Super Mario

It is Halloween.  We had a fine time.  For the last several days Jack has stated repeatedly that he was not going trick or treating and that he was not dressing up.  He delivered on his promise to not dress up but after seeing his little brother in Super Mario mode he decided to join in the festivities.   He went house to house with Andy and I and told people he dressed up as himself. He got a few laughs.

Well, Super Mario was ready to go.  I took a couple of minutes to change my shoes and, well, Super Mario does not possess super patience.   When we finally got out there we had a great time.  Natty manned the homefront and passed out candy.  What a wonderful Halloween it was.

Some Things Disgust Me

When you are in the restaurant industry you learn quickly that grease tends to be everywhere.  It is a constant effort to clean it and when you move into a building that belonged to someone else you tend to inherit their grease. Not my idea of a good time.  I spent days degreasing the old bakery before we were able to do anything in that location.  This location, we had some to do for sure and we still have more.  Today I had the unpleasant experience of having our dishwasher begin backing up.  I thought it was a freak accident at first and then it happened again so I had to investigate the drain line.  Talk about grease - the drain is 2" pvc that come off the dishwasher and drains into a floor drain.  It was covered in nastiness so I cleaned it.  I guess I was about to skip over an important part.  The drain line was completely clogged up with what appears to be a dry soap mixture and then a bunch of straws.  That was surprising.  This was stuff that had been there for some time and, as I freed up some of the nastiness, I caught a whiff of it all and thought I was going to lose it.  Well, the exterior of the pipe is once again a bright white and the inside is clear of blockage.  I also cleaned the floor drain which was not in the best shape but it all looks good now.  It is also functioning properly which is always a plus.  Anyway, the grease inheritance, I don't recommend it.  It disgusts me.

Answer the Call

What do you do when the calls comes asking for help?  Do you ignore it or do you act?  I have done both though I always feel better when I act.  We are not always in a position to be able to act.  I think here we can answer like King Benjamin instructs - I give not because I have not but if I had I would give.  There are times when regardless of our desire to serve we simply cannot make it, the Lord understands that.  Sacrifice sometimes requires that we act even when we may not necessarily want to.  It may require that we give up something we want to help the Lord with what he wants.  As mentioned, there are times when I act and there are times when I do not.  I always feel better when I act, when I answer the call. 

I did have such and opportunity tonight when I received a message that a brother in the ward was in need of some help.  His house was affected by yesterdays storm.  The message came that help was needed.  I was in the middle of a catering quote for someone at work and needed to get that done first.  As I completed that task I was able to head over.    

Mighty Winds of Cedar

On Saturday I was on a roof, baking in the sun.  Perhaps it was more of a slow roast.  My point,  the weather was amazing.   Rumors of snow fall in Cedar on Monday seemed impossible.   Yesterday winds began to blow and leaves that were previously determined to outlast this autumn season began to fall.  Enter Monday morning and wind gusts ripping through Cedar at 70 mph took a toll on more than just the leaves. 

When I got to the LBH Dave told me about a blown out window.  He was sweeping up the glass when I pulled in.  One of the windows on our front door was popping out.  It was a bit of challenge today with the wind but we managed.

I did get a call from Sara letting me know our trampoline was trying to fly away.  She then sent me a pic of it and a pic of the neighbors trailer that blew into our yard.  Oh the mighty winds of Cedar.  They could blow you away.

A Prophet of God

This morning during our Sacrament Meeting was the primary program.  It was fantastic.  The theme this year was I am a child of God.  The primary children did a great job.  Jack would not participate, I think it was too much for him to handle.  I invited him to participate a few times over the last couple weeks but he had made up his mind that he was not doing it.  I think some of that has to do with the chaos of preparing for it.  Lots of kids, lots of noise, lots of confusion and that is too much for Jack to handle.  Andy on the other hand was up there singing his little heart out.  He did great on his part and he had fun sitting up in his chair.  Sometimes he would disappear for a bit and then a song would start and then a second or two later up would pop Andy singing right along.  Funny.

One part of the program discussed our living prophet President Thomas S. Monson.  The kids spoke about the recent loss of Sister Monson, they spoke about President Monson's love for the Lord and his love for each of us.  It was the Blodgett's oldest son who shared a lovely message about President Monson and then the kids all sang We Thank Thee oh God for a Prophet.  It was a powerful moment in the program for me as the Spirit bore witness once again that Thomas S. Monson is a Prophet of God.  I am grateful for that knowledge and for the joy that brings.   

Back on the Roof

When I moved to Lakeland Florida in 2005 it was just after 3 of the 4 hurricanes that hit Florida that year went through Lakeland.  It was a disaster area with blue tarps on roofs all over the place.  I had no idea what was going on but I soon learned that we were a roof repair crew there in the Lakeland Ward.  Well, today it was time to gt back on the roof.  The Blodgetts are building a home and they are doing the roof themselves.  It is supposed to snow on Tuesday so we were called in to help get the roof done.  It isn't done but it is underway.  It is fun being up there.  Had good times with Carl Johnson, Ben Jackson and Craig & Dianne. 

Speaking of being back, tonight was soupfest and because I won last year I had to represent this year.  There was some good soup this year.  Though my soup, a Creamy Butternut Squash and Apple, was fantastic there was one that I though was better.  Then the attendees thought I should not qualify as I run the Brick House.  No official announcement.  It really doesn't matter to me.  Just fun to get together with friends - big thanks to Greg and Laurie Mauger for hosting. 

Re-Routine

We love to live on a good routine here at our house.  The recent renovation of the new location of The Brick House Cafe - I guess I should clarify that we are now officially calling it The Brick House Cafe - anyhow, the renovation completely took over life as we were under a major time crunch.  Routine was sidelined and life was anything but routine.  As we have gotten the new location up and running I have reached a point where we can begin getting back to routine.  Oh, we are not there quite yet as far as everything we had in line but we are a little closer today than we were yesterday and that is a good thing.

There is a routine that the kids are on that I need to curb.  They are all about watching videos online and will spend a lot of time doing so.  Sometimes there are some pretty informative things that they watch and I don't mind them learning something valuable.  Lately it seems they are watching more and more minecraft videos.  We've got to change this and we will, somehow...

The Jack Report

This afternoon I went in to South Elementary School and met with Mrs. Coonan, Mrs. Harris, Mrs. Sherratt and Mr. Oldroyd to discuss Jack and his Individual Education Plan or IEP.  Jack is really doing well.  He is managing himself so well and knows what to do to calm himself down.  Everyone was quite happy with his progress.  His end of level test scores came back great. He still has things to work on but to compare and contrast first grade to 4th grade, you would be completely amazed at how far he has come.  He really is doing well - oh he still has some academic challenges but his social and behavioral skills have improved dramatically.  It was a fantastic Jack report.  They all love him and Mrs. Coonan said a couple of times that she is dreading the end of his 5th grade year when he steps out of the school for the last time.  I am dreading that some myself as the middle school will present a lot more challenges for him at that age group.  We will enjoy the time we have remaining at South. 

 

It's the Fat that Makes the Peanut Butter!

Yes, you read the title right - it is the fat that makes the peanut butter.  I say this with all certainty.  Why would I say such a thing when clearly it is the peanut that makes the peanut butter?  Well, I am glad you asked.  You see, I don't do a lot of product reviews but today I feel duty bound to shout with all conviction that PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter is the worst peanut butter I have ever tasted in 40 years of consuming peanut butter. 

I saw this powdered peanut butter on the shelf at the local grocery store and I thought it looked fantastic.  The stuff has 85% less fat because they filter it out and then bottle up this powder that gets mixed with water.  I had to have it.  As a peanut butter fan I tried it first on Sunday and  then again just moments ago.  It is painfully disgusting.  I couldn't muscle through it, just nasty. 

As far as the best peanut butter on the market today - Adams All Natural Crunchy Peanut butter.  Hands down the best stuff ever. 

The Family Garducci

Some 18 years ago while attending the University Ward at UNLV I had some great friends, lots of great friends.  Unfortunately over time I have lost contact with many of those people.  Some I am friends with on Facebook and it is fun to try and catch up now and again.  Back in those days my buddy Jason Small and I used to do this mafia inspired bit where we referred to ourselves as the Garducci's, the family Garducci.  There were other family members, friends who got in on the act.  We had a lot of fun with it. 

Today I was at the local KB Express putting some gas in the car when this fella steps out of the car behind me and starts walking in to the store.  I caught a glance and thought it was my Garducci brother but it was only a quick glance and you don't start in on a big Garducci bit when you're not sure.  I waited til he came out of the store and sure enough, it was my man Jason Small.  We did the Garducci stint and had a good laugh then we caught up on some things for a bit.  What a guy.  It was a great visit.

I had the opportunity to speak to another friend on the phone today.  Not a brother of the Garducci clan but a brother none-the-less.  It was a good conversation.  I also had several customers that I spent time with in the store today visiting about the store and changes and how great it looks.  It is always fun to sit and visit on a positive note and the excitement of our customers is great to see and feel.  We lost a bit of that at the old place so it is nice to feel it again.   

The Value of Work

As a follow up to last nights post where I discussed some of the struggles I have I decided we would talk about work in our family home evening lesson.  In doing so I pulled up one of my all time favorite talks on the subject by F. David Stanley titled The Value of Work.  This is from the April 1993 General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and was given in the Priesthood Session of that conference.  What a fantastic talk.  We listened to it.  The kids wanted to know what a couch potato was and we talked about how important it is to learn how to work.  A great quote from this talk - "Contrary to the belief of many, say and sit will never replace diligently do".  It is a great talk and F. David Stanley is one of my favorite General Authorities from my mission.  He served in the Africa Area Presidency and visited the Capetown Mission.  Wonderful.  Shucks, another great quote of his from his visit to the mission - "An open Book of Mormon bespeaks power.  A closed Book of Mormon bespeaks no power".  Anyhow, The Value of Work is a great talk.  Learning from it again myself I see, again referencing last night, that my just doing it all because it is easier then encouraging the kids to do it is like me saying 'give me something else, it's too hard'.  I need to keep pushing and working hard. 

Sometimes I Struggle

Sometimes life gets old.  Is that okay to say?  Dang it.  Sometimes I grow tired.  Sometimes I struggle.  I don't know how to get my kids on board with work on a consistent basis and I get tired of trying to find new and creative ways to get them involved in doing.  It is easier to just do it all myself and then I get to a point of frustration.  It gets old when you are constantly doing, most times alone, most times with no thanks at all and usually with complaints because I did something wrong.  Not only that but the body is hurting right now which only adds to the frustration.  I can't stop doing because I hurt or because I don't feel well or because I am frustrated to the point where I just want to crawl under a rock somewhere and hide for awhile.   Sometimes being a single parent sucks.  That is all there is to it.

And then you find yourself sitting down to start a blog in complete frustration and your son starts banging on the wall or ceiling below you...  Did I mention that it never ends?  It never ends.   I get up and go back down stairs and find a boy who grabs me and sticks his forehead to mine and tells me about the most amazing experience he just had with tears running down his cheeks, he is so happy and just wants to spend some time with dad.  Suddenly I start to feel like we'll be okay, we're going to make it and that the Lord knows when this dad has had all he can handle.  He sends a little comfort my way.  So we regroup but first I am off to get tissue for the boy.  Then the boy decides he is dry in his mouth and needs a bit of water so I'm off to get a cup of water.  The water isn't cold enough, don't you know I want cold water.  Sorry, it is as cold as I could get it out of the tap and we don't have ice... Oh, it's okay. 

Yep, sometimes I struggle.  Sometimes life is hard.  Sometimes being a single parent does suck and sometimes the Lord intervenes and let's me know we'll be okay.  I am grateful for those moments of light, they bring comfort and peace.  I need them because I do struggle. 

Parking Lot Duty

Dead guy duty...  Love that Nacho Libre and that quote came to mind because today I assigned myself parking lot duty at the store.  That is one area that was in need of some attention but did not make the tops of the priority chart.  It was in pretty bad shape with lots of weeds, big weeds growing through the black top in some areas.  There was need of clean up around the entrance and exit.  There was a forest of weeds growing around one of the light poles in the parking lot.  It was a mess and not very welcoming. 

This morning I took care of some yard work at the house.  It had been a while.  Anyhow, I am assuming that is my last lawn mow for the year.  We shall see how the fall weather shapes up.  It is getting a lot colder at night but today I was quite comfortable in shorts and a t-shirt.  Back to the parking lot, I figured I would go after it all with the week whacker - one of my favorite power tools for yard work.  This afternoon I managed to get over to said parking lot and fired up the weed whacker.  After a few minutes I realized I was not going to be able to handle this.  I was trying to hit the weeds in the black top and was getting hammered by bits of rock and other debris.  Wearing shorts - not real good when weed whacking the parking lot.  I quit that action and took my flat head shovel to everything.  It worked rather well. 

I have no idea when attention of any sort was last paid to this parking lot.  There is so much dirt and gravel on it.  I did my best to clear it down, sweep it up and make it much more inviting.  I believe it looks quite a bit better.  There is still a lot to do at the end of the lot where some weedy ground cover that is filled with trash is pretty thick.  The parking lot looks a lot better and there is still some work to be done.  Perhaps another parking lot duty assignment will happen in the near future. 

Favorite Video

I received a text this morning asking if they could show the house today and again on Monday.  That made for a busy morning.  I wasn't feeling all that motivated to clean house but I did anyway.  I think when you are trying to sell your own home it is easier to have the motivation to clean like a wild man.  When you are cleaning the house that you are renting because someone is coming to look at it... not so motivated.  Managed to get it done.  Jack came to work with me today while Natty and Andy ended up at their cousins house.  Grateful for Jay and Sara having them over.  I thought they would go home at some point after the showing but they didn't.  I guess when they did they found the door locked and couldn't get in.  Natty forgot about the spare key.  When Jack and I got home I went over to get them but they were just starting a movie and wanted to stay.  No problem. 

Jack was at home watching videos on YouTube.  We watched the Geico Camel or Hump Day commercial a couple of times and laughed.  It is a new favorite though another may have joined the favorite ranks.  I heard him laughing hysterically in the other room and he excitedly called for me to come see this video.  I came and he restarted it.  I thought it was an ad at first, an ad for batteries.  There was no skip ad button available.  No ad, it was the video Jack wanted me to see.  It was all about the cost of double A batteries that appears to add up in the years.  The video then goes on to present a low cost way to combat the high cost of batteries.  You get one of those big batteries for a lantern or something similar.  Anyhow, you peal back the sided of the battery and you pop off the top. Pour out the contents and find 32 Double A batteries.  Wow.  That was pretty exciting stuff.  I can see why it would be one of Jack's favorite videos.   

No Father of the Year Here

Didn't Bill Clinton recently win Father of the Year?  How do you do that?  How do you do that when your kids (or only child in the case of Bill Clinton) are all grown and out of the house?  Oh well, I really am not bothered by the award.  If they felt he was worthy of it then so be it.  Not a big deal to me, I mean, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.  I only lose sleep over trying to keep up with being a single father.  Midnight laundry, that is fun.  Midnight housekeeping, also fun.  Missing time with the kids because you have to work to try and support the family, not so fun.  Not fun at all.  It is a bit of a stinger and it makes me realize that I am not doing a real good job.  There is not father of the year award coming here.  Not at all.  And so sometimes I feel guilty.  I accidentally spelled guilty with a Q and I said to myself that I really don't feel quilty, that would just be weird.  Guilty - sometimes.  Because it is easy to punish yourself for not being able to be all that you want to be or do all that you want to do for your kids.  Sometimes you get stuck down in the trenches and you just have to fight to keep things going, to stay alive.  That isn't much fun and it can be easy to beat yourself up.  In the end I may not win any father of the year awards and that is okay.  All we can do is press forward and do the very best that we can to follow the Lord and bring our children up in righteousness. 

Open Sign

Today we put up a sign out front with the new Brick House Cafe logo on it - nice work Jay.  It was just a quick reface of our sandwich sign that we put out by the road.  It looks good and it indicates to passers by the we are OPEN.  We had the coming soon sign hanging up in the window and that left a few folks confused and unsure.  Anyhow, the OPEN sign seems to have motivated people to come in.  Funny how that works.  Today was a busy lunch - old school busy lunch with lots of visitors.  It was great.  The kitchen was hopping the wait staff was handling the front and things went pretty well for how busy we were.  Glad for that.  There was a moment there where we nearly had every table occupied.  I don't think it will be much longer before that is the case and we have a waiting list.  Well, I can hope anyway.  Very grateful for the business.

Open sign.  I wonder if I have an open sign effect when people look at me.  Is my countenance inviting or does my demeanor drive them away?  As I try to live the gospel my hope would be that people feel a warm and inviting spirit about me and that I can be and influence for good in their lives.  As I reflect further on this particular thought I think of some great men who have been found serving me. 

Conference Calling

I spent 4 hours over at the old shop today packing the last of our things, well, almost the last of our things.  We still have the ice machine to load up but that is definitely a two man job.  I have yet to find a light ice machine.  Anyhow, I packed and I cleaned and the place looks pretty dang good.  Some of our customers popped in, an older couple that truthfully drive us a bit crazy.  Anyhow, they are nice folks who really just say it like it is.  They were impressed that we had cleaned the store.  He then talked about the type of people we are and anyway, I don't want to come off puffed up or prideful.  It was a nice compliment.  I have said before that everything we do communicates, it says something about who we are.  I suppose we could have left the place un-swept and un-mopped and we could have left the hood without de-greasing it.  That would have been easy to do but what does it say about us?  Maybe it doesn't really matter in the world today but it mattered to me and I can tell you that it matters to my mother.  She never leaves a place dirty so I guess I have her to thank.  It looks good.  

Spending a few hours cleaning and otherwise provided a great opportunity for me to listen to conference.  There were some excellent messages.  I had listened to the Saturday morning session on Sunday and started with the Saturday afternoon.  It was fantastic, spirit filled.  I started today on the Saturday afternoon and got through it and got onto and through the Priesthood session.  What a tremendous blessing it is to listen to conference and to be instructed in righteousness.  I am grateful for the opportunity to listen and learn.  I am grateful for the Spirit I felt today as I listened to the inspired messages and I am grateful for a living Prophet on the earth.

I Am Not a Doctor

I am not a Doctor.  I don't play one on TV and I didn't stay in a Holiday in Express last night or the night before for that matter.  Turns out my doctoring skills the other night when Jack hurt his shoulder turned out to be not so brilliant.  I ruled out the collar bone in that particular post and, well, it turns out that Jack broke his collar bone. 

It was a day of Doctor visits.  Last night when I mentioned to him that we would go see the doctor if he didn't have major improvement over night.  He had been nursing it all day yesterday and had some pain as well.  Anyway, last night he was freaking out.  Natty told him something like 'we'll have to knock you out so we can take you to the doctor.  At this point his eyes got very big and he ended up passing gas.  We all had a good laugh.

So back to day of doctors.  Our pediatrician was first.  It went well.  They thought no break but possible ligament damage but not being the experts on that they referred us to, well, the experts.  I was able to get an appointment for this afternoon.  We actually stopped in after our pediatrician to see what we could set up.  Jack immediately noticed model airplanes and he knew them all by name.  One was a Fokker and he had a bit of trouble with that one because it's elevators and rudder were not positioned properly.  I don't know how many other 9 year old kids would immediately pick that out and have such a hard time with it.  He was sure to tell the receptionist all about it.  Well anyway, we went back this afternoon and they took some x-rays. 

When we walked in the x-ray room Jack excitedly says "A Spruce Goose" and walks towards a picture of a plane on the back wall.  How he remembers this kind of thing amazes me.  After x-rays they took us back to a room and he notices several different types of planes in pictures on the walls.  He just started naming them.  I looked at the name on one of the pictures just to see if he was even remotely close - it was spot on.  This was the perfect doctors office for Jack.  He had a lot of fun there. 

Well, the doctor came in and talked to us for a bit.  After a bit of an examination he said "You broke your collar bone".  Jack immediately responds "Oh good, it's not the ribs".  I was laughing, the doctor laughed and said something about broken ribs making it hard to breath.  It was a great little visit. 

So much for me ruling out the collar bone a couple nights ago.  It is definitely broken and Jack will be in a sling for the next 6 weeks.  He is taking it in stride and is laughing about it being the collar bone.  Second time for Jack.  6 weeks, no big deal right?  It's not the ribs. 

Sunday Afternoon Naps

Is there really anything greater in this life than a good Sunday afternoon nap?  Well certainly there is but that doesn't matter today.  No, today there was nothing greater than taking a little time to lay down, close my eyes and just rest for a bit.  I had prepped and put a roast in the oven and had about an hour before I had to pull it out so I set my alarm and closed my eyes.  It was wonderful.  I got up, pulled the roast out of the oven then laid back down for a few more minutes.  It was needed and it was welcome. 

We Have the Tools...

I love the movie Ghostbusters.  It is filled with fantastic lines and is one that the siblings and I can get together and quote line after line if we so desire.  No doubt Jay can knock out the 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon in no time.  Anyhow, fun movie.  A fam favorite.  One of the lines in there goes a little something like this; "We have the tools, we have the talent.  It's Miller time."   That is actually a couple of different speakers but I am not going to worry about that.  It is the line 'We have the tools' that fits.  I was over at our old store today moving a few things and trying to clean a few things.  I didn't have time to do it all as I had originally planned because we had some employee challenges and I had to go in and work the kitchen some tonight.  Anyhow, I had brought some of the new floor soap.  We had been using a multi surface cleaner for a bit at the old store because we had run out of floor cleaner and by the time we ordered it and it arrived we were moving.  Anyhow, the floor was not looking real good.  The multi-surface cleaner really was not meant for mopping or floors as we found out.  Pops had tried mopping up the kitchen a couple days ago with some bleach and it did nothing.  So took a little of our new floor cleaner over and put it to work.  I was impressed.  it cut through some serious grime and the floor actually looked quite good.  I am going to do one more mopping in there for good measure.  Towards the end of the floor the mop had picked up so much dirt that the water was quite dirty and there was quite a bit of dirt that was spreading over the surface .  Anyway, what a difference it makes when you have the right tools.  In this case an effective commercial floor cleaner that did wonders on that floor.   

Outside of that, it was a long day.  We had some fun this morning as Jack and I tried throwing Frisbee's through the tire swing at Jay and Sara's house.  Then Natty, Jack and I worked on the perfect balance for the see-saw.  Ahh, then I was off to work.  We are taking care of Nacho while Jay and Fam are out of town.  I got a call this evening that Jack got hurt in a tire swing accident.  I came immediately.  He wasn't on the swing, Natty was and something happened that left him a bit shaken up and had injured his shoulder.  I was a little concerned about the collar bone but I think we have ruled out any broken bones or separated shoulders, thankfully.  After a good examination and having him move the should around I stuck frozen chicken nuggets on it, you know, we have the tools to reduce swelling.  I also gave him a blessing so that he could be comforted because we do have the tools, even the Priesthood to bless.  So very grateful for that.   I then had to go back to work and when I got home all seemed to be just fine with the shoulder.   

Spiritual Protection

I had to be in St. George this afternoon for a meeting and took the opportunity to go to the Temple since I was down there.  I planned to do initiatory work and that is what I did.  When I went in the workers talked to me about how many names I wanted to do.  I said as many as they wanted to give me.  We started out with 7.  After that they gave me 4 more.  Following that they gave me another 5.  It was good to be in the Temple today.  I went through a few officiating crews in that time.  Not sure if we call them officiating crews - brethren that were working the initiatory.  Anyway, the last brother came in right as I was on my last name in the last station - it was one of our customers Paul.  Can't remember his last name.  Wonderful to see him there, we were both excited to see each other.  Good man.  That was fun.  There was another brother in that time that said something to me while in the last station.  After the blessings were pronounced and before I left the room he said "You know where the adversary goes after you the hardest?"  I looked at him and waited for him to answer his own question "He goes after you spiritually and being here doing this gives you spiritual protection".  That was a great reminder to me of the importance of attending the Temple.  There is protection that comes to us whenever we follow the commandments of the Lord.  As we read our scriptures, as we pray, as we attend church, as we exercise the Priesthood in blessing others, as we do the things the Lord would have us do including serving in the Temple, we receive spiritual protection.  I know that to be true and am so very grateful for it. 

In the Temple I put some friends names on the prayer roll and also included my children and other family members.  I knew that their mom had some hard and sad news for them and figured it would be good to have a few extra prayers on their behalf.  Rachel called tonight and shared the news that her dog Angus had been hit by a car and died.  The kids took it hard.  It was a bit of a tough moment with a lot of crying.  I am sure there will be some hard moments ahead but I am confident the Lord will comfort them. 

Dinner Rush

I had to make a run to Deseret Industries, home and then to the store.  They were showing the house today so I went by the house to pick up the kids.  We then went to the Wal-Mart and then back to the Brick House where we walked in to a sudden dinner rush.  It got pretty busy there for a little bit.  It was not as busy as some lunch rushes but we were hoppin.  Having a Dinner Rush was a great sign and provides us with some hope for this new place.

Nasty Nog

There is something wonderful about Egg Nog.  Always a holiday favorite.  I saw something Laura had posted about the Nog online and when I was in the store the other night I saw it there and decided to grab a little.  In doing so I made a big mistake.  I started looking at calories and then found this one that was lower calories and all organic.  I figured I would give it a whirl.  The Horizon brand Organic Egg Nog is really just not that good.  I do not recommend it.  If you are in the mood for some nog I say go all out.  Don't look at the calories, just enjoy it.  Seriously, that organic stuff is like drinking an egg nog flavored liquid chalk.  My milked down, sugar free, vanilla pudding egg nog is better...

Sad Sign

I walked in the door a little after 11 PM and found a note taped to the wall in the entry.  It reads:

We went to bed.  We love you.  Goodnight. 

Natty, Jack, Andy.

Heart breaker for this dad.  Things are a bit tough right now.  I have heard stories all my life about single parents who work like crazy to take care of their families.  You here about parents not being at home because they are trying to support their family.  I am experiencing that right now and as the parent I can tell you it is a hard thing.  It pulls at your heart strings and quite frankly, it makes me sad that I cannot be at home with my kids right now.  Hopefully we are through this soon. 

Today was day one of operations at the new location.  It was a little buggy and there are some logistical challenges but ultimately, it was a good day.  Dinner actually out performed lunch for the first time in our history and that was fantastic.  That also made me stay longer than I had hoped but it is part of running a business.  Sometimes you have to do the hard things.  Anyhow, we are feeling pretty good about the day. 

I do want to note that I went down to turn off the boys light and to say good night while they slept.  When I opened their door they were both awake.  It was a little treat to pull out the scriptures and read together and then pull out a fun book we have been reading and to share a few minutes with them tonight.  Grateful for that little gift.   

Tomorrow We Open

Tomorrow we open the doors at the new Brick House Cafe.  Oh my goodness.  To say we are ready is not quite accurate.  There is still a lot to do and we are just not there yet.  I believe that we can make it but it is going to be a busy morning.  We are close though and that feels good.  It has made for another long day and to make matters worse my cell service wasn't working because Virgin Mobile sometimes stinks to high heaven.  Natty had been trying to call my phone which was not working, didn't take my call to her from Amy's phone and then finally called Dave to get in touch with me.  I felt badly.  When I got home all the kiddos were in bed.  Again I felt bad and missed my interaction with them.  I very much look forward to having this stuff done and having life settle a bit.  Anyhow, we hope to have a great report tomorrow night.

We Need to Chat

I had gotten up from kneeling at Andy's bedside as he fell asleep and found Jack still awake and sticking out his hand for a high five.  I obliged and he then told me that he shouldn't have had that glass of milk before bed because now he had to go to the bathroom.  I told him to hustle and go.  When he returned to his room he stopped at the door and said to me "we need to chat".  So we came up stairs and we sat down for a chat.  He has been chatting since then on a variety of subjects.  He just told me something interesting about a Reese's - he is providing his analysis of the packaging and different quantities.  Now we are suddenly on to Bee's.  "Dad, why did you have to chose a country that has bee's?  I am horrified of bee's.  I am going to have to stay at home more.  I will have to run to the car, dash to the school, stay by my teacher outside because she is good at keeping bee's away.  Jack + Bee's = terrified, terrified".  He is obviously a little over stimulated and not ready to sleep. 

When we came up for the chat he started out telling me something interesting - he likes to say that what he has to say is interesting.  Turns out his tongue is growing very slowly for his size and his feet are growing very fast.  They are enormous. 

Girls.  "Some guys who think they are cool do things that they think impress the girls but they don't".  I asked Jack what he does to impress the ladies.  "Well, I am vvveeerrryyy kind".

"Most guys try to get girls to ride in their muscle cars but girls do not like muscle cars.  They're more into a different type of car, like the Mini-Cooper". 

I sometimes sit and listen to Jack go and it is obvious to me that he is over stimulated in his mind and simply has to talk.  He can talk, and talk, and talk, and talk, aaaannnndddd tttaaaalllkkk.  Sing that last line to the tune of Pioneer Children Sang as They Walked - that is what was going through my head as I typed it anyway.  There are times when I listen and listen and listen and it is exhausting.  I need a nap part way through.  His mind just goes.  And so when I hear him say "We need to chat" I need to prepare myself for a marathon of discussion on a wide variety of topics.  Fortunately for Jack the slow rate of tongue growth he is experiencing has no ill effects on his ability to chat it up.   

To Be Home

I really want to be at home right now and I am happy that I made it through today.  I am, however, done.  My body is done, it needs a break from that building.  My brain is done it needs a break from the building.  My kids are done.  They need me to take a break from the building.  I think tomorrow is a wonderful day for that break.

Latest at The LBH

 

 

My friend Greg Mauger has been taking pictures of the progress of the LBH for us.  This was the picture from Thursday evening.  It is filling up.  We made a bit more progress today.  Happy to report that the toilet is no longer sitting in the entry though it is rather inviting. 

 

Tonight we had a limited opening for a wedding rehersal dinner.  This was scheduled with us over a month ago before we were going to move, we had to be open for it.  That was actually a good thing as we had to push for that.  The dining area is pretty much together.  We have a couple of things to do still but we are quite close.  It really has turned out well. 

 

 

 



By 11

It is hard to believe that I am in bed before 11.  Actually I fell asleep after writing "It is hard to believe that I".  I woke up at some point in the night and thought I must have finished the post but I felt around and found my phone.  I put it on the dresser and passsed out again.  I've been a little tired.  Anyhow, next morning.  Natty is off to school.  The boys are not quite up yet and I figured I would finish this. 

The day was much of the same.  Tile work and moving stuff.  More moving to do and some grout work to do.  We also need to get things set for a wedding rehearsal dinner tonight.  Either that or I can close my eyes and go back to bed.  I'm pretty sure I could sleep all day without a problem...

2 Hours Later

It has been a long day.  It has been another tortureous day for my body.  There is something seriously wrong with my shoulder.  My hands feel absolutely horrible.  I am spent.  I sat down for a second to write a blog entry and the next thing I know my eyes open up and it is two hours later.  It all works out.  I am just exhausted.  I would go in to greater detail about the day but would end up asleep in no time so I wont.  Just know that eye closures can result in sudden losses of time. 

Blistered Palms

I think my body has just about had it.  I am ready to crash.  The last few weeks have been taxing and I am pretty well spent.  Tomorrow I must regroup and go again, another hard day, another full day.  Today I didn't accomplish everything that I needed to.  Somehow I was supposed to lay tile and move out of the old location all at the same time and there was no physical way to do it.  At 3 PM I found myself alone, still putting in the hardie backer in the bar area for the tile floor and not a single tile had been installed.  I needed to get it done and finish the move.  There was no way to accomplish both so I chose the tile.  The Elders Quorum Presidency came and helped which was great.  President Whetman, Ben Jackson and Joel Landon.  Great guys.  I am very appreciative of their help over multiple days.  Speaking of multiple days, Jay & Sara as well as Annie Draper have been great help.  Anyhow, by the time 6:30 rolled around I had a nice little crew.  The tile moved along in the bathroom where I had started.  Ben Jackson helped me with that while President Whetman and Joel Landon started on the trim.  Jay and Sara made it over around 7:30 or so and ended up working with me until midnight.  Annie Draper also came by and provided additional help for a bit.  The reality of the situation is that we are going to be pushing it to be open by Thursday.  We will be hard pressed to make that happen. 

Anyway, my body is wearing thin, at least my hands are anyway.  My palms are blistering.  Not my idea of fun especially when I get to go move equipment in the morning.  Oh my, I need a nap. 

Zombie Escape

I am practically walking dead.  My body has had it and yet I cannot quit.  There is no time for rest.  We are supposed to open in two days and I don't know how we are going to do it.  I don't know how my body is going to do it.  My hands are killing me, my ribs are sore and my knees are ready to die.  Pass me a little roasted red pepper hummus.  That stuff is excellent.  I am worn out tonight.  Tomorrow is another day and we will go at it with all that we have.  Don't know how we are going to pull it off but we will do the very best that we can do. 

We have a giant U-haul truck right now and tonight I was able to drive it by the house and pick up the kids for a quick drive back over to the new location where I had my car parked.  While we were there I was taking care of something and the kids wanted to know if they could play in the back of the U-haul.  I had no problem with that so they opened it up and played.  They came up with some game where you had to run up into the back and then up into the Mother in laws attic or whatever they call that part over the cab.  They were timing each other and pretending that it was their escape route from Zombies.  Pretty funny.  I managed to get it done in 6 seconds.  Take that Zombies.  And I thought I was walking dead...