Let the Lies Fly - Its ELECTION SEASON

Its going to be an interesting election season full of half truths and slander from both sides.

Case in point: The Obama camp saying that "Romney and Ryan will end Medicare as we know it."
Medicare "as we know it" is nearly insolvent, rife with with fraud, and soon to have VAST growth in the number of 'dependents' added to the system which will only hasten the insolvency.

Several key aspects of the Obamacare program are aimed at reducing Medicare costs and curtailing billing fraud. If Medicare "as we know it" was a good thing, the Obama administration wouldn't be looking to reform it.

Would Romney/Ryan make fundamental and drastic changes to Medicare? I hope so. Someone needs to. Would those changes differ from what Obama is trying to do? Absolutely. 

Does the Democratic platform of continuing to provide unlimited coverage to Medicare recipients sound appealing? Yes. Who doesn't want to hear that someone else is going to cover your medical expenses? My grandmother is on Medicare and I certainly want her expenses to be covered.

Realistically though, there's a HUGE national deficit. HOW do we keep funding something like that? Regardless of which party wins the election, we NEED an overhaul of pretty much every aspect of government spending.

When do we get to the election debates when the candidates have to stand face to face and make claims that other party can explain/defend/debunk before the same audience?

Regardless of which party you identify or which candidate you're already planning to vote for, you NEED to listen to what both parties say and then research on your own to sort through the bull they're both slinging.

Can't fit a regular newscast in your schedule or can't find a news station that's not either openly biased or so phony in their attempt at fair and unbiased coverage that it makes you sick?  Get a Twitter account and start following the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates, the campaign offices,  and then add the various individuals and groups that you'll find offering commentary and reference material. 

I promise that its interesting and I promise that you'll be amazed at how skewed and misleading each side can be on their own.

Project Homestead - part 5 - NOW the neighbors hate us

After the four day rush to have sub-rough plumbing inspected, the damp proofing done, back fill completed and gravel placed and leveled, we were ready to have the concrete floors poured.

On October 2, 2011, I left town for a work conference with absolutely no intention of letting the concrete contractor know that wouldn't be around to check their progress each day.

On October 3rd, they were on site installing rebar for the floors (we opted to spend an extra $650 adding rebar to avoid any shifting later) and called that evening to let me know they'd be starting the pour at 6am the next day in hopes of avoiding a rain storm later that day.  The contractor was a bit concerned about upset neighbors calling in a noise complaint to the police.
 

Laundry room, bathroom, and entrance area.

On October 4th - as reported a few neighbors who happen to be friends - the crew (complete with flood lights) and concrete truck (complete with backup alarms) was on site at 5:15am.  By the end of the day, our floors were poured and the flatwork was done.

Family Room

LESSONS LEARNED:
1) The concrete will NEVER be perfectly flat and level. It Just Won't Happen.
2) A good rain storm after the floors are poured will really show you how true #1 is.
3) Friends won't complain about the 5:15am noise and light but they will harass you about it a bit.

Bedrooms and Family Room

Project Homestead - part 4 - Where's the Gang?

Once the concrete walls were ready, it was time for sub-rough plumbing. Sub-rough plumbing really just consists of the drain pipes that are installed below the floors and will connect to the sewer line. The plumbing contractors dug trenches and placed/connected all of the drain pipes for the home.  Once that was done, I had to shovel the dirt back into the trenches and pack it down as prep for the gravel fill.

While the plumbers were doing their part, I spent two days with a 24 gallons of tar, a paint roller, and a roofing brush coating the foundation as damp proofing.

After the damp proofing was done, the backfill started.  I rented a bobcat to do some back fill around the outside of the garage where the dig was rather shallow and compaction wasn't critical. I also moved a lot of dirt so that the excavator and I could get a backhoe around back.

I opted to install a french drain and bring it to a vertical culvert where a sump pump can be installed later. Wow, that was a pain! The plastic drain tile (flexible pipe) kept shifting up when gravel was dumped on it and it took a long time to install.

After the french drain was installed, we started back fill with the excavator running the backhoe and me running a compactor.  Rather than fill the inside of the basement with 6" of dirt, level it and compact it then fill it with  4" of gravel that also had to be leveled, I opted for 10" of gravel and no need for compacting.

All told, the back fill, compacting and gravel project amounted to four days of labor and felt a lot like working on a chain gang without the chain.  One day, I drank water all day but was still 8lbs lighter that night and couldn't pee until the next day.  I shoveled and raked a crazy amount of gravel but, it was all even and ready for to support the 4" concrete slab that will be the basement floor or our new home.

LESSONS LEARNED:
1) Shoveling and raking a LOT of gravel was brutal but it was still better than back filling, leveling and compacting 6" of dirt and then shoveling 4" of gravel.
2) Hire a few laborers to help shoveling gravel next time!
3) The ICS foam block forms would have saved a lot of time and effort damp proofing the foundation and would be far more effective.
4) Never use the perforated hose style drain tile again! Using the solid PVC with holes drilled only on the top would be much easier and more effective.

Project Homestead - Part 3 - Filling the Hole with Cats!

The concrete crew was on site August 24, 2011 setting forms for the foundation footings.  Haylie, Zander and myself took a walk up to the job site (did I mention, its 1/4 mile from our apartment?) to take a look that night and our cat walked along to check things out. The cat (Sam or Bocephus depending on whether Haylie tells your or I do) just jumped right down in the hole and walked around. At one point, he even laid down and rested a bit.

Since that day, the cat has continued to follow us to the job site and I've even found him already there several times when I've gone over in the evenings. Moving likely won't be a problem for him.

The walls could have gone up a few days after the footings were poured but, that's when we hit our second setback.  The concrete crew was busy on other projects and left us hanging for three weeks.  UGH!!  Three weeks in mid summer wouldn't have been too bad but in the fall, it meant there were pushing us into cold weather and possible snow. I was NOT pleased about that.

We had actual basement walls on September 16th, 2011.  For the most part, the concrete footings and walls turned out well.  There's one second of garage wall that sagged a bit though the framers were able to shim the floor truss at that point to make up for it.  There's also one window that's not placed correctly.  The laundry room window is only three feet tall (the other basement windows are four feet tall) to allow for washing machine against the wall. Unfortunately, the concrete crew set that window even with other windows at the BOTTOM rather than even at the TOP.  The owner of the company said he'll give me some keystone blocks to use when building the retaining walls at my basement door and, though I'll ALWAYS thing that window is dumb, I'm going to go with it.

We've since also found that the north wall or the garage sagged a bit - the framing crew was able compensate.  The concrete crew also neglected to offset the anchor bolts correctly on that same wall for the section where garage/house wall becomes garage/outside wall. That wouldn't be an issue if the anchor strap were placed to line up with the bolts.  There are ways to frame around it but its still annoying.

LESSONS LEARNED:
1) If the contractor isn't there and moving forward when you expected, call right then and ask what the hold up is. Waiting to see if they'll show up just kills your project timeline.
2) Check everything yourself regardless of how experience the crew is. That low window is going to bug me forever.
3) Next time, I'm using the ICS foam block concrete forms. Having not seen the entire foundation process before, I didn't trust myself to get it right but having seen the process, I'd feel comfortable doing it myself.

Project Homestead - Part 2 - Getting Dirty

I'm pretty sure the neighbors behind our lot don't like us.  They purchased their home about one month before we purchased our lot. The home formerly belong to friends of ours and they said the new owners were happy the lot behind them was vacant so that they could move trailers and other items through to their back yard.  I hope they made good use of that feature for the two months prior to us excavating because we definitely messed that up.
At the end of August, I made arrangements with an excavator to dig out for our foundation and basement. Leslie and I measured and marked the lot and a few days later, there was a backhoe where our dirt had been!  The kids were getting a little bit excited about things but they didn't really get what this meant for our dream of being in a house again.

LESSONS LEARNED:
1) A soil report calling for "shale soil" and very likely water problems isn't necessarily a death sentence to your basement. We lucked out and had no problems at all. We also set the basement three feet shallow to hopefully avoid problems later.
2) A quality excavator makes life easier. Kerry Krompel did a great job and actually had the hole flat and level. The concrete crew had an easy time setting the footing forms and we didn't waste any concrete trying to fill low spots.

Project Homestead - Part 1 - The SLOW start.

After searching for months trying to find a home we'd like to buy in Price, we eventually decided there was nothing worth purchasing. Everything was either far beyond our price range (the new homes), in need of far too much repair/renovation (most of the homes in our price range) or BOTH. There is an astounding number of older (1950's or 1970's) home in Price that have had minor renovations and are now priced more expensive than brand new homes in some other areas.  The phrase "polished turd" kept coming to mind but it didn't really apply because most of them hadn't been polished.

Rather than paying too much for something that still needed a lot of work, we've opted to build our own home. I've done some framing before and seen, at least at some level, everything involved in building a home I'm just foolish enough to tackle the entire process, and much of the work, myself and will document the experience here.

In February 2011, we chose a house plan from an web store and purchased it for $700. We wanted a few changes but figured we could hand draw the changes we needed.  After talking to the local building inspector about the plans though, it became clear they would need a lot of change to pass 2009 code because these were from 2006.  I spent $100 for a home design software application and started re-drawing the plans and putting in the necessary changes. We were still saving up money for the down payment and so the extra time didn't matter much.

In March, 2011, we made an offer on a lot we really wanted but were turned down. In July 2011, we finally felt we had enough money saved up to get started and that we'd have the plans ready soon so we placed an offer on an alternate lot. It wasn't the lot we really wanted but the price was within our budget, we already knew some of the neighbors and it was laid out just right for our home plans. There was some confusion with the real estate agent and the developer/seller over which lots were actually still available and so we didn't get the lot we wanted.

While trying to clear up the confusion regarding which lots were available, the real estate agent remembered the lot we originally wanted and mentioned that another on the same street had just sold for a price we could afford. We made an offer and landed our preferred lot for the same price as the second choice lot was selling for.  SCORE! The lot we grabbed is on a street of new homes, across the street from a church next door to friends, and up the street from the school Leslie teaches at and Haylie attends. BIG SCORE!!

We lined everything up with the bank and headed to the city offices to have our plans approved. That's when we hit our first setback. The "setback" requirements on the lot meant our home, as designed, wouldn't fit on the lot and we'd need to re-draw the plans.

The same week our plans and lot were going to the appraiser as part of the loan process, I had to completely redesign and redraw the entire plan.  Three days later, we had something the appraiser could use and a week later, we had something that would pass inspection.  UGH - that was a LONG week!
The loan process was easy and we signed the papers mid August 2011 with our approved plans in hand.

Building a home was no longer a dream, it was a commitment we had to come through on.

LESSONS LEARNED:
1) That 20% down is due when you sign papers on the owner/builder loan. You don't have until the home is complete to have the 20% ready. They also add 10% to the projected costs betting that a non-professional builder is going to go over a bit.
2) Building code requirements have come a long way since our previous house was built in 2004.
3) Washington Federal in Price, UT (the bank we used) is really friendly and helpful with the whole financing and planning process.

DISGUISE THE BUM!

On Sunday, while I was changing Zander's diaper (yes, a diaper @ 3 1/2 yrs old because he's stubborn), I asked him to lift his legs and then he belted out "DISGUISE THE BUM." He proceeded to tell me to disguise the bum throughout the diaper change. When we were done, Zander told me he'd be telling the kids in the nursery at church to disguise the bum. I asked him not to. You can guess how that request was taken.
True to his word, when Zander walked into the nursery, his first words were "DISGUISE THE BUM!" I asked him to stop talking about his bum and then explained that he invented that phrase on his own.
Tonight, Zander was enjoying another diaper change and once again exclaimed, "DISGUISE THE BUM!" Right after that, he went into some speech about how he's a hero and his power is to disguise the bum. I really wish he'd warn us that he's going to wax poetic so that we could film those moments.

Creepy Story Time

Since Haylie was old enough for bedtime stories, the bedtime routine and story telling has been largely my responsibility. It works out well because Leslie has generally spent all day with the kids and is ready for a break while I've been at work during the day and could you some extra kid time. We normally just ready from one of the hundreds of children's books laying around (that happens when there's a teacher in the home) but sometimes a plain old story from a plain old book just won't cut it.
Made up stories, books with Haylie and Zander as the characters, normal stories in funny voices and stories told by various stuffed animals are a few of the ways I liven up the bedtime story. The funny voices and made up stories usually turn out well but on occasion, they'd be down right odd or creepy to any adult listening.
Tonight, I read a "Clifford the Big Red Dog" story to the kids but in a funny voice. The voice started out normal enough but evolved into a combination of Morgan Freeman in "The Shawshank Redemption" and Hannibal Lecter.
A few years ago, the CareBear "Bedtime Bear" would tell Haylie a lot of bedtime stories but his voice evolved into that of a sociopath character form the TV show "Prison Break."
Several weeks back, Haylie and Zander asked for a made up story and, when I couldn't think of anything good, I told them the story of "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure." Describing what a phone booth is was the hardest part of that story.
Fortunately, Haylie and Zander are oblivious to where some of these voices and stories come from and love their bedtime stories; a few are such a big hit riotous laughter (really, I'm not making that up) keeps them from falling asleep for a while.

Travel Anxiety

Tomorrow morning, I'll be driving to Salt Lake City and then flying to Boston for a week of work related training. I'm not afraid of flying and really enjoy seeing new places, but with two kids at home, I now get a bit of anxiety when I travel. As soon as the plane lands in Boston, I'll be perfectly relaxed until the flight home and will be fine again when the plane lands in SLC.

Being away for the week isn't so bad but the thought of a plane crash or other accident preventing me from returning home to Leslie and the kids really gets to me. I worry about Haylie and Zander growing up without me. I worry about Haylie missing me and about Zander not being old enough now to remember me later. I worry about Leslie on her own trying to raise two children and trying to explain that their father is gone. There's a LOT of things I'm looking forward to teaching and doing with my children.

Tonight, Haylie cried and asked me not to go. I want very much to say 'yes' and stay close to home this week and every week but the trip is part of work and part of providing for my family. I'm thankful for technology that will allow my to talk them each day and, if I can find the extra web-cam and some bandwidth at the hotel, to see them each day as well.

Loving (and being part of) a family certainly makes some of the ordinary things in life difficult but, I'm grateful every day to have Leslie, Haylie and Zander in my life.

Charlie Brown

Today, Zander "Charlie Brown'ed" his first kite. He managed to get it stuck on the backboard of a basketball hoop and then a tree less than two minutes later.

The kite was easily retrieved from the tree and both Haylie and Zander had fun flying their kites but, I decided that to have two kids flying kites at the same time, two adults are required - I just couldn't keep up with keeping both of them crash free by myself. Leslie missed all of the kite flying fun.

Funny Kids

Haylie and Zander just keep saying funny things. There are usually six or seven great comments from each of them throughout the week but here are three that sprang to mind tonight.

Many nights, Zander gets comes out of his room a few minutes after he goes to bed and asks for a drink or a snack, mostly as a way to stay up later. Last week, he came out and said "I need to go potty in the toilet." I asked, "do you really need to go or are you just trying to stay awake?" Zander answered honestly with, "I'm just trying to stay awake."

This week, Zander attempted to ask for "Go-Gurt" but apparently couldn't remember the name and so he said, "Can I have some yogurt? I mean gobert. I mean, whatever its called." The statement itself wasn't funny but to hear a not quite three year old use "whatever its called" in a sentence was pretty funny.

The next day, while I was changing Zander's diaper (yes, he still wears diapers because he is to stubborn to even try potty training), he lifted both legs high, looked toward his bum and said "hey, why is there a crack?"

While Haylie and Zander and I were driving today (okay, I was driving, they were apparently sitting back there judging), Haylie blurted out, "mom is a terrible driver." I now have some concerns over exactly what Leslie is doing behind the wheel of a car and what Haylie has established as criteria for driving skill.

Memories in the Corner of My Mind (Part 3)

At the age of 20, when I thought back to the things I'd said and done in my life, the thoughts were often followed by a slap to the forehead and utter disbelief that I'd done or said something so pathetic or embarrassing (or pathetically embarrassing on a few occasions).
Some of those memories are of pitifully failed romantic overtures, others are of misguided attempts to fit in with one social group or another. Yet more of those memories are of foolish actions or ill conceived "brilliant plans" for having fun (case in point, dislocating a shoulder while going cliff jumping and preceding to go again each weekend since the shoulder went back in).

Regarding many of those memories, its easy to look back and laugh. Some are so amusing that its worth calling up an old friend and refreshing both of our memories of how it all went down. Others are memories that remain so embarrassing or painful that they remain mine alone. As much as I'd always wanted to forget those moments or, better yet, finally invent a time machine and go undo a good dozen or so of those memories.

At the age of 32, I seldom look back on those moments. Its not that those moments are any less embarrassing, its simply that they no longer hold the same significance for me and that there are so many newer memories (yes, some also pathetic or embarrassing) draw my attention.

I hope that I never forget what it was like to be hopelessly invested in someone else, to be crushed by someone else, to be so excited to be part of something. The experiences, both good and bad, engrained on our memories make us who we are. As my children grow up, they'll go through a whole range of experiences and emotions as I move further away from the similar experiences that I had. I hope to never forget how I felt in those moments, the good or bad decisions I made, the whole experience of growing up!

I want my children to know and trust me as a friend as well as a parent. I want to remember and understand what they're going through so that I can help and so that I can refrain from screaming at the top of my lungs, "what on EARTH were you thinking?" because I was once thinking (or perhaps not thinking but feeling) the same thing. Maybe I'll even share a few embarrassing stories with them.

Memories in the Corner of My Mind (Part 2)

When you're young, you remember everything like it was yesterday. Well, when you're 12 years old, it practically was yesterday. When you're 16, there's still not a lot jammed in the ol' noggin and when you're 18, you basically don't care what you remember because there are more important things to worry about like graduating from high school and moving out.

While it may not be scientifically proven, I've always felt there's a finite amount of space in my cranium and, as new things are added, some things just have to go. The lyrics to that "Bat Out of Hell 2" album by Meatloaf were thankfully on the list of things that went.

There are some things that just don't fade over time the way the rest of it does though. For me, at least, a strong emotional response really duct tapes a memory to the inside of my skull. It has to be something more specific than just being really happy or sad for a memory to stick like glue, though.

At 32 years old, I remember parts of the move (including the Greyhound bus ride) from Pennsylvania to Wyoming at age 3; going with my parents to see a house at age 5 and then not wanting to move into it because I'd be starting kindergarten in a different town.
Unfortunately, I also remember when my parents nearly divorced and when I cried at my best friends house because we'd be moving away.

I remember spending time with my grandmother, helping her garden or cook, helping to clean and just spending time with her. Oh no - I just remembered sleeping over at her home and being a huge fan of New Kids on the Block - I guess that ties into part 1 of this post.

Naturally, I remember the first time I SAW my first car, before I'd even purchased it and I remember the excitement of my first night in a college dorm and the completely random and funny things that happened pretty much non stop for the first two months of being out on my own.

Leslie (the woman I remember marrying 10 1/2 years ago) has a much better memory of specific dates, events, etc and so I hope she'll forgive me when I one day forget our anniversary but remember flirting with her during a parade float build and then later asking her out by placing a rose and note reading "for a good time call ....." (with a phone number but no name) on her windshield.

Memories in the Corner of My Mind (Part 1)

While driving home from the office late tonight, "The Freshman" by The Verve Pipe was playing on the radio and I started thinking of the past for two reasons.
1) The song speaks of the naivety of youth, consequences and accountability.
2) I strongly associate music with events or periods in my life.

Generally speaking, everyone associates a type or style of music to a time period or era and then ties that a stage of their life. I tend to take that a step further, and perhaps most people do, by associating specific songs to specific events, trials or emotional impacts in my life.

Thankfully, I wasn't alive during the Disco craze but I do have serious regrets about owning Meatloaf's "Bat Out of Hell 2" album though I have no shame regarding the MC Hammer or Ace of Base albums.

There is either a specific song or specific album tied to the memory of every girl I hopelessly pined for throughout middle school and high school.
There's a theme song to each great adventure or trip with friends.
Better than Ezra's "Good" directly associates to spending three weeks at a gifted and talented summer camp and finally meeting new people and making friends without past stigmas or bullies holding me back.
Duncan Sheik's "In the Absence of Sun" marked the end of high school (the day after the senior "lock in" over night activity actually) and absolutely cuts to the realization that I'd never actually taken the risk and told someone how I felt about her and that the opportunity was now gone.
The band Cake kept me grooving through late night studying and projects as I finished the last semester of college at Boise State.
There's a Bad Religion album for the day I was laid off from my job at URS in 2009.
Rammstein's "Du Hast" marks visiting Bryan Tipton and other friends in Powell, WY during my sophomore year of college but Rammstein's "Mein Herz brennt" represents motorcycle rides between Idaho City and Lowman, ID.
The list goes on...

Its rather amazing how a certain song can bring back such vivid memories or even just the simple associations. Occasionally, the lyrics relate to event or emotion but more often, its just something I happened to be listening to when those memories were made.

Ways My Children Have Changed Me

This is certainly another post that's more for my kids to read later but I wanted to take a moment to share how they have changed my life.

A long, long time ago (at least 12 years ago), in a land far, far away (Wyoming actually), I was the kind of person who never planned to have children. Its not that I hated children but, I didn't have much interest in having any of my own. When Leslie and I were married, we both agreed that waiting a while before having children was a good idea; I still needed to finish college and she'd just finished and was starting work as a teacher. I didn't grow up terribly well adjusted and had a significantly low sense of self worth. A big part of that came from home and I've seen how easy it is to mess up a child. I always questioned whether any child was just better off without me as a parent.

Leslie had a lot of work to do turning around a piece of damaged goods such as myself but, somehow she managed to get me on board with having kids. When Leslie was pregnant with Haylie, I was a little worried that I wouldn't instantly have a bond with her or that I wouldn't be the father she needed or deserved.

It didn't take long after Haylie was born until she had completely changed my life. It was so incredibly easy to love her and to love having her around. Not only was she a rather easy baby to care for but it was so easy to see how much she loved and trusted us. There were many times when I could absolutely see that she'd come from heaven to live with us and those were the times when I really started to understand the responsibility I had to teach her, protect her and to make sure she knows that she is loved.

I don't believe there was ever a time I didn't love Haylie or that I didn't show her that I loved her but, she definitely prepared the way for Zander to enter our lives. Thanks to Haylie and the wonderful child she was a birth and continues to grow into, I never doubted that I'd love Zander completely.

As a second child, when Zander was born there was definitely a different dynamic in our lives than when Haylie was born. Leslie was so worried that Haylie would feel neglected or left out with the addition of another child but I was confident that she'd adjust and that we be able to love them both without issue. There's no way I considered myself a super parent but, Haylie had been so easy to bring into our lives and to care for, she taught me that we didn't need to worry about being able to care for Zander or about her ability to welcome and love her baby brother.

While they have a lot in common, its also very clear that Haylie and Zander are completely different people and have been since before they were born. I believe, with absolutely certainty, that each child grew as a person in heaven before making their way to mortality. As I've gained in understanding of that, the sense of responsibility that I feel to care for them and to love them has continued to grow.

Haylie has been such a loving sister and, while she's had a few moments of sibling jealousy, she's definitely done very well. Haylie and Zander love playing together and she has taught him so many things, its just amazing to see. Before Zander was born, Haylie and I had a lot of fun rough housing and playing games together and adding Zander to the mix has just made the games even more fun. They happily take turns when we play "crazy games" (Haylie and I have named a lot of the rough housing we do and its a bit like the olympic games at times) and they love playing together (or chasing each other) when Leslie and I are doing something else.

Watching (and helping) both of my children grow has become my greatest joy. Haylie learns things so fast and Zander has so much enthusiasm, its hard not to smile at everything they do (its even funny sometimes when its near midnight and one of them is still awake but either snuggling or chatting with us). As I write this blog posting, I'm in a hotel room in Boca Raton, FL on a work trip and am anxious to see Leslie and the kids tomorrow afternoon. I've been out of town for a week and I'm sure Leslie could use a break because, no matter how cute they are and how much we love them, a four year old and a two year old can still wear you down fast!

These days, there's a news article every week or so about some child who was abandoned, beaten or killed by a parent or step-parent and every single time I hear about something like that, it absolutely breaks my heart. I've literally cried while reading or watching the news and thinking about what those poor children have gone through. What kind of person could possibly treat a child in those ways? I am so very grateful to have Haylie and Zander in my life and am equally grateful that they've taught me to be a more compassionate and loving person. I no longer have any doubts about being a parent and I often wish I could do something to make sure every child had a safe home with parents who love them more than anything else.

Haylie and Zander - when you're old enough to read this, know that I've loved you since each of you was born and that I'll always love you both. Make sure you come give me a hug, too!

One Year in Price

Its certainly been a while since I've posted anything (not that I post much anyway) but its now been one year since we packed up our things and we moved to Beverly. Hills, that is. Oh wait, we didn't move to Beverly Hills - we moved to Price, Utah.
Life certainly isn't what it was 18 months ago when we still lived in Boise, I had a good job and we'd never even heard of Price, Utah but, I can't say things are all that bad. To be honest, we miss our friends in Boise and we miss living in our own house rather than an apartment half the size but, otherwise, we're generally happy.

Here's a quick summary of our 12 months living in Price:
1) I've learned quite a bit at Emery Telcom, am very pleased with my job and have no plans of leaving it any time soon.
2) Leslie has just accepted a position as the Mont Harmon Jr High head volleyball coach for 2010. She loves volleyball and needs something interesting to do so the job should work out really well. I'm glad she'll have something else to balance out the time she spends at home with our children.
3) Haylie has completed her first year of preschool. Haylie loved going to preschool and its wonderful to see her excited about learning and making friends there.
4) Haylie is learning to read! Preschool has certainly helped but, having an elementary school teacher as a mother is moving Haylie right along in the reading department. She's already able to read many three letter words by sounding them out and can sight read larger words that she sees often.
5) Zander mastered walking right after we moved to Price and he's quite the runner now. He's getting quite good with steps as well. Watching Zander running and laughing, especially when he's chasing or being chased by his sister, is definitely a highlight for me.
6) Zander has become a chatterbox! Like everything else he's learned, it seemed like Zander was behind other kids his age (seriously - he was 9 months old before he rolled over!) and then he just really took off. At 2 years and 2 months old, Zander isn't stringing together two or three words, he's using four or five words and making whole sentences.
7) Zander and I had matching mohawks for a few days! I gave Zander a mohawk when his hair stopped being permanently easy and cute and then, after many people at church loved his but wondered where mine was, I decided it would be fun to match and buzzed my own hair.
8) We never did sell our house in Boise but at least rented it out and we don't lose nearly as much money every month.
9) We've made friends in Price and like our ward (LDS church congregation for those who don't know). There's a couple in our ward with kids the same ages as ours and we do a baby sitting swap so that each couple gets a child-free date night once a month.
10) I'm on the company softball team. Though the last time I actually played anything like it was little league (~10 years old), I'm having fun and not embarrassing the company too much. My co-workers are really nice people and we're all just out to have fun. Leslie brings the kids to practice/games and they enjoy watching but also get to play on the playground right next to the softball fields.
11) We took a short, three day family vacation with our great friends the Buhler family from Boise. We spent two days in Moab, UT and some time in Price and Ogden as well. It was GREAT to see them and get to enjoy their company again.
12) I've really gotten into mountain biking. There are a LOT of great trails around Price and I've been out two or three times a week for a while now. Spenser (Buhler) and I even did some mountain biking in Moab as part of our joint family vacation last week. Mountain biking has become so much fun that I'm preparing to sell my dirt bike and get a better bicycle.

Okay, so that wasn't a "quick" summary and I'll surely add more to it later but, I just wanted to cover some of the positive things that have happened during our time in Price.

The primary source of frustration with Price for both myself and Leslie has been housing. We would REALLY like to be living in a house of our own with enough room for all of our furniture and other belongings (rummaging through a storage unit when you need something is no fun) and we'd also like to have a fenced yard with a slide and play set for the kids.

Home prices in Boise continue to decline (some might say plummet) and selling our house for anything close to the loan value is basically impossible. That part is frustrating because we didn't over build or pay some crazy high price for a home in the first place; we build a modest size at a modest price and lived within our means. There are people who bought homes worth double and triple what they could afford and who have now defaulted on loans and been partially responsible for the drop in housing value; sometimes its feels like we're being punished for the irresponsibility of others.

The flip side of the situation is that home prices (I won't say "value") in Price, UT are higher than they should be. 50 and 60 year old homes in dis-repair are costing more than really nice 2 year old homes in Boise. Its been EXTREMELY frustrating for us to view homes that are priced at the top of our range and would still need tens of thousands of dollars for upgrades and repairs. We're just not willing to pay more for a fixer upper than it would cost to build a new home. We've opted to build our savings until we can afford the 20% down payment required to get a construction loan and build our own home. It means a second year in the apartment but, a good apartment you can move out of beats buying a bad home you'll be stuck in!

Well, I suppose that about sums up our first year in Price, UT. I'm in Florida for training this week and have some time to kill in the evenings so expect a few more posts this week.

Things I love about age 4 and age 1 3/4.

Last night, I just had a great evening playing with Haylie and Zander while Leslie was off playing volleyball. The kids and I quite often have a lot of fun playing together but some of their behavior from last night got me thinking about what I love about Haylie as a four year old and Zander as a nearly two year old.


Haylie as a four year old:
1) She's quite the conversationalist. Haylie and I can just chat about things.
2) She probably asks more questions than a police detective, news reporter and game show host combined but, Haylie absolutely soaks in information and knows so much that it's a constant surprise. There are times when you water down an answer for children to understand - sometimes Haylie will correct you and give you a more detailed answer.
3) Haylie shares well with Zander. She not only lets him play with her toys (and his own because she likes his toys too), she actually plays with him and even invites him to play along with her.
4) She loves a good character. For the last two years, Haylie has asked me to be the voice of various toys or to simply "make him say something." Frankly, I'm weird and so the voices and personalities I've give the toys are a bit out there but she loves it. "Mom-Connery," the Sean Connery voiced mother bird comes to mind.
5) Basic skills like getting dressed, putting on shoes, going potty alone, and cleaning up the mess you've made can be pretty under-rated until you're constantly doing those things for someone else. Haylie has mastered a lot of those skills taken for granted and its just great to realize that she can do so much without even being asked now.


Zander as a nearly two year old:
1) He likes to help. Sure, it's not very efficient (and mildly annoying) to have Zander "washing" the dishes sometimes but its just cute when he hears the water running and he starts pushing a chair over to climb up and help out. Zander also likes to help clean up the toys, dust off the television stand and any other chore he sees you doing.
2) Zander is obedient. By no means does he always do what you ask but, he's excited to go get a diaper, put his pacifier and blanket away, get a tissue, put garbage in the can, etc.
3) The Z-Man is really getting into a learning stage. He sees what everyone around him is doing and is quick to figure it out on his own. Its great seeing how excited he gets with the realization that he can do so many things like brushing his teeth, zipping his coat and eating with a fork. Its even great to see him try things he can't do like putting on his own shoes.
4) He's talking more each day. There are many kids who talk more than Zander at his age but, he's talking a lot lately (and in two and three word phrases) and its just plain cute. He's even added some counting and we've heard "seven, eight, nine" after we've said "six"; he has a few of the teens in the right order too. A few of his common words and phrases are 'don't want it', 'thank you', and my personal favorite... "cycle!"
5) That brings us to Zander's love of motorcycles. When Zander sees a motorcycle on the street, on television or in a picture, he yells out "CYCLE!" He enjoys sitting on my motorcycles and making engine noises. Haylie still likes the idea of motorcycles because I like them but she's not a fan of noise... Zander even loves the noise.

Of course, its not all joy with two small children. Four year old Haylie has some MAJOR meltdowns at times when she's tired and doesn't get her way or when she makes a mistake coloring or drawing (and sometimes when she's not even tired). She still possesses the anti-superpower of "inverse urgency" which causes her slowness to be directly opposite of your need for her to hurry. Zander is rather stubborn about meals lately and seems determined to eat ANYTHING but what we're all having. Zander has also learned to throw a tantrum by watching his big sister - sometimes an example isn't what you'd hope for.

All in all, I love both of my kids (and their mother who has to suffer through far more of their tantrums than I do) and am sure that, even when they've moved on from these stages, they'll continuing growing into great people that I love spending time with.

Get a haircut and get a real job!

Does anyone still get a reference to "Get a Haircut" by George Thorogood & The Destroyers (circa 1993)? Well, regardless of whether you get the reference or not, I wanted to provide an update on how my job is going.

I've been a Network Technician with Emery Telcom for almost five months now and, at this point, I still like the job, my co-workers and the opportunity to learn new things and enjoy some task variety. Since my last blog post (yikes, its been a while), I've been to two training sessions. Once to Sunnyvale, CA (silicon valley) for training on the Cisco Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) and once to Boca Raton, FL for training on the MetaSwitch telephone switch that we use.

Regardless of what technology I'm dealing with, especially since most people neither know nor care about the specifics (at least that's what Leslie tells me though it sounds more like "would you please shut up? I don't care what that is"), I genuinely enjoy learning new things and especially enjoy having some responsibility in both technical and business aspects.

In addition to the cable modem system and phone switch I've also been working with monitoring and alarming equipment, server installations, battery replacements (yesterday, I replaced 20 batteries at about 100 lbs each) and a variety of other stuff. I (almost) always liked working for XL Cable doing electronics setup/tuning in cable systems because I got to use my brain, do some physical work and have some sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. While I'm still not GLAD I was laid off from my last job, I really didn't have any task variety, it was boring and I pretty much never had a sense of accomplishment or challenge and so I'm very glad to have the opposite situation now with Emery Telcom.

Price, UT still isn't as nice as Boise, ID and we've not yet managed to sell our home there (ugh - making payments on a house you don't live in plus paying rent on a place much smaller and not nearly as nice isn't fun) but its working out here. I enjoy going to work each day, I get some overtime that helps (slightly) make up for the drop in salary and our family is doing well (the kids don't really care where we are and Leslie seems to deal with it okay).

To ensure that this isn't an entirely boring blog post, I'll also share with you that my two training trips haven't been without a little fun. I had the chance to go running in both California and Florida (including running on the beach in Florida), tired In'N'Out Burger for the first time in California and then went snorkeling in Florida. The highlight of the Florida trip was definitely being stung by a jellyfish as I swam out from shore. A stinging/burning sensation for 45 minutes or so when it happened, followed by a RAGING headache the next day were the only side effects but I didn't let it ruin the fun and got to see tropical fish, a stingray, a lot more jellyfish and some pieces of a shipwreck. And no, there was no peeing on my arm to make the sting go away.

I just took my fatness for some fitness... and you should too!

I just took my fatness for some fitness and you should too. Well, you don't have to take MY fatness for some fitness but you should take your own.

So far this week, I've been running five days in a row and I'll be doing day six tomorrow. That shouldn't be a major feat but, I've really been slacking since I was laid off in March. In February of 2008, I weighed in at 229 lbs - I've got to make sure I don't let that happen again.

The History of My Fatness

I've been heavy all of my life with varying degrees of success in dealing with it. At the end of middle school, I got a job working at a lumber yard and spent the first two weeks of each summer shoveling horse manure for 8 hours a day(if you're ever looking for a job to brag about, shoveling wet horse poop all day is definitely the way to go) . That first summer, I also rode a ten speed bicycle 12 to 24 miles a day two or three times each week and managed to enter high school a bit thinner but certainly still heavier than I could have been. The next summer (between 9th & 10th grade), I again rode my bike several times a week and managed to stay in decent shape.

In the 9th grade, I gave the track team a try as a shot putter. I didn't run at all but ended up running the 800m (1/2 mile) at two races just so that I could go to the regional meet for the sake of the trip. You know you're a great shot putter when its suggested that you'll have a better chance getting to the regional meet as a ~170 lb kid doing a half mile sprint! The first time I ran the 800, I actually led the first lap and then "hit the wall" so bad I wanted to die or throw up (or die while throwing up since that worked out so well for Jimmy Hendrix) but at the end of the race, I had a huge endorphin rush and felt like Superman (assuming Superman ever had a moment when he was just happy to not be lying on the ground inhaling his own vomit) so it wasn't all bad.

At the start of 10th grade, my friend Raymond talked me into giving Cross Country a try. I'm still surprised that I tried it - or that I was dumb enough to do a 5k run on the first day in hiking style tennis shoes rather than actual running shoes. I also sat down and took a long break after the run and then was close to never walking again because I cramped up so bad!! You know what though? Aside from the horrific leg pain for three days after, I actually kind of enjoyed it. I ran (or you could say jogged if you compared my times with those of fast runners) cross country for three years after that. One of the few things I'm grateful for in regards to attending a small high school was that there weren't enough people who thought running eight miles a day and finishing where you started was so much fun that I wouldn't have a spot on the team.

I enjoyed cross country practice much more than the races. Once I was in pretty good shape, it was GREAT to do an eight mile run with friends and hold a conversation for most of it. At one point, I did a 14 mile run on my own carrying a walkman (yeah - portable TAPE player!) and absolutely loved it. So did I get 'skinny' during cross country? Nope! I was still ~180 lbs despite doing distance runs four or five days a week plus 5k races once a week.

After high school, I continued running off and on but also spent a summer building power lines in the middle of nowhere Montana. Doing manual labor for 9 hours a day, 5 days a week with no snacks or junk food nearby can get a man in shape!! During my early college years, I rollerbladed five to ten miles a night, three days a week. At 21 years old, I weight 182 lbs and pants with a 32" waist were actually loose on me. So what the heck happened??!!

Letting It All Go & Getting It Back

Like pretty much everyone, I often let "life" get in the way of getting regular exercise or doing other things that are good for me. Sometimes, you just think you're too busy to exercise or you tell yourself you'll get around to it later. Since getting married, I've worked, I've finished college and I've worked some more. I've cycled through times of running and lifting weights regularly and getting "back in shape" but my weight clearly trended upwards.

Last February, when I saw 229 on the scale and saw myself in the mirror, I was pretty disgusted. I don't like seeing myself nude - I feel sorry for my wife when she has to see me nude! I got a gym membership and started lifting weights and hitting the treadmill (by the way - I killed a few treadmills while working out at BSU several years ago - treadmills don't like it when beefy guys run faster than an 8 minute mile for a few miles). When summer hit, I started riding my bike more and then in the fall, I got back into running on a regular basis and did a 5k on January 1st and managed sub 8 minute miles!

Was it always pleasant to go running or lift weights? No. Did I always feel like getting off my butt and going? No. Did I feel 200 times better for having done it? ABSOLUTELY!! When running at 229 lbs was miserable, I thought about how much easier it would be without the extra pounds. In February of 2009, I was doing 6 mile runs at an 8 minute pace and ENJOYING it again!! I kept thinking to myself, "WHY THE HECK DID I LET MYSELF GO SO BAD BEFORE?" After going through so many cycles of getting in shape and then slacking off and letting myself go again, I'm still amazed that I don't permanently learn my lesson!

I got down to 198 lbs but the layoff in March was a SERIOUS de-motivator! I didn't work out much for three months and, after moving to Price, I had to start over again with getting back in to exercise. I only gained five pounds but certainly lost some muscle and definitely lost some conditioning. Luckily, its been a pretty easy road getting back to running again and so now, this blog is a reminder to ME and to YOU that.... STAYING IN SHAPE IS MUCH EASIER THAN GETTING IN SHAPE!!

Get Off The Couch!!

If you're not exercising on a regular basis, START DOING IT! If you are exercising regularly, KEEP DOING IT!! I always feel so much better when I'm exercising regularly and its also a great way to ensure that I'll be around to see my kids growing up and I'll even be able to participate in their lives. Leslie has been either running or following along to an exercise video a few days a week lately and I'm proud of her - she'll be ready to keep up with the kids too and in the meantime... Hey Baby (wink wink, suggestive eyebrow raise).

I have a goal - and you should have one too!! At 21, I weighed 182 lbs and could go enjoy a five mile run without wheezing, cramping or vomiting. I turn 31 in February of 2010 and I will weight 182 lbs or less and be able to go enjoy a five mile run without the aforementioned wheezing, cramping or vomiting. I have another goal - I'm going to teach my children the value of exercise and teach them to enjoy it by being involved in their activities and participating with them (yeah, I'll be the freakishly tall 'kid' playing short-stop on the T-Ball team!).

Blood, Urine and Red Wine --- We Got a New Bed!!

After ditching our nine year old king size bed (via a trip to the dump) prior to our move from Boise to Price, we've been sleeping on a futon for the last month. Sure, its a quality futon mattress that has springs and supports you well enough that you never feel a futon bar but, its still not a real bed and isn't the most comfortable thing in the world.

For the last month, my pickup, along with my dirt bike and enough other stuff to fill a 5' x 8' trailer and the pickup box have been sitting in Boise. We made a retrieval trip over the 4th of July and with the truck now here, we were able to make the trip to the SLC area for a mattress purchase.

We opted for Denver Mattress Company based primarily on the availability of reputable mattresses that don't cost over $2000. We didn't have much difficulty finding a comfortable bed (and at $500 for a queen size, it fit our budget well too) but we also invested in the Value Pack which includes two pillows, a mattress pad and a bed care and cleaner kit. And just what is the bed care and cleaner kit good for you ask? It includes a protectant spray but also includes a cleaner that's great for blood, urine and red wine. Blood, urine, and red wine?? I went to college and was in a fraternity during my time at UWyo but I still had to ask... what kind of night did you have when its time to clean blood, urine and red wine from your mattress?

And if you think our salesman was the only one enjoying our presence, you're mistaken. I flopped down on the right side of one mattress that already had another salesman sitting on the left side. I let him know I was setting up for a snuggle and even rolled over but apparently he wasn't interested in a good spooning. Oh well, his loss.

Regardless of whatever Hunter S. Thompson'esque adventures the salesmen at Denver Mattress Co embark on (though obviously the non-spooning prude isn't in on those), we're happy to have a real bed again and to now be fully moved in to our rental in Price.