Late Night

I am being a night owl.  That is the WGU mascot and so I am in touch with my university mascot tonight.  Trying to get through this last task.  I want to get it turned in tomorrow so I need to keep pushing.  Today I managed to get through the first section that was actually the biggest and most involved.  Now I have three more sections to complete which equal in size the amount of work needed for the first part.  That gives me hope that I can knock this out tomorrow. The challenges will come when I have other things I need to get accomplished tomorrow.  Like a new door handle on the employee entrance door at the Brick House.  Well, lots to do, lots to be grateful for.  It has been a late night and I am ready for bed. 

Track

Natalie worked tonight so it was just the boys and I at home.  Once we had dinner and I had put a couple of pies in the oven for a test for work, we jumped in the car and headed over to the SUU PE building.  Jack and I talked yesterday about going over and running on the track and Andy was on board for this excursion.  We went and had a goal of 20 laps which is 2 miles.  I know we all did more than a mile and we were probably pretty close to 2 miles if not more than.  I just lost count and wasn't all that concerned about it anyway.  We had running times and walking times.  We also had some racing times.  There was one moment when Jack and I started running down the back stretch and I picked up the pace a bit only to have him match and increase the pace.  At the end of our little run he was amazed that he was running as fast and then a little faster than I was. I said that maybe I had let up a little bit and I don't think he was buying it.  The next time we hit that back stretch we took off again. This time I turned on the burners and left him in the dust. He laughed, I laughed.  Again we rounded the track and got to the back stretch, this time he took off a little early, determined to beat me.  I turned on the burners once again and caught up to him quickly and then passed him.  We laughed.  He didn't opt to race me again.  He and Andy had a little race and they were pretty tight. Jack had the edge and took the lead but Andy stuck right with him and didn't quit. We had a good time on the track and both boys thought it would be good to do that more often.  I think we shall, especially since it is free. 

Sub

Got a call this morning asking if I would sub for a youth class. I was grateful for the call and love the opportunity to sub for Sunday School.  It is great.  This was actually for Natty's class and the topic was teaching by the Spirit, though that was not the exact title.  I really like that subject and enjoyed the youth who have great insight and desires to do good. Everyone participated in the class which was excellent. I hope that everyone felt the Spirit and was edified and I hope they learned something that they can apply when they are teaching a lesson and when they are receiving the lesson that will help them to be more receptive to the Spirit. I benefited from the experience today.

I tried to cook up a prime rib today for dinner tonight.  It actually turned out just fine but was a little under-done.  I stress little.  It looked good, had great color and great flavor.  It was leaning toward the rare side.  Once I cut into mine at the table I decided it needed to be cooked a hair more.  I threw some butter in a skillet and seared off all of them.  It was still nice a red and the outside searing didn't hurt it at all.  Everyone seemed to enjoy.  We ran the last couple pieces up to the folks as they hadn't done anything for dinner.  Thought the kids could go in and say hi to grandpa but he was a little bit busy so we said hi to grandma and said we would come back another day.

We ran out and took care of feeding the pigs.  One of the pigs has started to climb up on the front fence of the pen.  He started yesterday when I was there. I had gone over and said hi to the sheep and was just looking around a bit. When I came around the corner he had climbed up on the fence, meaning his front legs were up at the top and he was leaning on it looking at me.  I went over and grabbed a rake head and scratched his back.  They all enjoy that and want to get in on it.  Today they were all lined up, fighting for position at the fence where I am able to reach them.  Pretty funny.  The one had climbed the fence when we were approaching and then climbed up on the back of another pig when I was giving it a back scratch.  Naturally he tried to eat the rake head.  Fun times.

Well, grateful again for the day. Grateful to have the sabbath day where we can leave aside the things of the world, I am grateful that I do not have to work on Sunday.  That has been a blessing throughout my life that I cherish and hope that I can continue to avoid working on Sunday.  Well, I am grateful and I am tired and I am calling it a day. 

Just Working

Got a message this morning asking if I could come and help out for a little bit at the brick house. I ended up spending the day cooking. Well, 5 hours of the day anyway. Getting a lot of kitchen time in lately. I did have to leave a little after 4 to go pick up the meds for pops. Ran out and took care of the pigs and then stopped by the depot. Wanted to see how the wedding luncheon went. Looks like it was successful.  Had to stop at home to drop off a little snack and check on the boys and then I was up to the folks to deliver meds and visit for a bit. Looked at some numbers on different items with pops then slid him up in his bed and headed for home. I saw Dan as I drove down the street and took him over to look at a truck. Then we stopped and talked to Jacob Miner about his landcruiser and Dan ended up test driving that. It is a sweet vehicle. Built like a tank.  I then cooked up some dinner, it was a late dinner. Ventured out to the store to find something for dinner tomorrow. Got home, watched Andy play a game, talked with Jack about Neil Diamond songs and other random things and then we had scripture and prayer. After that I started a movie and cleaned the kitchen.  Now it is way late. The movie is over, my work is done, and I am going to bed. 

Language Barrier

Last week I was helping out at the youth activity as a dance partner to a lady that teaches dance at the high school. She is of Hispanic origin and also teaches Spanish.  English is not her first language.  Anyway, she speaks English just fine but there may be a bit of a language barrier there.  She is divorced with twin girls that are 7 years old.  Dan works with this fine lady and has encouraged me to ask her out.  I got quite brave and asked her to join me for the awards gala and dinner last week.  She said she would love to but had other commitments that night and would go another time.  Earlier this week I asked her out to dinner on Friday or Saturday evening.  Her reply was 'let's go Friday'.  I figured that was good, sent a follow up message about a time and then never heard from her again.  Today is Friday so this morning I sent her a message confirming the time and requesting her address so I could pick her up.  There was no response.  I called this afternoon after school had let out.  When I spoke to her it sounded as if all was well.  I mean, she was busy and getting ready.  At least that is what it sounded like.  I asked if she would send me her address so I could pick her up.  She said she would.  Then I got a message asking me if I was asking her out on a date.  I replied that we had a conversation on Tuesday and she had agreed to go to dinner on Friday.  I was a little confused at this point and then I got another message from her.  She apologized that she didn't understand.  Then she explained that she is separated from her husband for 2 and half years but she is still marry.  That is how she said it.  She then said that her bishop would kill her if she went out on a date and also went on to explain that she is working on finalizing the divorce this year with the paperwork and everything else involved.  I could only laugh.  I sent her back the following message: "I understand. We should definitely not go on a date. It would not be good for a bishop to kill someone".  All I could do was laugh.  I sent Dan a message and told him what had happened.  I then sent Dan another message where I said: Language barrier.  Hahahahaha.  This was in relation to other communication I had with said woman.  Oh, she did thank me and asked if we could be friends.  So funny.  What's a guy going to do?  Well, not date married women for one, and continue to have a good laugh at myself on occasion. 

January 25, 2018

The day has been a busy one.  We had to let someone go today over at the Depot.  Never fun to fire someone. Well, maybe there are those that it is a relief to have them gone and that feels good.  Not all firings are that way though.  It is tough because you build a relationship with that person and you would like to think that there is a friendship there. Unfortunately that friendship doesn't matter a lot when it comes to actions being performed that hurt the business, especially when those actions have been addressed repeatedly and corrective measures have been ignored.  Sorry these things have to happen. Having been relieved of my duties in the past I know that it is not very fun.  I do remember being let go from a place I worked right after high school. I got in my car, put on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack and cranked it up.  That was a relief and I was grateful to be done with that place.  It felt good to listen to some Bee Gee's and just let it go. The Bee Gee's can make everything better.

Anyway, there was also feeding pigs, collecting prescription from St. George Shuttle, delivering drugs to pops house, visited for a few, ran Jack out to C.A.P., played racquet ball, lost, made dinner for the kids, picked up Jack from CAP.  It get's busy.  I am pretty tired at the moment.  Maybe because it is nearly midnight. 

January 24, 2018

I am struggling at the moment with my current class. I have to complete two tasks for this class and the first one is straining my brain.  I need to buckle down and get my creative juices flowing. Just a bit vague on some of the requirements and so I get a bit of anxiety that I am going to do it wrong.  I just need to go for it and make it happen. 

After a couple of weeks of craziness at the shop we are getting the crew figured out.  We were able to meet our staffing needs in the kitchen and that will bring some relief to the crew.  That got a little crazy there for a bit and there is still some stuff that is up in the air. 

I am well pleased with the boys. They are working hard on their homework when they get home from school.  Sometimes they need a little reminder and a little push but other times they come in and take care of business.  Big transition with Jack where last year I had to sit with him everyday and work on his math with him. This year he usually does it on his own and rarely asks for my help.  That is great. Natty is also working hard. She needs to stay on top of it especially right now.  This has traditionally been her most difficult quarter and I am hoping she can push herself through.  I know she can. 

Well, much to be grateful for. I had a good conversation with my school mentor today. I have been approved for my preclinical experiences and am set to begin my student teaching in the fall.  There may actually come a time when I finish. I might break down and cry tears of joy when that happens. There were many years when my going to school and getting a degree seemed like an impossibility.  I didn't think it would ever happen. Now there is hope that I will get there. It will not be easy, but it is possible.  A lot to do still to get it done.  Have to stay focused and determined. 

Expensive Tests

Today I had to drop some cash down on some tests I have to take.  That isn't fun when the total cracks the $300 mark.  Who wants to pay to take a test?  There are actually two tests that I need to take. One is 5 hours long and the other is half that.  I had to split them up into two different days because I cannot do 8 hours of testing in one sit down.  I did a 5 hour test not too long ago and it was not my favorite thing in the world.  Hoping that I pass all of the sections of these tests as in so doing I will pass the requirements for the State of Utah for teachers.  How about that? There may be a light at the end of the tunnel.  I have a lot of work left to do and have to keep it going.  I got quite a few things checked off the list today and spent a little time studying material for my current class. I've got to get it done, got to push through, got to finish even if it means dropping some cash down on some expensive tests. 

Checking In

Stopped in at the Brick House 15 minutes before opening and found Makayla there by herself without a cook in the kitchen.  Should I be surprised that people are not showing up for their shift?  I don't know that I should after last week.  So I ended up working and spent the majority of the day there with the exception of an hour or so at the folks where dad got out of bed and in his chair and actually drove around for a bit.  It was a big plus to see that happen.  Anyway, I was back there this evening and was working until 7:30 PM.  Made for a long day.  I am now ready for bed, ready to check out for the day. 

I Enjoy

Today we had our Teacher Council Meeting. I have to say that I really enjoy this meeting. It is one of my favorite parts about my calling in the Sunday School. The manual, Teaching in the Saviors Way, is very well done and the messages are powerful. I must call it a day.

Snow Day

The weather report said snow was coming today. When I got out of bed this morning I looked outside and it was indeed snowing. Lots of snow. Most of my day was spent outside moving snow.  It is good. I tend to enjoy clearing snow. It was a good storm and was very much needed.  Jack came out and helped me with shoveling at the shop and up at the folks. Grateful for his help. Over the years we have done a lot of night sledding and that was what the boys wanted to do tonight. They had a great time. I walked around the field several times while they were sledding. It was a good workout and a good day.

4WD

I listed the truck for sale yesterday. Had folks say they were interested, want to see it. Several. Thus far only one showed up, he did not purchase it. Said he had to price out a couple of things. Whatever. Anyway, knowing people were going to come look at it I gave it a quick wash and then I went to test the 4wd. I couldn't get the lever to drop down. Struggled alone for a bit then Dan got home and came and helped. We got it to engage once and then worked it over several times to keep it loose and transferring easily.  Anyway, wonderful day. Ready for sleep.

Filling

I have spent much time this week filling in for sick employees at the Brick House.  Everyday this week we have had at least one employee out sick in the kitchen and on a few of those days it has been two.  It has been a slower week so that makes it a little easier but it certainly puts a little strain on others.  I am not getting very far on my school work this week and I need that to change.  Need to keep things moving forward.  I made some progress on my preclinical experience paperwork.  I just have one document to complete and it is in process as I wait for the principal at South to complete it.  I do need to get my current class rolling and I hope to be able to focus energy on that tomorrow.  I have to do what I have to do to keep things rolling forward, sometimes that means filling in and being at work instead of getting my school work done.  It will get done, has to. 

New Things

Great broadcast this morning from Salt Lake City.  President Russel M. Nelson was announced as the new President of the church. The counselors in the First Presidency were also announced. President Oaks as first counselor and President Eyring as second counselor.  It was a powerful meeting and I am grateful to have been able to be a part of it via modern day technology.  Way good. Very much excited for the new first presidency.  I know these are men of God. 

Tonight I went and participated in the youth night.  They were learning some dances and Dan asked if I would come and be the dance partner of the gal that was going to do the teaching.  She is a Social Dance and also a Spanish teacher at the high school and she happens to be single. I went and participated and loved it.  Her name is Sara, she is of Hispanic descent and she was a lot of fun.  Not saying anything is going to happen here, just had a fine time this evening.  I enjoy dancing and this swing stuff is something I have always had interest in but never really done.  Fun to do new things. 

On The Line

Had the message come through this morning that multiple people called in sick today. One out front and two in the kitchen. I was asked if I would come in and so I did. Worked the line through lunch and the afternoon. I am not the best there but enjoy it now and again. Some things get my blood boiling and there are moments when my language is less than stellar. I am grateful for good employees that have better skills than I do in the kitchen. 

One By One

Had our ward conference today. I really enjoyed the meetings today and the spirit that was present. Great messages from the Stake President and the Bishop and Sister Thorley in Sacrament meeting. Great messages in Ward Council meeting as well. In that meeting President Heap referenced 3 Nephi 11 and talked about the Savior inviting the multitude to come up one by one. He shared that the Lords ministry has always been one by one. I thought about that and considered some of my experiences where I felt the Lord ministering to me. Sometimes that was through the companionship of the holy ghost, sometimes it was through others. As I consider these and other experiences I know that our Heavenly Father knows us individually. He loves each of us. I know that is true and am so very grateful for that blessing in my life.

A Little Mud

The day could have turned out differently. I am still fighting this nose and throat thing and wasn't sure about outdoor activity. I was struggling with the idea of the boys sitting around the house all day. There is a trail on the south end of town that I came across a few months back. I thought it would be fun to go explore it and managed to get the boys to come out with me.  We took on the lava flow trail, at least I think that's what it is called. Anyhow, it was a beautiful day out there and we had a good time.  The ground was a bit moist and the mud was thick. On our way down we would run sections of the trail and would have mud flying off of us.  It was a good time and the boys seemed to quite enjoy it.  Technically it is a mountain bike trail and so we may have to go biking there. 

Introduction

The kids got one of those Nintendo consoles for Christmas. Earlier this week my brothers and sisters were talking about some of our old favorites. Someone mentioned load runner which was one of my favorites.  I decided to see if load runner was on this console. It was. I have introduced the chitlens to this fine game. It is a good time. They seemed to enjoy it. I certainly enjoyed it. This was a great game and even better, it didn't make me physically ill.

Oh my Frustration

I am trying to get some things done for school.  Went over and visited with Mr. Oldroyd at South about coming in to do my pre-clinical experiences.  He asked what I would be doing in the class.  My only answer was observations as I lack the details on exactly what is expected during the 75 hours that I am required to fill. I have searched and continue to search for the needed information . It is a bit frustrating as I cannot find what I need. I was supposed to provide an observation log but this can only be accessed through the course.  I don't actually have this course until next semester and so it is difficult to know what the curriculum is and what exactly I will be doing.  So, I go and meet and now am a bit embarrassed that I don't have the answers for Jerry.  I will send a message to my mentor and see what direction she can provide. Eventually I will have it all together. 

Sheep

Jack and I went out to feed the pigs tonight.  They are getting big.  Don't know how much longer we will be raising them. Looks as if we may be preparing for slaughter at the end of the month.  They are big. Anyway, sometime in the last week or so Cleve picked up some sheep and has them out on the property.  They are funny animals. A completely different kind of funny than pigs.  I went about feeding the pigs and cleaning buckets while Jack picked up the additional buckets of food from the car with the wagon and brought them in. He then went an hung out by the sheep which are quite vocal. I think there were 6 or 7 adults and one baby in the pen. In a separate pen is a larger sheep that has a much deeper voice and sounds quite funny.  When he isn't being paid attention to he bellows out his deep noise.  He puts his big head through the gate and he had also knocked one of the fence boards loose and was looking through that.  I put a pallet up against the fence to hold the board up.  Anyway, the sheep are amusing creatures and gave us a good laugh tonight. 

Don't Get Sick

Oh my goodness. I don't want to get sick. I am feeling something coming on. Hoping it is nothing and more especially hoping it isn't what Andy brought home. Who has time for being sick?  Deep cough. Somewhat mild at the moment but digging in it seems. I am vapored up and doing my best to beat it.

Making Progress

Well, I am making progress towards my pre-clinical experiences and my demonstration teaching.  It is actually kind of frightening.  I've got to keep pressing forward and get things done so I can just finish. 

Andy made some progress this morning, rather reluctantly but he made progress.  I think he thought he was going to manage his way out of another day of school. There were several excuses, the last one being that he lacked the strength to carry his trombone to school.  I lovingly invited him to push through and assured him that he could do it.  He stormed out of the house mad as could be.  Sometimes I am just a mean dad. Can't believe I would make my son go to school.  Anyway, I was outside washing pig buckets when the boys came around the corner from the bus stop.  Both were walking, talking, and laughing together.  Turns out the day went just fine.  Sometimes it would be nice if that morning battle just didn't exist. 

Late Church

Today we moved to the 1 o'clock block for church. This is not my favorite but it did make getting the kids up for church a bit easier. I do believe the ideal time is 10 AM. That was a Florida time for a while. It was great. 9 am is not too bad unless you are iin leadership and have to be there way early. Well, we survived. That is great. I need to do much easier meals so that I am not stuck in the kitchen all evening. Anyway, twas a fine day. Off to bed I go.

Crashing

No need to be alarmed. Not aware of anyone being involved in car accident or any other for that matter.  It has just been a full day and I am struggling. The day was good. It was a busy one but a good one. My busy was working on the truck. It took a while but we got it done. Did get to make a temple run tonight and then ran over to see pops. Love both of these. I must rest.

Home Again

We have witnessed a small miracle today. Though they tried to keep him in the hospital, pops was finally loaded up in the transport van and driven home. He is in his bed. He looks very happy to be home and has good color etc. I am glad he is there. He has a long way to go still and it won't be easy but he will get there. Grateful he is home.

I Threw Up

I picked up the kids tonight in Vegas and we made the drive home to Cedar. We stopped off at the in-n-out for dinner. Andy has been sick and was not feeling well. After dinner we got back on the road and got to St. George where we stopped for gas. Told everyone to run in to the bathroom if they needed. I filled the car and then ran in to use the bathroom. I saw Andy in the hall and he told me he threw up in the bathroom. Together we walked in and he showed me his spew. Fortunately it was not excessive.  I mean, it was a good load and was nasty to clean up but really was not too bad.  We managed to get home without further incident. Hopefully we will make it through the night. It is great to have them home. It will be even better when they are well.

Binge Watching

I just binge watched a show and finished the first season in about a day. Granted there were only 4 episodes and I pretty much watched while I was making dinner and doing laundry and other household duties. I think it is called the Indian detective. Pretty dang funny. I quite enjoyed it. The house is almost clean which means it is almost ready for the kids to come home and mess it all up again. It'll be worth it and at least I feel like I've thinned out some things. 

New Years Cleaning

Trying to get some things cleaned up today.  The kids will be coming home in two days and before I head out to pick them up I wanted to get some things thrown out without having the kids here to oppose the disposal.  I actually started with my room and took care of some things in there.  I tend to pile folded laundry on the rocking chair that I have in the room and the pile just keeps getting larger. Every now and again I simply can't take it any longer and have to put everything away.  It is basically clean shirts that I am supposed to hang up in my closet, towels, single socks looking for a partner. I also seem to think I need to save every receipt from every shopping trip.  I end up with loads of them sitting on my dresser, mingled with gum wrappers and loose change.  Nice to have it all cleaned out now. 

I moved on to Andy's room and managed to get rid of a few things there.  I picked up a mattress for his trundle bed a week ago but hadn't moved it up to his room yet.  Today I was able to throw out a few items and then get the bed situated.  He might surprise me and start sleeping in his own room when he gets home.  Should he choose to do so he will have a nice clean room to sleep in.  At least I can enjoy it for a couple of days.  I am sure he will have his swords and nerf guns spread across the floor in no time.  I looked at both Jack and Nat's rooms today but that was about it.  Don't know if I will get into them.  I did clean out a few half full water bottles from Natty's room. She has decided that once they have been opened they've become contaminated. I guess that is what happens when you raise your child on the movie Signs.  Swing away Merrill! 

I've got a couple other sections to clean and hope to get that done sometime before I leave on Thursday.  I tire of being a clutter king and need to just get rid of stuff.  It is amazing how fast clutter can build up.  I should use the old touch it once idea at home. If it isn't something I need to worry about it can just go in the trash. 

Drained

It has been a day. I had a couple of things to get done at both the Brick and the Depot. Our triple sink was worn out in each of the strainers. One was completely rusted out. The others were quickly corroding. The drain line they all tie into was loose and falling. It all made for a big mess. It took a couple trips to the store and back home for more tools but I got it done.

At the depot there are some big lights in the dining room. These are original fixtures to tje old train depot. They are up there quite a ways, somewhere between 12 and 15 feet. Anyway, it is one of those jobs that has made us nervous as the fixtures are pretty big and the thought of dropping them was unnerving. Well, I just decided to go for it as 2 of 6 lights were burned out. Got it done and it is looking good in there. Wasn't so bad.

Tonight I decided it was time to take the Christmas tree down. Managed to get that done as well.

Surely there were other things that I got done today as well. It was a good day. Ready now to sleep. I am drained.

Ending the Year with a Bang!

Had a great New Years Eve. Went to dinner at Amy and Dan's. Good times there. Ran over to a party for Terry Worthen at the Brick House.  Then I ran over to a party at Annie Drapers. All were good times. I also received a message that my task had been graded. I passed! What a way to close out the year.