:37:00.009-06:00

I always dreaded the idea of going to Texas...until I went. Now, I love Texas...maybe that's the 'lonestar' in me. It is a state with a lot of character and even more diversity.

As you travel from large city to large city there are a host of small towns along the way. There is something so familiar about each of the towns and yet so unique. That's why I enjoy driving so much.

If life happened to be a stretch of Texas highway, it would be fair to say that each of us is a traveler, and each of us is a destination.

For those that come at different times into our lives, we are the destination. We are afforded the privilege of showing them the tourist attractions of our small towns. Sharing with them our culture and our way of life.

Likewise, as we travel our own road, we come to stopping points along the way that beckon to us. We take time to familiarize ourselves with their customs and traditions and become the better for it.

As we share these experiences with each other, we grow and progress ourselves. Sometimes we are forced to leave and other times we are compelled to stay. Our small towns consequently grow together and create large cities...each city becomes interdependent in a tightly woven network of family, friends, co-workers, etc.

There are ghost towns left in our cities when some of those travelers leave but their hollowed out homes and overgrown greens leave a distinct impression on our cities and add to their character.

To those who leave, we bid a fond farewell...with open arms to receive them should they ever make it back. But, since there is 'far too much to take in here, more to see than can ever be seen,' it is not likely that they will visit the same town twice. As Robert Frost said of 'The Road Not Taken':

'And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.'

So, to those who leave our cities, we send with you the best souvenirs that we have to offer...and wish you well on your journey to "A Better Place"

bon voyage!

'Absent'-minded

2009-06-30T00:01:00.003-06:00

Have you ever lost something? Or, had something taken from you? I’m sure we’ve all experienced it at some point in our lives.

‘I’ve lost my keys,’ ‘I can’t find my wallet,’ ‘Have you seen my phone?,’ I can’t remember where I put my glasses,’ are all examples of phrases that most of us use on a fairly regular basis. Because in most instances we’re able to find what we’ve misplaced, the absence of those objects is felt momentarily. It’s when we speak of greater losses that the suffering is increased. Some ‘lose employment,’ some may ‘lose certain freedoms’ as consequences for their actions, and for many of us, we will feel the ‘loss of a loved one’ at some point in our lives.

The subsequent grief often depends on our degree of attachment to what we’ve lost and it can only be offset by the hope of regaining it. That hope, however real or imagined, is the best antidote for grief.

The old cliché rings true, ‘we never really appreciate what we have until it’s gone.’ That’s not to say that what we have goes unappreciated, it is only to say that we don’t understand it’s full value until it is taken from us. We take for granted some of those most basic, and most important, blessings in our lives (e.g. health, food, family & friends, etc.). We assume that because we have those comforts in our lives now, that we will always have them. Unfortunately, and often unexpectedly, ‘the rug is pulled out from underneath us,’ and what we are inevitably left with is the ‘pain of loss.’

Most often when we speak of great loss we refer to the death of a close relative, the separation of children from their parents, divorce, etc. Sadness is not measured in quantity but rather its magnitude is quantified by the depth of sorrow. I do not pretend to know more about grief than anyone else or even to understand another person’s grief, but I am no stranger to it myself.

It is such an interesting emotion. It is as unique as the individual experiencing it. Yet, there are still many similarities. There are those moments when we take deep breath to alleviate the pain, if only momentarily. At first everything reminds us of our loss. If we try hard enough, we can find some abstract connection to the person that we’ve lost in anything and everything. Those moments are bitter sweet.

As time goes on, there may be fewer things to remind us of our loved ones but the things that remain are more powerful than all of the smaller ones combined. Shortly after the rainstorm on Friday night, the sky was probably one of the most beautiful ones that I have ever seen. I had an overwhelming desire to share it with the person who might appreciate it the most only to find that I was no longer able to do so. My grandmother loved clouds and she would have loved that sunset. So, it was left to me to enjoy it for the two of us. I was happy to think of her. I’ve had similar experiences with cheesecake, red mini coopers (with racing stripes), and countless others.

In one of my favorite, wonderfully depressing books, The Plague (Camus), the narrator is speaking of the separation caused by the plague…

’It was undoubtedly the feeling of exile—that sensation of a void within which never left us, that irrational longing to hark back to the past or else speed up the march of time, and those keen shafts of memory stung like fire. Sometimes we toyed with our imagination, composing ourselves to wait for a ring at the bell announcing somebody’s return, or for the sound of a familiar footstep on the stairs; but, though we might deliberately stay at home at the hour when a traveler coming by the evening train would normally have arrived, and though we might contrive to forget for the moment that no trains were running, that game of make-believe, for obvious reasons, could not last. Always a moment came when we had to face the fact that no trains were coming in. And then we realized that the separation was destined to continue, we had no choice but to come to terms with the days ahead. In short, we returned to our prison-house, we had nothing left us but the past, and even if some were tempted to live in the future, they had speedily to abandon the idea—anyhow, as soon as could be—once they felt the wounds that the imagination inflicts on those who yield themselves to it.’

As I said, it’s wonderfully depressing. But, that is the hope that we hold on to…that the separation won’t last. We use those words to comfort those who have had close relatives pass away, ‘you’ll see them again.’ Or, at the very least, we say, ‘they’re in a better place.’ But that does not change the fact that, ‘a loveless world is a dead world, and always there comes a time when one is weary of prisons, of one’s work, and of devotion to duty, and all one craves for is a loved face, the warmth and wonder of a loving heart.’

If they are in a better place, then it is on our most selfish moments that we desire their return to us. Perhaps that is the hope that we need to hold on to, that they are in a better place, rather than to hope for their return. If we truly love what we have lost then we would want what is best for them however painful it may be for us to accept.

That is when we want to 'speed up the march of time' either to have some reunion, or to at least come to a point where the loss seems less real ('at least until those red-hot irons of memory jab at us') and consequently less painful.

I’m not sure if any of that makes any sense or if it is even coherent…it is late. Those are just thoughts that I’ve had on my mind and, in the absence of a better venue, I'm using this blog to express them.

Somewhere South of Happy!

2009-06-26T19:16:00.004-06:00

I've often thought about writing a book. I'm not exactly what the book would be about but I've always thought that a good title for a book would be: "Somewhere South of Happy". It was inspired by this small town in Texas.

As you can see in the picture, there isn't much to Happy. It's a small Main St. town if you can even call it that. I came across one actual person while in Happy. He was edging the lawn at Happy High. I didn't stop to talk, just waved as I passed him by. He was out sweating in the hot Texas sun as I was in my climate controlled / environmentally friendly Ford Focus. I was the jealous one. There's something about small towns that draws me to them. Maybe there's a lesson in the small simple town of Happy. Happiness doesn't come from the complexity of life, but it's found in the small, simple things that we come across on a daily basis. A lot of us overlook that...perhaps there are only 647 people in the world that have figured it out. Here's to Happy!

Fortune Cookie Say:

2009-06-24T22:58:00.005-06:00

Apparently, I'm not very good at the whole blogging thing. I'm not very diligent at keeping it updated. Anyway, today, as I sat waiting for my Kung Pao Chicken to be brought to my table, I treated myself to fortune cookie. In addition to being the 'ideal' cookie (hard, crunchy, and often stale) they occasionally provide some sort of insight. Today's fortune read as follows: 'The limit to your abilities is where you place it.'

Elephants are a symbol of wisdom in many Asian cultures. In addition to their intelligence, they also have impressive memories. It is believed that an elephant will remember your scent for years after your original encounter and can recall whether their interaction with you was positive or negative. So, what do elephants and this particular fortune cookie have in common, you ask.

Well, I read in a book, The Heart Speaks, a little bit about the training of circus elephants. To teach them their boundaries when they are young, one end of a chain is fastened around its leg and the other end to a stake in the ground. The young elephant does not possess enough strength to break free and thus is forced to remain within the boundaries it has been given. Something interesting happens as the elephant grows older, despite growing in size and strength, the elephant still remains within its boundaries.

In other words the 'limit to the elephant's abilities is where it has been placed by its trainer.' We are much the same way...we live in a world where we are compelled, either by ourselves or those around us, to accept certain limitations. We sell ourselves short of achieving our full potential. And, the truth is, our potential really is only limited by the restrictions that we put on it. We need to brake the chains the hold us hostage and dare to explore the countless opportunities that are placed before us. Gotta Love Fortune Cookie Wisdom!

Pixar Perfect

2009-06-19T16:33:00.005-06:00

Two weeks ago today, I went and saw Pixar's newest animated film, UP, with the 'best of bests'. It was an inspiring tale that touched upon life and death, love and divorce, the fulfillment of dreams, and the importance of friendship. Well, today MSN.com published a real-life story of the fulfillment of a young girl's dying wish.

http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=415257&GT1=28101

While Disney and Pixar may have had their missteps in the past, today they were 'Pixar-Perfect'...

May we all fill our 'adventure books' with the things and, more importantly, the people that matter...

A Toast to the Atari

2009-06-19T16:17:00.009-06:00

The other day I received an email from my aunt about being over the age of 30. Even though, I'm not quite the ripe old age of 30, I can totally relate. I'm not sure where the email originated from so I'm unable to give credit where credit is due but here's what it said:

"When we were young, we didn't have fancy video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600, with games like 'Space Invaders' and 'Asteroids'. Your guy was a little square and you actually had to use your imagination!! There were not multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen forever! And, you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!"

Here's to growing up in the Atari-age, and to life getting harder and harder and faster and faster until we die. Cheers!

Send in the Clowns

2009-06-18T11:48:00.005-06:00

While Judy Collins made this song a hit, my favorite version can be found on iTunes. It is performed by Renato Russo. Look it up, listen to it, and buy it...it's wonderfully depressing.

Isn't it rich?
Are we a pair?
Me here at last on the ground,
You in mid-air.
Send in the clowns.

Isn't it bliss?
Don't you approve?
One who keeps tearing around,
One who can't move.
Where are the clowns?
Send in the clowns.

Just when I'd stopped opening doors,
Finally knowing the one that I wanted was yours,
Making my entrance again with my usual flair,
Sure of my lines,
No one is there.

Don't you love farce?
My fault I fear.
I thought that you'd want what I want.
Sorry, my dear.
But where are the clowns?
Quick, send in the clowns.
Don't bother, they're here.

Isn't it rich?
Isn't it queer,
Losing my timing this late
In my career?
And where are the clowns?
There ought to be clowns.
Well, maybe next year.

(A Little Night Music)

It would be nice to have clowns sent in at times in our lives when things did not go exactly the way we had hoped or planned they would, if for nothing else than to distract us from moments of grief, despair, or embarrassment. Then again, maybe 'we're already here'. We're the clowns. Not in the circus, rodeo, or theatrical sense. We are clowns in the most superficial sense. We wear painted-on smiles, and fake emotions in a an attempt of hiding our true thoughts and feelings behind layers of make-up and silly clothes. Whether we use it as a defense mechanism or a way to cope with the pain of loss, it serves its purpose however helpful or detrimental it may be. We do it so well and so often that at times it is hard, even for us, to separate fact from fiction. This makes us not only clowns, but fools as well. We make it difficult to see beyond our bulbous red noses and out into the world beyond. We spend so much time protecting ourselves that we forget that the most meaningful and long-lasting relationships that we form are done when the animal-shaped balloons and water-spraying flowers are put away, when the make-up is removed, and when we are us in our truest, RAWest, and arguably our finest form. Our true friends will not only laugh at our jokes and ridiculous antics, they will also love us when they see, the frown beneath the smile, the bare-feet inside when the over-sized shoes are taken off, and the plain clothes when the brightly-colored costume is removed. Let us to continue to be clowns when the occasion warrants, but let us never play the part of the fool.