Saturday, September 26, 2009

Driving Miss Crazy


As a sweet little 5-year-old, I began my schooling career in kindergarten. We had just moved the year before to Blanding, Utah and I had made a few friends in the neighborhood prior to starting school. One was my good friend, Charlie Brown. Yes, that was really his name. Actually it was Charles Brown Junior--his father's name was Charlie Brown as well. The Brown family lived a few blocks away. I loved to play at his house because his dad was an eccentric inventor. This translated into really fun junk to play with and crazy contraptions he built for his kids to play on.

Such as the bicycle swing-set. Three bikes hung from a big pole in a sort of carousel fashion, when you pedaled the bikes, they all swung around the pole in a circle. Inside the house was just as fun because it was in a constant state of remodel. Every time I went over, a wall had been moved or an addition tacked on--it was a sort of Dr. Suess-like atmosphere there all the time. And, as much fun as Charlie, his dad and his house were, he had two older sisters who were even wackier. One time when I was over there, they decided to have a wedding. Charlie and I were to be the bride and groom and we all made dozens of flowers out of Kleenex and toilet paper. Charlie and I were really not aware of the seriousness of the commitment we were making--he kept chasing after the dog and I would run after them trailing toilet paper and tissues as his sisters ran after us shouting for us to come back and get married. I don't think we ever actually took our vows--so don't worry--my sordid past doesn't include any abandoned husbands.

So, by the time school started, Charlie and I were good friends and we were in the same class at school. I was surprised to notice that Charlie was really quiet at school. I guess Dick and Jane and Puff and Spot were pretty dull when you came from a place like Charlie did.

But one day, his dad showed up at school to liven things up with his latest invention: a car. It was made mostly out of wood but it was basically a Power Wheel long before Power Wheels were even heard of. We all went out to the playground to watch Charlie demonstrate the car. He took it for a spin around the playground and then the teacher announced that we were all going to get a turn driving Charlie's car! We were all lined up alphabetically which put me about the middle of the line. Charlie's dad helped each child into the car and explained how it worked and each child took the same route: out, around the merry-go-round and back. I could feel the excitement and anticipation of my class-mates around me as we waited for our turn.

Before I knew it, I was climbing into the little wooden car. I remember Charlie's dad pointing to pedals and showing me which way to turn the steering wheel. I clearly was not paying as close attention as I should have because I headed out toward the merry-go-round and didn't turn wide enough, then I panicked trying to remember which pedal was the brake. I had a 50/50 chance of choosing the right one and stopping the car before it crashed into the merry-go-round.
I chose wrong.
The car careened into the merry-go-round with a loud "CRUNCH". The humiliation and embarrassment were compounded by all the dirty looks I got from the classmates whose last names came after "H" in the alphabet because the car was rendered undriveable after my fiasco and no one after me got a turn.
They turned sadly and followed the teacher back into the classroom as Charlie's dad loaded the totaled car back into the trailer. He kept reassuring me that it could be fixed easily and not to worry. Small comfort with all my classmates mad at me.
It was a few days before I felt comfortable going to Charlie's house again. As I walked up the street, I was relieved to see Charlie driving his car up and down the driveway. When he saw me coming he hurriedly pulled it into the garage and closed the door. He stood outside the garage door waving nonchalantly as I approached him. Fair enough--there were plenty of other fun things to do at his house and I really was NOT ready to get behind the wheel again anytime before my 16th birthday.
Let's fast forward about 12 years, my family moved away from Blanding when I was nine and we had moved several times since then. But my aunt, uncle and cousins moved there. I was visiting them and went to school one day with my cousin. It was fun to see some of the kids I had known in grade school. I didn't expect any of them to remember me though so I was surprised when a guy walked up and said:
"I remember you. We were in the same kindergarten class."
Before I could be flattered at being so memorable, he went on:
"I was in line after you to drive Charlie's car--and I never got my turn after you crashed it into the merry-go-round."

Monday, September 21, 2009

The Charge of the Light Brigade

Along with all the other adjustments to relocating to a new state, comes the adjustment to the cost of living. People here cheerfully refer to it as the "Sun Tax". Personally, I would like a little less sun and I'll keep some of that money thank you very much.
But--here we are.
So, the electric bill came the other day sending my guy into a frenzy. He was shocked and appalled at the high price we have to pay to light our way in the dark. He tossed the bill onto the counter and began the war on waste. He blustered up and down the halls looking for any stray light or fan that might be functioning without humans in the vicinity.
He took a short break from this frenzy of activity to
research the cost of electricity in our last home and do a cost comparison. He was even more distressed to find out that California rates are FOUR TIMES HIGHER!
I think he would have been better off not knowing that.
As the assault on frivolous electrical use continued, he asked for a schedule of our daily comings and goings so he could set the thermostat to only be on when we are here.
My schedule of comings and goings took two pages--and that was just Monday.
Being the dedicated accounting and finance guy that he is, he managed to distill that into a very delicate ballet of cool air consumption. Precision tuned to cool us only at the bare minimum.
He put the family on notice that there would be no more frolicking in the cool breezes of unrestrained air conditioning. No more frivolous sitting in lighted rooms.
We are all team players.
We want to be helpful.
We want Dad's forehead vein to stop pulsating.
And so we are all on board with the new campaign to lower the electric bill.
In fact, every prayer offered yesterday--from the blessing on the food to our final family prayer--included a humble plea for help with our endeavor.
Today when Sam was studying science he had a eureka moment,
a light went on in his head. And someone snapped: "Turn that off."

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

The Week That Was

The days are flying by and it seems like one week melds into the next.
We barely catch our breath between the days--with seminary starting in the wee hours of the morning and studying going late into the evening and the usual and sometimes unusual shenanigans going on in between.
But here's a little glimpse of this past week:Seth discovered a cool way to frost the center of a layer cake.
He froze the frosting on foil in the baking pan and then
just peeled it off and laid it on there. Move over Martha!

We moved furniture around...
...to make room for new carpet.
It replaces the grubby, dog hair version that was here when we moved in.

We moved more furniture around...


...to scrub the grubby concrete tile floors.


We saw the garden grow out of control in some places...


...and this pumpkin got huger.


I don't understand the big hoopla about zucchini being so easy to grow--
this is my zucchini spot in the garden: barren.

The pumpkin patch: not so barren.

And we wrapped up the week with a visitor--
the scorpion in Shayla's shower!
Kinda makes the bats seem cute and cuddly.
Too bad scorpion doesn't rhyme with "cats".










Saturday, September 12, 2009

Recent Conversation

After I jokingly posted on facebook that Labor Day was to commemorate moms who have been through labor, Sam thought it was funny and then he asked me about labor. Wondering if it was as bad as it seemed. I told him:
"It's the most difficult thing I've ever done physically, but each time, as soon as I held that baby in my arms it was completely forgotten."
Sam replied:
"Oh, then it really is a labor of love."
Yes son, it truly is.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Oh, Say Can You See

These are just some of the many flags I see as I walk through our neighborhood.










Is it trite to say: "Freedom isn't free"?
Ask those whose loved ones have made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.
I try not to take that for granted.
God Bless America





Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Just Another Day at the Beach

That's Seth, Shayla and Sam in the surf.
Like how I caught the bird in mid-takeoff? Totally accidental.
Gentle Reader,

My apologies for the recent lapse in posts. A little something I call CALIFORNIA RED TAPE has taken over my life. Oh, how California loves its rules and regulations. I had no idea how laid back (and actually, I'm sure California would call it: LAZY) Washington state is. I mean really--they aren't even really trying. A rule here, a suggestion there--but mostly they just leave most things up to the common sense of the sensible people and call it a day. But, just like the sunshine here in California, the bureaucracy is relentless. From what I can tell, its purpose is to take our minds off the fact that we are living in the middle of a disaster nightmare. Just today as we drove to the beach (a short, 20 minute jaunt) I heard on the radio:

Flash floods in Ramona

Mudslide blocks a road to Julian

The biggest fire in LA is 20% contained (this was good news)

8 other fires continue to burn

Hurricane Jemena hit the Baja peninsula



I'm still trying to adjust to the fact that our governor is THE TERMINATOR--it's his voice chanting over the radio : "We need watah! We need watah! We need watah!" and

"Fiah here, fiah there, we haf fiahs everywheah!"


All this while I was driving past signs that said:

CAUTION: Falling Rocks

CAUTION: Flash Flood Area

CAUTION: Earthquakes
(just kidding--there wasn't a sign for that--earthquakes are a given)

We got to the beach.

The sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky, a balmy 78 degrees.

A lovely breeze ruffles my hair.

I breathe in the salty sea air.

Earthquakes? Fires? Floods?

Whatever.




Happy Birthday Scott!

 It has been awhile since I updated this little family scrapbook on the internet. I like to pop over here from time to time and look at our ...