Headaches

I have been battling headaches over the last few days.  Not quite sure what the deal is but my goodness.  These are not major throbbing headaches but more of a subtle, nagging type.  What can you do?  Sometimes we just have to press forward when we really don't feel all that great.  Sometimes we just need to have a nap.  I think that might just be where I am at the moment.  I need a good long nap. 

It just occurred to me that my back has been hurting over the last few days as well.  I have been standing and working on a pricing project for the last few days.  I built this excel file that should be a pretty fantastic tool for tracking product costs and how they effect each sandwich and over all profitability.  I think it is a pretty good tool.  Anyhow, my back has been sore from standing and working on that and now I am curious if there is a direct connection with the headaches.  Perhaps my eyes are starting to go?  Dang it.  I have no idea.  I guess if the problem persists I will have to find out because these headaches kind of stink.  Is this just part of getting older?  This advancing age thing can be a real headache. 

A Mean Man?

The boys and I got home tonight after helping my dear friends clean the floors of their home that they just moved out of, picking up some surprise fish for the boys fish tank, looking at remote control airplanes and enjoying one anothers company only to learn that somebody who doesn't know our family believes that I am a mean father.  Natty has been bothered by some things that were said by one of the young women in the ward about me and also about her.  I really have no idea what was actually said or if anything really was said.  What I do know is that it caused me to reflect on how I treat my family.  Do I act in a way that would cause someone to believe that I am a mean man?  I seriously don't believe that I do.  Am I strict?  Well, yes.  I have to be but I am not an abusive or mean strict.  I do my very best to exercise patience.  I rarely use any form of physical discipline, meaning spankings.  I can't even remember the last time I had to spank anyone.  I do get a little cranky now and again when it is bed time and the kiddos are dragging their feet.  I do get a little cranky when they are fighting with each other.  I do my best not to yell at the kids but there are occasions that call for a louder voice.  I don't know exactly where I am out of line or what I am doing to cause someone to decide that I am mean.  I realize that I shouldn't let this bother me and so I will do my best to let it go.  We come to know someone by the fruits of their labors.  I hope that the things that I do and the way that I conduct my life would produce fruits that would help people understand what is in my heart.  I hope that my own children feel my love for them and that they do not see me as mean. Well, what can I do?  I will not please everyone all of the time.  I will however, do my very best to conduct myself in a manner that would be pleasing to my Heavenly Father.  Certainly there are times in my life when I fall short of the example of the Savior and I am ever grateful for his loving Atonement that makes it possible for me to overcome those short falls and imperfections of my life.    

The Slow Stick

Dan told me about a remote control airplane yesterday called The Slow Stick.  It is a relatively inexpensive RC plane and a very good plane to learn with.  At the Blue and Gold Banquet tonight for scouts  I was having a hard time getting Jack to come out of the nursery.  I'm not really sure how he managed to find himself in the nursery but there he was with a fixed determination that he was there to stay.  When Jack sets his mind to something it can be a challenge to persuade him otherwise.  I was struggling with Jack and was at a loss for words when "tell him about the slow stick" popped in to my head.  We talked a bit about the slow stick.  I told him the basics that had been shared with me and my goodness, that boy lit up.  He is so excited about this plane that I could not contain him.  We left the nursery and he got busy spreading the word, telling everybody about the slow stick.  The small amount of detail I had given to him  was elaborated on and shared in much greater detail with anyone who would listen to him.  Fantastic.  We were able to search The Slow Stick on google and find a few good links.  There was a video demonstrating the flying capabilities and Jack was very interested.  He is now an expert on The Slow Stick and will be happy to fill you in should you need any information .

A Plus B Equals C

I had a wonderful morning working on taping up windows in preparation to paint them for use in The Little Brick House as our menu board.  While I measured, cut and taped on paper I listened to a few conference talks from last October.  It is good to listen to inspired words from our church leaders.  I appreciate the guidance and direction received through them.  I shared one of the talks in our FHE tonight:  I Know It, I Live It, I Love It.  Natty said that was one of her favorite talks and so we listened and learned.  We talked about a few things  and it was a good conversation.  My friend Jason Murray had shared some thoughts on that talk yesterday in Church.  It was part of our lesson in Elder's Quorum and he compared it to math.  A + B = C  or I Know It + I Live It = I Love It.   We can know the gospel is true and not live it or we can live the gospel without really knowing it.  In either case we don't fully appreciate or love the gospel.  When we know that it is true and we live it to the best of our abilities then we begin to love it, to understand it more fully, to receive a full measure of joy.   Let me close by saying I'm a Mormon.  I know it, I live it, I love it.  

Why Journal?

Every night when I open up the blogger, well most nights, the nights when I am home on the computer and I open up the blogger I see the blog and it shows how many total page views, how many posts and it has a graph thing that indicates page views for the day.  I don't usually pay much attention to it, it just happens to be there.  The total number of page views stood out to me just now and I figured I would mention it.  As of right now my blog has had 15,000 page views.  That is a bit crazy.  I certainly hope it has been a positive thing for any who have read it.  I don't know that I always have a wonderful message and really that isn't what this blog is.  This is my journal that after many years of handwritten journals that no one can read I transferred to an electronic journal in the form of a blog.  I certainly never imagined people would tap into it and read what I have to record about thoughts and feelings and happenings in my life.  I hope it serves to lift, to inspire and to strengthen any who read it.  Most importantly is that I hope it inspires my children and posterity. I write it so that they will have some understanding of who I am.  I write in hopes that they will know of my love for the Lord and my testimony of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Like Nephi, I write so that they, meaning my children, will know to which source they may look for a remission of their sins.  I write by way of invitation in my Patriarchal Blessing that I keep a journal of my life.  I hope that it is of worth to someone.  I find that keeping a record of my life serves as a great blessing in my life and helps me strive to do good, to do the best that I can as I struggle to follow the example of the Savior. 

 

Seven Young Ladies Laughing

Yesterdays post was an official declaration that we indeed had a teen in the house.  Today was said teens official celebration with friends.  In fact there were seven young ladies laughing it up and goofing around this house for several hours.   The party ended at 7, at least that was what I was told, the after party continued until the last guest finally left at 10.  I was practically kicking her out of the house.  The boys were beyond done and I had reached my limits with party time.  8 hours of teen aged girls is a lot.  They were actually quite good and all seemed to have an enjoyable time.  There was no bickering or fighting just getting a long and lots of laughing. 

I do have to say I wasn't quite sure what the attraction was with being outside but we were getting hit by a pretty good snow storm and they all wanted to be outside.  They ran over to the school and were playing there and ran around the block or something.  One of the girls wanted to go by the house of a boy she has a crush on.  Somethings you just have to tread through snow for. 

Well, I am wiped out.  I just woke up with my finger on the the d key.  I started erasing by way of holding down the backspace key.  That seemed to be fine except that two minutes had past and I was making no progress.  I must have been out for a while.  That said, I am closing now and heading to bed.  Perhaps I will hear seven young ladies laughter ringing in my head...
 

Official Teen

Today Natalie turned thirteen.  I don't quite know where the last thirteen years have gone.  Hard to believe that it has been that many years since our little Sue Bug came into our lives.  What a wonderful daughter she is.  I rely a great deal on her to help out at home while I am at work.  I know that it is a lot and for the most part she does it without complaint.  Thank you for that sweet Natty Sue.  Thank you for your strength of character, your love for your brothers, your love for the Lord and your desires to do good, to serve.  I hope this year is an excellent one and that there are many more years of excellence to come. 

Waiting Tables

Today we had a group of ladies come in for lunch.  I could write that line on just about any day.  Well, these ladies had reserved our back room and wanted someone to come take their orders and wait on them.  Amy is kind of my go to person for that but she is out of town so I went out and took care of these lovely ladies.  I have not done a lot of waiting tables in my day.  I have done it once or twice but that is all.  Today I had a good time with the ladies. I believe they all quite enjoyed it and I enjoyed visiting with them during their stay.  There was a gal from Florida and we had a good conversation, then a gal that works at the cannery with my pal Guy Gilespie (he and his wife were in today as well), there was a gal from my Stake who talked to me about my conference talk, in the end there were a lot of smiling ladies who loved their experience at The Little Brick House.  Should'nt everyone love their experience at The Little Brick House?  I believe that they should and it is up to us to make that happen. 

Now outside of The Little Brick House don't I have the same responsibilty?  Shouldn't I go out of my way to make sure people are well?  Shouldn't I smile at them and find out how they are?  Shouldn't I see them for who they are and love them?  I listened to a guy this last weekend who expounded on some thoughts of a Jewish author.  The author had written about two types of people in this world.  The first are those who see other people at it's.  It's are objects that are either in our way or can help us get where we want to go.  We use it's just like we would use a tool.  The other type of person is a You person.  They see others the way the Lord woutld see them.  A "you" person see's others the way they  see themselves, the way the Lord would see them.

Goodbye Truck

Pops has had a few challenges with his health as of late and the car he has been driving creates a lot of pain for him.  We have had a few challenges with the F-150 and were facing some potentially major repairs in the rear end.  Yesterday he told me that I needed to take all my stuff out of the truck, that he would be trading it in.  That happened today. 

Knowing what was going to happen I took the opportunity last night at dinner to inform the kids that the truck would be going away.  They were a little shocked at first but ended up being fine.  Jack asked me if it would be okay for him to go spend some time with the truck so he could say goodbye.  Of course he could.   It made me smile.  He is a good boy and sure has loved having that truck.  I have quite enjoyed it myself.  It handled great in the snow and has been a good vehicle for us for a couple of years.  Sad to see it go. 

Spiritual Rejuvenation

I may have said something similar to this before, perhaps after the last conference I attended and perhaps after the one I had attended before that.  I don't really know what married members of the Church think happens at a Singles Conference.  When I was married I probably thought that they were set up so that singles could meet singles, fall in love and married themselves.  I really didn't give it much thought except that I was happy that I didn't need to attend them myself.  This was my third trip to singles conference and I have to say that meeting other singles does happen.  Falling in love - perhaps there are those that do, I don't know, hasn't happened for me though I have made a lot of great friends who I do love and care about but not in a romantic lets get married kind of way.  What I have experienced that has been such a tremendous source of strength for me is the spiritual rejuvenation that comes from being there.  Those who organize these conferences seek out and bring in some extremely good speakers and presenters.  There were messages shared at each of the conferences I have attended that moved me deeply, that lifted my spirits and strengthened my testimony.  There were messages that provided a great deal of hope for the future and desires of righteousness. 

I believe I joked the other day about the problem being that these conferences are so good it takes away the motivation to get married.  If I get married I don't get to go to the conference again and miss out on powerful messages of faith.  All joking aside, that could be a tough thing.  I guess I should learn more about education week at BYU and see what it offers.  If I find it a place where I can enjoy the same kind of training and classes then perhaps I might find a little more motivation to press forward with finding a spouse. 

At this particular conference I met a man who moved me deeply.  His conversion story was powerful and my goodness, I felt such a strong connection with him.  His name, Yeah Samake.  He is actually running for President in the West Africa Country of Mali.  If I remember correctly his country is like 90% Muslim.  He is one of four members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints living in Mali.  The other three members of the church include his wife and two children.  Pretty amazing really.  I was talking to pops and Dave about him today and got a little emotional while doing so.  Having served my mission in South Africa I have a great love for African people.  I was so moved by his faith and his pioneering spirit in his Country.  I was able to shake his hand at the end of his presentation and I shared with him that I had served in South Africa.  He was very excited to hear that and looked me straight in the eye and sincerely thanked me for serving his people.  It was a humbling moment.  I would have enjoyed spending some additional time with him.  Here is a link to his sev site. 

I visited with Dave Kimball or Jericho Road fame but more importantly than that of the Kimball Family on Ida Lane in Sandy, Utah fame.  He knew I was a Fontano when I walked towards him.  We chatted for a while.  He let me know his folks were coming to the concert they were performing that night.  I had the opportunity to go and visit with them.  Steve and Margot.  She was my cub scout leader and a great woman.  Sure do love the Kimballs. 

Wow, so many other great presenters and people.  I loved being there.  Loved being fed.  Loved feeling the spirit.  I am looking forward to the next event. 

Home Again

We spent a little time this morning and afternoon with Jim and Clo and Katherine.  After breakfast and packing we headed over to FlipNout  for a while and the kids played around.  It actually looked pretty cool.  I think next time we head there I will have to get out on the tramps.  I don't know if I've still got the coordination for trampoline trickery.  We will just have to wait and see. 

We are back home.  It is good to be home and tomorrow back to life.  I thoroughly enjoyed the conference and am grateful for some new friendships born their.  I intend to write some of the things that I experienced and some of the things I was taught.  I have been asleep at the keyboard here for at least 30 minutes.  I don't think I can manage tonight.  Perhaps tomorrow.  Anyhow, glad to be home and climbing into my bed. 

Final Day of Singles Conference

I am attempting to type the blog on the tablet again.  I did this two nights ago and discovered that I am not a fan of typing on the Kindle.  Singles Conference was great. There was so much that was good.  The presenters that I went to were excellent and I came away being spiritually fed by each one.   The problem I find with this is that I am already looking forward to next year.  If I somehow find someone and get married I don't get to come back.  That  is probably not the goal of the conference.   This tablet typing is on my nerves.  I will write a fuller report when I'm back at home.

Six to One

Back at the Singles Conference today.  The title is dedicated to my friend Karlee.  Six to One stands for the official number of dance moves Karlee can do to my one. She can move. 

I realize you might think this could be the number of girls to one guy. 

Las Vegas Singles Conference 2013

Two years ago I attended my first singles conference.  i loved it.  this weekend is singles conference.  we are in Vegas.  grateful for Jim and Clo helping with the kids while I attend. the kids love it.  It's a quick little vacation for the family.  

Scattered Thoughts on Valentines Day 2013

The kids had a fun day.  It is Valentines Day and first thing this morning Andy got up and wanted to put together all of his cards for his classmates.  He was doing a great job and almost had them all done when I had to give some assistance so we could get them done in time for school.  He was very excited about it and seems to have had a great time exchanging valentines with his class.  He was also very kind and gave me two valentines cards and a big hug.  What a wonderful little boy.

Jack also had cards to sign this morning.  I ended up signing them for him.  He came upstairs with his puke bowl this morning and let me know he threw up in the night like it was no big deal.  I think he is the best puker ever - if there is such a thing.  I just know that I appreciate not having to get up in the middle of the night and deal with puke all over the bed.  He did have a few of those episodes back in the day but is very much in control of those things now.  So he sleeps with a bowl by his pillow - I don't care. 

Natty had a friend, McKenzie, come over after school today. They were working on some dish they called Turkish Delight. I have no idea what it is but they need it for a class tomorrow. Annie helped them with it and they will take it to school tomorrow. Anyhow, they hung out for a time after that. When McKenzie's mom came to pick her up she was teasing her a bit and asked if there was an orphan girl in the house. We got McKenzie and started gathering some things when Jack paused and said in all sincerity "I didn't know that there was an orphanage in Cedar City". He is such an innocent boy. We explained that there was not an orphanage in Cedar and that McKenzie's mom was just teasing her. He had a few additional questions about orphans and an orphanage but I think he understood at the end.

Well there are few scattered thoughts on Valentines Day 2013.  I am certainly grateful for my three valentines.  They are wonderful children and are my best friends. 

Great Moment

When you watch your child do something hard it brings joy to your heart.  I watched Natalie go through the repentance process tonight and watched as she did what she could to make restitution.  She did a great job.  I know how hard it was and I am grateful for her humble heart and her righteous desires.  Thank you for your strength of character Natty Sue. 

One Talented Seesta

It has been a long time since I have paid for a haircut.  If memory serves there are a total of 4 haircuts that I have paid for in the last nearly 18 years. It may be 5 but 4 that I can clearly remember.  One was in 97 before I got married and the other 3 or 4 were in 2005 when we moved to Florida.  There are some things that happen when you cut your own hair.  It will either turn out okay or it will turn out really bad.  If it turns out really bad I simply buzz my entire head and then let it all start over.  Since moving back to Cedar I have cut my hair a few times on my own and the rest of the time I have been ever so blessed to have Amy give me a hair cut.  She is extremely good at hair.  She is one talented seesta.  That was my creative way of writing sister.  I truly appreciate the haircuts especially when I am heading out to a singles conference in a few days.  Having uneven hair in the back could be devastating though I'm sure I would survive.  I think I much prefer going with a good haircut that I can have a little more confidence in. 

The Guardians

Tonight we had a special FHE activity and went out to the movies.  The kids had not seen Rise of the Guardians and wanted to see it.  It is in the Cedar Historic Theater at the moment.  That is the cheap theater in town though it isn't cheap.  It is a beautiful facility and they really did a nice job with the remodel of it.  I don't fancy myself a movie critic but will offer my opinion on this one.  It was a good movie.  The kids really enjoyed it.  There were a lot of funny parts in it and there were a couple of times when Jack just burst out laughing, loudly.  So hey, who's got two thumbs up and liked this movie?  This guy.  The kids were talking about adding it to our vast movie collection.  We'll have to see. 

I wish I had something witty to say, something clever.  I don't.  I am very tired and so I will simply wrap up and head to bed.  Mr. Sandman did such a fabulous job in the movie, perhaps I can enjoy pleasant dreams tonight myself.   

Chicken Dinner, Twas a Winner

I've been known to make a fantastic sandwich or two.  There are our own versions of certain sandwiches that have really become quite popular.  I dare not say they are the best because some of them were created after I read a message from a competitor claiming they had the best whatever.   A self claimed best really doesn't work for me and so I will not do the same thing.  Suffice to say we can make a sandwich that pleases a lot of people. 

That said you would think that I can make a fantastic meal for the family.  Unfortunately I usually end up making a minimum of two meals for the fam and sometimes three.  What I believe to be good and what my kids think is good are two different things.   I would say 75% of the time I am making something additional for one or more of the kids.  When I make something that all will eat without complaint and that I quite enjoy as well, that is nothing short of a miracle. 

Today we enjoyed such a miracle.  I have made shoyu chicken many times for the kids and it usually goes over okay.  Today I made a small addition.  The recipe calls for chicken thighs.  My kids are huge fans of chicken legs so I put some in.  They loved it.  Shoot, they even ate the rice this time.  I also added some corn on the cob which is probably not one of those items you would normally serve with shoyu chicken but I was going more for what I knew my kids would eat instead of foods that necessarily go together.  It worked.  Everybody ate everything and or a little of everything anyway and that was nothing short of miraculous.  It was good to come out a winner with tonights chicken dinner... 

Incidentally - shoyu chicken.  Google it.  Fantastic.  I cook mine in a slow cooker. 

Project Menu Board

We have yet to put up a menu board at the new location.  We have never really had a full menu board so this isn't too big of a shock though we really do need one.  We looked in to doing a digital menu but the cost was very much prohibitive.  Networking friends had suggested a chalk board thing and so I was working on that idea, researching some material costs and mom had a thought about using all these old windows we have.  We picked up some windows that were replaced on a home.  They are old, wood framed windows and they are pretty dirty.  At first I was a bit skeptical but the more I thought about it the more I think it makes sense.  The problem with it making sense is that it means a lot of work for me.  Today was a good day to begin so I picked up some sand paper at the store last night and today I got started.  It has been a full day of work - with the exception of hanging out with Andy for a while and helping him on his Wii game. Anyhow, I've got them all ready to tape and paper and then we will be ready to paint.  I do enjoy this kind of work and had fun today.  Hopefully they will all turn out excellent and project menu board will be complete. 

If Your Bored, Talk to Jack

Sometimes I sit down and have absolutely nothing to say.  Perhaps there is nothing all that exciting about the day and maybe I just don't feel impressed with anything in particular.  What I need to do is just sit and hang out with the kids for a while and they will come up with something that will get my thoughts moving.  Jack just came in and mentioned that tonight is not a homework night.  He has requested a few minutes on the computer so he can watch some videos about remote control airplanes.  He is now standing right next to me talking non stop about a B30.  His description is complete with hand gestures and sound effects.  I am guessing that this is one he has designed in his mind.  "Now let me talk a bit about the B60.  The B60 is a propeller jet too.  It is made for fantastical flights but this one is kind of weird.  It does have wings but it looks very interesting.  I bet your wondering why it looks very interesting.  Well the answer is that its made out of a long wooden body and it is part plane part airship..."  I can't keep up.  He isn't slowing down and is describing the body of the plane right now in greater detail and why it is designed the way it is.  He just said you unlock the locks and the plane is flying - vammmmmmm.  "Don't add that vammmmmm in there".  I guess he figured out that I was transcribing what he was saying.    "And now let me tell you about the AVRO 100..."  Apparently the AVRO 100 is a touring airship with 6 diesel engines and can show you all over America.  He is already on to something else that he says is called The Six.  The Six is comparable to the Hindenburg, just bigger, faster and has jet engines.  "Have you ever heard of an airship that has a nose?  Well this one does..."  Yep, all I need to do is sit and talk, or just listen to the kids for a while.  Jack just paused for a voice break he told me.  Had to let his voice calm down but now he is ready to continue.  I will be in trouble when he starts asking me questions about these things.  I won't remember all the details but he does.  He just asked me what I was typing so I told him.  He smiled at me and told me to proceed.  Well, there you have it.  I started out with nothing to say, thinking the day was a bit boring.  All I needed to do was sit and listen to Jack for a bit, there is nothing boring in his life.  His mind is filled with details and descriptions of airplanes, airships, trains and anything else that can be remotely controlled.   Thanks for the interesting chat big Jack.   

Last Night Updated

Shortly after I posted last nights entry I received a text message with a picture of Griffin.  Dani and Dave welcomed their little boy sometime around 11 PM or so.  He is a cute little guy.  I could see a lot of Dani in him.  I did see some additional pictures that Dave had emailed to pops and could see a little more Fontano.  Looks like he is a good mix of both of his parents.  It kind of reminded me of the day Natty was born.  Rachel's water broke early in the morning and we went in and spent all day in the hospital until Natty finally arrived that evening.  It makes for a long day for sure but a wonderful day none the less. 

Wow, I can remember how nervous I was about being a father.  There was so much responsibility, would I be able to live up to it?   Having number two was just as scary.  Suddenly there are two to look after and take care of.  Number three was much easier in comparison.  I knew we could handle multiple children so adding one more, though I was still nervous, wasn't nearly as scary. 

Natty, Jack and Andy each bring something unique and wonderful to our family.  They each have individual talents and strengths.  I am grateful for each of them and humbled by the good people they are.  I love to catch them doing good.  I love to see them grow and develop.  I love to hear their testimonies and feel their excitement for life.  Sometimes I have absolutely no idea what they are talking about but they are excited about it and so I can't help but be excited about it too. 

Well, Dave and Dani have so much to look forward to as they welcome this baby into their lives.  I am excited for them and their little family. 

Baby and Birthday

Tonight the boys and I drove out to New Harmony to celebrate Dan's birthday.  They had a little party with some of their friends and it was fun to hang out for a bit and play some games.  The boys wanted to give their Uncle Dan some gifts and they picked them out all on their own.  Andy got very excited about giving Dan his latest school picture.  Wonderful gift.  Jack decided he wanted to part ways with a hot wheels style semi truck and that it would make a great gift.  Dan was excited to get it and that made it great for the boys.  Thanks for a good time Dan and Amy. 

On the subject of birthdays... Dani is in labor and there is a chance that there could be another little Fontano with a birthday today.  So far no updates. We are all pretty excited around our house for baby Griffin to come.  Perhaps we will know more in the morning. 

 

Reaching Out

One of the things I am most grateful for are friends who reached out to me when I was going through divorce.  For me it was an incredibly painful time, perhaps the hardest period of my life.  I have shared before my thoughts about certain individuals who were there for me and how I see them as angels.  What they did for me and for my family was nothing short of a miracle.  They were there in answer to prayer, they were there as blessings from the Lord to us.  I am ever grateful for that, for them. 

Because of the experience I have had I feel it in my heart to try and do the same.  I cannot do a lot for many of my friends as we live so far apart but I can reach out.  I can send a note just to let them know I am thinking of them and that I understand what they are going through.  My hope is that an encouraging word can lift them even if it is just a little.  I know how much that meant to me, how much it meant to feel that love and acceptance. 

I don't speak for everyone who has been divorced.  Every situation is different.  Some divorces are quite ugly, some are quite public, some are somewhat quiet and private.  I would assume that in every instance there is some feeling of loss.  For me that feeling was deep and it was painful.  As a man I should not admit this but because I am a man I will, I shed many tears.  I struggled for quite some time.  I battled a certain level of depression.  The visits, the notes, the uplifting thoughts, just knowing someone cared meant so much to me. 

As I have pondered things of this nature I find that you don't have to be going through divorce to experience pain, loneliness, depression etc.  Each of us have struggles and challenges we deal with everyday.  Life's experiences can be tough.  You know what I have found that I really enjoy doing?  I love to just put my arm around a friend and let them know that I love them.  Sometimes that is a physical thing that I can actually do and sometimes that is just in a quick note.  Well, it is a simple thing I know.  I hope it makes some sort of difference for someone, well someone in addition to me anyways.  Hey, love you.    

Chilly

So I am doing this diet thing right now and one of the side effects seems to be a constant chill.  I just don't seem to get warm.  Well, there are moments when I don't think about the chill and life carries on as if nothing is different.  I don't feel it all the time but sitting down here I feel it.  I felt it often today and it is just a little weird.  I am feeling it now and it is just slightly uncomfortable.  Hopefully it is the sign of something good like weight loss.  Anyhow, I am chilled, ready for bed - hopefully a warm bed. 

Taste

What is it about certain things that makes them so irresistible?  I was talking to Carl Johnson at church today.  He came in and got a sandwich on Thursday and told me he has been craving The Little Brick House since that time.  He told me that he started eating it just before starting one of his classes.  The students that were there asked him what he was eating and when he told them the class got into a big discussion about our food.  He said class ended up starting 5 minutes late because of it.  That is pretty neat.  It is nice to hear that people around town have a liking for our place.  We try to ensure that all of our sandwiches are not just good but great, each with its own unique taste that make it so. 

I really didn't start this with the intent of talking about The Little Brick House.  It is more about taste.  There are things that I find quite enjoyable.  Root beer happens to be one of those tastes that I am a big fan of.  If I had to rank my favorite soft drinks Root beer is at the top.  Steak, medium rare and seasoned just right - delicious.  Wood fired pizza, Fontano style tacos, lemon bunt cake, chocolate and peanut butter, oh my the list goes on. 

The salty-sweet combination is always a favorite.  Some prefer things that are a little saltier.  Some like more unique foods.  Jack has his own likes and today I got to learn about something that he really likes.  We were sitting in church when out of the corner of my eye I saw Jack picking his nose.  I turned to look at him and saw him plop whatever he picked out of his nose into his mouth.  I whispered "That is pretty gross Jack".  He looked me in the eye and simply said "But is tastes so good".  I don't know how many agree or disagree with this.  I don't personally know how I feel about the taste, it's the texture that I prefer.       

The Young Love Doctor

Seems I found a new love doctor today, completely unsolicited.  We were at the self check out at Smiths when Jack decided to give me a few pointers.  "Dad, if you want to be a good kisser you need to practice on fruit".  That was a bit weird.  I asked where he had heard that and he told me it was something he came up with.  I didn't ask if that came from practicing the maneuver himself.  So anyway, it is unofficially official that to improve your kissing skills you first need to practice on fruit. 

This is now the following day, I had more to say on this matter but was too tired to fully develop the post.  In any case Jack was pretty funny.  I called him The Love Doctor and he quickly shot back "I am not a doctor".  I continued and asked what else he knew about love.  "To really impress a woman you need to have a remote control airship".  I had to ask why and he replied "They are the best things.  Attach a remote control boat on it".  How we went from kissing fruit to remote control airships and boats I am not certain, I can only trust the young love doctor to know his business.  Anytime you can take a gal on a date with a remote control airship or remote control boat is a good day... it would be Jacks ideal date anyway. 

Empty

It is late and I am quite tired.  My body is done functioning.  I am just tired and empty inside right at the moment.  Just need to sleep.  This is all.