Busted!

I am fairly certain that I have mentioned the eating challenge sandwich that we put together at the Brick House. It is a monster of a sandwich. I have attached a picture of it for visual reference. We call it the Brick. If you finish it you get a t-shirt that says 'I Busted A Brick'. It is fairly cool stuff.  Jay designed the shirt and he has been wanting to do the challenge.  Today was the day since they were in town.  I joined in the festivities.  The record time prior to today was 17 minutes 35 seconds. That was dang impressive. Today a new record was posted, it was not by either Jay or myself.  A group of guys came in and all did it. There were three of them. All three beat the previous record and did so convincingly. One of them was under 10 minutes and set the new standard at 8 minutes and 45 seconds. That is going to be tough to beat.

Anyway, there we were with Jay and Jayson going for it. I was kind of backing out on the deal, not confident I could do it and not sure I wanted to be sick for the rest of the day. I was getting harassed by the rest of Jays fam as well as pops throwing some smack my way. I had enough and went back to the kitchen and got another burger going. I got started a few minutes after Jay and Jayson and today I was in a groove. I was pounding it. The hardest part was biting into it and having the heat of the patty there. The meat was way hot - temperature hot.  I navigated through it with pure determination and in a very short amount of time I was done with the burger. I was feeling it too.  I started shoveling fries in my mouth and was within striking distance of the newly set record. I didn't beat it and came in at 9 minutes, 39 seconds.  I was quite thrilled to knock it out in less than 10 minutes.  It is now about 10 hours later and I am still full.  Probably won't be hungry for a long while still. Jay also finished and Jayson did quite well for a 12 year old.  It was a fun outing. I don't know that I will ever do that again so it is good that I put together a great run today.  Busted!

Work Cut Out

Had a nice conversation with my mentor this morning. She told me that in the 8 years she has been working as a mentor I was the first person she has seen score in the 90's on the constitution and government assessment. She said she has only seen a handful of people score in the 80's. Wow, what an honor. I told her I did a good job a guessing on some of those questions. She said it is deductive reasoning and that is something good. Sure it made me feel pretty good. I certainly put in study time and also said some prayers.

In other parts of our communication she let me know that I need to knock out 35 more credits by June 1st in order to be on track to student teach in the spring of 2018.  That is going to be a tall order but I will do my best to get there.  The work is certainly out for me.  I will be praying a lot and appreciate any prayers you care to offer on my behalf. 

One More Down

After some additional study and review today I took the pre-assessment for the government class.  I did quite well scoring a 96 so I requested the final assessment and passed with a 93. I'm thrilled with that and pleased to be done with another class. Tomorrow I'll get to roll in one or two more.  Gotta keep pressing forward.

Schooling

Back at it with the schooling. Trying to get through this government class but I'm not feeling totally confident. I've got some work to do before I'm ready for the pre-assessment but maybe by tomorrow evening I will be ready. The goal for completing the class is the end of the month so I've got my work cut out for me. Going to have to push it for the next couple of days.

I did get a run in to the temple this evening. That was welcome and is the more important schooling environment. I've heard the temple described as the Lord's classroom and I can certainly see that. I don't think it is his only classroom but definitely a place of higher learning.  I enjoy the time I am able to spend there.

Old Friends

Back when I was just shy of 17 years old we moved from Hawaii to Carson City. That was 26 years ago. I have not been back. Seeing friends from my life in Hawaii is not something that happens with the exception of Facebook.  Today I was doing some school work and instinctively checked my phone and found a message from Shey Lani Christiansen letting me know they were in Cedar and had just tried to stop by the restaurant to eat. We were closed today. I sent her a message asking if they were still in town and they were, eating at the Sizzler. I said I would come over. I called pops and told him and asked him to share that with Jim. I went over and enjoyed a sweet reunion with what was at one point of my life one of my closest friends. It was a sweet reunion with Vince Southon and his parents and of course Shey. I met Vince's family who I have only seen on Facebook. Oh my goodness, this was a great day, a wonderful reunion. There are some friendships that last a lifetime, there are friends that are very much family and that is how I felt today. It was great to see them and to catch up and to feel that bond from so many years ago still there, still strong.  I have thought about making a visit there someday, today made it apparent that this needs to happen. 

Merry Christmas 2016

It is Christmas. The day started early with an assignment to shovel snow. Then I was off to church and then up to the folks. We had a nice brunch and then did gifts. I managed to get a little nap in before dinner but I am pretty darn tired. I have a major headache coming on right now and am hoping it will pass with rest. It was a great day, so very Grateful for the savior, for his birth, his life and all that is made possible through him. 

Christmas Evening 2016

It is the evening before Christmas day and it has been a good day. There was a good storm today that dumped a lot of snow so I did a bit of shoveling. I also got out and about and delivered some fudge. That was good stuff, it would have been better to tackle that with the kids so they could have the experience. Anyhow, had a good time and then had a fine evening at the folks enjoying some fondue.  Well the morning is approaching quickly and I need to be up early to shovel snow at the church so it is time to call it.

Quiet Time

With the kids up in Alaska I am suffering what is commonly referred to as quiet time. I'm keeping busy enough just trying to get things in order at home, it's just quiet.  I went out to the movies tonight with the ever lovely Missy Moss. We saw the Rogue One flick and I quite enjoyed it. Holy cow there were a ton of trailers tonight. I don't get out to the movies much so I don't know if extended trailer times are the norm now or if everyone was jumping on the Rogue one popularity train.  Good movie, lots of funny stuff. Back home now, enjoying the sound of silence and ready to crash out.

North to Alaska

Today we got up, loaded the car and got out on the road. We had snow all the way down to Snowfield and then we had rain for the majority of the trip. The trip went well enough though the I15 in Vegas was terrible with multiple accidents and major lane closures. We managed to get to the airport on time and the kids are safely in Alaska. Happy they are there.  I am home tonight and had rain the entire drive back until I hit Snowfield where it was snowing.  It made for a white knuckle driving experience.

All Sold Out

And so the lesson of not procrastinating hit me square in the nutcrackers today.  Andy has orchestrated his gifts this Christmas and has his mom buying him a game for a Nintendo DS system. He doesn't yet have one of those systems and that is where my part of Christmas gifts comes in. I was told that I was to get him a 2-ds.  I saw a goodly number of them at a local video game store and figured there would be plenty. Not so. They were sold out. We headed south in hopes we could find one at a store down there. Well, it made for a long time and none of the stores had anything.  Had to be the gift for Andy.  Well we have a plan.  Jack is going to let Andy borrow his until such time as Andy's own one comes in. Thanks big Jack.  Well, I've gotta wrap things up.  Looking for some rest. Long day tomorrow.

Time is Short

Oh my goodness, time is getting short. Tomorrow is the kids last say at home and then we leave for the airport and they fly to Alaska. We will leave early in the morning on Thursday.  It would have been wise for me to have done some Christmas shopping previously.  I have somewhat of a plan and am hoping it will all come together tomorrow. It will definitely be simple.  Tomorrow is fix in to be a very busy day.

Love Nativity

Tonight for our Family Home Evening we took the show on the road and headed south to St. George. Jack wanted to give Sam his old Thomas train stuff so we stopped by. Sam totally loved it and it looked like Jack was really happy to have given it to him. Awesome. We were also heading down so that we could go and see the live nativity at Tuacahn. It was actually very well done. I snapped a couple of pics but nothing turned out well.  Anyway, it was a good time and certainly worth the trip for us.  For an added bonus I took the kids to in n' out for dinner and they loved it. 

Love This Place

We ran up to the folks for dinner tonight. It was delicious, zucchini casserole.  Andy ate at least 3 servings at their house and then polished off the leftovers when we got home.  On our way up to the folks house I decided to take a quick temple trip. I snapped the attached picture tonight. Quite a lovely place. We had a great day.

4 men and a mixer

There are some things in life that you simply have no desire to do again. One of those things for me was to try and move this gigantic Hobart mixer. We had tried to move it once before and that ended in complete disaster. We were pretty much stuck with a big old mixer in the kitchen that we wouldn't be using.  Well, today we tried to fix that mixer to where it would run and we could sell it. The fix didn't work and we were a bit bummed by that. We did decide we would try get it out of the kitchen. When I say we I mean Dan and I. We were able to enlist the help of Payton and Drew and we also had the use of a floor jack and that made a huge difference. We got it outside. We were disappointed that we couldn't get it to operate but decided to list it on the interweb. Well, we had an hour or so and I got a call from a guy that was interested. After that we got an offer.  It was awesome.  I am passing out so this is it for tonight.

Pay Off

Had a great report today from Mr. Montgomery, Jack's special ed teacher at Cesar Middle School.  He shared that Jack had gotten 100% on his science test and also had the best score on his Aleks exam in his math glass. For the science he was on his own and I am certain his success there has to do with the fact that he can remember details very well and science is a major interest to him.  The Aleks is an online math program. Everyday we sit at the computer and work on that math together.  Some days it can be quite the challenge, a battle of wills. It can be pretty discouraging and I often wonder how much he is getting. Turns out he is doing pretty well. After a fairly tough week this came as refreshing news and will surely keep us going. 

Tried to do a little something tonight in the spirit of giving and sharing. We made a trip to the Walmart and bought a couple little toys that we put in the Toys for Tots box up at the front of the store. It wasn't much but both boys were able to be involved in giving and that is what I wanted them to experience.

Pool Time

We have been venturing over to the pool one evening a week for the last while. Tonight it was much needed after a bit of a stressful day. A certain boy had a tough go and then working through homework with both boys was rough.  My own work today was not great as I had worked through a big section and was right at the end and the computer crashed. I thought I might die when I got it all back up and my work was lost. Well what can one do? I got to redo it all.  Wonderful. The time away from everything whilst at the pool was very much welcome.

Old Clothes

Today we made a run over to the Deseret Industries to donate a few things. We took an old 10 gallon fish tank which is funny cause that is where we bought it 6 years ago when Natty found the turtle. Somebody else can have a go with that aquarium. It would be way nice if the D I would take a live turtle.  Anyway, we gave a skeleton decoration and then a big bag of clothes. It always feels good to give. 

Drowning

I feel like I am drowning in homework right now.  I am in the middle of a challenging class of my own with tons of information that I need to know. I've got two boys who I spend 1 to 3 hours a day doing homework with and I've got Natalie to worry about and who I have to try to motivate to get her work done. Tonight I am ready to break. I need a break but I am feeling nearly broken. Jack had a ton of math that got lost somewhere along the lines so we have been working on that in addition to his other math homework and I'm about ready to die.  It is a big enough battle to get Jack to do his homework, having a ton of additional math doesn't make it any easier.  To add to it Jack refuses to ride the bus home from school which adds one more thing to my day. I'm tired but I'm not throwing in the towel.

Fudge Training

Well this is frustrating. I was nearly done with my post and my phone cleared out everything and started this post over again.  Not cool.  I was sharing how tonight I was trying to help Light the World by passing down to my children something I learned from my parents and grandparents.  Fontano family fudge has been around for many years and multiple generations.  Though they have assisted in making fudge before, tonight I got them more involved. We made two batches and probably have a few more to go to have enough to distribute for the holiday.  I don't know if all of my siblings make fudge at Christmas but I know a few of them do.  I think it is a great family tradition and I would love to see my children carry it on.  We had a good time with it this evening. 

Need to do better

Had our teacher council meeting today. I really enjoy these meetings. One of these things that I find challenging in this meeting is how fast the time goes.  It seems to just disappear. In both classes today I struggled to manage their clock such that we had enough time to share, learn, and practice.  It was hard because we start out with the share idea and I try to encourage participation. That participation tends to start out slow and then pick up. I don't want to cut people off but at the same time we need to have a learning portion of the class focused on teaching in the saviors way.  We then also need to practice.  I struggled with clock management today and need to be better.

Funeral and Christmas Tree

Last night before I went to bed I discovered through a facebook post the Kin Boyd had actually passed away on Wednesday and that his funeral services would be today. Things aligned and I was able to attend the viewing and the funeral. It was a wonderful service and I am grateful to have known Jim.

I had promised Andy that we would set up the Christmas tree today. This afternoon we ran out to the storage unit and got the tree. It is up and has been decorated. 

Grateful for the gospel in my life.

Can't Quit

Had a rough morning with Jack.  He decided he didn't want to go to school and I was not going to let him make that decision. He was perfectly healthy but just didn't want to go. Sometimes in license just have to press forward. We can't quit. We have to do things we don't always want to do.  I was about at my breaking point with Jack today.  I just don't know how much more I can handle and felt like I was crumbling.  I prayed for strength and direction and prayed that Jack could relax some. After a bit of a break he was able to pull it together. We got him to school a little late and he managed to have a good day. Quietly grateful for prayer and for strength given to carry on even when it is hard to do.

Parenting

I am not one who likes to get overly involved with hounding my kids teachers. I kind of grew up taking responsibility for my actions at school. Sometimes I didn't do a great job. My parents didn't get all up in my business but there were definitely expectations and I tried to live up to those. I have been patiently encouraging Natalie to focus on her work and I have been monitoring her grades. She actually did really well during the first quarter but the second quarter has been rough. Last night I got myself involved by messaging some of her teachers and asking for some help.  Today she got some help and I am quite pleased with that.  Very thankful for teachers and for the effort they make. So very grateful.

Feed the Hungry

I hadn't had an opportunity to do something for the Light the World initiative initiativetoda. Today was about feeding the hungry.  Aside from feeding the boys I hadn't accomplished much.  I had to take Natty to Walmart so I loaded myself up with free sandwich cards to give away.  I think it turned out ok and we made some peoples day.  Good stuff. 

Wonderful

Went down to St George this evening to join my friend Karry at a showing of Its A Wonderful Life.  She had received tickets through her work. It was a very interesting showing.  We were unable to attend the entire play as the intermission came it had been nearly two hours. Staying another 2 hours was not possible as I had Andy with me and we had to get home. Karry and I had a good laugh at some of the happenings in that play.  Good times were had. It was wonderful.

Caroling to Jim

There are moments in our lives, experiences that are etched in our memories where our hearts are touched in ways they are not otherwise touched. I had such an experience this evening as I gathered with members of the Cedar 8th Ward and from the old 7th Ward and we went to the home of Jim and Judy Boyd. Jim came home from the hospital earlier today. Jim has come home to pass on from this life. He has been in a battle with cancer for the last couple of years and though he put up a valiant fight it has ultimately won. I don't know how many of us filled the living room, dining room and kitchen of their home but it was a sizeable group. We sang Christmas carols to this dear man. I was positioned in the kitchen and did not have a view of Jim in his hospital bed but I felt a powerful and spiritual bond with those gathered in this home. I turned at one point and saw Judy crying as we sang. My eyes were also wet and I often found myself unable to sing. As we came to our final song Brother Thorley asked Jim if he would conduct. Jim is the ward choir director and loves music. I don't know how long he was able to lead the song but he was able to start us and we sang Silent Night for Jim for what may be the last time. It was powerful yet somber. Hearts were touched and knit together there tonight in a very different night of caroling. We had opportunity to walk through and shake hands with Jim as we exited the home. I don't know that caroling will ever be the same or that a time will come when I won't think about that moment as I struggle to sing Silent Night. Jack came with me tonight. Glad he did and hope it is something he will remember. Much thanks to Cindy Bagnall for sending me the invite to join in this. Grateful for Jim and Judy and their friendship over the last several years.

Wretched

It is easy to identify with Nephi who shares some of his feelings of inadequacy before the Lord. As I think about my life I can see areas where I struggle and fall short. Describing one as a wretched man can be easy to when you know your weaknesses and when being your own worst or harshest critic.  One of the lessons from 2 Nephi 4 is that in his discouragement the Lord did not abandon him and Nephi was strengthened. I am grateful for a Heavenly Father and Savior that are aware of who I am, who know what I need and who provide so much for me. There is peace in knowing we are not alone. I am grateful for a kind and loving Heavenly Father that is infinitely patient with me and my shortcomings. I hope I can live in a manner pleasing unto Him.

Not Enough

I am completely spent. For the last half hour or so I have been attempting to write this post but to no avail.  There is not enough energy to keep me going at the moment. Must wrap up and go to sleep. Have to be up for a meeting in a few hours. 

Light it up

There is a special program of sorts this holiday season where the church is encouraging people to Light the World. They provide ideas on what you can do to help share the light. Yesterday was a day of service. I did a few little things and was looking for little ways to serve. Today had to do with honoring your parents. I tried to do so by posting a little something about my folks on the Facebook. These are not big, in your face acts. It is simpler than that. I think small acts of kindness and though that works for me I am sure there are those much more organized then me who are doing amazing things. Here is what I have learned the last couple days. Even though my acts are simple they help me to feel the saviors love, they help me feel good. Whether that is helping to Light the World I don't know. I suppose it helps to light my small portion of the world. 
Well, here is what I shared about the folks: 

All of my life I have been blessed by the example of my parents. They have taught and continue to teach their children and their grandchildren how to serve others with unconditional love. Throughout the ups and downs of life and no matter how difficult their own trials have been, they have been faithful to each other and they have been faithful to the Lord. Sometimes people wonder how I do what I do as a single father, the simple answer is that I do what I was taught to do by my sweet parents. Love you mom and dad. Jim Fontano Kathy Fontano

Tired

Tonight I am pretty tired. It may have been from not getting enough sleep last night. It may be from having to sit and do a bunch of homework with the boys and it may be because I am sitting here not having been able to do any of my own homework. There was an unexpected rep at the shop today that caught me off guard and ended up taking up a few hours of my day. That was certainly not what I had planned. Well, I need to get in some school work. It never ends.

Done

Math is done. 3 tests today with the Pearson test, the pre assessment and then the assessment.  I did well on the Pearson and on the pre assessment and then didn't do all that well on the assessment. I did well enough but not as good as what I have done on other math classes. Well, in fairness this was all pretty much new information for me where I had some experience with the material in the previous classes. The nice part, it is done and that is fantastic. There is another math down the road but it is more teaching concepts or something like that.  Happy to be done.

The Worst

I could easily make this post about my math class as the title seems fitting but tonight was something worse. Some time ago I created a bit of a problem in our drain line that runs out to the grease trap. I was trying to clean it out and had a few things come apart in the pipe. Somehow we managed to run all summer without a problem but here in the last month I have had it back up multiple times. I thought the last time I did it we would be good for a while but tonight I got the call that it was backed up once again.  I spent the evening clearing out a nasty pipe. So fun.  The good news is that I took on the junk pipe and Got it flowing good.  The bad news is that the pipe is still inside the main line. Some day I will come up with a way to fix that.

Back at it

After a few days off we were all back at it today. Outside of the bus not coming for Jack this morning everything went as normal.  I got back into my math course and am pushing through. I want to finish by the end of the month so I've got my work cut out for myself. I am actually fairly close, it is just a lot I have not learned before so it feels pretty heavy.

Gifts

I had the opportunity to teach Gospel Principles today. We had both of our instructors for that class unavailable and the one scheduled to teach contacted me last night and asked for help. I decided that rather than put someone on the spot I would teach. I didn't have a ton of time to prepare but I had some tools and some strategies to use to engage learners. I think we had some success in that regard and some of that turned out ok. I definitely had visions in my head of it being this totally awesome lesson with incredible discussion and a powerful spirit. I don't know that it was the most amazing lesson ever but I got involvement from nearly everyone and really that is what I was going for. The one who didn't comment was kind enough to offer the closing prayer and had we a few more minutes of discussion time I think he would have commented. It was fun. The lesson was about gifts of the spirit and there were some great discussions happening.  Good times. 

Sand Dome 119 - from two days ago

Here is the post that wouldn't publish from Friday.

We took a trip out to the Gold Spike National Park out in Promontory, UT. This is where the Union Pacific and Central Pacific rail lines met completing Americas first trans continental railway. It was a pretty cool place and I learned a lot about the history there that I had not known previously. One of the highlights of the trip was a trip to the engine house where we got to see the 119 and the Jupiter. It was at this field trip that Jack had a little time to shine, twice. First there was a lady that walked backwards and tripped over a log. Jack announced to everyone that this was a perfect reason to be aware of your surroundings.  Once we got in the engine house we had a nice tour. And learned some interesting facts.  At one point in the tour the ranger invited us to look at this sand dome on top of the engine and asked if anyone knew what it was for. While people called out that it was for putting out a fire Jack shot his hand up in the air. After he was called on he gave this amazing explanation of what a sand dome is and how it was used. I had no idea what it was but was convinced that Jack was right... And he was!.  It allows the driver to sand the rails in front of the driving wheels to improve traction and increase adhesion to the rails.  When he finished his explanation the ranger declared Jack the winner.  It was fun times.  Glad we all went out and enjoyed that piece of history together.

Didn't Publish

I've just discovered that yesterdays post did not publish. I have attempted a few times to get it to go but it is not agreeing with me. I have tried to copy the text so I could paste it on an entirely new post but it is not allowing me to do that either. I will attempt this on another device tomorrow or so. I don't have more time to play with it today.

I got a text a few hours ago from one of our Sunday School teachers saying she couldn't teach and her team teacher would be out as well so I will be taking the class. I don't have a lot of time to ponder and pray about the lesson. I was able to read through it and look up some scriptures and have a couple areas that might lead us to some discussion. A bit more time would have been helpful. I will hope in this case for the Spirit to help me out. I will get up early and go through it again.

We are home tonight. Had a good drive down from Tremonten. Traffic ran smooth all day long and the little car ran well.  It is good to be home and in my bed. That air bed certainly wasn't bad and I could easily sleep on it but there is something about your own bed. Of course the wind is howling outside and the house is making all sorts of noise so perhaps it would be better on an air mattress in Laura's. Well, we shall see.

New Thanksgiving Tradition

For Thanksgiving this year we started a new tradition. We had a cooking competition for appetizers and pie.  It was pretty fun as we challenged each other with our own dishes.  For the appetizer round I made individual cheese balls that were crusted in crumbled bacon and rested on a Ritz cracker.  Quite good, big fan.

For the pie round this evening I made a coconut cream black bottom pie.  It was very good and the judges seemed to like it as well.

North

Today we traveled about as far North in the State of Utah as we could. We are in Treemonten for Thanksgiving and are staying at Laura and Nigels house. Awesome.

Had a fun drive up. We delayed our departure because of an accident Dave messaged us about on the I15 outside of Scipio. We managed to miss any delays associated with the accident but did hit.  snow around the point of the mountain and that made things interesting.  Well, I am pretty much. Drained.

The Geometry

I am not a math wizard and do not find great excitement in the subject. I have also never taken a geometry class. That said, things are taking a bit longer as I study and learn this material.

Sometimes

When I sit down to write this blog I sometimes fall asleep. There are times when what I actually get down is completely incoherent and could very well be a series of incomplete thoughts and ideas. I am pretty well worn out when night comes and it is becoming more of a challenge to stay awake. 

Yesterday I was making mention of some lessons I had attended where the instructors were working on their own idea of what they could do to invite diligent learning both in and out of class.  Russ Mitchell taught elders quorum and discussed some ideas relative to Moroni's promise. This was something I had been thinking about for a few days following our own family scripture time and having read and discussed Moroni 10"   Andy had some questions.  The lesson by Russ was an answer to my prayers and desires to help my children.  In FHE tonight I mirrored some of what Russ did yesterday in the lesson.  We read Moroni's promise and then knelt in prayer together.  It was a good experience. Jack felt warm inside, Natty felt peace and Andy was filled with joy.  It was a good experience.

And now I must stop and sleep as I am starting to doze off. Keep it together, keep it coherent

Excellent

Sometimes you go to church and amazing things happen. We are doing our teacher training councils and had our latest one last Sunday. In that meeting we invited all the teachers to think about and write down something they can do to invite diligent learning both in and out of the class. At the end of the council last week I invited everyone to do what they wrote down. I believe that in both the Sunday School and the Elders Quorum lessons the instructors did it. That makes me happy.  I have to say that the lesson in Elders Quorum.was pretty special because it addressed some specific things I have been working on here at home.  We  had good discussion, and I thought it was a great lesson.  Very happy and excited.

Almost a new result

Andy made it through a portion of the night last night in his new bed. That was awesome.  Tonight, not quite as awesome. He is back on the mat on the side of my bed. We will continue to test the new bed and hope. I'm completely out of it right now and must sleep.  Maybe I will go sleep in Andy's new bed.

Andy Bed

When I built the room for Jack in the basement I never quite finished it.  All of his clothes are still in Andy's room and this is a sore subject around Andy who is extremely possessive of his room.  The funny thing about it is just how possessive he is of his room while he refuses to ever sleep in there.  Anyway, tonight I got him a new bed that has drawers underneath a trundle that slides out.  It really is a great bed and Andy is very excited about it.  I too am a fan of the bed and am rooting for Andy to complete a night in his own bed.  It has been a while.  

No School

Today my schedule just didn't settle. I was rarely at home and there just wasn't time when I had sufficient time to open it up. I've got a busy day tomorrow as well but hopefully I can knock things out and sit down for some math.

Philly Cooking

I happened to be in the shop today when a big group came in.  Their order included 6 Philly sandwiches and since I was there I volunteered to make them.  They are my favorite sandwich to make.  Well, wonderful. Anytime I can make a Philly I do so.

Leafy Tree Tops

For the last couple of weeks I have been cleaning leaves out of the yard. There were still large amounts of leaves in all of the trees around the yard. Tonight we've got a lot of wind so maybe we will end up with a couple of leafless trees.l

Passed

The Schooling rolls forth.  I took the assessment for critical thinking today and raised my score by 7 points over my pre assessment.  That was a welcome increase. It was nice to get that class done.  I actually don't know that I would have done much better on that assessment than I did today. The test itself is all about critical thinking scenarios which for me makes it all a cheap shoot. I did my best analysis of the situations and managed to do ok. As it stands that is another class down. Time to bring in more classes. 

Love the Second Sunday

One of my favorite things in relation to my calling right now as Sunday School President is the Teacher Training Council. I love Teaching in the Saviors Way and the quick and powerful lessons it has. I love to hear of the experiences other members of the ward have to share.  This is a special meeting and it serves to improve the work of the Lord.

FootBLAH

Today I was at the football field for three State championship football games. That was 4 football games in 24 hours.  By the time we were done I'd had enough and the thought of more football was blah in my mind.  Last night I might have said Pine View won state. This is false. That division has another week and it will be Pine View vs Desert Hills. Today we watched Beaver win the double A. Then we watched Duchene win the single A championship and then Juan Diego won the three A.  There were some intense moments and some great plays.  Congrats to those who won and congrats to me for being done with football for the season.

Gut Check

It is playoff football time and the chain crew will be out in force tomorrow as three games will be played on the SUU field.
Tonight we had the championship game for region 9. It was Dixie vs Pine View.  It was a good game. Pine View was down by two touchdowns and then came back and won with 35 straight. Pretty great game. 

Math Done, Almost

I passed my math class today so I am done with math, well, almost. While I am done with this math class I still have one more to go.  There is another one as well that is more about the teaching aspects of it I believe.  It is good to be progressing through. 

Had both boys call home from school sick today.  Wonderful.  Hopefully they will be fine in the morning.  They think it might be the pizza they had last night. 

New Day

So with the Donald Trump win last night we are experiencing some mixed emotions in this country.  That is only expected in an election when someone is going to lose. Some have been especially dramatic. There are those that have threatened to leave the country after a Trump victory. It will be interesting to see if there are those who will follow through with their threat. I was up late last night and watched Trump give his acceptance speech. It was quite impressive. He was humble, expressed a lot of gratitude, and looks like he is ready to get started. I am excited to see what he will do. I will pray for his success and that of our country. 

Vote - Done

I went out and voted this afternoon. Filled out, signed and delivered to the voting station. Because I brought in a mail in ballot I didn't have to wait in the long line.  I am grateful for the opportunity to vote.  Grateful for the country in which I live and for the freedoms I enjoy.

Daylight Saving What?

I don't know if yesterdays entry was at all understandable. This one may not be any better. This daylight savings time really messes you up. I like the spring forward a lot less than the fall back but neither are very fun. It just hits you and messes with you.  I am feeling half dead right now. Normally at 11 I am just getting warmed up. Not so tonight. I am ready to crash and since I've got to be up before 6 for flags.

Time

I am wiped out. Holy cow. I passed out a bit ago. Just woke up and it wasn't death.  I am done. Must rest well tonight.

Feeding a Presidential Candidate

Had a fabulous and full day today.  SUU had their final home football game today vs. Montana State.  It was a tight game in the first half but SUU dominated the second half.  It was a good game.

After the game I got home, changed my clothes and headed over to the shop to help get things together for a presidential candidate.  The Evan McMullin campaign contacted us on Thursday asking about a meet and greet at our place.  We said sure and it actually went well. Got to meet Evan and speak with him one on one.  He seems a humble man.  Amyhow, way cool experience for our team. 

Chili Champ

For the second year in a row I have won the Cedar 8th ward Elders Quorum chili cook off.  I wasn't even going to enter a chili and had made rice instead.  I came upstairs to drop off the last of the sandwiches and found that there were only two entries to chose from.  I ran back down to the kitchen and put together the winning chili.  I don't know if it is cheating to enter brick house chili so I made some quick modifications. I had a couple of aged rib eyes set aside that I cut into chunks and quickly threw on the grill. I seasoned those with some Montreal steak seasoning and then doused them with some buffalo sauce.  I added some diced onions and mushrooms to the grill and sauteed them up then blended them with the rib eye.  I took a portion of our brick house chili and added my rib eye mixture to it.  I gave it a taste, shot a little more buffalo and then took it up. Apparently it was pretty good.  This year the prize wasn't a $25 gift cert to the Brick House but rather the theater.  That is cool.  I do want to say I voted for the other chili entries ahead of mine.  The one I had winning was from Morgan and I thought it was excellent.  This is a good event and I am happy to host it at the shop.

Forgot It

Dang it.  I worked on some math today and all of the sudden it is like I forgot how to do everything.  That is bothersome.  I look at stuff and think I should be able to do it but I can't remember how to do it.  It is okay because I have been able to then go through and review it, remember what is happening and then I have performed just fine on the test.  It is okay, just wish I could remember everything we did in my online math class at SUU.  The good news is that when I work on problems I am able to pick it back up, sometimes a little easier than others.  Well, I am completely beat.  Sometimes I forget what is is like to be well rested.  Must turn in for the evening. 

Back in Math

I am back in a math class today. Glad to not be in world history today. Not that I am a bigger fan of math than I am of history. It is just nice to have a change of pace. The last math class took me a week to get through. My hope is that by next week I will be done with this math class. So far I am feeling pretty good about it.

Frustrated

I finished the final task for World History. My goal was to be done in October but it took me an extra day. The tasks were a bit challenging and this last one was no . I am hoping to pass this last task. I worry that I may not have done a good enough job despite the hours I spent on this. That thought is a skosh frustrating.  I will hope for the best and see what comes. 

2016 Halloween

Picture of the boys out in front at the Halloween tree. Jack didn't want to go out trick or treating so he manned the candy at the door. Andy and I walked a few street. We ended up driving over to see the grand folks.  We had stationed a large bowl of candy out front and invited people to take two. Well the entire thing, bowl and all was stolen. I had this feeling it was going to happen as I spotted a couple of teenagers right as we were leaving. I circled around twice, stopping at our house the first time and running inside. They had slowly moved on from our house to across the street. They just stood there waiting. As we drove down the street they crossed the road. I circled again.  When we got to our street again they were in our driveway but saw it was me and started walking.  I hoped that would do the trick and they would move on and maybe they did. Whatever happened someone made off with a nice bowl of candy. Have at it boys.  Next year I will only put lame treats out there when we are not managing the bowl.

Until then, Must sleep.

Carving Pumpkins

Last night after the adult session of Stake Conference the boys and I ran out to the store. We had some shopping to do for Halloween candy as well as some food items and then pumpkins to carve. Apparently pumpkins are not a last minute item. They were pretty much gone. We were at smiths to see what they had and were looking at a handful of really ugly pumpkins when a sister from our Stake walked out and saw us.  We had just seen her at the Wal-Mart and it turns out she was looking for plastic teeth (which must also disappear quickly at Halloween time). We said hello and then she said she had lots of pumpkins at her house that looked a lot better than what was left. She told us to go get some. I said I didn't want to go take her pumpkins but she insisted saying she had grown them herself and had quite a few.  They were much nicer than what was available at the store. So awesome of her.  Well, we carved on them this afternoon following Stake Conference.  It was a good activity and we saved a lot of seeds that we will plant in hopes of growing our own pumpkins next year.  I think it will be fun anyway.

Stake Conference was quite good. We had Elder Schweitzer of the Seventy.  I really enjoyed the talks from both yesterday and today.  It may be time to go through some things, determine their value - meaning, does it bring me closer to Christ or pull me away?  Well, i quite like our Stake Presidency. They are good men, humble men that love the Lord.  Really powerful messages and testimonies shared. 

So Stake Conference, pumpkin carving, a couple of home teaching visits for me, and a drive up the canyon while listening to a youth fireside with the kids all made for a pretty great day.

A Favorite

There are a couple of favorite pictures of mine from my grandparents house. One is the picture of the Swiss house that now hangs in my parents home. Another is the picture attached to this post. I have always been a fan of this coat of arms of the Fontano family. At least I think that is what this is. Today I was at the storage unit going through things and moving some decor to the shop. I came across this picture and couldn't stand to see it just sitting in storage. I figure I can babysit it for a while right here in my house. The kids like it also. I love it.

Revisions

Well I missed a few details on my last assessment or task. Everything on it was good, I just didn't provide enough feedback on the results of the American Revolution. I missed that detail in the rubric but it really wasn't a big deal. I managed to add a paragraph with what I thought was a powerful conclusion of the revolution. It is back in the hands of the evaluators.  Hopefully it turns out well. Started on the 5th and final task today and will work to have it done by Monday.

The Brick Burger

We are putting together an eating challenge at the restaurant. It is time to make it happen. So we have narrowed the ideas down a bit and have gone from ridiculously large to a good sized burger that will be a challenge to eat in a 10 minute time frame.  The pictured sandwich was our first working product. We sat there with it and I decided I would try to knock it out to see if it was going to be to easy for 10 minutes. I didn't even come close. I tackled the pickle spear, a few of the fries and the top half of the sandwich. At 4 minutes to go it was obvious I wasn't going to get it done so I threw in the towel. I was stuffed, still am and that was 6 hours ago.  Anyway, we are close. This could be good times.

So tired

After having missed a couple of days on the elliptical machine I was determined to get five miles logged in today.  It went Well.  We also went up the aquatic center and had a good time . I got in the lap pool and swam. It was good. I am asleep and struggling with this. Must sleep.

3rd Task

The class moves forward. World History. It is keeping me busy. Today I completed the third of five tasks. I have done well on the first two and am hoping this one also goes well. I won't know the results for a day or two. Tomorrow I will move on to the fourth task which involves my favorite period in history as we look at the revolutionary war through the industrial revolution. This is an exciting period of growth and development. I did enjoy the last section where we looked at Europe and it's founding following the fall of the Roman Empire, we looked at Islam and how it was founded and turned into a couple different dynasties. I was unawares of the positive approach of the Abbasid dynasty that promoted growth and creativity with advancements in medicine and mathematics. It really was fascinating. The Silk Road was also on topic today where I focussed on the spread of disease through the roads travelers specifically the Black Death. These were certainly interesting times in the history of the world.  Well, exciting stuff. Looking forward to wrapping up the class by the end of the month then pushing forward for more classes.

Mask and Snorkel

Made a St. George run this afternoon with the boys and we had to make a few stops. After staples we went in search of some training fins for the pool. In my search we came across a mask, snorkel and fins combo set. Andy has wanted one of these for a very long time. As soon as he saw what I was looking at he was very excited and was seeking out a mask and snorkel set of his own. After a couple stops I found what I was looking for and then we found what Andy wanted. I went ahead and picked it up and he is very excited. He had to try it all on when we got home and he is looking good. Now he has it all packed up and sitting next to him in his bed. Love it.

I Nearly Died

At church today we were sitting in Sacrament meeting and Jack turned to me with a bloody nose. I told him to go to the restroom and get himself taken care of. A few minutes later I see Borden Jenkins start to smile from the stand while looking towards me.  Then I see Jack returning to the pew. Hanging out of his nose was a huge paper towel that had been balled up on one end and shoved into his nose. It was quite comical. He did a terrible job cleaning his face and had multiple blood smudges on it. I just started laughing, not out loud, just to myself. It was a good time and definitely unexpected.

Tough Loss

I was working on the chain crew for the SUU Weber State game this evening. SUU was ahead the entire game only to lose it in the last minute.  The Weber State team never quit, never gave up. It was a pretty impressive comeback.  I am not an expert on coaching or game management so my opinion may not equate to much. It was my opinion that SUU started playing it safe too early and then started shooting themselves in the foot with some dumb penalties.  They lost by one point. It was a  pretty tough loss.

Goals

I had set a goal to have my second task completed this week. By this week I meant by today.  Unfortunately I ended up at work for most of the day and was unable to get this done earlier.  After having a bit of dinner with the boys and relaxing for a few minutes I sat down after 9 to get started on the second task.  I was not doing a very good job with my goal.  Well, here we are a few hours later and with very heavy eyelids I just submitted my paper for review.  Once the review is done to make sure the work is original I will be submitting it.  I think I did an okay job with this one.  I felt not so good about the first task and I passed.  This one I feel pretty good about and hopefully it will come back well.  Now I must rest.  I am ready to crash out but the goal has been met and I think I can take a day or two off before we get to task number 3. 

Been Awhile

Today I went into the shop and met up with a friend of mine, David Bingham, as he and his family were passing through town. They stopped by the restaurant for some lunch and we visited the entire time. He is a good dude. I got to meet his wife and mother in law as well as his two daughters. I knew his older daughter as an infant in Florida. Anyway, good to see friends after not seeing them for awhile.

I was dropping Natty off for work and was checking on things with this women's crisis center we raised money for today. It was busy. I ended up working throughout the remainder of the day. It has been a while since I've had to do that.  We had a great turn out and I jumped in to try and help.  Good times and successful evening I think.

Volcano Day

It was volcano day for the 5th graders at South Elementary therefore Andy was due on the pitch with high expectations. We built a nice volcano and had proper rigging for a successful eruption. When it came time for Andy to launch he pulled the pin and everything went as planned. The eruption was a real crowd pleaser. We had a good time.

Up too late

Oh my gosh, it has been one of those days with this school stuff where I have spent every waking moment working on a class. I guess not every waking moment because I did get to help the boys with their homework and I got to make dinner and play taxi driver and all of those other fun dad things.  I did not get to run today which is a bit upsetting. Anyway,  I am in World History at the moment which is a performance based assessment and requires the completion of tasks.  This is my first class that I have had to do this for and I am thus far not a big fan of the process.  I did not enjoy the first task. Hopefully my lack of enjoyment is caused more by the fact that it was all new and took a bit of extra time to figure things out though I don't know.  I feel like I put in a lot of work but am also not real confident that I am providing what those who will evaluate my work will want. It is way to late and I have spent too much time on this today but I want to be through with this class by the end of the month so it is going to require some time. 

4 Loads

I procrastinated the washing of laundry and so today I had to wash 4 loads. That was a lot of laundry.  This far I have folded three loads and am waiting on the 4th to dry.  I am wiped out.

Primary Program

Today was a big day for Andy. He was part of the 8th ward primary program. It was a great program and as I watched the primary children I felt gratitude for those who work in the primary. They are wonderful and do a marvelous job with the children. It was great. 

For Andy there was a lot that went into this program. His part was not difficult and he worked hard to memorize it though he took the paper up with him and looked down the entire time. Where Andy struggled was in his battle with anxiety. He did not want to participate because being up in front of people is difficult for him. He has a lot of anxiety. There were some tears shed and some stubborn moments to wade through. Eventually he came around and he did wonderfully.  Quite happy with the job he did and for him being brave.  Grandma was able to come and that meant a lot to Andy.

Tent Selfie

This afternoon I was showing one of my employees a picture of Oak Grove, where we camped last night. As I opened up my photo gallery I was surprised by this Jack selfie.  He was playing with the phone in the tent this morning. Not a bad tent selfie. Happy to be home and sleeping in my bed tonight. Happy to find a great tent selfie of Jack that brought a smile to my face today.

Oak Grove (from last night)

Tonight I am on a camp out with Jack and the other deacons. Sean Heiner and Cafe Visser are the leaders and both are here. This is a good group and I am happy that I can be out here with Jack. He isn't to a point where he would go without me being with him. That is fine. I am happy to come. Camping trips with the scouts has always been a lot of fun.

We set out to camp at Red Cliffs but when we got to the area we found it was full. I recommended coming up to Oak Grove as it was a lot closer than driving back through Cedar and going to 3 Peaks.  We were able to find one small camp ground but it is doing the job.  It is a pretty cool little camp ground that is filled with large pines. We are at the base of the mountain and driving by this area on the highway you would never know it is here.  We will get a better look in the morning.

The sun was well on its way down as we were driving to the campground.  Jack was enjoying what he could see of the sunset and asked for my phone so he could take this picture

97%

The first of three math classes is down.  I was correct last night that I had actually completed the work for the class. My student mentor was a tad surprised when I told her. Pushing right along.  I've gotta get through it.  I did take the assessments today and scored 88% on the pre assessment and then was pleasantly surprised with a 97% on the assessment.  Wow! I was thinking I might not pass it as I hit submit. Thrilled about that score and thrilled to be pressing forward.  World History is next up. 

Wait, What?

I think I may have just discovered something.  I have been pushing myself on this math, wanting to keep up and not fall behind in this course because I wanted to get through it and not have it be like a brick wall.  Today I took the test for the first unit and passed with a 92%.  That was good.  I moved on to the second unit and managed to get through 4 parts of it.  That is about 1/3rd of what I need to do.  I'm feeling pretty good about that but am still behind.  Well, here is where I say what? It appears that I am done with the material for the entire first class and that 92% is what I scored on the comprehensive test for that entire first class.  I wasn't intending on doing the entire thing in a week, well, 3 days plus a morning test but apparently that is what I did.  Okay then, this math isn't near as bad as I thought and I am already through a third of the next math class.  I think I might be able to handle this stuff.  I thought I was going to be stuck and struggling through it for weeks.  I feel so much better right now.  It is crazy.  I guess I will take that pre-assessment tomorrow and see where I am at and then either take the assessment and be done with this one or study up a bit more on the material before moving on.  Wow.  That is a very pleasant surprise. 

It Pains Me

I realize I spoke about math yesterday and I don't want to be redundant but the topic is on my mind yet again.  Math, it pains me.  I spent several hours today working on it. My goal was to be through the first to sections this week. My week ends Thursday morning. I am not done with the first section yet. Actually I am finished except for the chapter or section test. I have passed all of the quizzes so that is positive. I will test in the morning and move on to the second section.  I have not missed not being in math. The online class of last semester put a stranglehold on my life and this class is doing the same.  Not fun.

Math, again

I am doing my best to keep my swearing at a minimum. I am in a math class once again and there are some things about it that are driving me nuts. I will press forward and I will prevail and I will strive to do it with a positive attitude.  Occasionally a curse word will escape my lips. I'm not proud of that. I get a bit salty around numbers.

Medium Well

I was cooking up some steaks for dinner tonight. I was using the sous vide method of cooking. I set up a nice hot station for the searing. I was going for Medium Rare but managed medium well.  Dang it.  We suffered through the steaks and I've already examined how to do it differently the next time.  I will quickly seer in a pan with some seasoned butter to spoon over the steak.  I'm looking forward to our next steak dinner.

Difference

A couple weeks ago I was working on the chain gang for the SUU football game. I have responsibility for one of the two clips we use to line up the sticks.  It is a sweet job as it puts me front and center for every play of the game.  It also puts me in the middle of the opposing team. For the game of two weeks ago I was disturbed by how foul the language was of the team. It started at the top of the team with the coaches and worked down through the players. There was one coach that was especially vile.  It was a tough game.
Tonight SUU was back in action against UC Davis and the difference between this team and the one from 2 weeks ago was huge.. The head coach was a class act with great temperament and the respect of his team and assistant coaches.  There were some curse words spoken on the sidelines but it was minimal compared to teams from previous games.  I was impressed.  SUU won the game.

Football under the lights

It was Friday night in Cedar City and the last home football game of the season for the Cedar High Redmen. Once again I found myself working on the chain crew and enjoying the game from the best seat in the house.  Tonight I was actually on the chain for the first time.  I have done the first down marker and the box on the far side of the field, this season I have been doing the clips but tonight I was on the chain because we had a man out.  That was fun. It took a little getting used to. I didn't get it ripped out of my hands by someone stepping on the chain.  It was a good. We have a few more SUU games this year and then we will wait for next season.

Dapper Andy

Andy got up earlier than usual this morning and had decided that he wanted to go to school looking good. He picked out one of his button up shirts, put on some nice jeans and his converse. He even combed his hair. He stopped and asked me to answer seriously then wanted to know if he looked good. I told him he was looking sharp. After getting a pic he was off to school. Funny kid. 

This afternoon I had little Sambo over and watched him while Amy went to a doctors appointment. We had a good time picking Apple's and playing with every ball in the backyard. He actually did decide to jump on the trampoline which he had a great time .

Working Hard

Everyday is busy. Everyday there is homework for the boys. I have been trying to get them finished with the homework earlier in the day but they are a bit resistant. I am thinking about things that can serve as motivation and provide everyone with a little exercise. In any case it is a daily struggle but we will press forward.

Time to Assess

I have managed to push through the material in my current class. There was a lot of stuff to go through and I've got a bit of studying and reviewing to do but the time for assessment is near. Hoping to get through the pre-assessment tomorrow. Gotta push this school thing if I want to effectively speed things up.

Couldn't Help It

It is the week for CCR's and SEP's so the school schedule is a little messed up and I get to go meet with teachers.  Jack and I went and saw Mr. Montgomery today and then this evening Natty and I went and visited Mr. Esplin.  On the way over to the high school we were pulling out of the garage and I spotted a water bottle in the driveway that Jack had been using for the bottle flip. I couldn't help myself and turned the wheel towards it.  Direct hit. I crushed it under the tire and we laughed.  Jack laughed a little also. He picked it up and sloshed the remnants of water at my window.  His reaction was pretty good. I do believe he was mildly angry about the incident but got through it Just fine. There is no shortage of water bottles around here.  Anyhow, good day.

Leaning Jowler

I realize leaning jowler is a pass the pigs reference but is what came to mind when Andy landed the bottle flip pictured below.  He certainly loves flipping bottles and was pretty proud of this one. So talented.

A little after conference we headed up to the folks house for a bit of dinner. We brought rolls and I also brought this three ingredient macaroni Andy wanted.  Jim, Clo and Kathryn were here and Amy and Dan came a little later. There was plenty of good conference to watch. So grateful for conference.

Conference in the Garage

It is the opening weekend of October and that means it is General Conference. I had a project that needed to get done today in the garage.  I have been unable to park in it for over a month and had to make some changes in order to have space for the car to be parked there. I have no problem with combing conference with a project. There were some excellent talks today. Tonight I took Jack to his first Priesthood session of conference. He did pretty well and got to enjoy a little ice cream afterwards. He was pretty excited about that part. The day was great and the car is parked in the garage so project success.

Flip

I had two boys at two different times this evening excitedly tell me how they flipped a water bottle and landed it. They both continued to work on the trick. Jack began looking at landing the bottle on the lid side. Andy waited on his bottle flipping until we were reading scriptures. He then proceeded to flip the bottle throughout our reading time. At one point he had landed 4 in a row. Who knew flipping a water bottle could be so exciting that so many people would be doing it? Having done this myself it is a bit addictive.  I think there will be more bottle flipping in the future.

Working

I am pressing it with my current class. Just wanting to get through the material so I can take the assessment and move on. There is a lot of material, several tasks to do. I am on the 3rd of five sections and hoped to be through the third today but didn't get there. I need to push it. Just want to get through it.

Stomach Woes

The last 36 hours have not been the most comfortable.  The stomach has been in bad shape. I have felt a bit better tonight but there are moments when I just don't feel well. Hopefully I am nearing the end of this cause it just isn't fun. 

Field Trip

Today Andy had a field trip up to mammoth cave and cedar breaks. I went as a parent chaperone. It was entertaining to say the least. I rode on the bus with the students. I sat with Andy and we hung out quite a bit. I don't know if he would have preferred I not come or what. There were times when he seemed to be having a fine time and then there were times when he was not. Well, I am glad I went and glad I got to spend a little time with him. I did come home feeling like garbage and ended up in bed fighting a bit of a fever and body aches. I am sick in my stomach and don't know what the deal is. Natty hadn't felt well for the last few days and maybe whatever this is we are just passing it around the fam.  Not fun.  What a day. Ready for bed.

Studies

I spent the day focused on my current class about the history and philosophies of education.  I managed to make some progress today but I still have a long way to go. I want to wrap this class up in a couple of weeks. It is going to take some effort but I believe it can be done.

Tomorrow I will be out on a field trip with Andy and the 5th grade. They are going up to mammoth caves and Cedar Breaks for a little exploring and hiking around. Should be good times. I will be riding on the bus with a bunch of kids. Won't that be nice. 

Skinny P's

Andy made the request that we have zucchini casserole for dinner today.  I had a second one ready to go from that last time so that made it easier. Jack wasn't having it so I ended up making some skinny pancakes. That takes me back to childhood memories and how I loved skinny pancakes.  Anyhow, it was a double dinner... Again.

Great Finish

Tonight was a football game for SUU. They played Portland State. It was a great game. Holy cow I am tired. The tbirds had a pretty great game.  I worked the sidelines and other than some seriously bad language from the Portland team.  Well, I must go to sleep. I can't even think.

Football Game

Went to the football game tonight to work the chains. It is a fantastic job. Cedar was playing against the Dixie Flyers.  I was hoping Cedar would win that game but they didn't have a good game.  Dixie played very well.  Oh my goodness.  I am falling asleep.  Must go to sleep.

One Down

I took my assessment today for my first class and have successfully completed the class. On to the next class. I am pretty happy with being done with the class. I would like to have completed it sooner but ran into some challenges. Hopefully we are beyond the issues and everything will roll forward smoothly from now on. I've dived in to the next class and hope to knock it out in a few weeks.

Coaches Luncheon

We catered a lunch today for SUU Athletics.  I guess it was more that we sponsored a lunch today for SUU Athletics. We put together what I thought was a pretty nice spread.  Hopefully it went over well with all those who were in attendance today. Our contact there seemed pretty positive about it when he brought things back over to us. Said it went well.  It would have been good to stay but there was too much going on that I couldn't. We have another one coming up in October and maybe I will see if I can stay for that.  It could be interesting to attend and see what it is all about.  Certainly having our name out there involved in the program is a good thing.  Hopefully it will be a positive thing for our business and will help us expand into more with the athletic department and the university. 

Study

I am attempting to study for my assessment. I really have no idea what to look for or how to do the online assessment. I will get it squared away and hope to get this assessment done tomorrow. Sorry, just so tired. 

Buttock Kicked

The day was quite full and the majority of what kept me busy was the clean up of the tree. Kaden came over to assist and with the use of a big trailer from Bor..den we were able to get quite a bit and finished after two trips. It was wonderful.  I am zoning out so I'm going to call it a night.

Patriarchal Blessings and Fatherhood

At church today I attended Gospel Principles during the Sunday School hour and then Elders Quorum. Had two great lessons today. In Gospel Principles there was a great discussion about Patriarchal Blessings. Some of those attending the class shared some things about their own blessings that they have seen fulfilled or that are being fulfilled in their lives. It was a great discussion and the Spirit was strong. I couldn't help but think of my own blessing and the things that I have seen fulfilled in my life. I am grateful for the strength that I receive from those words from Lord to me.
In Elders Quorum we had a lesson from the Howard W. Hunter. In the opening section there was a story about his time playing in a band. He shared how he had played on cruise ships and made good money. When the time came for him to start a family he walked away from the industry so that he could be the husband and father he needed to be. It is not easy to give up our personal wants and desires but when we adjust our priorities our personal wants and desires change and we want to align ourselves with our Father in Heaven.
It was a good day and I am grateful for the lessons that were shared.

A Moment

This morning the boys and I drove up Cedar Mountain to the Thorley's land with a group from the ward to cut firewood for the ward pile. It was a good trip and the beginning of a long day.  After the wood project Kaden and I hauled three truck and trailer loads of pine tree remains to the dump. After that I took the boys to the ward party and we helped clean up after. I got the boys home and then went shopping. Natty spent the day doing homecoming things with her friends and they helped me out by baking brownies for the ward party. Anyhow, it was a nonstop day. On the drive home from the wood project I stopped and took a moment to snap this picture of the leaves changing color. It is a pretty time of year on the mountain.

Tree Down

Today was the day that this tree came down. It is something that has been on the to do list for a while. My buddy Kaden had a nearly identical tree in his front yard that also needed to come down. Russel Mitchell in our ward is a forestry service certified tree cutter. When you look at that tree and think about the layout of the backyard it would take a precise cut to get it down without damaging the house, the power lines, the neighbors house or whatever. Russ knows what he is doing. He put a block out in the lawn as his target and when he fell the tree it landed about a foot to the right of the block. I'm sure he does that all the time but I don't and found it pretty cool.

Rough Thing

Last night my neighbor Annie stopped over to let me know that one of Natty's fellow students had taken his own life.  That was not news I was expecting to hear as it is not something that happens in Cedar often.  Annie teaches at the high school and I asked when the last time something like this had happened.  They had asked the same thing and had no answer. This young man was a friend of Natty's.  They were in band together and in classes together in middle school. When Natty got home last night I told her what had happened.  It was a rough moment for her as I'm sure it was for many of her school mates.  I don't have a lot of experience with suicide except for a guy I worked with years ago.  I shared some of the thoughts and feelings I had during that time with Natty. This is not an easy thing to go through and there is definitely a grieving process that needs to take place.  I gave Natty a blessing last night and though there were some not so fun things that took place today I think she is doing okay. 

Sick Day

I had to take a sick day today.  It isn't often but today it happened.  I could not stand up or sit up this morning without major pain.  Even laying down was not the most comfortable.  I managed to make it through to getting the kids off to school but they new I was down and out.  I had just fallen back to sleep this morning when South Elementary called.  Apparently Andy was not feeling well and he came home sick.  Not sure he was actually sick or if he just knew that I was at home and sick, whatever the case he played his hand and made it home for the day.  I was way out though so I told him he needed to lay down.  I was pretty well out of it until after 1 PM.  Some of the pain had gone when I first woke up and got moving again.  I still have some stomach pain but nowhere near what we were experiencing earlier.  Rough stuff.

Fudge Machine

Yesterday we set up a machine that we purchased for making fudge. It is actually quite a cool unit. Today we made fudge, just a half batch of Vanilla. That half batch worked out to being about 3 of our handmade recipes.  The cool thing about this machine is that it handles the heating and the stirring aspects of the fudge making.  You take the batch and put it in smaller containers where you can then mix in whatever. In the three batches today we did white chocolate macadamia nut, vanilla pecan and then a sprinkle one for celebrations.  The machine is pretty cool. We will be testing. 

Trying to Finish

I've got a tree fixing to come down in the back yard I don't know how its all going to work but Russ Mitchell is a tree guy for the forest service and is going to come look at it tomorrow and then cut it down on Friday. When that happens I am going to have to haul some branches to the front so we can load them up in a dump truck on Saturday. That makes for a long day Saturday with several other things happening that day.  Anyway, I need to have a pathway cleared through the garage so as to be able to haul the branches.  That said I need to get the back splashes finished so I can get them out of the way. So tonight I sanded, cleaned and applied the second coat of epoxy. I should be able to get them out of the garage and onto the counters in the next few days. Always so much going on but it is good.

Teacher Training Round 2

We had our second Teacher Training Council today. I thought they went pretty well. We have so much to learn in this class and so many areas to improve ourselves as we strive to teach more like the Savior.  This course is quickly becoming one of my favorites as I love the participation we have had this far and the Spirit I have felt there. I am already looking forward to next month.

Shut Down

Had a fine day filled with plenty of excitement. I installed a hitch and roof racks on the folks car. That was good fun. I had a jack I was using to hold the hitch fall and hit me in the mouth. What a wonderful feeling. I got it all installed. Should be good

I had SUU football tonight. I enjoy doing the chain gang. My body is exhausted and has pretty much shut down and I need to sleep.

Best Seats

Worked on the chain crew at the Cedar High football game tonight. We always tell each other that we have the best seats. That is true. We are right there In the middle of the action. It is a fun thing to participate in. Cedar played a great game tonight against Juab and beat them.  Tomorrow it will be chain crew time at SUU.

Late Night Laundry

It is quite late. I just finished folding laundry and was about to go to bed when I realized I had not written in this here blog. I kind of got caught up in a show whilst doing laundry and just didn't get it done.  Well fabulous, at least I hadn't turned off the lights and climbed in bed. The day was good but I think I will need to clamp down on this school stuff. Actually I passed my first pre-assessment with a fairly good score. It could be that I can just take the assessment, pass and move on to the next course.  Well, much to be grateful for. Must sleep.

Jack Hammer

Jack has picked up the pogo stick recently and is all over the place jumping to his hearts content. He went through some dirt like a jack hammer today. Sorry, I am falling asleep and must needs call pass pu.  Sorry all, I can't keep my eyes open. Must sleep.

Hobart Hernia

I should have taken a picture but that didn't happen so I will just have to explain it.  When we moved into the restaurants current location 3 years ago we inherited some equipment. One of the items we got was this rather large Hobart mixer. It doesn't actually work and it was not something the repair guy had a lot of hope in fixing. We finally asked the landlord about it and he said we could get rid of it if we wanted to. Today Tyler and I tried to move it. We got it over to the door but had no hope of getting it up the stairs. Some genius that writes a daily blog had the idea that we could tip it over on the stairs and slide it out on its back. That genius should stick to writing his bad blog posts because this idea was anything but genius. It was a disaster. After a few hours, a major machine oil spill, removal of a few parts I finally borrowed a floor jack and we managed to get it standing back up and out of the door way.  I don't recall if I have ever lifted something that heavy. Oh my.

Flags and things

This morning started early as I had to be up the street to help take young men around to set up flags for the holiday. It was cool outside and the sun had not come up yet. Anyway, we had a small group this morning but we got it done.  I do like to see the flags out on the street. Our street is completely covered and I love it.

Took care of a couple really old projects that involved some painting. It was an old secretary and a chair.  Nice to be almost done.  Had go cart projects that were fun

A Stroll to the Temple

We had a little time this evening so we took a little stroll to the temple. We enjoy the temple and It is fun to see the progress. I wasn't supremely confident that the kids would make it from our house, not without a lot of complaining. We drove up to the folks house and walked from there which worked out well. There was minimal complaining. We also visited with the folks and played with Sam for a while. Good times.

Baptism, Ordinations and Backsplashes

We got up early this morning and set out on the road to Springville for the baptism of one Anna Fontano. It was a great baptism. Following the baptism Jayson and Jaykob received the priesthood and were ordained as deacons.  Pretty dang awesome. Afterwards we went and hung out at Jay and Sara's for a few hours.  We enjoyed lunch and visiting and ping pong cup basketball because we have to find something like that to do whilst visiting.  Anyhow, I always enjoy hanging out with the fam. 
Tonight I had a little spare time so I got the first coat of epoxy on the backsplashes.  I am looking forward to getting them done and installed.  I've attached a pic of the backsplashes.  They will look great when they are finished and installed. 

Friday Night Football

Had a great time tonight at the Cedar High vs Canyon View football game. The game was excellent.  I love working the sidelines and this should be a fun year.  Holy cow though, I can't stay awake.  Must call it a day.

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Back In

I'm not sure what happened to last nights post. I just got on to do today's entry and it was showing up as a draft. I went ahead and fixed that.

Today I am back in school. The summer break was wonderful and I am not quite sure how excited I am right now to be back in but it is what it is.  I guess like other first days of a semester I experienced the gut rot at the thought of the work load. It all just seems so painful.  Hoping things get easier as I become more aware of the goings on at WGU.

Anyhow, we are back in school. It is a good thing

10 Year Old AndyBoy

It is sometimes hard to believe that my baby boy is now 10 years old. Where does the time go? Mr. Andy is now 10. He is becoming a little more independent every day.  There are still a lot of things I do for him or with him. It will be interesting to watch as he grows.

It Goes

I only visited 3 stores today to try and get this new go cart on the move. The third store was the most effective and I only had to visit it 3 times. I have a new belt on order and that will hopefully make a big difference. In the meantime I made a few adjustments to the engine and we got this thing moving. It is a pretty cool ride and the kids are loving it. It is not a machine that will require no maintenance or tinkering. On the last run of the day the chain came off because the bolts used to mount the engine came loose and the engine slid and tension was lost.  So it will be a toy to tinker with. Maybe some kids will have to learn some tinkering ways.