I used to have a new car...

... and then my wife saw it (not that she hasn't seen a Smart Car before).

Could it be the in dash GPS Navigation System with AM/FM Radio, CD and DVD player, AUX jack and IPod jack that drove her to steal my car? (It will even play separate input feeds on the front and rear speakers, so that those in the front can listen to something different than those in the rear - - - oh, wait, there is no rear seat).

Or is it that it's just a cool, cool car?

Come on Baby, Light My Fire

Friday night was the annual Father / Son campout, expanded this year to include a service project. The Church has purchased a ranch about 5 miles across the state line for use as a Girls' Camp. So our service project was to spend the day prepping the camp. Roads had been cut, trees needed to be cleared, tent platforms needed to be set up, and a number of other projects. For the morning, I had the honor of manning one of the many fires - burning the squaw wood from the clearing of the roads, and stacking firewood for future use. This afternoon, I got to help build tent platforms. A good time was had by all.

Not my mother, but I liked this list....

25 REASONS I OWE MY MOTHER


1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE.
'If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning.'
2. My mother taught me RELIGION.
'You better pray that will come out of the carpet.'
3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL.
'If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!'
4. My mother taught me LOGIC..
'Because I said so, that's why.'
5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC.
'If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me.'
6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT.
'Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident.'
7. My mother taught me IRONY.
'Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about.'
8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS.
'Shut your mouth and eat your supper.'
9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM.
'Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!'
10. My mother taught me about STAMINA.
'You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone.'
11. My mother taught me about WEATHER.'This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it.'
12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY.
'If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!'
13 My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE.
'I brought you into this world, and I can take you out. '
14.My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.'Stop acting like your father!'
15. My mother taught me about ENVY.'There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do.'
16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.'Just wait until we get home.'
17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING.'You are going to get it when you get home!'
18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.
'If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way.'
19. My mother taught me ESP.'Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?'
20. My mother taught me HUMOR.'When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me.'
21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT..
'If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up.'
22.My mother taught me GENETICS.'You're just like your father.'
23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS.
'Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?'
24. My mother taught me WISDOM.
'When you get to be my age, you'll understand.'
25. And my favorite:
My mother taught me about JUSTICE.
'One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you.

Thanks

It's been a whirlwind couple of weeks: the wedding, the travel, the reception, wisdom teeth and all the follow up problems, the trip for the second reception (which was likewise wonderful).

We'd initially planned to celebrate Mother's Day in a week or two, when Susie was feeling better; but with her surgery for the abscess (following the dry socket following the initial wisdom teeth extraction) on the day of the first reception (advice on the side: have your wisdom teeth out when you're young), she wasn't feeling quite up to doing a lot with the reception other than attending. Traveling was out for Susie for the second reception. Instead, I flew with Samara to that, cancelled the side trip to the home office on the way home (because I was flying, not driving, and the home office was only "on the way" if I jumped out of the plane). We left on a 6 am flight on Saturday; returned on a 6 am flight from two time zones east of us on Sunday; made it to Church after a brief nap, and had no plans for Mother's Day (which we intended to delay, because I wasn't going to be around to help celebrate).

Enter an invitation to Sunday Dinner from a wonderful daughter-in-law's parents. We were only able to contribute leftover wedding cake; we REALLY appreciated someone looking out for us, when we hadn't had time to look out for ourselves. Our kitchen is still somewhat trashed... but we'll get it cleaned up sometime this week; the lawn is over a foot tall in places... but we'll get it mowed sometime this week; and the windshield wipers on the Festiva are still misbehaving... but we'll get that fixed before it rains on Wednesday. Life is getting back to "normal" - whatever that is.

What's really matters is that at a time when we needed it most, we had a chance to get away for a bit and enjoy a Mother's Day dinner with family.

Thanks!

In Hot Water... Again

Which is a good thing. This morning I noticed the hot water supply was lacking; while relighting the hot water heater, I also noticed that there was a puddle underneath it (not good on a wooden floor). Tonight, while buying a hot water heater (and a drain pan to put it in), I noticed that the size we previously had was rated for a family size of 3-4 people (and if you wonder why we ran out of hot water with a family of 8, now you know).

We now have the bigger size (50 gallons), suitable for a family of 5-6, which is a lot closer to the size of the current population.

Thanks to Chaelomen for help with the install... and I did take time to read the directions... after we were done.

Sadly, I missed the Crew Meeting tonight. I think a hot shower in the morning is a fair trade.

If I only had a brain...

So as I was pulling away from Carolyn's for the drive back home, I suddenly realized that I'd left the computer sitting on her kitchen table.

For my next trick, I almost made it out of the parking lot, when I realized that I still had the hang tag for Carolyn's complex. Easy enough to turn around and fix that.

For my great and final lapse (at least of the trip), about 400 miles later, I realized that my two suits were hanging in Squirt's closet, which would not be much of a problem, as Carolyn was coming to town for the reception. Coincidentally this weekend was Stake Conference and we have two visitors from the Seventy - the Stake Presidency was being reorganized - and they were interviewing all the Bishops, High Council, and a number of other leaders as they were selecting a new Presidency.

I am now the owner of a third suit (and with Susie's help, a nice looking suit).