The Final Day of the Cedar 7th Ward

I have only lived in Cedar for a short while. In that time I have come to love many of the members of the Cedar 7th Ward. Last week there was a letter read in Sacrament Meeting from the Stake Presidency. It discussed the need for members of the 2nd, 7th and 8th Wards to gather at the Stake Center tonight for a special meeting that would outline changes to boundaries. Now, I have gone through this a couple of times. In Carson City I was present when the 5 Wards were completely realigned, renamed and restaffed. It was an inspiring move by the Stake President. In Florida I was serving in the Stake when we split the Highlands Ward and I know how much time and prayer and planning went into that effort. I was also serving in the Stake again two years later when those two Wards were brought back together. You might think the leaders were not inspired in that call but alas, they were. There were great opportunities for growth and service for many of the Saints there. The economic hardships caused a few families to relocate from the area. The youth programs began to dwindle and it became increasingly difficult to adequately staff each unit. Both moves were the right ones at the time they happened and again, there was significant growth and development to many of the members.

Cedar City is a place rich with history. I was amazed to learn tonight that the 2nd Ward was actually founded in 1908. Both it and the 1st Ward share the same origination date. Makes sense as there would have simply been a Cedar City Ward prior to that time. The 8th Ward was founded in 1946 or 47 - cant remember exactly. Anyway, it too has a long history and many traditions. The Cedar 7th Ward was founded in 1955 and is often referred to as the mother ward. Apparently it once encompassed everything that was West. Many of the new Wards formed in Cedar came as divisions of the 7th Ward. It has been filled with great leaders. I am amazed at how many of the leaders in our Stake lived in the 7th Ward at some point in their lives. There is also a great deal of love between the Saints that have called the 7th Ward their home for so many years. There are some in the Ward that have been there from the beginning. They have raised their families in this Ward. I don't imagine that it was an easy thing for them to go to this meeting today not knowing what would become of their Ward.

In Sacrament Meeting the topic was sustaining your church leaders. I think that was done with a clear purpose in mind. The change to the Ward was going to be hard for a lot of these old members. Well, the changes were announced and the three Wards would become two. The dividing line essentially cut the 7th Ward in half and split it between the 2nd and 8th. There were also some boundary changes there that affected those Wards as well. The Wards will be known as the 2nd and the 8th Wards. New Bishops have been called in each of the new units. They will have a lot of work to do in the next couple of weeks to be sure. I don't know our new Bishop. He was from the 8th Ward. Most of the Bishopric called is from the 8th Ward. Shawn Garfield was called as the 2nd Counselor. I knew something was up with him as soon as I walked into the Chapel. First, he had on a suit - never seen him in one of those before. Second, he shaved off his flavor enhancer. Third, he was nervous as could be sitting there by his wife. I think he will do a good job and am happy for his family.

Ken and Georgia were in Church today and that was a special treat. They stopped here to pay respects to a member who passed recently. I don't really know him. I think his name was Bud Rhodes. I am not certain of that. If it was who I think it is then I always enjoyed shaking his hand and sharing a little smile whenever I saw him. I didn't know his name and don't think he knew mine but we had a friendship - assuming it is the right guy. I always enjoyed seeing him and feeling of his spirit. Anyhow, Ken was right up there passing the Sacrament with his friends. How appropriate on this last day of the 7th Ward. We were a little emotional when we shook hands after the meeting and then I saw Georgia in the foyer and that was tough. I just love these good people. Ken shared a few thoughts in Priesthood and talked about his love for the work. He has had a great time in the MTC. He talked about learning how to zero in on a street and being able to see up and down that street with Satellites. It was pretty funny. He said he wasn't going to come to the meeting tonight. He feared that if they dissolved the 7th Ward he would cry all the way to Portland tomorrow. I imagine that this will be so.

The day was spent doing the work. The month was a tough one with families traveling and other conflicts so my home teaching was put off until today. Well, it wasn't as much put off as it was scheduled for today. That was the day that happened to work. So I was out and about and finished my assignments strong. I have thoroughly enjoyed visiting the Fawson's and the Smith's. Today was my first opportunity to visit the Thurgoods since getting that assignment in May. It was good to visit these families. I would put out a special request to continue home teaching the Fawson's. The Thurgoods are okay too. I would have gladly kept the Smith's but they are now in the other ward. I can hope right?

I have not been shy in stating that my least favorite calling in the church starts with Elders Quorum and ends with Presidency. I have now been released from yet another one. I sat next to President Fawson in the meeting and I know how much he loved the quorum and serving the members of the Ward. I have loved this presidency and have thoroughly enjoyed serving with President Fawson. I was sad to have that release come and sad for President Fawson. He is a great friend and I love his family. He has a pure heart and I am a better person for knowing him and will miss serving with him.

You know, I have to say how proud I am of some of the Elders. They were also out today doing their duty. Brother Will Bagnal and Brother Mabb out together. That makes me happy. These things will never be reported now with the sudden change to the Ward but the Lord knows and they know and I am grateful for their service.

Today was Jays birthday. The man is 35 years old. What an old fart. Wait, I should not say such things as this means I will be celebrating a birthday next Sunday. Despite what many think I am older than Jay. I can see where people think Pete is older but not so sure I look younger than Jay. That is a good thing I guess. It is hard to believe that time has passed so quickly. Well, Jay, you are a great man with a great family. I am grateful for your hard work and your dedication to the gospel. May you enjoy your small break as the Young Mens President. Perhaps they will come up with a special new Ward calling as zipper checker, just for you.

And so it is that we bid farewell to the Cedar City 7th Ward. I am happy for our good Bishop Jenkins to enjoy an honorable release. He has labored diligently. I am grateful again for the time I had to associate with these good members. They have touched my life and been so wonderful to my little family. I am grateful for the changes and look forward to meeting some new people and experiencing some new growth. People of the Cedar 8th Ward I say to you; brace yourselves, Jack comes home on Tuesday and he is going to have something to say about that stained glass window in the Chapel come Fast and Testimony Meeting.

Hung Bird

I started a new project today. It is a project that involves yard work and one that I quite enjoy doing, not because it is easy but because I like the difference it makes. I'm talking trimming up bushes into more of a tree. At the new house there is a back hedge of sorts out of lilac bushes. I have been looking at it and almost drooling over the project. I took a little time this morning to start. I didn't get very far. These things are seriously overgrown and they are very thick on the inside. I don't know the history of the home but would venture a guess that it has been several years since anything has been done with these bushes. I actually cleared out a fair number of branches but barely made a dent and I am exhausted. I think completing this project is going to take a long time. You can see from this pic that there is lots to do.



It was interesting as I was cutting out branches and making my way into the first bush that I looked up and found a bird had flown into the bush and hung itself. Really weird. I am not talking a noose around the neck or anything like that. Just caught up in the branches and stuck there like it was in mid flight. I have never seen anything like it before. It is just stuck and it's head is hanging down. Pretty crazy. I snapped a couple of pics just because.





I guess one of the things that I love most about yard work is that it allows me time to enjoy the outdoors and to ponder on different matters. I look at something like this hedge that is completely overgrown and I start to compare it to myself and look at my own life. Where am I an overgrown mess? What do I need to tighten up on and clear out? I think it is easy to let things go sometimes. Eventually when we get back around to them we may find that things are a bit overgrown or laden with dead branches maybe even a bird or two that got stuck in the mess. Cutting things back to a healthier level can be a lot of work. I guess one of my favorite things about this type of a project is when I get done and have a chance to step back and look at it. I love what I see. It is hard and tiring work but the end result is worth it. So it is with making changes in our lives - it is hard, it is tiring and sometimes we want to quit. If, however, we continue to push along the end results will be worth it.

Or Not To Camp

July 29, 2011

I woke up expecting to drive down to Vegas today to go camping with Jim and Clo and fam to help out on the mountain with the Marien Fontano Birthday Campout Extravaganza. I was working today and planned to go sometime between 2 and 3. After speaking with Clo earlier today I got a call back from her saying that I didn’t need to come. Apparently their Bishop is a big camper – he also has two daughters going on the campout so they were going to go up and help with the camp. Great, that’s one less trip for me and a little more time to get a few things done that I need to. It would have been fun to get out on the mountain though.

Well, Not to Camp. That was okay. It was our first farmers market at the Little Brick House and though I really didn’t have much to do with it, it was a good time. Dave has been working on it and that is great. He has done a fabulous job. Hoping to see many more visitors at our next one. Anyhow, I think it contributed to one of our best evenings and our overall best day in the restaurant. Good times indeed.

My goodness, I am actually quite tired right now. I just lifted my head up off the desktop after falling asleep. I may not have been much help up on the mountain with as tired as I am right now. I think I am just going to call it a night and go crash out. I have some work ahead of me tomorrow. I am going to have to run in and try to help out at lunch. Hopefully we will have a big day and all will go well. I’ve also got quite a bit to do on the tables I’ve been working on and I would quite like to get some yard work in; just a little tree trimming. I love that stuff.

Cannot Connect

July 28, 2011

Not quite sure what is happening. I have had success for the last while connecting to Jay and Sara’s wireless but tonight we are not having any. Oh well. I don’t really care to mess with it and so I am typing the blog in Word once again and will post it eventually.

We had another good day at the shop. I stress day in that. We have yet to take off at night and that makes things a bit challenging. Somehow we’ve got to get the ball rolling at night and start bringing in some revenue. It is not enough for us to have a great few hours for lunch and then die for the rest of the day. If that is the case then we should shut her down early and just be a lunch place. I guess we will have to analyze that. There are a few key things that we have coming together that will definitely help. The dinner and a movie deal will be great. The table stands came in today and that is fantastic. Also, the Farmer’s Market on Friday nights has the potential to help out. That starts tomorrow night so it will be interesting to see how it goes. I won’t be here for it as I am heading to Vegas to attend the Marien Fontano birthday campout extravaganza. Funtabulous. I am looking forward to the report on how it turns out. We will be mounting our signage soon – I hope. That will be great and should definitely draw attention to the building.

I had a great Temple visit this evening. When I got there I had a bit of time before the session and saw a sign about needing patrons in sealings. I enjoyed initiatory last week and decided it would be a good thing to go up and do sealings again. It had been a little while since I last did them. It was great. There was a gal that was doing some family names. I was able to assist her in a couple sealing as well as two children being sealed to the parents. It was a treat to assist and to see her joy in doing the work. Grateful for it. I was a little bit of a sore thumb I guess. I was in a room with two couples and the sealer was very interested in both of them and learning about them. Said not a word to me. At the end of it I guess one of the sisters thought I needed some attention and she asked where I was from. When I mentioned Cedar the sealer, also from Cedar, finally asked me a question. No big deal, I didn’t really care but thought it was interesting. I always loved going and doing sealings in Vegas with Herm Zobrist and the University Ward. Thomas Wadsworth was usually a regular to those as well. Good memories. Anyhow, I didn’t really mind the lack of attention and simply enjoyed being able to participate. The sealer was a neat man. President Monson was his Mission President and he had some fun stories to share. Sealers happen to be some of my favorite people. Maybe it is because Grandpa Al did the same. I do remember doing sealings years ago in St. George and the Sealer knew Grandpa Al and Grandma Vi. He had served with them in Switzerland.

I am looking forward to the return of the kids on Tuesday. Hard to believe it is here already.

Runnin Numbers

Sometimes you just go blind and hope it all works out. That may work out some of the time but I think you will most likely end up in a tough spot. One thing I learned when I was with One Hour and worked under the likes of Jim Abrams is that you need to know your numbers. I have not taken a hard look at budget numbers yet and determined that I needed to get those together. We need to know what it is we need to do everyday in business in order to make our month. There are some things about that that I really enjoy. I like to take the total month, figure it out in a per day scenario and then break that down ever further to a per hour and then per transaction figure. Once you have that you know what it is you need to do. When you know what it is that you need to do it becomes easier to make specific plans for how you will accomplish it. To me it starts to get exciting when you can outline your month and see what needs to be done. I have a preliminary done and it will be some work to get us where we need to be but I also look at it and know that we can do it. Now it is a matter of figuring out what we have to do in order to generate X amount of business. In A/C I knew that when I sent out a certain number of direct mail pieces I would get a specific number of leads. I knew that out of those leads we would close a certain percentage. In those that we closed we would maintain a certain average ticket. All I had to do was manage the daily number. I like to set my daily number above my budgeted number in order to ensure that I always made my month. That worked out fairly well for me. Well, I know we can do that here. We need to pick up some business and make some things happen but I believe we can get there.

So that is probably a put me to sleep post. Sorry. In other exciting news I helped Amy with a late night move and we had our best day yet in the restaurant. That is great. What I like about the shop is that we see a lot of repeat business. That says that our product is good. I think we have some great service and do what we can to make it a great visit. We definitely want raving fans out there who will keep coming back.

Speaking of coming back Natty, Jack and Andy will be here in less than a week. That is fantastic. I have a ton to do and am not exactly sure how I am going to make things happen. We will get er done though. I have missed them a lot and look forward to having them home. I think that they will like the new place as well. Fun times to be sure.

Magical

I made a rather large mistake the other day whilst standing in front of Dave and Amy at the shop. I sampled a piece of the Maple Nut Fudge and said "this fudge is magical". In reality it is and it is quite delicious. Regardless, both Dave and Amy have taken the statement and run with it in a completely mocking fashion. They have certainly helped me recognize the folly of my ways and I will be sure be careful of the words I use in the future.

I had a bit of a magical experience tonight myself. I had the pleasure of going out on a date with the ever lovely Collette. Yes it was a magical time to be sure. Maybe because we ate at the shop and Dave took the opportunity to mock me and my magical fudge. What a nut. Collette thought it was pretty funny.

After our magical meal moment we went to the movie 17 Miracles. Miracles are magical right? Well maybe not so much but then again, maybe they are in their own special way. It was a great movie - dare I say it was magical?

Well, I am completely exhausted and must retire. Grateful for good friends and good times. They are indeed magical.

Moving Product

Enjoyed some surprises at the shop today. One of my original little shelves, the black one, sold. Sweet. Later a couple was interested in the entertainment center that I refinished in red. That was one of the nicest units that I have done. They bought it. It was a great one. The old man picked that up for about $45 bucks at DI and we sold it for $240. Not too bad. I will not add up the hours I had in that one because it will probably make me want to cry as my labor will not be valued very high. Oh well. It was nice to have someone interested in my stuff. "Doesn't that just make you feel good?" From the sounds of things there is going to be a new piece coming in tomorrow that is going to need some attention and I may have my next 'entertainment center' type project to work on. I really loved the way that piece turned out. Now I just need to duplicate it a bit faster.

We had our best day in the cafe today as well. That was good. Still lots of work to do to get things dialed in. I've been working on a master list of our products so that we can track our inventory and make ordering product easier. There are just a couple of systems that need to be implemented for operational ease to exist. We will get there. We did move a few loaves of bread today and that was nice. People really seem to like it and that is exactly what we want to do. Bring in the traffic and move the product.

So anyway fun times for sure. It has been a long day once again. It is now almost 9 and I am about ready to head home. For some reason I suffered from some dizziness for much of the day and that was a bit frustrating. Nothing drastic but a bit of vertigo. It doesn't take a lot of that to just make things a little weird. It seems to be gone now. Hopefully I can make it through the night without any issues and don't experience a repeat tomorrow.

The Single Parent

Some of you may remember my post from Father's Day. I shared the story of the High Council rep who spoke in the Ward and said a few things that would make any single parent or divorced father feel that they had no hope. Regardless of how hard they tried they would never be a good parent and their children were destined to fail. It was certainly an interesting father's day for me with the kids gone to Alaska and me being home alone. So there I was missing my kids and the gauntlet was dropped. I actually think I took it okay, really I tuned it out after a while as I really can't let it affect me or slow me down. I have to keep doing the very best I can do and not listen to those that will tell me that it cannot be done. I probably don't need to quote these next few lines but I will:

there are thousands to tell you it cannot be done
there are thousands to prophesy failure
there are thousands to point out to you one by one
the dangers that wait to assail you
but just buckle right in with a bit of a grin
just take off your coat and go to it
just start to sing as you tackle the thing
it cannot be done, and you'll do it

That is the last verse of my all time favorite poem It Couldn't Be Done by Edgar Guest. Perhaps we learn certain things early in our lives because they end up being something that will carry us through difficult times or challenging circumstances. I cannot help but think that this poem that I have known for 24 years has served as a strength to me in the course of my life. Our lives are filled with experience and as we look beyond the surface we will find that there is growth opportunity in each of them. There are lessons taught, our own personal parables. In each we have choice, we can use them to better ourselves and draw nearer to the Savior or we can choose a different direction. The beauty of it is that we have choice.

The High Counselor visited the Little Brick House this week and I sold him lunch and made him a sandwich. I don't know that I will ever share with him my thoughts regarding his talk, perhaps if I am ever moved to do so then I will. No matter, at this point I can simply press forward in those things that I need to do.

I was blessed today to have the opportunity to teach the Elders. Our instructor was out of town as were both President Fawson and Todd Allen. Cameron Brown was here for the last time before moving to Oklahoma and I didn't feel to spring this on him last minute so I took it. The lesson was #37 Family Responsibilities in the Gospel Principles manual.

Let me state my personal feelings that the optimal situation in any home is exactly what is stated in The Family, A Proclamation to the World.

The Family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I never imagined that I would be in the position of being a single parent. I believe fully that there are specific roles for both fathers and mothers in the home and I humbly submit that there are things that my children are missing in their lives because they do not have mother in the home. I hurt for that loss and I look forward to a day when I will find the right person for me and for them and our home will be whole. Today we don't enjoy that blessing. It is my belief that as we are honestly seeking to do what is right and striving to have the Spirit in our lives and in our home that the Lord does not leave us or abandon us. We are not doomed to failure. The statistics that the High Counselor shared were just that, statistics. I don't know the hearts of those that were studied or that took part. I don't really care. What I care about is doing the very best that I can do and trusting in the Lord to help with the rest. I have shared that that help and those miracles come in many different ways and through many different people. I believe that his is in harmony with the leadership of the Church. In the lesson referenced it says the following:

...with guidance from the Lord and help from family members and the Church, single parents can successfully raise their children.

I am grateful for that little line in the lesson. I am grateful for my testimony of a loving Savior. I have felt his hand in my life and have experienced miracles beyond measure throughout this time of trial. I have watched my children closely and have witnessed their growth. I can say that it is not easy and it takes a lot of work. I cannot do it alone that is for sure. I rely heavily on exactly what the Church stated - guidance from the Lord, help from family members and help from the Church. What a wonderful message of hope that provides.

I would submit that this lesson provides an excellent blue print. I was moved in reading through the lesson and studying some of the scriptural passages. In the section on the Responsibilities of the Father there is a discussion about the fathers need to spend time with each child individually. It references some good examples as found in the Book of Mormon. In 2 Nephi 1:14 - 3:25 we read about Father Lehi's counsel and blessings to his children and in Alma 36 - 42 we read the counsel Alma gave to his sons. I reviewed these chapters with a slightly different perspective this time and considered these passages as a fathers interview or PPI. I was moved by the way these righteous men taught the gospel to their sons. It was pure and it was amazing. I was a bit on the emotional side as I tried to identify with these fathers teaching their children and wanting the best for them. Anyhow, I recommend reviewing these in that perspective. Certainly inspiring and makes me want to do a better job.

I love my little family. I am missing them and looking forward to next week when they come home. That will be a great day. I sent a pic of Donovan Jack that I took at the house today. I told the kids that he wanted to say hi. I got a pic back of Jack on the couch with a lego truck he had made. He was looking good. Donovan liked it too and gave it a slobbery kiss. I wrote that note to Jack and he just laughed. Fun stuff.

Had some fun with Jermaine, Abster and Benny Hana today. Love those kids. Also had a chance to visit with Tara. So glad they came up. Little Jeremy turned on the tears when it was time to go and then everybody was crying. That's okay Jeremy. I am pretty sure I was crying when we pulled out from your house in Houston last May when we were moving across the country. I think it just has something to do with family.

Table Time

High quality table time. That is what each family needs isn't it? What are the stats on families that sit down and eat together each night? I bet they are good. We ate together as a fam when I was growing up. It typically went pretty well. In one house I used to sit across from Pete and my back was to the wall. The wall had a large mirror on it. Pete use to love entertaining himself at the table by telling stories and watching his every move in the mirror. It used to drive me nuts because he was always tilting his head and body so he could see his reflection over my shoulder. Sitting around the table though was a good thing. I have tried to do that with the kids but can probably do better then what I have done.

So why the chat about table time? Well, it has nothing to do with sitting around the table for dinner as a family really. No, today I have been working on this little table trying to get it ready to paint. I have to have it finished soon as I need to deliver it in Vegas when I go to pick up the kids on the 2nd. I actually have two tables to do. The one is an old sewing table and should not present much of a problem. The other is a bit more challenging. It is an old antique table that has the sides that fold up and the leg that swings out to provide support. Everything is still in pretty good shape on it as far as the hardware but it was covered by three coats of some pretty thick paint. That has proven to be a bit of a pain to remove. I have sanded some and stripped some prior to this morning and thought I would get through to painting stage early in the day. Didn't happen. What did happen is that I blew through a few sheets of sandpaper. It is almost at paint ready status. I found a few problems with it and actually have clamps on it trying to fix some nasty cracks. Hopefully this will do. I've got it pretty well sanded save a couple spots and then it will be ready for the first coat of red. Mmmm, what a beast.

Got a call from mom today which is usually a rare thing since we see each other daily anyway. I figured they were busy and needed me to come help. Was not so, Tara and the kids are in town from Houston. Sweet. We all got together tonight at Canyon Park and enjoyed a bit of Table Time less the table. We just sat around and visited and ate for a while. The topic most talked about was the family movie in which different celebrities will be playing each of us in the movie. For me, is there really any wonder? Kurt Russel. I am after all Jack Burton of the Pork Chop Express. Funny enough Dani pulled up a pic of said Kurt on Dave's phone and there may be a bit of a likeness. Other characters - Matthew Perry as Dave, Kevin James as Jay, Bill Murray as Mike, Sandra Bullock as Laura, there were a few for Amy, Kelly Clarkson was one of them so we will go with her as Amy. The list went on. There is some discussion about who would play Pete - some say Vince Vaughn though if all actors were allowed Chris Farley might make the cut. With that in mind Peter Voyle as the old man. Not sure about Jim, there was talk about Tom Hanks, Christopher Loyd and then something about Matt Damon which just makes no sense, Matt Damon has hair and a lot of it - not that Tom Hanks is necessarily balding. We did discuss Mr. Bean as Nigel and I think there is a good fit there. It was a fun discussion and I am only listing names of people I know. Everyone else kept talking about different actors and actresses by name and I had no clue who they were talking about. It was a fun visit.

Pete and Tara's kids are growing up. Jeremy, the J-Man813 is a lot of fun. He stopped by the house earlier with padre and I had to give him a hard time about the Giants. He is a huge Dodger fan and so we joked about them going bankrupt. Fun stuff. Little Benny was in the back seat and he is talking and giving knuckle bashes. A lot less shy then he has been in the past. Abby on the other hand was a little bit shy - at least with me. She is sure a cutie. Sad that Natty, Jack and Andy weren't here to see their cousins. I know Natty had a great time with Abby last year and would have loved to see them.

Laura and Nigel are also in town on a little family vacation. They actually came through town a couple days ago on their way to St. George and were back up tonight. They are staying at my place tonight. Glad to have them here.

Not much else exciting to chat about. I did text the blind date just to say hi. I told her that my schedule was busy but I could possibly do a lunch. She is game for that. Kathy Schatz is genius. Lunch just seems so much easier. The table time there won't be any more then and hour. Besides that, I can make it at the LBH. They have good food from what I understand.

Reciprocation

In sales there are a few laws that exist. Perhaps this is more in the field of persuasion but alas that is what sales is. So anyway, the law of reciprocation is one that I like a lot. It is simple really and what it comes down to is that when you do something nice for someone they feel compelled to do something nice for you in return. Pretty cool right?

This week I have been taking around some samples of our sandwiches along with our menus to different establishments in the area. Actually, I took them around to 7 different places and out of those 7 places we have had business come in from 4 of them. That is great. We are excited about those kind of results and will continue with the business to business marketing.

Other things that we do is provide not just a great sandwich but we also provide pretty great service. I enjoy visiting with most of the patrons and we like to give out fudge samples to everyone. Funny that our fudge is really moving lately. Lots of people buying it. Law of reciprocation.

I love to see us doing things that amaze the customers. Amy gave a couple of ladies a free slice of cheesecake the other day. They were amazed and quite excited. That was cool. They loved the place and they will be back. Many of those who have come in for lunch have returned and some have returned multiple times. It is neat to see and it is what we want to build. There were two ladies that came in today and enjoyed some sandwiches. We treated them right and within a couple hours of their visit they had both liked us on Facebook. In the book Raving Fans you see the need to make the experience something special. I hope we can do that for each customer and make it a positive and memorable experience.

The law of reciprocation is actually more of an eternal principle. We are taught by John, speaking about the Savior that "we love him because he first loved us".

It's Blinding

Is it okay if I just start out by saying CRAP! Okay, seeing as I have explained that crap is considered a bad word in South Africa I better not use it. Doing so will negate my ability to use damn and hell so frequently because they are not bad words in South Africa. If I am going to claim the privilege of using those choice words because I was a missionary in South Africa then I may have to hold myself to a higher standard or the South African standard for the word crap. I cannot have my cake and eat it too... or can I?

Let me start this over. Damn. Now see, doesn't that just make you feel good? Probably not and so I apologize to those of you out there that simply do not get me when it comes to swearing. I try so hard to do everything right but I use damn and hell a little too frequently and that is surely a stain on my character, I know. Was it J. Golden Kimball that use to say he repented too damn fast? I love that. Okay, so what the hell am I so damn upset about? Sorry, had to do it. I think my swearing posts may be some of my favorite to type. Now back to the heart of the matter. If there is one thing that I am not exactly comfortable with it is dating people that I don't know. I am shy, extremely shy at least until I know you. The idea of going on a date with someone I don't know scares me to death. Kristin Mabb has a friend and she wants to set us up on a blind date. She went and talked to Sara and next thing I know she is at the LBH questioning me about my willingness to go on a blind date whilst I am ringing her up some bread. There was no escape and I buckled under the pressure. I just need to say no and not think twice about being mean. This was two nights ago. Last night I was helping with chairs and tables at the Relief Society garden party and was confronted by said Mabb about it. Did I call? Just send a text. Do I have any questions? Just send a text. This blind date stuff kills me. I would much rather just hurl my guts out in a garbage can repeatedly then worry about meeting someone and having to spend time with a complete stranger.

SIDE BAR: I did learn in this process that there are singles dances in St. George. Sounds like there are rarely any guys younger than 50. I could be a breath of fresh air for some of the ladies there. Shoot, throw in a little speed dating and I am in. I have experience in this arena and can speed date with the 80 year olds no problem.

Okay so back to the problem at hand. Blind Dating. Damn. I am not one to move very quickly in this arena and am expected to contact this stranger. Have you never heard of stranger danger? Seriously. This is blinding. I cannot live freely now because I have to worry about this. Kristin Mabb is going to want a status report and this is simply too much pressure. I need a steady girlfriend and people need to know this so I don't get cornered about this blind dating stuff in the future.

On to more important things. I made my regular Thursday visit to the Temple tonight. You wouldn't know it with my foul language. I mean using the word crap like I did. I am ashamed of myself. It was a wonderful visit. I decided to do initiatory work and I love doing that. The blessings there are wonderful and I enjoyed hearing them. The shoulders that they may bare the burdens that shall be placed thereon. I felt that powerfully tonight. It has been my experience that this promise, this blessing is real. I am grateful to a loving Savior who is real and who can make our burdens light. There is no doubt that I have lived in a situation that relying on my own strength I am not capable of carrying the load. The Lord however can do all things and through him I have been strengthened. I have felt the shoulders being strengthened so that they can bare the burdens that are placed thereon. Often times that strength to bare comes through others - loving friends and family that just seem to show up. Through them miracles have occurred and continue to occur in my life. I am so very grateful for those blessings, for those that listen and act on promptings and for a Lord who knows my needs and who loves me. I know he loves each of us and is aware of our individual needs.

So often we can get caught up in the challenges of every day life that we fail to recognize the hand of the Lord and the blessings that come so freely. There is great counsel in the hymn Count Your Many Blessings. When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed, do not be discouraged thinking all is lost. Count your many blessings name them one by one and it will surprise you what the Lord has done. It is true. Take a moment to reflect and consider the blessings you are enjoying and prepare to be amazed.

So heck, as blinding as this blind date thing might be I just need to relax and stop dry heaving. It will be fine. I used heck there. What the crap? In the process of typing this post I have secured a date for Wednesday night. Pretty amazing right? Don't get too excited as it is not with the blind date but with a friend that I quite enjoy and am comfortable with. I am excited about that and maybe it leaves me with no openings on other days so the blind date will have to be put off for a time. Shucks. Actually had a great chat with Kathy Schatz on the way to the Temple tonight and shared with her my blind date dilemma. She gave me great advice - do lunch. It is easy and leaves me the ability to control the time. That was welcome information especially after my four hour blind date affair of a month ago. I don't know if I ever wrote about that one. Painful. Okay, I'm out.

A Need to Compete

I don't know why but there exists in me, and probably in many, a need to compete. Now look, I don't get into all kinds of competition. Basketball for example. I stink at basketball though I enjoy playing. I do it for the exercise of it but have never been all that crazy about the game. I guess professional sports have also fallen down my list of things I care about. I don't really care if I don't catch the game and the fact that I haven't watched ESPN in years doesn't bother me a bit. What has happened to me? Where is my manhood? Dang, I just noticed that the US Women lost the soccer world cup and I didn't lose a bit of sleep over it. Okay, another quick confession. I don't boast a lot of confidence with the ladies so I don't really go after them. I really don't give myself a fighting chance in that arena when it comes to competing with other guys and it is easier to simply not subject myself to that torture. Shoot, I don't even know how much of it is even other guys that I am competing with there. Sometimes it is just life. I guess I feel like I am more of a disturbance to someones life routine and, well, I ask again What has happened to Me? Where is my manhood? President Fawson and I were visiting for a moment after moving tables and chairs this evening and he just told me I was good and would be a great catch for some lucky lady. All I can do is try to do what is right and trust in the Lord. Well, enough with this it is entirely off the subject and just completely bombed my entire post. Hopefully it did not.

When I was young I dominated the trampoline. Out of my siblings I was the best on it. This was a title I happily defended. It afforded me an opportunity to shine some. Intellectually I am a step behind my siblings, maybe it was two years of first grade that did something to me mentally or failing math. I don't know. Anyhow, I always had an edge physically and dad would always have me jump on the tramp to show off my tricks to friends of the family. I remember when we set it up in the cultural hall of the stake center in Honolulu and I performed tricks for the Stake. That was crazy. Anyhow, the fateful day came when Jay waltzed in and bragged that he could do everything I could on the trampoline. 'No you can't' was my reply. He ran through the list of tricks and sure enough he had me matched but he didn't really know that. I told him he didn't and he asked what else I could do. A double front flip. He told me I couldn't and so we went out and I did it - first time. Defended my dominant status and I am sure devastated Jay. Then the day came that he returned having accomplished the same and again told me he could do everything I could. Again I challenged the statement and his reply was the same wanting to know what he missed. A knee double front flip. Proving time was upon me again and again I pulled it off. It was awesome. I don't recall him ever coming back to tell me how he had me matched. Probably a good thing for me. Anyway, there was a need to compete and to be the best.

On my mission there was a time when we were helping a member move. It was the Forester family in the Bellville Ward. This was on my second 3 month assignment in the Bellville Ward when my companion was Justin Merrill. Also serving in the Ward was Beau Brandon Bingham and I think he was with Elder Black at the time. Anyway we were moving bricks and it became a competition of who could move the most bricks. We would stack them on a piece of wood and then carry them off. I may need to find my journal and see if I made record of this so I can be more accurate. For some reason the number 42 is in my head. It was a lot, that is what I can remember. But we just kept upping it every time and just laughed as we struggled to haul the load. It turned out that there was an ant nest in the bricks and we laughed about that as well as we were covered with ants. Oh the good times. Elder Black was a fun guy but Bingham and Merrill were my two favorite fellow missionaries. We had some great times together. Love those guys.

Tonight we were moving chairs to a relief society activity. President Fawson, Todd Allen and myself were on it. Naturally I had to throw out a little competition of how many chairs can you move. We were doing the customary 4. I threw out a 6 chair haul and what was my surprise when Todd was on it as well. I couldn't stand for that so I did 8. I think that stood as the record not because Todd couldn't do it but because we ran out of chairs. We joked about the tables and moving multiples of those on the solo. When we went back to pick them up later old President Fawson shocked me when he came stormin down the driveway with two tables in his hand. He is the mans man. What a feat. Those things are heavy and awkward. We had a great time with it and I think it makes things fun. Not that any of us had to dominate. I give the table crown to President Fawson hands down. I was not going to go for a double table move at all.

Moving chairs is not enough. The post doesn't end there. I was in the shop this evening and we decided it was time to rid the basement of the cherry chips. I am sure some will be disappointed with this news but believe me, Amy attempted cherry chip cookies on Sunday with those chips and they were disgusting. It was just gross and I couldn't get past the aged cherry morsels. Anyhow, I had made a sandwich and was visiting with Terrel Fox when the old man came in and said that Dave and Shelly were ticking him off. He went on to explain that Dave was hauling two bags at a time and he could barely move one. Then to add insult to injury Shelly was moving two also. I joked that I could moved three. Well, you have to back up a claim like that so I did, primarily to mess with Dave. It was heavy. That is 150 pounds of awkwardness. Well, Dave had to match and so he pulled 3 bags. I am just really happy there were no more bags in the basement. I would have gone for four and would have probably died.

So anyway I have a need to compete. I need to compete for the ladies and I need to be more dedicated to the cause - I know. Not the point. The point is that a good, clean healthy competition between friends or brothers can go a long way. I always have fun with it anyway. It is also fun to give Dave a run for his money. I will say this, 150 pounds of cherry chips is a lot. I don't know that my back really wanted to do that but I will survive.

The Boat Door

Isn't this just a special treat. Two days in a row I will be posting live. Wow. What is the world coming to?

Update on last night. I found a great new route for the run. Actually, let me rephrase that statement. Amy had suggested we try a different route for our run and last night I went with it. Good route. It actually measures out at 3.2 miles and only has brief uphill runs. It's a good one. I may go for it again tonight as I am not going to get the elliptical up and going for a boot.

I was talking to Corrine during work yesterday and was talking about a small portion of something. I am on this subject because I just used the word boot and that may have thrown someone. I use boot in place of bit just in case you didn't figure that out or perhaps thought I screwed up there. So anyways I used the word skosh and it threw her for a loop. I am fairly certain she has never heard that word before. In asking me what it meant I went on to say something like 'a skosh, you know a klein biki'. Klein Biki - that is a little South African lingo for you. Hitting that with a little Xhosa I cant write it out, I can only pronounce it as it has clicks and I don't know how to write the clicks. It is the C click which is off the front of the tongue. I know very intriguing stuff. Anyhow, I should use more of this quality lingo when I am speaking. Keep people on their toes.

So hey, I am rambling here a bit and that is okay. It is what I do. I was going through some pics in the phone trying to pull out those that are related to the building. I found some gems and then came across one of my favorites. I had to chuckle one day when we were delivering a table. I was walking out of the house when I caught a look at the garage on the other side of the street. There it was, a custom garage door built special to house a boat that was just a little too long for the garage. Check it out.



What do you say about that? Boat, mostly garage kept... Funny that in life not everything fits exactly the way we want it to or think that it should. Sometimes we have to improvise or use our flexible brains. Superflex is a character that they use in the special needs program at Jack's school to help students deal with change and the unexpected. The other character is Rock Brain who melts down whenever there is change because he cannot handle when something doesn't go exactly his way. I am about to turn 38 years old and yet I found myself captivated by these little characters and learning how to manage change appropriately. Sometimes we seek for things through prayer and fasting and sometimes our will isn't always in harmony with the Lords will. If we are humble and flexible in our own minds or spirits, willing to submit to the Father we will find happiness more readily in our lives.

So that is the boat door. Really just a silly looking door but perhaps a little lesson in there. Don't know. Dave?

Life at the LBH

Life lately seems to be lived at The Little Brick House. It is 10:39 PM. I have been here all day and though I was planning to leave earlier I ended up staying and working on a coupon book, a brick house cafe` logo and then I made a movie for the brick house cafe`. It shows off the bhc logo and plays the radio ad that is on the air at the moment. I think I may be able to down load this gem right here on the blog. We'll give it a try.

I tried but it failed to load. It did apologize for the fail and invited me to try again later. Hmmmm. Well, here is the logo that I am toying with anyway:



It is just an idea at this point and will likely take on a few revisions. I've tried downloading video before and come up empty. Not sure what the deal is with that but oh well.

I have not done any running in over a week and it is time to get back on the wagon so I will be running tonight. I don't have the elliptical set up yet and think I have to do a little repair on it. I smashed the electrical connection when I was moving it. Dang it. Anyhow, the streets work so I will be pounding the pavement in a few.

This is like a special bonus today. I am actually posting something live. Perhaps I can make it two days in a row tomorrow. We shall see. Life at the LBH will settle here some and that will be good. There is still a ton to do and some marketing that needs to happen so we can build this thing. It is a bit rough that way but we will get there. It is nice that people love the shop and they love the food. The trick is getting more people in. We have some plans in place for that and now it is time to execute and make them happen. Fun times for sure.

I do have to say that I love seeing friends come in. Jana Davis was in again today picking up lunch for the office. She is a great salesperson for us. Also saw Heidi and her sister today and that was great. They were shopping for hair bows. I also quite enjoy Mike, Corrine's husband, who was in to pick her up from work. He is a lot of fun. They are a great couple. Jay and Sara also made a trip up for a quick lunch. Pinch a loaf Jay and peace on earth. I enjoy those little moments of association. I also like seeing people who come in for the first time and fall in love with the place. We had a couple of ladies that were in heaven. They shopped, they ate, they shopped some more. It was great.

Well, that is probably enough chit chat for one evening. I need to get out and hit the road so I will sign off for now.

Simply Tired

Sunday July 17, 2011

Perhaps I need to do something about the lack of connectivity or perhaps not. I really don’t miss the internet at all. Maybe I should be more connected with things but I guess I can still catch enough of that on my phone or smart phone as they are more affectionately known today. I don’t blog on the so called smart phone because it is a real pain in, well, my hands and fingers to type on the little keypad. I grew up in a different era I guess. You know, back in the dark ages when they taught typing in high school on a good old fashioned typewriter. I mastered the home row keys. Do they even teach that anymore or has that moved on to texting? I have no clue. How many words a minute do you text? Strange really. Anyhow, connectivity for blog purposes would be useful. I need to get my last few blogs posted. I am sure my fan base is wondering where the heck I am. Still here people. Still writing everyday; just not posting everyday at the moment.

There are a few things that have gone a little skew since moving. I have not been on the elliptical in over a week. That has put a damper on my miles for July. I need to get cranking and get this little room together so I can get the machine in here and get going. I am a bit, shall we say, exhausted lately. Simply tired and a bit worn out. All the more reason to press on and get it done so I can get back to the benefits of those runs.

It was High Council Sunday and I am happy to report that there wasn’t anything discussed relative to not being able to be a good parent if you are single. No, we had Brother Rand Bettridge and his wife visiting today. They spoke about pioneers and both did a great job. Sister Bettridge shared some of the events surrounding the Willey and Martin Handcart companies and the trials they went through. I couldn’t help but think about what was endured for faith. Despite the troubles and the hardships that these companies went through they remained faithful to the Lord. Despite the loss of life that was experienced along the way they remained faithful to the Lord. There is no doubt that there were times when these people were simply tired and yet they pressed forward. I am grateful for those examples of unwavering faith and hope that I may be filled with the same.

Ze Chili

Saturday July 16, 2011

I am pleased to report that the Little Brick House now has the famous Brick House Café Chili on the menu. SCHA-WEET. I brought in the goods today and the old man made it up. Other then celery I have to say that it is an amazing chili. This is a recipe that is based on the Zippy’s Chili recipe. Zippy’s for those that don’t know is a restaurant in Hawaii that is known for its chili. All I can say is delicious. Now look here, Zippy’s serves theirs with rice. We do not. I was joking with Melissa, a Hawaiian girl that works for us, that I was going to bring in my rice cooker next week and we could have chili and rice. She was excited about that. I may just do it. I also joked that we should have Hawaiian Day at the LBH. We have the chili, we have the pork. All we need is some bulgogi and mac salad and we’ll be set. Sure we could throw in a few other things as well but that would give us a basic plate lunch. Mmmmm, may have to make it happen.

Staying on the subject of food. Dr. Biggs suggested we make a maple fudge. The folks have done so and it is amazing. Ranks up there with the White Choco Macadamia. I really think the fudge is getting dialed in. We have some great options available there and people love it. It is always fun to drift out into the eating area and give a sample fudge plate to some customers. They get pretty excited about it. We are trying to do things to make the experience different and fun. I think that contributes to the fact that people really like the place. Now we just need to get more people in though today was a pretty good day for us. I did have one old lady that worked me over for $10. She thought she paid with a $20. She did not. She was certain she did and I stopped short of calling her a liar and just gave her a $10 back. Actually, I gave her her $10 back as it was the top $10 in the pile. I had a line of people waiting to order and was not going to have it out with the lady. We ate the $10. Essentially we gave her a meal for free. I did go back and count the drawer after and sure enough it was $10 short. Oh well. If it costs us a meal to keep everyone happy then I guess that’s what it will cost us. Not worth stinking up the place over it.

I finished the chairs for Ken and Georgia and took them over tonight. Georgia was home and she loved them. I don’t know that I did them perfectly but I certainly gave them my best. I cleaned them and oiled them before taking them back over. I was happy with my work there and it was nice to see how happy Georgia was today and Ken was a couple days ago. They are good folks. Georgia said Ken was out driving truck today. It is his last opportunity to do so as they enter the MTC on Monday morning. We sure will miss them. They are wonderful people.

When I got home at 7:30 I worked. I set about getting a few things together in the garage and then getting the table out for Karen Slaughter. I’ve got to get that done early next week so we can get it to Vegas. I picked up some stripper and set it on and then went to mowing the yard. It worked pretty well but needed another go. I trimmed and did a few other things while it was doing its thing. I scraped off as much paint as I could and there is still quite a bit on it. Cutting through a few coats of old paint isn’t the easiest thing to do. It has taken out sand paper extremely quickly and now has outlasted two applications of stripper. Wow. We will go at it again soon. Anyhow, long and busy days. I like to stay busy and on something. That is good. I certainly have plenty to keep me busy here at the house. I’ve got to start knocking some things out. Perhaps a little Brick House Chili can help me with that.

Gone Again

Friday July 15 2011

You stay a little while and then you’re gone again… Yes that seems to be me. I managed to get updated on posts last night and now tonight I am back off line and merely posting to my computer. Fantastic. I will have to take it back in to the Little Brick House and connect there once again.

I am completely exhausted at the moment and am having a really hard time staying awake. My days are long and my nights are short so when we get to the end of the day I am ready to sleep. It just seems to be a given but I guess that’s how it is with most people. I am going to have to make some adjustments here in the next little while. Well, my work will adjust some by slowing at working and picking up in the home. Hard to believe the kids will be home in just a couple of weeks. Wow. The summer has gone by quickly. I am glad for that. It is going to be interesting balancing everything out.

We had a meeting tonight about business and there were some good ideas brought to the table. Some business to business things, some Shakespeare /Bed and Breakfast marketing and then some community marketing as well. Oh my there is a lot to do but we have to get the ball rolling and build that momentum. It is the hardest thing to do. Once we get it we will have to fight like crazy to keep it. I believe we will have success. Everybody seems to love the shop and everybody that tries it really likes the food. Good food is definitely a plus in the food business.

Speaking of food, I bought the ingredients for Brick House Chili tonight. There was a couple dressed up in their cloaks for Harry Potter 7.2 tonight. I thought it was pretty funny. They were showing a late show and when I was on my way home around midnight the theater had a line wrapping around the back. I thought it would be fun to do a drive by and yell out ‘Avrada Cadavra’ when I passed just to see how many wizards and witches would hit the turf. I decided to pass. I would like to see the movie but am happy to wait until the madness has settled some. I’ll take a little breathing room in the theater. The wait doesn’t bother me.

Anti - Anti Persperant

I went for a long time not wearing deodorant because it irritated my pits to no end. I finally broke down and purchased some Speed Stick Irish Spring Scented Deodorant and it has been fantastic. I wore out the stick at the end of last week and it didn't survive the move. I tossed it. Not to worry, mom purchased me an Irish Spring scented Speed Stick for Christmas and I was geared up. The last few days have proven to me rather irritating in the pit region. The problem, the Speed Stick. This is not the same stuff. No this is an Antiperspirant Deodorant and it is that antiperspirant crap that is irritating the pits to no end. So to those who in years past I may have offended with my non deodorant ways I offer my apologies. The fact of the matter is that I am the anti anti persperant and had no idea that it was the antiperspirant that was the problem. Aren't life's experiences fun? I really enjoy having irritated pits. In fact I highly recommend it. Well, not really. Looks like I need to dump this new antiperspirant pit irritator garbage and bring in some good old fashioned deodorant sticks. Until then I will be the anti.

I am sitting in the Brick House completely exhausted and just trying to get all my posts up to date. I think we are there. Now, I need a nap.

Out of Touch

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

It has been 5 days since I have been online. Holy smokes I am feeling a bit out of touch. I suppose there are one or two who may be wondering what the heck happened to my blog. I mean dang, I’ve been going solid for months now and suddenly I am gone. What is the deal? Naturally anyone reading this will realize that I am in fact back on line and up to date on all postings. Hopefully I will get these all posted in order. I haven’t been saving them with any sort of date in the title but I should be able to look at the files chronologically and figure out when it was written and which order it should be in.

Interestingly the only thing that I am really concerned about missing with the connectivity is the blog posting and the blog reading list. I still catch FaceBook on the cell but I really don’t look at it too much there nor do I spend time trying to keep up to date on the news of the world. I don’t mind being out of touch when it comes to certain things. A little distance can go a long way.

Natty is spending the week at Girls Day Camp. She called yesterday and told me how fun her day was. I am glad that she is enjoying herself up there and making friends to boot. She is a good girl. I miss her and the boys quite a bit.

Phew! I am exhausted. Trying to stay awake here and faithfully peck away but my body has a different agenda. Time to call it. I love the lord and am grateful for his hand in my life.

Rep

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

What will I be known for? I really have no idea. I hope it will be that I was a good man who loved the Lord and loved those around him. I hope that it will be said that I went about doing good. Does it really matter if I am wealthy beyond belief? Does it matter how many toys I acquire? Does it matter what places I have been? I don’t know that any of that will really matter in the end. No, what matters is how I treated those around me and how well I followed the example of the Savior. Well, fantastic. I am exhausted at the moment. I definitely don’t want my reputation to be that of a slacker or anything of the like. My goodness. I am wiped out.

Too Much Crap

Monday, July 11, 2011

When I left Florida I thought I had weeded out a ton of crap. If in fact I did then I have accumulated a lot more crap over the last year. I don’t think this is the case, I just think that I have a lot of crap and need to thin it out even more. I shouldn’t forget here that there were a few bigger items moved over that actually are for The Little Brick House or are work related.

Oh hell. I just realized that I need apologize to my South African fan base. I have truly over used the word crap in this post and am sure to have offended you. Damn, I hate it when I use a curse word repeatedly in a post. But listen, sometimes it is a requirement. It can take a really boring story and make it a hell of a damn good one just by adding a couple of words here or there. I mean, damn.

For those that are now completely lost let me try to explain quickly. I served my mission in South Africa where Hell and Damn are not considered swear words yet the word crap is quite offensive. I like to play on that every now and again. Especially when moving is involved.

My goodness I am exhausted. I am simply dragging my fingers across this keyboard and hoping to make it though this post without too many problems. Had some help here at the new house unpacking some things. Thanks ma. Also had help at the old place cleaning and finishing it up. Thanks ma, padre and Amy. Much appreciated.

Anyhow, definitely too much crap and I need to get rid of some of it for sure. I am going to make a DI run tomorrow and unload a few things. Tomorrow is fixin to be a long day. Need to go crash and try to sleep some before I have to get going tomorrow.

El Poopido

Sunday July 10, 2011

Let me preface by stating that I do not speak Spanish. I am certain that what I just wrote is not Spanish. It is Fontanish and it means I am tired.

For those who follow may check in daily on blogger you will note that this was not posted the day that I am writing it. No, I am without Internet at the moment and so yesterdays post as well as this one are simply being typed in my favorite word processor and will be transferred over when I am connected. ‘The red zone is for the immediate loading and unloading of passengers only. There is no parking in the red zone…’ I know that this has absolutely nothing to do with anything but I just felt like I was making an announcement over a loud speaker at the airport whilst typing the bit about blog postings and it just popped in there. ‘What, what just popped in there?’ Sorry all, I was rollin. For those scratching heads, these are movie quotes. Feel free to name em in the comments.

Yes, well I am a bit tired. It has been a long few months and the move yesterday worked me over. I still have more to do and a house to clean but that won’t begin until tomorrow. I did do some work around here getting my bedroom set up and then trying to arrange the living room. My original plan there isn't going to work so a few adjustments will be required. I did manage to sneak in a couple of quick naps in the day. One on the floor in the extra room and another on the floor at Jay and Sara’s. We had a family get together for mom’s birthday and ate Hawaiian. I was in charge of the meat. I cooked the pork and merely provided the steak for bulgogi. I have never made it so Jay handled the prep and cooking of it. All was rather delicious. The only problem with Hawaiian is that there is a lot of food and it is all so good and so you have to have a little of everything and may end up over doing it a bit. That is where I was at when I retired to the floor and subsequently entered the world of snooze. I had strategically placed myself partially under the piano thinking it would provide shelter from a child that might decide to jump on a slumbering giant. My strategery was flawed and learning that lesson was a real thrill as Anna decided to jump off the top turnbuckle and provide a flying burrito to the mid section. When you are completely out and not expecting the pounce even a wee child like Anna can feel like a cannon blast to the gut.

El Poopido has a cousin – El Gasido. In Fontanish this is translated as I ate too many sugar free cookies and they gave me serious stomach cramps. The surgeon general really needs to get on this. There cannot possibly be a human alive that does not get excited about this no calorie option to sweets only to get their crap handed to them. For real. Surgeon Generals Warning: This product will cause you serious cramping and will generate unforgiving amounts of natural gas. Eat at your own risk. Something like that ought to do. For the love of all that is good and holy, please, don’t hold back. If you are going to eat something like that do it when you are going to enjoy some quality time outside and can release freely. Do not get yourself in a bind by eating them on a Saturday night and then waltzing into Church Sunday morning. Church is a no passing zone and believe you me when I say this – you will cramp up something fierce.

On more of a spiritual note – Ken and Georgie Bettridge spoke today. They are leaving in a week to go on mission. They spoke on the topic of gratitude and they were marvelous. Ken told a story of breaking his leg when he was younger. He was on his way out to the outhouse and slipped. Anyhow, they thought they were going to have to remove his leg. One doctor was determined to fix the leg and did so. Ken was told he would never play sports. He ended up playing basketball and enjoying normal activities. He talked about how grateful he was for the doctor that didn’t give up. It was a neat Sacrament meeting and I enjoyed the messages shared. They were great. I am grateful for Ken and Georgia and for all that they have done for me and the kids. I am grateful for them loving Jack when he would wander over to their house as well as Natty and Andy who would somehow find themselves there also. I am excited for them to serve and to see them when they return.

It is time for me to retire for the day. I am grateful to the Lord for the blessings he provides me in my life. I am grateful for my family and am looking forward to the kids coming home. I love them dearly and am missing them.

A Dead Mover

Saturday July 9, 2011

It was moving day today. I arose early. It is now 1:40 in the morning. I am tired. I am not done yet but I am close. I am just about wiped out here and definitely ready for bed. I was going to go to the folks for the night but decided it would be just as easy to sleep on a futon here in the basement. So that is what I am about to do.

Very grateful tonight for Dave and Jay as well as Josh Davis, John Taylor, Terrel Fox, Ron Cardon and lest I forget Jayson Fontano and a little help from Jaykob as well. I thought my move would be relatively easy but alas I was wrong. Well, I don’t know that I have said this right. I thought is would be easy in the sense that I had it mostly packed and ready and mostly in the living room. Well, nothing like moving to help you realize you have a lot of schtuff. I have gotten rid of a ton of it but apparently I still have quite a lot.

Well, it is moms birthday today and I need to make note of it here. We all went out to Costa Vida for her birthday bash. Dad and Mom went on to see a movie. I went to see my friend Bernie at a car show that was going on down on Main St. We all got together later and worked on clearing out more items from the old house. I think it is just about done and I am very grateful for that. Grateful for mom and the wisdom of age. Hope the birthday was a great one.

I need to call it a night. I am exhausted and have to be up in 5 hours or so. Must sleep.

Ugghhh Kind of a Day

Man O Man. Today I woke up to a sick stomach. I have not felt particularly well today but well enough to plug through. I am tired. Going non stop for a long time now and I think my body is trying to tell me to rest. Well, I like the sound of that but it can't happen for at least one more day. Tomorrow is moving day and I have to be able to perform. I've got the house right there to where it is ready to go save a few little items. That is the part that I dislike the most. Hopefully it will work out just fine in the morning.

Cullen Holyoak surprised me tonight when he told me he was bringing a truck home for me to use. He runs a UHaul franchise. Anyhow, he is a great man and has been so kind to me and the kids. I am grateful that he decided he would take a chance on this divorced, single father of 3. I believe we have been good tenants. Yes there are a few things that took a little bit of a beating but for the most part the house has been great and is great. Well, I appreciate Cullen and Kay. They are good people and have been a strength to me through some hard times.

I am going to cut out. I've got to get up early and get moving. I have to go in to work at 4 so as much as I can get done early the better.

Grateful for all those who are a blessing in my life.

Fun Meeting

An elderly couple walked in to the shop this morning shortly after we opened. I greeted them and they introduced themselves to me. The man spoke saying "I used to own this place, I'm Ron" and then he said pointing to his spouse "and this is Chris". You see I would have never guessed that Ron and Chris were husband and wife. I always thought they were business partners. The comments I heard about the old bakery lead me to believe they were two guys. Well, not the case. Ron and Chris started business back in 1962. They built our building in 1971. The sold the business 5 years or so ago and retired. I told them about all the customers that come in wanting Alligator Jaws which is a frosted triangular donut. Ron said if we got him a donut fryer and some shortening he would come out of retirement and make them. What a hoot. I also told them about the 43 bags of cherry chips that were down in the basement. They laughed and thought that was pretty funny.

I have to say that I probably have been under the wrong impression of Ron and Chris having spent days degreasing the building and dealing with little issues here and there. I am beginning to think it was the owner that came after them, the young kid Chris (who incidentally tried to claim that he was the Chris of Ron and Chris) that was a major source of the issues. I say this because today Ron and Chris were very gracious and they were a little emotional about the place and how much they loved what we had done to it. Chris talked about how upset she was when she came in when the other owners were in the building. Ron installed the hardwood floor that we refinished. Chris talked about the day they went in and saw the dark varnish that the other owner had put on and how upset they were about it. I think they had a very hard time watching this building that they had built and this business that they had established go down the tubes. Anyhow, Chris talked about how much she loved what we did to the floor. She loved what we had done throughout. It was neat to see them take pride in that old building. I am sure it was hard for them to see it go down.

I introduced them to dad and they shared some of their stories. Ron said he would go through 300 pounds of flour a day. He would by shortening by the ton. He would cook 70 dozen donuts a day. During the first two years of the Summer Games he cooked 150 Turkeys in his oven for an opening meal. He used to strip and refinish his hardwood floor every two years and kept it in pristine condition.

It was a treat getting to meet them and being able to visit with them some. I walked them through the building and enjoyed a few minutes together. I am glad for this meeting. It gave me a new respect for Ron and Chris. They are good people, hard working people. It is no wonder that their bakery is remembered and revered in this community.

Hurdles

What is the next hurdle and where is it? My buddy Jason Laurie use to run the hurdles back in High School. That is an interesting race. Jumping the hurdles and running that race is all about timing. I remember seeing Jason's knee all banged up. Hitting the hurdle seemed to be a common occurrence and that is what bruised up his knee. Interestingly when you approach a hurdle the right way you may hit it. When you hit it the right way it will fall down and you will continue. If you jump the hurdle from the wrong direction it could prove quite dangerous and quite painful. Thus it is with life. Our lives are filled with hurdles and we can chose how we will approach them. When we keep a proper perspective and approach the hurdle in a consistent and pleasing manner we will over come it. There may be a little pain along the way but we can prevail. Go at it the wrong way and it may become a roadblock that could ultimately destroy you. And that is all I have to say about that right now.

There are Rules Mother, Rules!

I started the work day by going online and completing the Food Handlers Safety training. It was quite informative and I somehow managed to pass the assessment. This is good as I am now certified and can legally work in the cafe`. The training was actually quite informative and I picked up a lot. I will say that oversight and regulations have come a long way over the last 20 years. Hard to believe I am pushing that many years since having worked in the food service industry. Well, I did have a few weeks at Charley's but didn't do any sort of food handlers for that. I wasn't really an employee and would have had to take off running like an undocumented immigrant if the Health Inspector ever came to inspect. Happy to say that I am now legit. Yes, I am 2 legit to quit. Please Hammer, don't hurt em. How can you use the word legit and not make some sort of reference to M.C. Hammer? You can't. It's Hammertime...

Speaking of Hammertime, I found myself armed with a lot of new and useful information. I started in a bit coaching Amy and mom for fun. Amy, not so much. Mom, um, wow. I watched as mom went about her business in the kitchen like a bull in a china shop. She was relentless and there were no rules that were going to get in her way. Mom, I love the passion but there are rules, important rules at that. At one point I had to invite her to step away from the coleslaw. I know, I am pretty harsh... like the Hammer. I am happy to report that ma looked rather fashionable in her plastic gloves. I think she caved and started wearing them just so I wouldn't get on her case any longer. My only problem is she is going to complete the training and then she will be on my case and calling me out when I cross contaminate or fail to double wash after sneezing into my elbow. Actually I think a single wash will cover that one but whose counting? We had a pretty good time with it all and will do our very best to maintain safe food handling practices at the Little Brick House. Food safety is not a laughing matter, well, sometimes we might catch a laugh but that is only because we can make just about anything fun.

Flags and the 4th

My morning came early with the firing off of the cannon at 6 AM. This is a Cedar City tradition on the 4th of July. I did not expect it at all last year and was reminded of the cannon last night by Sara. Grateful for the heads up as I would have probably hit the floor. It sounded like it was right outside my house. I have to say that I think this is a neat tradition. It is one of those things that I find refreshing and fun about Cedar City.

Speaking of tradition, the 7th Ward has an annual 4th of July breakfast. It is a pretty awesome event. One of the things that I love is watching the High Priests take action. They are an amazing group of men that just have the ability to get a lot accomplished. I spent some time working with them this morning and quite enjoyed it. I think there are probably several wards that have this type of tradition. We did this in the Highlands Ward in Lakeland. My love for this Cedar 7th Ward tradition stems from these men of the High Priests Group. Good men. Good people in the ward.

One of the things that I love about this area is the placing of the flags in front of the homes. I love to drive down a road and see so many. It is a neat thing. My street isn't as flashy as some of the others but it will do for today. Here are a couple of pics of the street with the flags.




It is neat to see all of these flags out waiving in the breeze. I like this tradition. It is not reserved strictly for the 4th of July as flags are posted on many holidays throughout the year. I am grateful for this beautiful land in which we live. I am grateful for the blessings of freedom that we enjoy. Grateful for those of our forefathers that made possible the founding of this Nation. I am grateful to the Lord for all he does for me and my family.

We did enjoy a family bbq at Jay and Sara's. It went well. We were able to sneak over and take a quick tour on the new place. I think everyone liked it. Getting closer to moving time. Fred needs to check out some termites and once that is treated we will be ready. I am looking forward to getting in and getting settled soon.

Family Gatherings

I enjoy getting together with family. Oh there are times when it can be a little stressful and a little crazy but it is good. We had dinner tonight at the folks for all the fam in Cedar this weekend. That would be those of us that live in Cedar as well as Jim, Clo and the kids who are up. Jim still looks pretty well beat up and apparently his pain meds make him itch. If you don't know what I am referring to please reference yesterdays post - sometimes we are broken. He was up and moving some, sitting outside, talking and sharing stories. That was great to see. Naturally being Fast Sunday I included him in my fast and pray for his comfort and speedy recovery. I may never take on a mountain biking career as a result of this crash because I would hate to endure an injury of this nature. Who am I kidding? I live life on 'the edge and the edge is like a fickle hell cat... love her but never trust her for her heart is full of lye'. Sorry that is a Farside that I loved and quoted on my mission and it just rolled off the tongue. I was missing the first part and perhaps a quick explanation is in order. The picture is of an old man walking a young man around a soap factory. They are up on the catwalk looking down on huge vats of soap. The caption is of the old man speaking to the young man and it starts like this 'New guy huh. Well, up here you walk the edge...'. I've quoted the rest of it so won't retype it. I always quote it in my best old man voice. Not sure why I liked that one so much but I did. Maybe it was just quoting it in an old man voice.

So anyway, family gatherings. I remember as a kid going to Uncle Dale and Aunt Judy's house and watching a big load of chicken get cooked on the BBQ while we all jumped on the trampoline. I remember running around the neighborhood playing man hunt. I remember playing ping pong in the basement and being terrible at it. I remember the day when I was riding Brian's bike down the street with one pedal missing. I was trying to impress Kimberly Church who lived down the street. They were all out in the front yard sitting in the grass. I was skillfully managing the one pedal bike and while glancing over at Kimberly, trying to catch her eye suddenly found myself on the back window of a car that was parked on the side of the road. Hey, I got her attention for sure. They were laughing pretty good at that one 'he just ran into the back of that car'. Oh man, so embarrassing. I remember one day being in the Church's family room with a bunch of kids watching Close Encounters. It was an intense movie. I was Jack's age at the time - roughly 6 or 7. Anyway, with the intensity of the movie I found comfort by putting my hands down my pants and playing with little john. I looked down at one point and little john was out for a peak. Oh man, that was also quite embarrassing though I don't think anyone noticed and as dad would say, nobody would get upset over a little thing like that. As a parent of young boys I will just say that this seems to be a normal behavior. There is a little fella down there that just needs some attention when you are small and the hands somehow seem to find their way. I think there is some sort of homing beacon there.

Sorry, I digress. The point of this is family gatherings and I am just recalling some of my childhood memories in this reflection. I was grateful for time spent today with some wonderful nieces and nephews. I miss my kids a tremendous amount. I come home to an empty and quiet home. That can provide for some seldom seen relaxation but it is also somewhat lonely as well. I enjoyed a little horsing around today. A little wrastling and tickling and silliness as well as a few fun moments with little Tommy. Jayson and Jaykob were a riot and we did some big squeezes and some leg locks and some Jack Hammering (it's a signature move - don't mess with me). Kathryn wanted to experience a little arm lift action so we had some fun with that. Amy and I thought about a belly bop but then thought again. Anyhow, it was fun to play with the kids. I miss that with my own and need to stay loose and ready so I appreciate the nieces and nephews today.

Well, I have rambled here but that is okay. I will simply say this. I love my family. I love the time together. I am grateful to live in close proximity. It was not easy to live on the other side of the country and miss out on all the gatherings. I know that Natty, Jack and Andy love the get togethers as well. Anyhow, grateful for this time and look forward to future family gatherings and those times when everyone is here. Love you guys.

Sometimes We Are Broken

I started the day out packing up a few more things in the basement and in the pantry just trying to get ready to move. I am not exactly sure when I am going to move. It is going to be a challenge but we will manage it. Anyway, I heard the phone and went to get it. I just missed the call from Jim so I called him right back. Turns out it was Clayton on the other end of the line and he told me that Jim had been in a serious accident and was on his way to the ER in Cedar. It turns out that it was a bike accident at scout camp. I could hear Jim coaching Clayton in the background so I knew he wasn't dead but was unclear of the severity of the situation. I called and left a message with Amy for dad to be aware of the situation and that we would be going over to the ER. I thought Clo was up in town so called Jay and found out she wasn't. I was able to reach her at home and relayed the message. She took it in stride but sounded a little nervous towards the end of the call. I assured her that all would be fine. When I got to the shop I found out a little more as Clayton had talked to pops and they thought it was a separated shoulder and a couple of broken fingers. I was able to catch Clo before they left and update her quickly. I think it eased her mind a bit and she was fine. That can be a long drive, even longer when you know your spouse is hurt but don't know what is going on. Timing just happened to work out well for me to catch her at home still.

We cruised on over to the ER and beat them there. After a while I saw Jim's car pulling in following behind a Ford truck. Jim was in the passenger seat. He was looking pretty beat up. Along with the shoulder and the fingers his face took a bit of a beating. I have to say in all seriousness, there were times when I as the little brother wanted to inflict that kind of facial damage on him. Happy to say those days are way behind me - I mean more then half of my lifetime behind me. Today I just felt for my brother. Having just hurt my shoulder on New Years Eve I know what that kind of pain feels like. I was hoping for him the broken fingers would be on the same arm. Twas not so. It is hard enough to manage with one arm in a sling. He is having to go with one arm immobilized and the other wrapped up with the strong possibility of surgery being required. Oh man, that is not fun.

Here is a pic of the man while sitting at the ER waiting to go back:



Hey you, you with the face... Reminds us all of the time Mike turfed it on the loose pea gravel road in Carson. Jim is not nearly as bad but man, going face first across the ground cannot be much fun.

He finally made his way back and after a while the receptionist told us he needed a fresh shirt out of the car. Pops took that back to the LBH so Clayton and I took a road trip. We got a shirt and headed back only to find out he also needed his garment top. We made another quick road trip. Clayton was able to visit with him for a few minutes and found out the at the shoulder was not just separated but actually broken at the ball of the bone - the humorous. He also broke two fingers but not on visible finger. No this break was in the hand and will likely require surgery. Wow, I count my blessings that my little accident was nowhere near this intense. Anyhow, we were able to collect him from the ER and headed over to the LBH. Here is a pic of Jim enjoying, well, trying to enjoy a lemonade. It was hard to manage that straw. Man O Man, that just does not look like any fun at all yet Jim has kept in fairly good spirits throughout.



As you can clearly see Jim took on Brianhead and Brianhead won. It is going to be a bit of a rough time in recovery. Sorry for this in your life brother. I will be certain to add your name when I visit the Temple. Clorinda, head nurse of the household, I will add your name as well and know that you have our deepest sympathy every time you hear the words "Honey, please wipe my bum". Jim, I feel for you here as well. I don't think I would ever want to have to utter those words myself.

In life there are times when we are broken. In fact all of us are broken in terms of the atonement. As much as we may want to make it on our own all the time we are helpless without the Savior. We are taught that every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is the Christ. It is only in and through Him that we can and will be saved. It is his gift of the life and his resurrection that make possible our overcoming physical death. It is his suffering in the Garden and taking on himself our sins that makes it possible for us to overcome Spiritual Death. He is the way, the only way for us to return to live with our Heavenly Father. I know that this is true. I also know that the Savior is not limited in his ability to heal us and to lift us up. During the moments of greatest turmoil in our lives He does not leave us comfortless. As we press forward believing in him we will be strengthened. So those times when trials and afflictions are very present in our lives we need to remember that we have a Father in Heaven who loves us and is aware of our needs. I love him and know that he loves me.

Blogger Tard

You would think that with all the blogging I do I would be an expert at using this thing. I don't know what the deal is but I cannot even post a comment on my own blog as myself anymore. I use to could do it but not anymore. Don't you just love that phrase - use to could. It's great.

So Mike had made a comment about his Philly-Cheese theory (see Righteous Routines) and I was going to make a comment but in trying to accomplish this I had to choose a profile - all while being logged in to my own account. After it wouldn't let me move forward without a profile I selected the Google Account option. So it takes me to the sign in page - again and then shows my comment as Anonymous Said:... At this point I say screw it and just back out of it. I don't want to post a comment on my own blog as Anonymous. I would feel obligated to clarify that I am actually Anonymous and then I would look like a moron. As it is I would much prefer to keep my blogger tardedness to myself. Some things just really aren't worth making public.

Had some laughs at the LBH today. We did a little training and it was just swell. We had a fine time reviewing some of the sandwiches and then actually cooking up a few. The old man put on a Muffalatta class (I think I spell that differently every time) and the three ladies that were training each made one. I demo'd the Philly and the Grilled Cheese. We did not have the apple so I could not fully demo the grilled cheese but I think the ladies got it anyway. Those grilled cheese are tough.

We did have an odd fellow come in today. He was from California, spoke with a lisp and said SSSSuper repeatedly. We were in the middle of training in the kitchen so Dani took him through the store. He was venturing on his own and Dani popped in to tell us that the man took off his shoes and was walking around barefooted. SSSSSSSuper. When exiting he mentioned that he makes an annual trip up to Cedar and will have to remember to come in on his next visit. Again I say SSSSSuper!