A new adventure chapter in the book of life

If life is somewhat defined by the adventures we endeavor during our years during this mortal existence then mom and I added a chapter to our book of life last week. It wasn’t quite the altruistic weekend of digging a well for an African village or the pure adrenalin rush of river rafting down the piranha chocked Amazon River. But it does qualify as a challenging and at times painful adventure.

We have purchased a vacation rental home in Branson, MO and needed to apply a few final touches last weekend before the 4^th of July rental week. You can visit our new home on the net at www.vrbo.com unit # 191775. Those few touches included new bedroom furniture and a ton of other major home type purchases. Mom went to work with her practiced shopping skills and I got to sharpen my packing abilities. After careful consideration we decided to buy the large items here in Denver and transport them to MO. Someone should have checked my sanity at that point. It reminded me of stupidly jumping off a certain cliff in Lake Powell which has trashed my knee to this day. Sounds like fun, but in reality, it just doesn’t make sense.

It started a week ago Wed night with furniture ads in her hands, mom was on the hunt. We went so far as to rent a pick up truck to bag our trophy bed room set. No distance was too great as we drove to the north side of town to secure or first King sized bed set. Why do people need such big beds and why do they make such little trucks.
It took some effort to load two king mattress, a headboard, a footboard, a dresser, a night stand, plus all the side boards and rails into the pick up, but it fit and we had our first set.

I borrowed a friend’s truck the next day to load up another set pull a trailer and head out to MO. We figured we could get away by around noon. After a few delays we finally drove across town to pick up another king bed set and when load I realized that the borrowed truck was even smaller. Yikes it was a shaky load with mattress sitting high in the back waving like tall grass in the wind with every bump. This haul included a nice looking armoire. But its beauty didn’t make up for its size and weight.

It was a borrowed truck so I wasn’t quite familiar with the instrument panel and I swear there should have been plenty of gas, but there wasn’t and for the first time in my life….I ran out of gas. Right in the middle of the construction site on County Line road with no place to go except block all the traffic, including the construction work. I became very popular with so many new acquaintances. Many waved telling me I was #1 in their book. Two flagmen help push my mattress laden vehicle off the road enough to let traffic through while I waited for a friend to bring gas and rescue me. “Never again” began running through my head. Then it took two hours to hook up and rent the trailer (the lights didn’t work until I bought an expensive adapter). I didn’t know a plastic round thing could cost so much.

It was a little past noon and we were getting started on loading our treasure. It was a hot and sunny day and the trailer and truck got blistering hot. Mom and I were trying to carry and load all this heavy furniture without touch any metal parts. I hadn’t busted so many cool dance moves since high school in order to avoid hot metal. Unfortunately those cool moves threw my back out. That never happened in the high school gym. Finally our neighbor Karen Foreman and our mortgage guy came over to help and witness the spectacle of the dancing mattresses.

We’re now approaching 5 pm and still haven’t picked up the two sleeper sofas at American Furniture Warehouse. We had let just enough space in the trailer for the last of the three rooms of furniture we were taking. It took four men each to load in the sofas and suddenly the thought hits me…..How will mom and I ever unload this sucker??? Too late now, but again that thought, “Never again”.

We hit the freeway at a blazing 50 mph into a headwind that rippled the lovely bright orange tarp. No it actually ripped the orange tarp to shreds within a few hours and we looked like some people from the Ozarks. No worry that is where we were heading. We got out of town at 6 pm, a little behind schedule, so we adjusted the projected goal of reaching Branson on Thurs night. We drove 100 miles and had to stop for gas, filled it up with 20 gallons ($80) and if you calculate carefully that works out to 5 miles per gallon. At $4 a gallon that means nearly a dollar a mile and we had 850 miles to go.
Again that thought, “Never again”.

Friday morning started off great – free breakfast at the motel in Hayes, Kansas. We had 5 hours of sleep and so we hit the road. Shopped for more stuff like TV’s in Kansas City and headed to the Ozark’s. We decided to do the cultural thing for lunch/dinner and stopped at Smith’s Family Restaurant famous for its Giant Pork Tenderloin Sandwich. We lined up for the experience and weren’t disappointed. It was a large dinner plate sized slab of pork tenderloin deep fried to a crisp golden brown. There was enough grease there to lube the truck two times over.

We arrived at the house in Branson at about 6 pm sweating from all the heat and humidity. Mom and I literally were able to carry the first item out of the trailer, one of the two sleeper sofas 6 feet and that was it. Too awkward and heavy. We tried Yoda power to no avail and settled on bribing the Mexicans working next door with beer money if they would help us. 30 minutes later the truck and trailer was empty and the real work began. Full of energy from the grease tenderloin sandwich we tackled remaking the vacation home. No tools but with great spirit things started happening, like standing around and trying to figure out how everything was suppose to fit. Thank goodness mom and I perfectly agreed on how to arrange all the new furniture. You would think after a grueling trek and in the heat and mess we would have short fuses in deciding exactly what furniture matched and where to put that stinking armoire…but it really did go smoothly without any major flash points. We were too tired to argue.

Saturday morning we stopped by Wal-Mart for a few catch up items and 5 hours and $2,500 later we took another haul back to the house. It took that long because I used my credit card out of state and the amount was so high they thought it was fraud and bock my card usage for a while. We had to decide on everything from towel racks to big screen TV’s. That was enough shopping for even mom. We worked for a couple more hours and then went back for more to Wal-Mart and Target. We shopped until midnight and finally went to bed at 1:30 am. As I drifted off to sleep I thought, “Never again”.

Sunday, the day of rest, was tough. I had towel racks and TV’s to hook up with limited tools. The armoire was my nemesis. We moved it to three bedrooms before it found a home. I tried to change the shelving with disastrous results as the TV collapsed the shelf and nearly crushed my fingers and the DVD player. The towel racks and pictures hang a little crooked, but I figure that adds to the charm. We finally finished clean up at 1 pm and headed out for another cultural experience at the World Famous Lambert’s Throwed Rolls Restaurant. The line was like a Disney World ride about two hours, so we ate at Subway. The trip home, still loaded with furniture, was uneventful except for a wild wind and lightening storm on the Kansas/Colorado border. Mom had to stop for a bathroom break and was nearly blown over…. You know the say you shouldn’t spit into the wind, well that goes for other things as well. We got home at 1am exhausted and broke and I thought, “Maybe again”…because

While we were in Branson a family arrived at another house in our development. There were six cars all from different states. You could tell it was a family reunion, and they were all so glad to see one another. “How you been?”, “What’s happening in your family?”, “Boy have you ever grown.” “You two will have to share a bedroom”….As I overheard that happy family greet each other, play in the yard, head to the swimming pool, and plan trips to the amusement parks and lake for boating, I thought that is why vacation homes are so important. It isn’t so much the furniture or bar-b-que grill it is the family memories made that make all this effort worth while. Not that is an adventure that should be done again and again.

There is nothing more consistent than change

“There is nothing more consistent than change.” This has been a week of change in the dynamic stream of life. Just when we had wrapped ourselves in a comfortable pattern of breakfast, lunch, and dinner with Jensen, Lily, Danica, and Dave they up and move this week. I had a week to prepare for the decreased decibels and missing mess, but it still came as a shock that Jensen wasn’t there this morning to sneak up on and tickle, nor was Lily there to radiate the room with her bright smile. Danica won’t be around to talk about political radio shows and all our electronic equipment will suffer without Dave’s skilled touch. I will miss those kids, but not the fresh smell of diapers as you enter the garage. Thank goodness they are close enough to visit frequently.

The move went well. Several nights this week I would wrestle Jensen and caudle Lily until bedtime, while Tracy and Danica worked late into the night to paint and prepare their new house. I even got Jensen to go to bed with the lights off. Danica is so excited to have their own house, now if El Paso will hire Dave full time life will even be better.

I had an interesting experience at the temple this week. I was working the recommend desk and two young couples came in with that “deer in the headlights” look. I checked them in and then my shift changed and I was now the patron guide and one of the men asked me for a blessing. He had been to the dentist and his jaw hurt him so much he didn’t want it to interfere with the session. I checked with the temple president about giving the blessing and he said OK and we went to get his keys from his wife for the oil vial. With the oil we went into one of the offices and the other husband admitted that he had never given a blessing before. We did an on-the-spot training session on blessings and he gave a fine blessing. They went on the get dressed and I went to return the keys to the mission president office. The door was closed so I knocked, waited a second, heard nothing, and entered the room. To my surprise the temple president’s wife was alone in the office changing her clothes and I was so shocked to see her undressed I dropped the keys and ran out. I felt so bad.

My next assignment was the New Name booth and I got to give a new name to the young man who had just given his first blessing. He now looked at me with eyes that said, “Doesn’t anybody else work here, or do you do everything?” They were on the last session and as I worked the veil guess who came to my area. Yes it was the same young man. He and I both laughed (temple laugh). It was a fun coincidence. But I still needed to beg forgiveness of the temple president’s wife. As I was leaving the temple she was sitting in the foyer with another female friend. I approached her and begged her forgiveness. I said I knocked but didn’t hear anything, and she said she didn’t say anything because she thought it was her husband. She then said she was covered and “no harm no foul.” Then friend was really curious about what had happened so we had to tell the story over and had a good laugh (temple laugh).

As you can see from the pictures the changes caused by the TV and Danica’s move is finally settling in. The ripples caused by that TV are still costing me money. A new table to sit on, new sound system, new couch, and in the works mom is pushing for a new rug.
It has to stop soon.

In case you’re wondering I had a great start to Father’s Day. Mom hand made me this spectacular card with all the thoughts that I really wanted to hear. Then she served me a royal breakfast of banana crepes and cream cheese.

That is now my new favorite breakfast. Life is good and I’m one happy and thankful Father.

Jensen's a big help

It has been a rather boring week here with nothing much happening of note. Except it was a particularly average and happy Saturday. Even after my racquetball buddy from the temple couldn’t make it to play in the morning, it was a good day. Dave and I finished our work on the side retaining wall being helped by Jensen. He would yell “PANE” every time an airplane raced over head and then say “pane all gone” when it disappeared. He was shoveling dirt with this little trowel to help us and he would try and reach over the back fence to throw the dirt into the greenbelt. Well he was a little short and the dirt always fell back onto his head, but he kept trying. He also helped with tools; Dave was using a big rubber mallet to position the bricks. As soon as Dave laid down the mallet, Jensen would pick it up and walk away so he could hit some bricks. I would chase after him and distract him so I could get the mallet back to Dave. Jensen had fun with this relay a bunch of times. The best and scariest incident of the morning was when Jensen took his Big Wheel bike out of the garage and set at the top of the steep sidewalk. All of a sudden he let go and went sailing down the hill at a super fast Jeff Gordon Indy driver speed. The end wasn’t pretty as he crashed into the scrub at the bottom of the hill with the bike on top of him and a good face plant was his brake. It was amazing he didn’t cry, but he also didn’t try that trick again.

Before we started working outside, Danica had asked me how to raise the oldest child to be a good example for the rest of the family. It was an interesting questions, she went on to say that Celeste was a good example for her and she wanted Jensen to be that example for their family. Helping to work on that wall goes a long way to creating that good example.

The day followed with Salsa Saturday at Qudoba’s, napping, shopping for a new sound system for the TV, swimming with Jensen at the Rec center, dinner with friends, and a movie. We Mormons have to crowd a whole weekend into one day and yesterday was a good one.

Baldknobbers

We had an interesting Memorial Day Holiday. We spent it in Branson, MO where we were looking at some investment properties. I’ll give you some highlights.

Our luck with air travel continues as we got up at 4:15 am and rushed to the airport for a 6:30 am flight. We made it OK only to circle the Kansas City airport for over 2 hours as a 1 hour flight became 3.5 hours in the air. And the anticipated magic shows in Branson started early as mom’s suitcase disappeared during the flight and didn’t show up with mine in Kansas City. Then we had an hour wait in line for the rental car. Thank goodness the missionaries gave us a lesson on the Godly attribute of Patience; otherwise I was going to tell the Avis person where she could shove those……

On the way to Branson we stopped off at the church site in Independence. It was really interesting as three denominations are squared off on or near the old temple site. Mom flirted with one of the Apostles from the Church of Christ while I took some of the tracts describing why we don’t need temple ordinances. They also had some stones found buried marking the original temple boundaries.

We then headed across the street to visit with the Congregation of Christ, the other denomination, and their great and spacious building – The Spiral Tower of Babel.

Deeply symbolic they chose to model the spire after a sea shell the architect’s granddaughter found at the beach. They preach Peace unto all the world and we got to witness a Peace Prayer session near the Japanese Garden. On that day’s menu was Madagascar. I don’t know if it was the country or the movie, but it was nice. We got a tour of the building all except the sanctuary. They were cleaning the carpet. In the presentation they did everything they could to not say Joseph Smith First Vision. They said divine experience, spiritual awakening, encounter with the spirit, etc. They had original copies of the first printing of the Book of Mormon but no word on how we got it.

They impressed upon us how Emma was an elect lady and so her son Joseph Smith III was to be the Prophet after Joseph Smith Jr. death. It passed on to the male heir until there were no more male heirs and then a committee made the decision. According to her the committee could pick anyone they wanted, except the committee called the 12 apostles when Brigham Young was the president. He was a sex maniac that introduced the church to polygamy. Their current prophet is not a Joseph nor a Smith but Bill.

Enough fun and games we drove on to Branson and toured around the new development and it was so fun. There is tons of things to do and had so much fun exploring the town. There is an old section of small shops and ice cream parlors. A fairly current area along the narrow highway of cheap tourists traps like the Titanic, multi level go carts, and Ozark trinkets. There were also dozens of theaters with shows ranging from redneck BaldKnobbers to Chinese Jugglers. Something for everyone!!!
Traffic was a killer. Then the newest section was upscale shops along the river. The area also had amusement theme parks, outdoor shows and lots of lake. There are tons of things to do.

We took in two shows – Yakov the Russian comedian, who was great, and Bart Rocket who did magic and comedy and piano and a ventriloquist act. He was OK but after 90 minutes of one guy doing everything I felt Bart fatigue. During church on Sunday mom thought she recognized a young couple and had seen them before. I bet that she was mistaken and so after Sunday School she went and asked them if we had ever met before. Mom was right and they had attended the ward in Frisco that snowy week in January when we couldn’t go to Costa Rica – and he recognized me from Frisco as well. They are part of the Dutton’s a major variety show in Branson – a good area for Mormon entertainers because they keep the lyrics very clean here.

We did find two houses to buy, but there is only enough in the kitty to pick one and we are negotiating the best price. Get ready for Branson may be the headquarters of all our family vacations in the future. Much closer than Costa Rica and you too can meet the Dutton’s.

Remember Memorial Day this year and all that Don is doing to protect our family and nation. We love your service Don, keep up the good work.

Patriotism the American Way

We are a patriotic family. We love this great land and the ideals and principals upon which it is founded. Therefore we decided to spend our tax rebate check and feed the economy. So what to buy? I felt inspired, like Bryce, that food storage would be a good start, but I felt we needed to do even more, and again like Bryce we decided to buy a enlarged TV so we could…….be patriotic and cheer on our American athletes at the godless Chinese Olympics.
So armed with red white and blue fever and a charge card we went shopping for a simple item – one grossly oversized, but thin, TV screen. I figured an hour would be sufficient to pick out something and load it in the back of Explorer and then lean back and watch some cool Blue Ray, HD, kick butt movies. Don’t laugh because reality is so cruel.
Well that hour shopping trip has turned into a two week ordeal of comparison shopping. I picked up a whole new language like, remember 1080 “P”, not the outdated 1080 “I” and don’t even think about 720, that’s from the ancient times of the year 2007. Projection or Flat Screen – well how big is that rebate check? Do you want a screen size that you can see comfortably from the couch or do you want a HE MAN size screen so you can catch your favorite programs while playing with the kids over at the park. Consider the future technology in bulbs, HD needs replacing in 2-3 years at a cost of $300 so jump up to LED’s and stretch out the life of your living room entertainment center. But wait there is also a better technology if you use LCD’s. And of course the highest technology – Plasma - certainly unobtainable from just one simple tax rebate check. We would have to collect several checks from the neighbors to gather enough assets to purchase an enlarged Plasma screen. Maybe if we promised to turn the sound way up and keep our curtains open they might be willing to contribute. I would appeal to their deep patriotic feelings. With a huge screen I would even be willing to do instant replays of the sports teams over at the park that they could watch while in the park. The choices got complicated real fast and it seem like the rebate check was shedding important zeros.
Mom and I talked about it and decided that a reasonable compromise would make the best sense. We would go for the larger screen (61”) but with an older technology. We figured it would be easier to find the on and off switch that way. Dave, our son-in-law technical wizard, was thinking of a modest screen (52”), but with a forward looking technology. He did such a good job controlling his urge to shout NO!!! don’t buy that inferior TV.
After two weeks of study and research we were finally ready to make the purchase that would bless our home with sweet tunes and gentle images of inspiring stories. Not really, we wanted sweet action and fast played images of incredible special effects that would blow us out of our seats. We were going to replace the painting of Jesus with our big screen purchase, and put him over to the side, but thought better of that and kept the Savior in his rightful place above the mantle.
We entered the store knowing exactly which TV to buy and planned to quickly get back home for Jensen’s 2nd birthday party. Oh the best laid plans…..There happened to be an “out of the box” special on one of those coveted PLASMA screens. It was the right size and technology and so what if it cost the equivalent of 4 tax rebate checks. It was a steal…
After another hour of deliberating and crunching numbers balancing cost verses value we went with the 58” Plasma set. Then the real fun began, because then they started adding in all the extras. A box from the cable company to convert the signal to fill up that huge screen, a special unit that allows you to play the new Blue Ray movies (much higher priced that a $25 DVD player), combined with something called a PS III (this was at Dave’s urging because we could start a Rock Band or something), of course the maintenance package (which cost more that any TV set I had previously purchased), add in the hand held remote gadget that controls all the new devices, a charge for a service call to calibrate the whole system, and finally they charged me $130 for the 2’ cable to connect everything. But the cable has a lifetime warranty, for that price my great grand children ought to be able to use that cable when they’re old and foolish like me. I cried when I was presented the final bill, and the receipt alone was at least 3’ long.
When we entered the store I told the sales clerk that we wanted to buy a set and watch a movie that night, he suppressed a guffaw and said, “You think so huh.” I should have paid attention to that red flag. Since it was an “out of box” purchase, we were responsible for transporting this huge, awkward, heavy, precious as gold object home. We were told by at least 4 people that what ever you do don’t tilt it more that 45 degrees to one side or the other because it will destroy the screen in seconds or break off the base. The store promised to wrap it in protective coverings to help with the transport. That meant that it had four layers of thin Saran Wrap. As we got it outside the store to put it in the back of the Explorer it started to rain. Boy was I glad for that protective Saran Wrap. Guess what??? It didn’t fit in the Explorer, but we got it in far enough that we couldn’t push it in, pull it out, or lay it down and it continued to rain on my Mega Buck big screen. Then I got motivate like a protective parent and finally laid it down in the back. The store said it should be OK since we’re only going a couple of miles, but don’t go over any speed bumps. It must have took 5 minutes to clear the parking lot to avoid the bumps and we drove slowly home. Happy day, it stopped raining the whole way home and only started again once we were parked in front of the house. Gently cradling this 150” monster Dave and I carried it to it’s somewhat final resting place in the family room.
Now let’s make that sales clerk eat his words and watch a movie. Not so fast buddy boy. We have to set up the unit first. Dave is a genius as he flashed through screen after screen of System Set Up, System Applications, System Updates, System User Guide, System Defaults, System Billing information, System System (that last one is an exaggeration). All my personal information got fed into the magic PS III box and after 90 minutes we were ready to finally watch our movie. By that time it was 11 pm, but we were going to watch a movie it didn't matter who fell asleep. Already the TV is bring peace and relaxation into our home. Well, we did watch an incredible visual feast the very same night we bought the TV. Ohhh I feel so technical, because I know how to use a credit card (thank goodness for Dave for the technical part). Funny thing….there really isn’t an on or off switch on the whole thing. Where is my 13” black and white set, at least it has a power button?

Average Week

It has been a rather quiet week around here except for the blessing of having grandkids in the home. Jensen calls me “Papi” every time I walk into the room. He also has a nickname for Tracy. He calls her “Baggy.” Tracy has quite warmed up to her nick name the same way I have to mine. It is so delightful to have the kids around. Jensen has figured out how to operate the drink dispenser on the refridge and so we will find puddles of water around the kitchen at times. After a few minutes of silence in the house was all start asking, “Where is Jensen?” or more accurately “What kind of trouble is Jensen getting into?” A few example would be – pouring his own bath in our tub, giving himself a makeover with Tracy’s makeup, playing with the sewing pins, emptying the cupboards of pots and pans, taste testing and pouring out the little jars of spices, climbing on the pool table and dancing with the billiard balls, and creative play with a truck and Lily’s face (this one drew blood). I can’t wait to find out the other imaginative things he will do this next week. Bless Danica’s heart.
It was a good week at work and I made a few good sales. The temple provided a wonderful spiritual break in the middle of the week. Mom took me shopping yesterday and I wore some of the new clothes to church today and people actually complimented me on how I looked. I told them that my wife dressed me this morning. I didn’t have to spend $600 on car repairs either this week. Danica found a neat house here in Highlands Ranch and made an offer to buy it. All in all a very nice and average week.

I read this story on the internet yesterday and thought it was such a great example of people rejecting the world’s measure of success and digging deep to do what they know is right. It reminds me of the work you are doing and I wanted to share it:

Opponents carry injured home-run hitter around bases
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - With two runners on base and a strike against her, Sara Tucholsky of Western Oregon University uncorked her best swing and did something she had never done, in high school or college. Her first home run cleared the center-field fence.
But it appeared to be the shortest of dreams come true when she missed first base, started back to tag it and collapsed with a knee injury.
She crawled back to first but could do no more. The first-base coach said she would be called out if her teammates tried to help her. Or, the umpire said, a pinch runner could be called in, and the homer would count as a single.
Then, members of the Central Washington University softball team stunned spectators by carrying Tucholsky around the bases Saturday so the three-run homer would count - an act that contributed to their own elimination from the playoffs.
Central Washington first baseman Mallory Holtman, the career home run leader in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, asked the umpire if she and her teammates could help Tucholsky.
The umpire said there was no rule against it.
So Holtman and shortstop Liz Wallace put their arms under Tucholsky's legs, and she put her arms over their shoulders. The three headed around the base paths, stopping to let Tucholsky touch each base with her good leg.
"We started laughing when we touched second base," Holtman said. "I said, 'I wonder what this must look like to other people."'
"We didn't know that she was a senior or that this was her first home run," Wallace said Wednesday. "That makes the story more touching than it was. We just wanted to help her."
Holtman said she and Wallace weren't thinking about the playoff spot, and didn't consider the gesture something others wouldn't do.
As the trio reached home plate, Tucholsky said, the entire Western Oregon team was in tears.
Central Washington coach Gary Frederick, a 14-year coaching veteran, called the act of sportsmanship "unbelievable."
Her home run sent Western Oregon to a 4-2 victory, ending Central Washington's chances of winning the conference and advancing to the playoffs.
"In the end, it is not about winning and losing so much," Holtman said. "It was about this girl. She hit it over the fence and was in pain, and she deserved a home run."

Family Week

From the whirlwind of last weekend the kids have slowly begun to drive or fly off into the future leaving behind traces of their adult spirits and the sweet sounds of their toddler and baby laughs and cries. They also left a few errant socks and dirty diapers. I view it as a pay day from being blessed as parents with incredible children. I loved raising infants, playing with kids, and trying to keep up with teenagers as the family aged, but to have healthy, stable, and spiritual adult children is the absolute best thing in the world. I didn’t even mind the mostly gentle teasing of how goofy or clumsy I am. I best loved the quiet conversations related to politics, raising the next generation, and even intense discussions of family struggles. It is the mixed salad of personalities, and choices, and feelings, and ideas, and habits brought together under the roof of ultimate love and caring that makes for a dynamic and fun family. And we have it in spades. I’m so thankful for the blessings of the gospel that have so enriched our lives and built this structure of home.
The intense activity of kids arriving started with Don’s April 2nd appearance, and will come to an end today as Don leaves for the base at 29 Palms. Thanks goodness Dave and Danica will stay in the area for a while, because amid the mess and noise I loved everyone around and have a glimpse of what heaven will be like.

Tiana was slowly returning to the real world by the day, but would retreat to thoughts of the mission by talking with an elder recently released from West Virginia at night. She is now in Salt Lake to visit with him in person. She is also there to find a place to live, get a job, sign up for school and move on to the next phase of life. It was great as she drove off alone to Utah and stake her claim to her new future armed with experience and the spirit from her mission. It might be rough for a while but she is prepared with some impressive weapons of self confidence developed over the last few years.
Don is planning on driving all night to arrive at his sister’s place in Southern Utah tomorrow morning and then finish the trip to 29 Palms. He is packing his new car and lots of rest from 30 days of visiting friends and family. We didn’t get enough racquetball in because of his broken knuckle and he said he will ‘tough it out” to keep from telling anyone on base.
I had an interesting appointment this week. It was basically a job interview to work with a large national company that uses life insurance to help with charitable giving. It could mean a ton of new business and we will see how it goes. Yesterday we worked outside with Dave to repair the falling wall on the side yard and it snowed on us. I thought about you and wondered if it was still cold and snowy in Canada.