Free People Finder

I found the coolest people finder online...It is free and you can leave messages for old friends...

http://www.zabasearch.com/

Rhodesian Ridgeback?

http://www.pet-directory.net/uploads/63/Rhodesian_Ridgeback.jpg

http://www.ridgebackhengelo.nl/foto's/wandeling/vledder01/25-05-06%20030.jpg

I think our dog Cora is at least part Rhodesian Ridgeback, or African Lion Hound as they are commonly called...

Gut Check...

I was heading up to Park City today to get some pictures of the Sundance Film Festival...as I was getting dressed, I asked my wife, "I might run into Sienna Miller...what should I wear?"

She replied, "A girdle."

Dante

Say hello to the newest member of our family...

My wife must think we are the Dr. Doolittle family...

Photos of Salt Lake City Utah

Salt Lake Temple

Greek Orthodox Church, SLC, UT

City Creek Inn Neon Sign, SLC, UT

Rio Grande Station, SLC, UT

Lyric Agnosia

I have always admired that my brother, NativeMinnow, is able to remember words for every song he hears...this is evident in his ability to think of a lyric title to every blog he writes.

I, however, have lyric agnosia and have the hardest time understanding and even hearing the words in music. So, if there are any scientists that want to study siblings--one who possesses the innate ability to hear/memorize every word in a song, and another who can almost never get the words right, or even focus on all of the words in a 3 minute song (I get distracted by the rhythm/beat and melody instead)--then come study us... :)

Here are some interesting medical articles about stroke patients and the differences between auditory agnosia and music agnosia. I seem to have some type of auditory agnosia only when words are sung. Maybe I have a brain lesion interfering with my ability to hear words in popular songs. :(

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=14681117&dopt=Abstract

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9687196&dopt=Abstract

http://brain.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/123/9/1926

http://www.psych.mcgill.ca/levitin/pubspages/memory.html

Losing inches, not weight...

My wife looked at me today as we were driving and said, "I can tell that you have been losing weight." I thought it was funny because I don't think I have lost much weight. I have been working out a few days a week and trying to eat less junk food and smaller portions; however, I came to work tonight and got on the scale and I only weigh 2 pounds less than I did several weeks ago...I guess I need to remember that it is more about losing inches than pounds at this point. Especially since I am hitting the weights and building massive amounts of dense muscle tissue... :)

Pictures of Springdale, Utah (Zion National Park)

These are the mountains surrounding Springdale, UT at the entrance to Zion National Park. The photo was taken shortly after sundown.

Pondering...

Why is it, that given the opportunity, my teenage children make the wrong choice nearly every time?

Money Train...

Yay...I just got home from my 20 hour day...unfortunately, the assessments I did today were only the $250 assessments, but next week I get two $650 assessments. :)

Soda...

When we got home from church today, my kids were hungry and we made some lunch/dinner (4:30 PM). My youngest said she was thirsty and wanted some milk. I poured some for her in a sippy cup and she said thanks and walked away. A few minutes later, she came back asking for some soda. I told her that she already had milk. She said, "My milk is yukky....it has dirt in it."

Cora

Here's another picture of our dog, Cora...

Hmmmm....how do I turn comments back on?

Liar liar pants on fire...

Well, today I drove home, pulled into the driveway with my lights off to see what was going on with the computer. I could see my son from the driveway on an online video game (which he is banned from because they download viruses/spyware and he was sneaking upstairs on school nights and playing them at 1 or 3 AM). He looked over his shoulder, saw me, shut down the window and acted like he was doing something else online.

I walked in and confronted him. He denied. I told him that I just saw it with my two eyes. He denied again. I asked him what the window was that I saw. He denied that there had been a window. I realized that he hadn't had time to erase the history and sent him to bed. I was able to do a search and realized he had been on Runescape (and when I looked at properties, it showed he had been on one minute before I walked in the door). When confronted again, he finally admitted it. He is so dishonest...he will never admit to any wrongdoing unless you have evidence to confront him...and sometimes then he will continue to lie.

I worry about his future if he never learns to be honest.

Reconsideration...

I have reconsidered....and don't think I will write about the escalation...It was immature, delinquent, and kind of embarrassing...

Where the name came from...

Some humorless individual didn't like that this was referred to as the "Holy" war... It occurred back in 1991 shortly after the USA getting involved in the liberation of Kuwait. We didn't want to call it Operation Desert Storm, therefore referred to it as the holy war...We even pasted this cartoon up in the school after the retaliation as a harbinger of what would come...

The Holy War: The Retaliation

Needless to say, Crystal was not pleased with the "taco salad" appearance of her truck. She steamed as she drove to hose the vegetables off. She and her friends plotted how they would get the boys back when they discovered who was responsible.

That evening, Crystal and her friends gathered their own "supplies" and drove to the home of one of the chefs who had created the vegetarian entree. They proceeded to smear syrup and flour all over the front of the truck, and added a special jar of golden liquid across the hood and down the engine vents. They had gotten the boys back, and then some...

Coming Soon: The Escalation

The Holy War: The Beginning

"Quick, grab all of the rotten vegetables that you can find." Several teenage boys were rummaging through the dumpster behind Mike's Foodtown. Soon they had enough discarded produce for their plan. They placed the box full of softened veggies in the back of the truck and drove down Main Street to the high school. They soon approached the target, Crystal's old red truck. They quickly dismounted from the vehicle and covered the hood and windshield of the truck with the recently gathered spoils. They surveyed their handiwork and commented that it looked like a nice taco salad--the blackened avocadoes added that extra bit of garnish they were looking for. They quickly piled back into the truck and were gone in an instant--gleefully imagining the look on Crystal's face when she left drill team practice.

*Note: This was not done in malice, but was a good-natured practical joke. Everyone liked Crystal.

Coming Soon: The Holy War: Part II

Provo Utah LDS Temple

The Provo Utah LDS Temple during a snowstorm

An artistic modification of photograph...Provo Utah LDS Temple

Breaking and Entry...

"I have called this meeting with the student council because we have had some recent reports of kids breaking into the school at night."

The entire student council sat there with feigned shock on their faces.

"This is a very serious problem and we want it to stop." the principal continued. "That is why we are asking you, the student council, to keep your eyes and ears open. If you happen to be driving by the school at night, look to see if you can see suspicious lights. If you hear anything about kids breaking into the school, let us know."

Everyone gravely nodded their heads in unison...the mood was sober.

"Okay, well that is all we wanted to talk about. You are dismissed to go to your classes."

The student council slowly filed into the hallways...with a feeling of relief. It had been one of the funnest group dates ever, the squirt gun fight they had in the school last Saturday night.

*In retrospect, I think the principal knew it was most of us that had been in the school, and wanted to let us know in a nice way that it was unacceptable...I wonder which person on the date ratted us out... :)

Buildings in Rural Utah...

Mansion for sale in Salina, Utah

Mom's Cafe in Salina, Utah

Abandoned Store in Levan, Utah

Near Gunnison, Utah

Early morning requests...

Every day that I am asleep when my 2-year old wakes up, she comes in and says the same thing, "I want some Mawshmellow Maties in a bowl." If I am downstairs, she comes down, usually dragging a blanket, and says, "Dad! I'm awake!" It is as regular as clockwork...

Architectural Photography

I think I am going to start taking more pictures of run down homes, interesting porches, etc. I think a lot of these types of homes won't be around for long and I think they make for cool shots...I drove through rural Utah yesterday and got many interesting shots like this...

Maltese

For those who read my wife's blog, you know that we had a visitor over Christmas--a maltese that was separated from its family. My wife fell in love with it and decided she had to have one. She searched the paper and found a puppy for sale in Central Utah. Normally they cost anywhere from $600 to $1200 and we got ours for $450. I picked it up on Tuesday on the way home from working in southern Utah. It had so much energy, and when I stopped by my parents, it didn't stop running around the ENTIRE time I was there. I said to my mom, "Great, I just paid $450 to be annoyed for the next 5 years of my life."

A New Beard for a New Year...

I have been attending BYU about a third of my life, so now that I have graduated, I think I will grow a beard. I already have about 10 days growth...Maybe I will grow it out for a few months. :) If it looks cool, I will post a picture...