T-248 : Go-lf Karts

Today we had our department retreat.  We left work just after lunch.  The first stop was the local go-kart track.  It was fun racing and passing.  That's one of my favorite participatory sports.  My leg was starting to cramp up a bit after three 4-minute rides, though.

After that we golfed 9 holes.  I'm not very good at that at all.  I played in a foursome with a couple of guys who really tried to help me learn and tweak my swing though.  Plus, we played "scramble"; which meant that each stroke we took the best ball and then all hit from that spot.  That saved me a lot of frustration of trying to beat 10 shots per hole.  In fact, playing that way, we were -1 for the 9 holes.

We finished up the day by having dinner at the country club with our wives.  It was pretty comical all the mistakes the waitress made -- including bringing us all the bleu cheese steaks when many of us had ordered the onion/mushroom ones and also telling me that they were out of salmon only to find that my co-worker's wife, who had showed up late, got what was supposedly the last piece of salmon.  It made for a good laugh.

So, what do you do at your work for fun?

T-249 : Temple Timeout

Many things have changed recently.  Yesterday I wrote about our van that we sold after nearly 12 years of ownership.  I also wrote a letter to my nephew on a mission recalling how it had been about 2 years since we moved into this house; long enough for a missionary to complete his mission. Now just this morning I got a call from the volunteer coordinator at the temple telling me that the request to have someone else take our weekly Friday 5-8pm shift at the Temple Clothing Issue desk has been fulfilled.  We'll go tomorrow night for a short time to train the new ladies and then that obligation will be fulfilled.  We've done it for just over 2 years.  We're of mixed emotions.  We'll miss the regularity of being in the "place of holiness".  We'll enjoy having more Friday nights nonobligatory, though.  We've also asked them to let us be substitutes so that we can get back occasionally, too.  Plus, now we can dedicate ourselves to getting back there to actually go through sessions.  We'd gotten away from that habit a bit since we were going up there once a week as volunteers.  Going a second time was beyond our scope somehow.  So, do you attend a temple regularly?  How does it affect your life?

T-250 : Van Go

We sold our van tonight.  We originally bought it in 1999.  We probably put over 150,000 miles on it in those 12 or so years.  It's like a part of us is gone.  It's a bittersweet feeling.  Do you get emotionally attached to your vehicles?

T-251 : Punctuated Penning

Do you ever feel like people blog just to get a reaction without even making a point?

T-252 : Vouch Safely

I came across a new word a couple of different times today, "vouchsafe".  I don't know that I'd ever heard it before.  I googled it and here's what I found:

vouch·safe

verb /vouCHˈsāf/  /ˈvouCHˌsāf/  vouchsafed, past participle; vouchsafed, past tense; vouchsafes, 3rd person singular present; vouchsafing, present participle Give or grant (something) to (someone) in a gracious or condescending manner - it is a blessing vouchsafed him by heaven Reveal or disclose (information) - you'd never vouchsafed that interesting tidbit before

The "gracious or condescending" part makes sense since the first instance I heard of it was from The Iliad, which I'm listening to as I exercise at lunch time.  I read it again tonight in another Newbery Award winner that I'm reading for my bedtime and brush-teeth time Gay Neck - The Story of a Pigeon.  So, now I've vouchsafed to you something you didn't know.  What have you got for me?  Do you think we as a society vouchsafe too often or not often enough?  How about you yourself?

T-253 : Quench Not

The other day at church someone share the scripture in 1 Thes. 5:19:

"Quench not the Spirit." 

That thought really struck me.  The point was twofold:

1. We should allow the Spirit to work in our lives and not do things that would suppress it.
2. We should memorize scriptures -- this being a short and, thus, easy one to memorize -- so that we can recall them at times when needed.

I not only mark my scriptures for ease of recall but I also keep track of what I call proverbial truths -- I think they can be found in many sources -- on my account at Evernote.  Click through if you'd like to see some that I enjoy.  How do you keep yourself reminded of the good truths out there?

T-254 : Sacramental Attentiveness

This past Sunday I was sitting in Sacrament Meeting and decided to get out my scriptures and follow along.  I found that it was easier for me to pay attention when I was engaging the multiple senses of listening with reading/studying.  I guess it could be called multi-sensing, if not multi-tasking.  I think that the ability to multitask can differ from person to person and even from situation to situation.  I've found myself sometimes trying to do too many things at once and not doing any of them very well.  Like many things, balance seems to be the key.  How balanced are you?

T-255 : Pencil Snapping

The other day I was sitting in church with my scripture marking pencil in my hand and it made me remember a time in my elementary school days when some kids thought it was cool to put a pencil between their knuckles and snap it in half.  I couldn't fathom that they would ruin a perfectly good pencil like that.  I was too concerned about the economics and the impropriety of the act to even consider it.  Did you ever snap one?

T-256 : Perilous Plastics

Do you have trouble opening plastic packaging like I do?  I'd like to know how many people have injured themselves trying to get to their protected stuff.  I understand that it's a theft deterrent.  Can't they come up with a less hazardous way, though?

T-257 : Loafy Crust

In church today one of the speakers made the point that,

"A person cannot give a crust to the Lord without receiving a loaf in return."

That thought had an effect on me so I wrote it down.  I did a little Internet research tonight to learn that it came from this larger quote:

"President Marion G. Romney said of welfare work, “You cannot give yourself poor in this work.” And then he quoted his mission president, Melvin J. Ballard, this way: “A person cannot give a crust to the Lord without receiving a loaf in return.” 

Marion G. Romney, “Welfare Services: The Savior’s Program,” Ensign, Nov. 1980, 93."

 It sounds like the ultimate win-win situation to me.  Give to get.  What do you think?

T-258 : Ding Kong

Yeah, why did they build that door that big...?

T-259 : Emergency Viewing

The other day I wrote about sirens.  Tonight I stumbled across an old episode of "Emergency" on Hulu.  I think that's probably where I got my first sense of excitement for when the alarm went off and the sirens blared.

As I viewed the episode I poked around IMDB a bit to remember probably one of my first crushes was on the actress Julie London and how funny I thought the name of the actor Randolph Mantooth was.

Did you watch it?

T-260 : Strange Happens

STRANGE HAPPENS

Isn't it Strange
How a 20 dollar bill seems like such a large amount when you donate it to church,

But such a small amount when you go shopping?

Isn't it Strange  

How 2 hours seem so long when you're at church,  

And how short they seem when you're watching a good movie?

Isn't it Strange  

That you can't find a word to say when you're praying but..  

You have no trouble thinking what to talk about with a friend?

Isn't it Strange  

How difficult and boring it is to read one chapter of the Bible but  

How easy it is to read 100 pages of a popular novel?

Isn't it strange  

How everyone wants front-row-tickets to concerts or games but  

They do whatever is possible to sit at the last row in church?

Isn't It strange  

How we need to know about an event for church 2-3 weeks Before the day so we can include it in our agenda,  

But we can adjust it for other events in the last minute?

Isn't It strange  

How difficult it is to learn a fact about God to share it with others; 

But how easy it is to learn, understand, extend and repeat gossip?

Isn't it Strange  

How we believe everything that magazines and newspapers say  

But.... we question the words in the Bible?

Isn't it Strange  

How everyone wants a place in heaven but...  

They don't want to believe, do, or say anything to get there?

Don't be a stranger.  Keep in touch with your spiritual self even though you're living in the natural body.

T-261 : Island Parking

We had a ward campout about an hour away in Island Park last night. It was a good time. The campground was right on the reservoir.  We spent some time down there this morning after packing up the tent playing in the water before going to Ponds Lodge for lunch.  I never knew how Island Park got its name and nobody at the campfire could tell me last night, either; though I didn't make an exhaustive study/survey.  Anyway, after coming home and returning to my Google, here's what I found:

http://www.henrysforkcountry.com/full.php?sid=65

Did you know that?

T-262 : Inadvertent Cliques

I realized today that people gravitate toward people that are similar to them because it makes them feel more comfortable.  I usually feel on the outside looking in.  Maybe it's because I'm too sensitive or that I don't make enough effort to socialize.  In fact, I'm certain that's part of it.  However, I do think that people inadvertently leave other people out.  One place I really notice this is with the native Rexburgers who work on campus.  They tend to talk about old times, old places, old people that they know in common.  Us newbies just have to sit by.  Ideally I think there should be more inclusion.  Are they cronies or am I too sensitive?  How do you deal with cliques?  Are you on the outside looking in, the inside looking out, or not looking at all?

T-263 : Graceful Complaints

In the gym I exercise in at lunchtime there are two buckets for towels at either end of the exercise bike row.  I usually walk around the far row but there are more often than not no clean towels in that bucket.  So then I have to walk all the way to the other end to get a towel then back to wipe down my bike.  I know I probably shouldn't complain about walking a little further when the point of being there in the first place is to exercise.  My point is that I want to complain about it but I fear that I lack tact so I don't act.  There are many other areas in my life that this permeates to.  This is just the one that came to mind today.  So, my goal is to be a more tactful and bold complainer; without becoming overbearing.  Any tips?  I probably shouldn't start with ketchup and mustard on the diner table.

T-264 : Tiny Saur?

Would a tiny dinosaur be called a tinysaur?  We saw this one near Fred Meyer in Idaho Falls and had to stop to prove that it was shorter than me (but probably a lot tougher).  It's actually about the same size as Emily.  Now that she had 7 teeth removed, though, I'd say the dinosaur would take that battle, too.  The other things we couldn't figure out were why it was in front of an archery shop and why it had what appeared to be a car battery attached.  Explain?

T-265 : Chuckin' Chukars

Tonight we helped out the Alumni Council serve hot dogs and were rewarded with free food and free tickets to see the Idaho Falls Chukars play the Casper Ghosts.  If you're more talented than I you might even think of something humorous to say about Chukars or Ghosts or something.  Maybe it's late but I've got nothing.  Let the snide comment contest begin!

T-266 : Seven Ivories

Emily went to the dentist today to get a checkup for possible orthodontic work.  It turned out they pulled 7 baby teeth!  I guess they needed them out of the way because permanent teeth are trying to come in.  Now she has to go back in a couple of weeks to begin the bracing procedure.  Is it worth it to put $3000 into your pre-teen's dentures?

T-267 : Close Drivers

As I've aged I've become more attentive on the road and in less of a hurry.  Perhaps that's why it bothers me even more so that people will come up too close to my rear bumper before switching lanes to pass.  The same type of people seem to then cut back in front of me too quickly after they've passed.  They must not realize that I like a few seconds' worth of time between us in case I need to make an evasive maneuver.  What would Jesus do if he were driving?

T-268: Saguaro Shooter

This comic today reminded me of a song we stumbled upon some time back called "Saguaro" by the Austin Lounge Lizards.  It tells the true story of a guy named David Grundman who shot a saguaro cactus in the Arizona desert only to have poorly planned how tall the thing was and to be impaled to death by it when it timbered toward him.  It's a gruesome thought in one way but very humorous in another.  I wish I could share the song but I can't find it online tonight.  I guess if you want to hear it you'll have to come over.  Did you hear we have sprinklers now?

T-269 : Croquet Custard

Tonight for home evening we played croquet and ate frozen custard.

It was National Frozen Custard Day, you know.

Do you know what kind of witches play croquet?  Wicket witches.  

T-270 : Sprinkle Time

We got sprinklers today!  We've been planning on it ever since we moved into this house almost 2 years ago.  We've even gone so far as to enlist multiple friends' help in planning.  In the end we just didn't feel comfortable doing it ourselves.  Given how long our shed project has taken and how many adjustments we've had to make to get it to fit together I feel good about having had this job professionally done.  Maybe someday I'll have the skills and time to do it on my own.  These guys came this morning after I left for work and were gone 10 minutes before I got home.  That's pretty cool.  Check one more thing off the list!  Next up, a riding lawnmower...

T-271 : Beard Shirt

I think the longest facial hair I've ever had is what I call a goatee.  If I ever grow a longer one I might get this T-shirt.

T-272 : Temple Dome?

There's a certain spot on campus near the Ag Building where you can get a shot of the temple steeple jutting up behind one of their large, domed sheds. Some of the farmers around here probably would have preferred that architectural style, no?

T-273 : Prophetic Hand

We took a trip to Utah the other day to shop at IKEA, visit family in Saratoga Springs, and to watch the Days of '47 Parade.  Growing up in Preston, having heard about the parade, and even having watched it on television on occasion; I'd never yet attended in person.  It's been on my bucket list of things to do.  We drove right down to Liberty Park and were able to park a couple of blocks away.  Apparently some people stake their tents out and stay overnight!  We did have to sit back from the curb a bit.  Tara actually preferred that to being in the crowds.  And, with no candy to be retrieved, our kids were fine with it, too.

Probably the highlight of the parade was when we saw a dignified car rolling along.  We were far enough back that we couldn't tell exactly who it was at first glance.  We soon squinted at the door placard enough that we could tell it was President Thomas S. Monson.  It was a solemn moment.  Tara shed tears.  Thanks to the power of the zoom lens I even have photographic proof; even if all you can see is his hand and the last few letters of his name on the sign.  Trust me.  It was moving.

How close have you ever been to someone you deem powerful?

T-274 : Shed Resistance

We're putting the finishing touches on a shed kit that we bought at Home Depot a few weeks ago.  I imagine someone with more skills and tools would have had it done in a day with raw lumber and parts from the local hardware store.  We've put in hundreds of man-hours and spent probably half again the cost of the shed in additional parts and tools to make it work.  Even at that, though, Tara remarked yesterday that it's still half the cost of a Buly Barn.  Plus, we got the experience!

While the shed has been resistant to our pleas to make it straight and true we had to laugh when we made one more trip to the hardware store the other day to pick up paint and rollers.  There were probably 10-20 different types of rollers we could have purchased.  In the end we got the cheapest but the humor was not lost on us when we read than many of them were "shed-resistant".  We certainly didn't want that!  We wanted a roller that would apply our paint and a shed that would not resist it's ability to stick to it.  We'll see how the ol' girl stands up to the test of the Rexburg wind, winter, and time.

T-275 : Do? Like?

“Doing what you like is freedom.
Liking what you do is happiness.”

~ Frank Tyger
(1929-2011)

Are you a do-liker, a like-doer, or both?

T-276 : Yogurt Splurt

I hate it when my yogurt splurts when I open it.

Don't you?

T-277 : Siren Sounds

Tara and I had to pull to the side of the road the other day because emergency vehicles were coming toward us. She remarked how the sound of sirens always made her feel lousy because she knew it meant that something bad had happened to someone.  I was brought up on the other side of the spectrum.  Sirens meant there was an opportunity to see something exciting!  Maybe it's because we used to like to watch Squad 51 on Emergency back in the day.  Anyway, it's interesting how one event can affect 2 people so differently.  How does it affect you?

T-278 : Journey Enjoyment

He actually has a point here. It's important to learn to enjoy the journey, right?  I guess that's not all that different from walking in someone's shoes.  Sometimes you have to at least imagine doing that so that you can appreciate your own shoes and your own path.  And, while the comic refers to the physicality of "cardio"; one should also strive for balance in mind and spirit, as well.

T-279 : Mile Walker

I read this comic today which reminded me of this funny twist on the concept of walking a mile in someone's shoes:

“Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them and you have their shoes.”

Jack Handey quotes (American Comic Writer, Comedian and Actor on SNL. Famous for his Deep Thoughts, b.1949)

T-280 : Venting Rodents

So my car developed a loud fan noise and a smell the past few days as I tried to use the air conditioning.  I took it to the shop today and they found mice had built a nest up in the vents.  It cost $250 for them to clear out the rodents and all their bacteria.  I'm wondering how to keep them out of the garage.  Tara later today did some work on the garage door that I'd backed into in a rush to get to church a few months back.  She's a good one.  A little googling brought me to this article: http://www.ehow.com/how_4916296_keep-mice-out-of-car.html

What would you have done?  Would you have paid or tried to do it yourself?  Have you ever had a similar issue?

T-281 : Shifter Christian

The title of this entry is a tribute to an old Night Ranger song while trying to encompass the gist of the entry in only 2 words, as I always like and try to do.  This video that I was turned onto today talks about how some of the words that we Christians use evolve their meanings over time.  It's an interesting concept to me.  As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we have an Article of Faith that states, "We believe the Bible to be the word of God inasmuch as it is translated correctly...".  What do you think?

T-282 : Lost Marbles?

Tonight for Family Home Evening we played marbles.  That's a good, clean game.  We picked up this Cranium Grab & Go Mega Marbles set years ago around the same time we picked up many other Cranium games.  They had won some toy awards and still tend to be among our favorites.  What's your favorite family night activity?