PBS and Mormonism

I watched most of the Frontline episodes of the American Experience that explored Mormonism. No publicity is bad publicity. I did not really like the way they treated many of the subjects and cut off the remaining sentences of Dallin Oakes and Elder Packard. Really, four hours is not enough time to treat such a complicated subject as our faith. I, myself could talk about the subject endlessly.

I think what bothered me most is the persistence with which they implied that we do not think for ourselves because of the church's emphasis on obedience. That's not the church I belong to. Obedience is based on the principle of free will. They emphasized that free thinking was suppressed, and intellectualism denied a voice. How is it, then, that I, a hyper-analytical, nothing-inside-the-box person, could feel so at home and be so accepted and appreciated when I raise my hand in Sunday School or bear my testimony on Fast Sunday?

Still, I am thankful for the program. Hearing contradicting points of view and challenges to my faith, my mind easily reverts back to the hours upon days, year after year that I have spent in study and prayer, trying to understand my faith, my relationship with God and the place of the Church in all that. I really began to have a testimony of God's power and truth because I heard the arguments of opponents.

More than once in my life, everything I hoped for and perceived as reality was shattered. Holding on to faith in those circumstances has been like the struggle of a novice swimmer in a rolling ocean--one who is determined to make the shore. But the waves of doubt and conflict, are what I use to carry me to the shore.

Tonight, my hurting heart remembers when my faith was not so feeble. Remembrance of knowledge that once filled my mind pours in. Truth remembers this soul who loved it so dearly. They are only words. Flowery eloquence doesn't satisfy. God is my Redeemer. He is real. He reveals truth to the hearts and minds of those who seek. I have found--again.

The Lone Ranger

Here I am again, one woman alone. It has not even been a year since I got married and now I am sleeping alone again. I think it is pretty much the anniversary of the time I first called Mike--because he sent me his resume. I called him for strictly professional reasons.

Anyway, this is how the weekend went:

Saturday

Mikey's b-day party was at a place I can't remember the name of. It just had a bunch of inflatable obstacle courses and moonwalk-type stuff with some party rooms to serve the food you bring. Before that, Mike and I were collecting things and packing for his trip. Afterwards, he bought a laptop and got a case from his friend that works at Microsoft (Erik mentioned in previous a post). As soon as he got back, we met our photographer friend from church at the park for the family portraits we have never gotten. There must have been something else we did, but mostly, it was all about getting packed.


MaryAnne, stop reading now and take a break.

Sunday

I dropped Mike at the airport early enough Sunday to get to primary, where I teach the 11-12 girls. Of course, the only ones there were the two I brought--Lexi and Emylie. Mikey was really upset that we had to go to church because he wanted to get to his mom's house right away. We had left from his birthday party on Saturday and his mom went the other direction with his presents. He was very disappointed that he didn't get to play. But at least he got his Birthday song and pencil in primary. That helped a little bit.

I left directly from church to drop them off to appease the boy. We made the drop around 12:30. I actually talked to Lisa for a little while. There was some tension between us several months ago and we hadn't really cleared the air. Everything is settled and clear. The kids are welcome to come over whenever they want to, and they will go with us to see Mike's parents in Missouri. Lexi had said she wanted to spend the summer helping grandma at the store. (Take a look at the store on the Far West link at the right to see the store.)

After the drop off, I called Matt to see when he was going to meet me because I was already halfway to our halfway meeting point. He was helping his girlfriend, Julie move into here new house and was planning to meet me around 7:30. Rather than go home, I drove around the Rockwall, Wylie area looking for houses. I have decided (with the counsel of my husband) that we will be moving out there as soon as we get back from our trip. I will be moving out of this house before I leave for the trip.

So after all that I got home at 9:00. I barely had time to be alone or feel alone. I did delay going to bed. I was able to be in contact with My Love (that's the way it comes up on my phone). He arrived safely in El Paso (Ft. Bliss proximity). He will be in country until Friday evening, at which time, cell phone service will be disconnected--oh and transferred to me for those who don't know. Devanie will have my cell number and I will have Mike's.

Hey, I'm gonna stop typing now. Stop reading.

The Last Days

I have a lot to do today to help Mike get ready for his departure tomorrow morning. We will be going to Mikey's birthday party, which his Mom invited us to. She has been especially nice since we told her that Mike was leaving. But then, there was also a very large child support check that has probably contributed to her sense of friendliness.

We did the shopping we needed to do yesterday, for the things he needs. Now we need to pack everything. I have a few pants to hem for him, and I really should do my laundry, but he will probably have to take some dirty clothes with him. That is fine since he will have a laundry service while he is there. My guess is that they offer that because of the scarcity of water in the desert, and it is more efficient to do laundry in bulk.

For the past two days, the reality of his leaving have hit me really hard. I like being alone, and I look forward to being able to focus my time on things I have wanted to do for a long time. But it has only been a year since I found the love of my life and decided that I could spend the rest of my life with him. But now he is going to be gone. We have such a good time together, but now we have to be apart. I'm going to be fine, and I am not worried about anything, but it is good to feel a little angst now and then. Loving will do that to a person.

Social Novelties

Just wrapping up a great weekend. Saturday we had a friend of Mike and his three children come over for a lunch BBQ. The kids had a great time together--and so did the adults. We ate our lunch and then all of us went to the park near our house. When we came home, it was time for the ward picinic, which had been postponed last week because of the rain. Our friend Erik (this is the guy that was helping Mike get interviews with Microsoft--I know I never told you about it, but he's the guy) was not planning on going to the picinic with us, but since he had nothing to do, he came along. It was a great day. I like doing things with other people. Sometimes I forget that I am not a hermit. I have become so introverted over the years. It is nice to remember now and then that I love people.

After church, the kids had lunch, the we listened to 3 of the conference talks while we played conference bingo since none of the kids were with us that weekend. Then we let them play while Mike and I relaxed. I went to choir practice, and then we had a make-up ward picinic with a couple of people from church that couldn't make it the day before--trying to fellowship with some new kids in the ward whose parents are just separating. I got there in a really bad mood, no reason behind it, but got over it soon, because I love socializing.

Today I will be taking the kids back to their dad since they had a random day off. On the way I will visit a few friends--and see if there are anymore roadside vendors selling $2 rose plants in Tyler: the Rose capital of Texas. Mike will be at home working on his 40 hour training course so that he can leave on Sunday for Ft. Benning, GA. He will stay there for a week, the ship to Iraq. The anticipation is the worst part of it--anticipating a paycheck, that is. Two months of having "a job" and not getting paid is tense. We eexpect it to be worth the wait, but we keep getting further and further behind, so getting money doesn't seem like it will do anything but keep us floating. I'll be singing a different tune, of course, after our first full paycheck, but who knows when that will be.

My monitor went out on my computer, so I am using Mike's. (I get the flatscreen for myself next week so I am okay for now.) He is anxious to get his work started for the morning. Have a great day.

Brighter

Someday soon we will get paid. Mike has his official orders. His date was pushed back a week--again. But this time it is in official writing. He will be training for a week in GA beginning the 29th of April. He will leave for Iraq from there. We really needed that extra time, though Mike wishes he could just go and be done with it. He is tired of the anticipation and the stress of preparation.

We have an awesome home teacher who served in Iraq through the national guard. He has done all sorts of things to help us in our planning and prep. It is all a little overwhelming, but it is great to know where the whelming begins.

Mike had a really cool experience last night. A friend of his is a drum rep in Houston but was sponsoring a drum clinic at one of the music stores here in town being taught by Billy Cobam, a world renowned drummer. Mike was late for the clinic because he had forgotten about it as dinner was coming out of the oven, but he went to dinner with Billy and his friend the rep afterwards. Billy lives in Switzerland most of the time. Mike mentioned that we were going to be meeting in Europe midway through his tour in Iraq. Billy suggested we stay at his house and gave Mike his home phone and email. Pretty cool.

Mike has a tendency to bump into people like that. While he was working at the music store just before we got married, he had developed a great rapport with Don Henly who would often come in to the store and ask for Mike. He would just hang out and talk sometimes.

It is funny the things I have discovered about my husband--bits and pieces at a time. For example, as I was cutting his hair one time, I was singing: "I turned the radio on/ I turned the radio up, and this woman was singing my son/ lovers in love and the other runs away/lover is crying 'cause the other won't stay..." and he's singing with me. And he knows every word. I had to stop what I was doing.
"Why do you know the words to a Lisa Loeb song?"
"She's a sweet girl."
"Okay?"
"Well I did some studio work for her when I was in high school."
Apparently he was on the call list for Sony studios when they needed a drummer. It is fun getting to know the man. He has all sorts of surprises.

In other news, Isaac's bike got stolen from school yesterday. The officer gave us hope that it would be recovered. He asked us if we wanted to file a police report. I said, "A rorice rerort?" No, I didn't, I just put that in there for Dove. Anyway, if it doesn't turn up by Friday, I will file an official report.

Time to do what I haven't done since February--pick up Isaac from school.

Distant light

Mike is out for the moment at a repair shop who can tell him how to fix my washing machine. It was working beautifully for a while. He replaced the belt on it. Now it is full of a load of my whites in their dirty water and totally stuck. It won't spin or drain. It just growls at me.

I have our home teachers coming in a few hours, I need to make dinner, and I need to clean up my disaster of a living room and hallway, which is all about laundry at present. It is so frustrating to not have what you need to do what you need to do. Hopefully, Mike will get his first paycheck in the next week or two. I could buy the whole Washer/dryer set in one paycheck, except that we owe some people money, and have a bunch of traffic violations to take care of. I am wanted in the state of Oklahoma for failure to appear, and because I applied for my TX driver's license name change they did the check on it and are going to revoke my driving privilege in the next couple of days here if I don't get it payed.

Still, I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

I told my store manager at Bed Bath and Beyond yesterday that my last day of work would be my kids' last day at school because I was going to hang out with them for the summer--but I will be hanging out with you too! I am really looking forward to seeing you all again. The three people who were there when I made my announcement looked physically wounded when I told them. I really do like my job. Rosie said I totally ruined her day--like three times. I told her that if there were more hours in a day, I would work there just for the fun of it (and the continued discount, I suppose). She said I should stop with the sarcasm. I explained that I wasn't really being sarcastic. I hadn't had time to hate my job, or working in general, since I hadn't done it for 13 years. I really do like being with people. But this was never something I intended to be a career. Sure, I could fast track it with my management education background, but then I would have to work more than 20 hours a week, and not from 7-1 Monday through Friday. People complain about my "sweet schedule."

Look at all that I wrote. I must be avoiding what I really need to do. Better get to it. Keep moving forward and the light will grow brighter.

The world is upside down

Happy Easter!!!

We are doing our Saturday celebrating. All the kids are here. They have been through their baskets but we have not had our egg hunt. I really do not want to go outside because ITS SNOWING. IN TEXAS!! This is a Carson City easter--not a Texas easter. Did the world flip its axis while I was sleeping? It was 85 degrees two days ago. It has been spring for over a month.

The kids and I watched an eleven year old video of easter at Kim and Lee Joe's when they were still in the single wide. Amber and Kelsey is all there was. Emylie was in a carrier car seat and Isaac was two. He quite stubbornly refused to put the easter eggs in the basket. Instead, he proclaimed "Ball!" and threw the eggs into the air. Good reason to go with plastic. That was the year Amber's basket broke because she had so many eggs in it.

*Flash to Present*
Mike is supposed to leave on the fifteenth for his one-week orientation in Ft. Bragg, NC. He may have to wait until the 29th if his passport doesn't come through on time. He had to go to Houston this past week to get it expedited. It is going to be a busy week if he ends up being able to go next Sunday according to schedule.

Tuesday was Mikes Birthday. We went to Parma's Italian Resturant where he has fallen in love with the Chicken Cody. The alfredo sauce is fabulous. It is just a little mom and pop shop, hole in the wall. Then we went to Golf Galaxy and bought him a couple of shirts. He went to work out and we had cheesecake when he got back.

Tuesday was also Andrew's birthday, but he was with his dad. The kids had no school on Friday so we picked them up on Thursday.We celebrated it yesterday. We went to Downtown Dallas and saw and I.M. Pei fountain court, which it was too cold to enjoy, though Claire ran through the nearly waterless sidewalk when the timed fountains gushed all over her. We had to go back to the car and change her so she didn't get hypothermia. It was also very windy. The we went through a little asian art collection. Then we rode the Trolley for about 30 minutes.

Then we came home and had Jell-O cake--raspberry Jell-O poured into the white cake and chilled to set with chocolate pudding on top. I think I need to go get some. Because I am much more like my mom than I am like Devanie, I overlooked candles and ended up lighting 7 cinamon tealights for Andrew to blow out. Then we watched Harry Potter, by which time it was late, so most of us--the adults, anyway--were asleep by the time it was over.

Now it is time for an egg hunt--probably an indoor one.

I changed my setting so you can posts comments again.

Job at last, Job at last!

After four months of being unemployed, Mike has a job. He got the official offer this morning. He will be a Department of Defense contractor, doing network support, and who knows what other technical stuff--in Iraq. He will have to be there eleven months, with no setting foot on American soil so that his entire salary will be tax free. It will be a huge leap from where we are now. I will continue to work at Bed Bath and Beyonduntil I have satisfied my need to refurnish my home accessories, etc. We hope to find a new house and be moved-in before he gets back--before the kids start school again, since they will be with me next school year.

All of this means that I will not have Mike with me--again--for the family reunion. Neither will I have Mikey and Lexi. However, I had promised my kids when I was single that we would start saving money to go to Disney World. Mike was planning on going and bringing the other two kids. However, last summer they went to Disney land and SoCal with their mom, so they have been to Disney Land. I could take the four there before or after the family reunion and do the whole Magic Mountain, DL, Knotts Berry Farm, Universal Studios thing. Anybody want to join me?

When Mike gets back, we would do the Florida trip.

Old pictures

Here are a couple of pictures of the kids at the park by our house for your viewing enjoyment. The other boy in the tunnel is our next door neighbor, Vuk, whose parents are from Poland or something like that.

We had a great time on our trip. We went to Colorado (Denver) to the wedding of Mike's cousin, Kristy. She has been dating this guy off and on since they were in high school 15 years ago. He wasn't a member for most of that time, and she knew she wanted to be married in the temple. And now she has.

Colorado was beautiful. It was just beginning to be spring. There were crocuses and daffodils blooming in many a flower bed. The small piles of dirty snow in the parking lots were flowing into puddles. Mike has decided he wants to retire to Montana, where it will never get above 100 degrees (37.7 celsius for my international readers-ha!)

We met Mike's brother Matt, his wife Melanie, and their kids, Callie, Coleman, Cara who had her first birthday while we were there. We also met Mike's sister Marla and her nine-month-old daughter, Eva. Mike and I absolutely fell in love with her. She had the most enthusiastic smile for anyone who would look at her--maybe it was just us.

We went to the Denver Temple and took care of all the kids on the grounds, except for the two babies. Callie is the shorter blonde, and Coleman didn't want his picture taken. Andrew had some very specific ideas about how he wanted to be photographed.















We managed to get a flat tire and found out the trouble with having an all wheel drive vehicle. If you replace one, you really need to replace the rest, or you could mess up the differential, and eventually--soon even--have to replace the whole system.

By the way, my washing machine, that did not work for over a month has been repaired by my magnificent husband. He replaced the belt on it. He felt good about himself, and I felt all warm and tingly about him. I spent the days leading up to our vacation doing laundry. It seemed pretty endless. Now I have vacation clothes to wash. The joy of it is; I CAN! Life is good.

More breaking news pending. Stay tuned

Summer planning

Devanie posted about the plans for the family reunion. I commented on it. for those who haven't seen it, here it what I am thinking.

As far as the sealing, I think Friday afternoon would be better so that it doesn't overshadow Hailey's baptism. I was also thinking about how much fun I have dancing with my husband--or even dancing with myself--oh, oh, a-oh--and wouldn't it be great if we had a place where we could just turn on some music and yak and snack with each other while the kids dance like goobers and the gooberest best of us join them.

I don't know how many will be able to stay for that full week, but even it the Leavitts had to come back for the second weekend, its only like four hours away, right? I would be delightfully shocked if Leonard stayed for the whole time, don't know if Thomas would be able to get the full time off. If he could though, I nominate him as the sound man. If not, my husband is more than capable. It just isn't customary for the groom be the sound man. Don't know if we have anyone who would be willing to be the official photographer.

By the way, I lost my disc of the family reunion pictures, which is rather an aggravation. I would be overjoyed if someone could get a copy for me. I can make contact with aunts and uncles for further arrangements, since Devanie was asking.

Love y'all

Spring is here!

Last week I saw a Robin redbreast. They are migrating in east Texas. I am confident that we will have no more freezes. I planted some bulbs last week and expect to see them peek their blades up soon. The weather has been gorgeous for the past week except for two days ago when a horrid wind brought in dust from west Texas and made the sky brown for a couple of hours. A number of our neighbors have pieces of their fence missing. God pruned our trees and gave us some firewood with all the limbs that broke off in our front yard. The wind was just ridiculous. Come to think of it, it felt like an afternoon in Washoe Valley--or stagecoach--except their were trees to get their limbs broken.

I have two more days left of my night shift. It has been pretty easy to get through the nights. since the first week I haven't been drowsy during shift at all. I have had a lot of fun with the people on the team. Sometimes I get in trouble for talking too much--it is kind of like kindergarten that way--because if we are talking, we can't be counting. They give out awards for the most units scanned and for the most accurate scan of a $5 gift card for a convienience or fast food place. I have no hope of recieving such a thing.

Numbers and I just don't get along. When I took accounting, I would often have the right numbers in the right places but when I checked them, the columns never totalled like they were supposed to. It didn't matter if I was using my head or a calculator, it just didn't come up. I don't know what my actual figures are, but I know that whether I am auditing a section or someone is auditing a section I scanned, at least two per night of each fail to match up.

Time to get dinner made so I can eat before American Idol and be ready to leave for work as soon as it is over.

Love y'all!

One Down 2 to Go

I make it through my first week of night shift. We are busy throughout the night, and most of the nights we got out early than expected, so we went home about the time everyone was dragging. They have bowls of candy at every supervisors station to keep our energy up, I think is the premise. For me it totally backfired because I had too much of it the first night, and by the second night, I had a major sore throat with muscle fatigue and chills. I worked a lot slower than some of the others, but I kept on working. I pumped supplements and fluid and slept the entire day and felt better when it came time to work that night. I am still phlegmming and fighting, but I continue to do what needs to be done.

I mentioned to one of the guys I am working with that I had too much candy and, hence a sore throat. He noticed the same thing, himself a day later. He already knew about how high sugar content in foods immobilizes the immune system. I asked him how he knew. He learned it in a College biology class. Something to think about for those fighting illness. Still, there are caramel squares in the candy dish. How can I not take advantage of their availability?

I just need to make it through the next two weeks of nights. I think it will be just fine. I am kind of irritated, though because we are not getting overtime like they said I would. Our team is just too efficient. There will be less people on it this week. Maybe it will be harder and take longer.

Midnight Blogger

It is 12:21 as I begin my blog. I hope to stay up for some number of hours more. Tomorrow night, for the first time in my life, I work a night shift. I will be doing that for three weeks. I volunteered for the Bed Bath and Beyond inventory team. It pays overtime, and still allows me to be home when my kids are here--most of all it is only temporary.

I was hired part time, but I will have been paid overtime for two consecutive pay periods already because they need a lot of hours for inventory prep. I have been waking up at 4am for nearly 3 weeks already. I either work 5-3 of 6-3. I actually advocate 5 because, to me, there is no difference. 7 is a much better deal, because then I get to wake up my son for school. 8 is great because I get to wake him up AND take him to school, and make it to work with time to spare.

Extra hours and extra money is critical at this point, since Mike is still unemployed. We are excited however at some of the prospects that are developing. He has had a whole series of successful interviews with Microsoft. The benefits there are awesome.

For the first time since New Year's all the kids were here together. Speaking of New Years, Christmas was a disappointment to me. My kids were here until Christmas eve morning. Mike and I spent Christmas eve alone--which was actually really nice--and then his kids were here Christmas afternoon. New Year's eve I wanted to have a party for all the kids, including some friends over, but I didn't have time to organize it. By that night I was absolutely exhausted and we let the kids celebrate while we slept. The previous night, he and I had been up until 3am at a 25th wedding anniversary ball, put on by Theresa who took me on the cruise last spring. Mike and I had a fabulous time together. We laughed and he got along great with the rest of the cruise gang. We will certainly be joining them on future cruises. More than anything, I love falling in love with my husband. I was dancing like a crazy woman--forgetting that I was not 17 at a church dance. When they started playing Footloose, and my husband joined me like a fool, everyone knew we were a match made in heaven.

This weekend there was a primary activity. After that, we tried to get the kids to watch Superman Returns with us (11:30am) because it had to be returned. Nobody wanted to. They all wanted to go to the park, or a friend's house or skateboarding. It was a gorgeous day, so we didn't force them to watch TV. One child asked to play the xbox, another asked to play world of warcraft. Both were denied. We finally watched the movie at 6:00. Two of the kids were out before the first 1/2 hour of the movie. It was a nice weekend.

Cousin Joe

I don't know if Dad talked to any of the sibs yet, but this is what he sent me. Thought I would share. I gave him all of my family history research and he has gone to town with it. Here's the scoop:
"Here is what I found following the Ransom line. You are the third cousin 6 times removed of Joseph Smith Jr., The Prophet. The common ancestor is John Mack b. 6 Mar 1653 in Inverness, Scotland. Came to Massachusetts and married Sarah Bagley in 1681, Died in Lyme, Connecticut.

Here's how it works. You> Leland G. Lay Jr.> Pauline D. Downing > Mary E. Ransom >Marion Norman Ransom > Gustavus Ransom > Meritt Ransom> Theophilus Ransom > Lydia Mack Lord > Deborah Mack> John Mack. i.e. your 8th great grandfather. That makes your children his 3rd cousins 7 times removed.

Joseph Smith Jr. > Lucy Mack > Solomon Mack > Ebenezer Mack > John Mack i.e. his 2nd Great Grandfather."

I have discovered rulers of nations and historically notable figures in my family research. At first it was really cool. Then it was apparent that it is pretty common. Everybody's related to famous figures--even those who are revered. Still, at times like this, it is like I become more aware of the blood moving in my veins and I more acutely recognize the dignity of it. But upon deeper reflection, it is only a weak mortal awareness of my divinity as a daughter of the Eternal Father and my infinite potential as such.

Something to think about.

My Prayers Aren't Enough

My job is going great. I fold towels masterfully. I enjoy being with people. I nearly have the register down. My first two days on the register, only two people, total paid cash. Funny world. I work from 7-1 or 2, or 8-2 or 3 with the weekends of. For that I get about $500 per 2 week period.

On the other hand, life is pouring poop. Mike lost his job, but has 3 weeks of severance pay. This happened two weeks ago. Mike is at a job interview now. I don't think it is the best option for him. He does have a few other alternatives. Still, it is Christmas, our rent is more than we can really afford. My washing machine went out and my dryer eats clothes, leaving black marks or holes. I got a ticket on the way to Missouri (only because I was being really careful and trying not to get a ticket) that needs to be paid tomorrow. Isaac is not doing really well with school and is still having trouble making friends, nor is he getting along well with his step-dad.

What it amounts to is, my prayers are not enough. Please fast and pray for Isaac and Mike. I like to paint a sunny world, but sometimes storms wash away the paint before it dries. Still, the storms bring heaven's rain. Please fast for us.

Thank you.

Happy Holidays

I had a happy holiday. It wasn't Christmas. But it was a holiday--a shortened term for holy day. Holy days make me think of the God I love and Christ who shows God's love by his life, sacrifice, and continuing revelation. That is something to give thanks for. I had a happy Givingthanks day. Short attention span people go do something else now and come back tomorrow. I won't post anything new before then, I promise. Savor my post one paragraph at a time. Save some for later. You never know when you will get another. I went to Missouri, where Mike's parents live for Thanksgiving. We had a little cold snap, but no snow--like we did at Devanie's last year. The kids were hoping. The weather was absolutely perfect, though. Mike's parents live 1/2 mile from the temple site at Far West, which is now labeled Cameron, MO. They have a store with plans to develop acoomodations for retreats and reunions. Check out their website. farwesthistorical.org They have over 40 acres of land and two ponds, which the kids had a blast exploring.

I took some cell phone pictures, but I think the kids deleted some. As you can see, they did not delete all the one's they took. Many of them had cell phones (without service) to play games on for the ride. I shared mine to keep them occupied. That is the price I pay.
There are a few other church historical sites close by. Liberty Jail is about 50 minutes from Far West (NOT horse and buggy time, mind you). Adam-ondi-ahman is 30 minutes. I took some great pictures there, but not with my cell phone because by then, the battery was dead from the kids playing on it. I got one, at least. We didn't make it to Haun's Mill, which is one of the closest things, but we will be back again.

Mike's dad is an airline pilot. He was in Jerusalem at the beginning of the week. He came home at lunch time on Thanksgiving. Mike deep fried the turkey and it only took an hour and 1/2. I did a lot of the rest because Mike's mom (Consie) had to go pick up Dad (Craig). We had all the usual except that instead of candied yams, we deep fried the sweet potatoes as well--french fry style. They were most excellent delicious with creamed butter and brown sugar to dip it in. We might be rednecks.

Some of Craig and Consie's friends came over to visit for a little while. Isaac learned some of the basics of football spectatorship. We were in a Broncos household an hour away from Kansas City, where the Broncos and Chiefs were playing. Mike found out the tickets were ridiculously cheap, but nobody thought ahead on that one.

All the days before Thanksgiving--we got there Saturday evening--I was helping Consie unpack and orgainze because she has had limited time to do that since she moved (mid-September). I enjoyed being able to help. We get along great.

In other news:
I got back on Friday night and went into my first full day of work on Saturday. I am settling in and getting more confident about meeting expectations. Saturday I learned how to fold towels. I bet you thought I knew. Well, anyone can fold a towel, but it takes a professional to FOLD TOWELS. How you fold it is different, depending on where the towel goes. Today was my first day at the cash register. I did about 4 returns and another 20 checkouts. It was funny when, after about 10, someone handed me cash. I had to ask what to do with it. She was the only one all day at my register. The rest of the time I was folding towels from the stockroom to put out front. That is the job I was hired for. When I say I worked today, that is probably what I did. I'll let you know if there is anything drastically different.

Having a job has made doing my homework much more difficult. On monday, after having gotten back from the trip, I had a four page paper and a test due before midnight, for which I had done zero reading or research prior. Saturday I managed to finnish up my posting assignments. In addition, Isaac had a history research paper that was due as well. That is why you did not get this blog-post any sooner. This week I have an 8-page term paper and 6 required postings.

And finally, with all my vacation laundry, as well as laundry from the days leading up to it, and limited work wardrobe, it was really important to do wash. after the second load, my agitator on my washing machine was gone. I took a load to my visiting teacher's house just down the road. I have more to do tonight.

I should have been doing homework all this time. Now I have to get some food. We have been scrounging since we got back. See if you can't find something in there to comment on. Love y'all!

New Job

I started a new job today. 3 hours of orientation and training videos. Where? Oh Bed Bath and Beyond. It should be a great place to work. They are into participative management and have a good corporate culture. (These are things I have learned to value in my college classes--I am studying business management.) I have to wait 14 days for the employee discount of 20% which is a bummer because we really want a comforter now. I have it picked out. It will be a jaquard. I won't really start work, though until I have returned from my trip because of how the training schedule works. It should be fun. I am looking forward to it.

It's beginning to look a lot like....

I opened the blinds and turned on all the lights and got a slightly better picture with my cell phone so I could show you what I did this last weekend.

The upcoming weekend we will be going on our first family road trip. We are going to Missouri for Thanksgiving with Mike's parents. This is the reason we had to have the 8 passenger van. Because I like having my decorations up at Thanksgiving, (since I am not married to a man who insists that Christmas does not start until after his birthday on December 7th) and I will not be here next weekend, and I had a blast at RS Super Saturday and immediately wanted to implement my inspiration, I did it over the weekend.

Outdoor Use Only

I learned that cell phone pictures are best in bright daylight. This weekend we celebrated Emylie's birthday. I got a couple of lousy pictures with my cell phone. I have posted one just to prove it really happened and to demonstrate the quality of low-light, low resolution images, or lack thereof.

We did not have an all-out, invite-your-friends-over party, but we did invite a couple--Jeff and Mikki Tulley-- who have a little girl that Lexi and Emylie adore. The couple was in Mike's old ward. They taught Emylie and Lexi's class. Emylie visited twice, so she was familiar with them. They moved into our new ward about the same time we did. Everyone had a great time. Well, better not get past two paragraphs, I might loose someone, but perhaps pictures will add interest. Janika Out

Car Update

For those who care, I changed the battery on my van--Okay, my dear, wonderful husband did--and it has no more problems starting. I gave it an oil change--okay, the mechanic did with my dear husband's money. And I repaired the tire that had a nail in it--okay, the guy at discount tire did it at my dear husband's suggestion--for free.

Life is good. Hope I didn't bore you with a long, gabby post.

Sick Solutions

Everyone keeps talking about the kids getting sick. Devanie was complaining about the doctors always telling her the same thing and charging her $30 (I assume that is a co-pay).

Doctor angst is what turned me to more natural methods of easing disease. I was sick of hearing the same thing from them all the time. When I was pregnant, the only answer was, "that's normal." I was not looking to be part of the crowd. I wanted to understand what was going on. I expected the doctor to be an educator. All they said was, "If it bothers you, take some tylenol." I learned nothing from them.

Now when my kids start to get sick, I give them collodial silver and/or echinacea. Sometimes I have used Sambucol for kids from Nature's Way. I pump them with fluid (just water with a little sodium chlorite, not gatorade or 7 up). For congestion, they get Vicks rubbed on their chest and a vaporizer at night. Saline nose spray a couple of times during the day (with the other things above). I will also do scalp and face massage that I learned in beauty school. Press the pressure points between the bridge of the nose and the eyes, work out in tiny circles with fingertips along the eyebrow and just under it. Work around the eye. Gently bring fingers to the sides of the base of the nose. Hold and press. Move down to the sides of the mouth. Hold and press. I just did a quick search for a diagram to help you visualize.

Andrew is really susceptible to pneumonia. I do this even when it as advanced as wheezing in his lungs. When that happens, I also break up the gunk in the lungs by firmly patting his back with my hand cupped. When he was in the hospital with it, the nurses did that with a thing that looked like a cup with a rubber rim and a knob on the bottom.

When we were children, the doctors told mom what to do with an ear infection (antibiotics were for things like pneumonia and scarlet fever). Put a little alcohol in the ears, plug it with a cotton ball. To loosen up the gunk and ease the pain, apply a hot water bottle (or a warm rag in a ziploc bag).

For fevers, take a tepid bath. It doesn't surpress the bodys immune response like drugs. Devanie and the twins are probably too young to remember mom cramming everybody into the doctors office all at once for a group rate. Mom stopped taking us to the doctor after she realized she was experienced enough to diagnose and treat her children. She, too relized it was always going to be the same thing. If my kids have something that hangs on and keeps getting worse for four days, then I will take them in. I mean, they have to have a high fever that keeps coming back. I don't even give them tylenol unless it is nearly 102. Cool rag on the forehead first. Cool water to drink.

For all lingering illness, or any time a fever gets over 102, a preisthood blessing is a must. One time Claire had a fever and 3 different skin infections at the same time--one bacterial, one viral, and one combination (after sleeping outside and being majorly bitten by mosquitoes). One of those was "untreatable in children" with a 3-6 month recovery time. After a blessing, and some natural treatments, she was clear in three days. (Emylie contracted the 3-6 month skin infection, had no blessing, and had it for a year. I had it for 3 months.)

My kids have no more than 2 sick days a year usually. Emylie has had perfect attendance. I never worry about driking and eating after others--we share germs freely--and the family never takes more than a week to cycle through the sickness. I also never use antibacterial soaps of cleaners. Alcohol and H2O3 do the job fine. I have noticed that the only time we really have a problem is after a weekend of junk food. Those who have been battling sickness, you can expect a resurgence after Hall0ween.

I am not promoting or getting paid for any company's products anymore, so this isn't a plug for myself. I just want my family and friends to be healthy and happy, and I don't want them to throw their money at ineffective solutions. It is what works for me and my cheapskate self. Take it for what its worth. Hope it helps.

Weather n stuff

Last week Isaac played in the band at a football game for the first time. The weather was beautiful. It finally got cold enough here that I can wear long sleeves every day, but my electric bill for this month (which still included some A/C time) is still over $180. I turned on the heat for about 15 minutes 3 days ago to ease the chill, but this morning I am wearing 3/4 sleeves because the rain and humidity have locked in a little warmth. Mike complained about the heat this morning.

Isaac also went to the temple for the first time last night. It is funny to me that his first experience has nothing to do with a four hour trip in a van full of adolscents. After he got home from school I got him something to eat, took him to the house they were meeting to carpool from at 5 , and he was back by 8:30. I am concerned that he will never learn to appreciate the sunrise just after 5 a.m.--certainly not over the San Francisco bay. The air today has a San Francisco feel to it. Thankfully, though, there is no essence of fish scum.

Now I must go to what I have been avoiding--My term paper.

First Week of School

This week Isaac changed schools. He is living with me full time now because his dad did not have enough time to help him be successful in school, nor the ability to deal appropriately with the situation. So Isaac now goes to Coppell Middle School, East. He has band, english, drama, Texas history, and Pre-AP Math and Science.

He is really excited about being in a new environment and having a fresh start. He is really motivated to get home, do his homework, and asks me what he can do around the house. That has something to do with wanting to play the XBox 360. He is a total junkie for Tony Hawk American Wasteland. As much as I hate video games, I must admit, they are a very useful motivational tool. All digital interactive entertainment should be so utilized. Sure we like it to occupy the kids time when we need to get something else done, but they don't know that. Get them to work for you to earn it then get them out of your hair when they play it. Maybe god had a hand in their invention after all.

This week for some reason, my van wasn't starting. I had a neighbor jump it and it was fine, but an hour later it wouldn't start again. It probably has something to do with the starter or fuel injection system. Who knows. It is a Chevy Astro. I am beginning to appreciate more, the reliability of my old Nissan that I just sold to my brother-in-law. All I ever had to do with it was change the oil and tires. Well, sometimes I killed the battery, but we replaced that for Max before he took it off our hands.

We are actually in a major trial phase where it seems like one thing after another is piling on us. I was so blessed for the two years I was not married. God was merciful and saw to my needs. He knew what I could handle at the time. Those days were about just getting through. Now he is pushing me to be a better person. That always comes with growing pains.

Just so you know, I really didn't feel like writing anything, but I figured I would start getting hate mail in my comment box if I didn't come up with something soon. I am willing to sacrifice for the group.

A Little Girl With Nothing Wrong

It has been a pretty introspective week. I found a song by Norah Jones that made me cry with happy memories.

Spinning, laughing, dancing to
her favorite song
A little girl with nothing wrong
Is all alone

Eyes wide open
Always hoping for the sun
And she'll sing her song to anyone
that comes along

Fragile as a leaf in autumn
Just fallin' to the ground
Without a sound

Crooked little smile on her face
Tells a tale of grace
That's all her own

Spinning, laughing, dancing to
her favorite song
A little girl with nothing wrong
And she's all alone.

The song is on my Norah Jones showcase at Excitone.com

I remember dancing in circles in the orange-carpeted living room of the mobile in Carson City. I would put on my fullest skirt dress and spin until it was horizontal with my waist then fall to the ground, not as a leaf, but to make myself and the dress a flower. Sometimes a record was playing. Sometimes daddy was playing the organ.

When I was not in the living room, I was looking for an audience. Sometimes they asked me to sing. Sometimes I asked them if they wanted to hear a song. Sometimes I just started singing. Other times, I would let my favorite record play over and over while I sang every word as I sat on the organ bench. Maybe there was an auditorium full of people listening to me. Maybe I was lifting my mouth up to a microphone with headphones on in a recording studio. But always, I was all alone--in a house full of people. It was a happy place.

I came to a profound realization in my 'Group Behavior in Organizations' class while I was doing my reading. The book was discussing the nature of groups. Do groups exist as an entity distinct from individuals? Theorists with a group orientation believe that the individual is only a part of the whole. The individual is formed and influenced by the social group to which they belong. Theorists with an individualistic orientation see a group as a sum of individuals.

I have never paid much attention to the nature of a group. I have always been very individualistic. My independent mother instilled that value into all of her children. My introverted, introspective father showed us how to avoid the crowd while standing in the middle of it. We all had strongly developed individual identities (I did, at least) but we never had a family identity. We were a collection of individuals, not a unified group. Maybe the other girls had a sort of group-thinking, group-identity as twins with Devanie being the third twin. That concept was foreign to me.

I like the idea of a unified group. We have a sort of group thinking with our blog postings. Our blogs are journalistic and communicative. I don't do mine that way because it is what I really want to do with a blog, but those who regularly read the blog don't want to hear my intellectual and philosophical tangents, and I don't want a bunch of snide comments about things that are interesting to me. To be part of the group, I behave as the group does. Mike's blog (every month or so) has a lot of politcal advocacy. He is not part of our group, but he is part of my group. That's good.

I'm a little girl with nothing wrong. I belong to a family who loves me. I'm all alone right now, but I am connecting with a group that spans across the country. It's a tale of grace that's all my own.

Dentist anyone?

Last week Andrew lost his first tooth. He has waited longer than anyone else to lose his. The rest were in Pre-K or Kinder when they lost theirs. Andrew is in first, and is six. I know that is actually about when I lost mine as well.

Emylie lost two more molars last week and Saturday we popped out one that has been dangling with the other almost completely grown in. We have to take her to the dentist really soon to get her mouth shaped and corrected. She has that cursed Lay eye-tooth-coming-out-from-the-front-of-gum thing, and she has not lost the baby version of it. I have to go to the dentinst really soon because I have finally lost all protection on my tooth that got broken by a piece of popcorn about 6 months ago at least. The tooth sensitivity has at least helped me cut back on my ice cream consumption. Of course, it hurts worst when I have eaten a lot of candy and have had 2 liters or less of Supergreens. That reminds me, I need to go make some. Have a fantabulous day!

White and Nerdy

You absolutely must click on "My husband Mike." He posted the video to Weird Al's latest release, White and Nerdy, parody of "Ridin Dirty." Look for cameo's by Seth Green and none other than Donny Osmond.

Don't feel too bad if you see a little of yourself in there.

If you have trouble hearing the video click on the sound button at the bottom of the screen.

Big Day for Claire

This weekend was crazy hectic. I picked up all the kids on Friday. Mike's parents flew in on Saturday. (They live in Missouri.) We met Mike's youngest brother, Max for dinner. The 11 of us crowded into Cici's all-you-can-eat pizza.

Mike's parents stayed at our house. That is really nice to me. I am not used to having in-laws who don't mind "imposing" so that we can talk until midnight and not be constrained by check-in/check-out times. It feels like family is visiting.

The central event of the weekend was Claire's baptism. Because we don't have the kids with us, and we wanted her day to coincide with when Grandma and Grandpa Skembo would be in town, we did crunch planning. From the time we got all the availability confirmations, we had about 5 days to put everything together. The primary presidency and Bishopric were great. I set the ball rolling and they kept it going until the job was done. I would check on something and they had it taken care of.

Claire has been waiting since her birthday at the end of May to be baptized. But it took a while to get everything settled with marriage and moving, etc. She got baptized on September 17th, the 3-month anniversary of our wedding. She picked her songs and who she wanted to say prayers and give talks.

Grandma Skembo led the music, Emylie and Andrew prayed, Isaac sang, and I spoke on the Gift of the Holy Ghost. She chose "I am a child of God" for the closing song and "When I am baptized" for the opening. It was wonderful what a spirit that song brought into the meeting.

I like to look for rainbows whenever there is rain,
And ponder on the beauty of an earth made clean again.

I know when I am baptized my wrongs are washed away,
And I can be forgiven and improve myself each day.

I want my life to be as clean as earth right after rain.
I want to be the best I can,
And live with God again.

It was a beautiful, warm, rainy day outside. Claire is such a sweet little person. She is compassionate and thoughtful and has a deep desire to do what is right. When Grandpa Skembo was praying for the gift of the Holy Ghost, I could feel the strength of Claire's spirit and had a glimpse of her growth and development as a very strong daughter of God.

She is the middle child. She is quiet and affectionate and easy to get along with. Sometimes she gets lost in the crowd. But she is such an important part of our family dynamics. She adds so much to who we are as a group.

It was fun to watch the kids this weekend. Mikey and Andrew ran to each other and ran excitedly around the house and out the door together from one activity to the next. Lexi and Emylie took their toys and drawings and clustered together with Claire.

Then I went to the tiny boy's room (not to be confused with "the little boy's room") and took all the hot wheels city tracks and covered the floor with roads, as they wound around and under beds. Isaac helped with the construction. Then we added the wooden train set across and through the city. Mikey had never experienced such a thing. He said he was glad to have me as a mom. That was the most treasured moment of the day.

On Sunday around Baptism time, Claire and Mikey were in on everything together. Claire just loves everyone, and is a thread that runs through all of us. She is a treasure.

New activities and friends

My husband got a hairbrain. He wanted us to do something together. His dad was able to get a brand new set of golf clubs that would normally cost about $2000 for less than 200. So I went to the driving range on Tuesday night and learned how to swing a golf culb. No kids, doing family history, playing golf...I am retired!

Last night was enrichment. My honey said he missed me, but I think his lonliness was tempered by his ability to play world of warcraft for two solid hours without interruption. Scott and Arren Quiqley are a young couple in the ward that we have been having dinner/hanging out with once a week or so. Scott got Mike hooked on World of Warcraft, and he's not my friend anymore.

Arren and I get along great. Last time we were at their house, we were laughing at the unfinnished construction projects that we lived with the whole time we were growing up. I told her about how John Palmer put in our upstairs bathroom and did the joints on the drywall so that we would not have to spackle, all we would have to do was paint it. I told her how my bedroom had gone through several coats of paint, but that bathroom never did get painted. There were only message etchings in the grainy joint compound and brown water spots on the sheetrock above the sink.

We also talked about pets and cryogenic bunny babies. Much remained unsaid, you will be glad to know.

It's Only A Fleshwound

Isaac is the first of my children to suffer a broken bone. He was in the locker room in "pre-athletics" (guess P.E. wasn't good enough) and somehow a kid was messing with the bench, which was not bolted down and it landed on Isaac's foot. He will be on krutches for a while, but he has enjoyed a few days of staying home (his dad's house) and playing the playstation. I haven't gotten to see him since it happened, but he seems to be loving the attention.

Claire has been mothering him the way she does. It reminds me of when I was about her age and my older brother got his feet ran over. I remember a journal entry from that time complaining that I had to be his slave while he recovered. It was a role I took on myself, but apparently grew to resent--under the despotic hand of the woefully injured. I wonder if Claire will begin to feel oppressed.

The kids are with their dad during the week for this school year. Next year they will come out to Dallas to be with me personally. I am really beginning to miss having them around.

I am taking management classes right now, and though Mike is making enough money that I don't really have to work, I am thinking about trying to get a management job at a fast food resturaunt, just for the experience. It is a crazy little hairbrain, but I want to have some immediate application for what I am learning, so that I can really learn it. Besides that, it would give me something to fill in my days.

Tootles!

The Husband and kids

Emylie and Claire are priceless as they watch us. They are in love with love. Eventually I will photoshop the background to something more picturestque. After all people should know the truth. We actually had our wedding at the fiords of Sweeden. I created the present background to give everyone a sense of our mundane selves. I thought it a more appropriate first impression for our wedding. Sorry for the deception. LOL

Resurrection

I'm back from the blogger dead! I just recieved some wedding pictures from my dad. I had some others, that those who were at the reunion saw, but the general public has been deprived of view of me and my new family. It is clear from the pictures that it was rather informal, but it got the job done.

For those who have not yet recieved an email notification from me, I have launched the bare minimum Phase I of my business, Excitone. I have included the link here which will give you access to a music library of nearly 2 million songs and allow to earn points for sharing the music you love with your friends so that you can get free downloads and discounts. Right now I am listening to my "True or Falsetto" showcase music. Check it out. There will be a lot more features in future incarnations. Stay tuned.

Janika's Announcement

Hello everyone!

Sometimes life takes unexpected turns. Sometimes they are bad, sometimes they are good. This time it is great.

I got married!!!

Last Saturday!!!!

I met MIchael Skembo on a faith-based dating website, met him face to face for the first time on Memorial Day, got together with my two kids and his two kids for the first time the following Wednesday, and decided the following Monday that we would spend the rest of our lives together.

His daughter is the same age as my oldest daughter and his son is in between Claire and Andrew. They are all very excited and get along fabulously. The timing is fascinating because I was pretty set on being single for a while. I was pretty carreer focused. Now, though, I have a business partner, as well as a parenting partner, and all that "with benefits." It is funny because I only called him because he sent me his resume and I thought he had some useful experience for my business venture. I really wasn't looking to find the love of my life--the missing piece of my heart.

We are waiting to hear back from the realtor on approval for our new house on the west side of Dallas. I will soon update you on my contact information. Now pick up your jaw and get back to whatever else you were doing.

Lots of love,
Janika

Married

Hi, It's Devanie
Since Janika is on her Honeymoon I thought I'd chime in and mention. . .

JANIKA GOT MARRIED!

June 17, 2006

She now has 6 kids

Isaac
Emylie
Claire
Andrew
Michael (Mikey)
Alexandra (Lexie)

So for those of you counting, that makes 20 Nieces and Nephews (unless Thomas has fatherd a child we don not know about ;)

Grandma and Grandpa Lay were happy to report:

The kids get along well and Emylie and Lexie look alike. So they "fit in" just fine. It was a nice simple wedding and they got to meet his parents.

Oh and she is now a SKEMBO ( No I didn't say bimbo) but they do rhyme.

well, I'll make and end to my speaking

and let her fill in the blanks!
_______ _______________ - ___________________ ____________ _______ ______
Congratulations family!

We wish you and Mike the best. Cheers to you and "I feel Happy" for you. =)

Now, we all just hope he's a least a little like Nathan.

School of Rock

Isaac has been accepted to the School of Rock!! Here he demonstrates the "Chuck Berry duck walk in adverse conditions." They were not required to demonstrate simultaneous guitar use. They will be trained on that during the school year.

Isaac forgot during his tryout that he was supposed to be audidtioning for Rock School and during his mosh pit diving demonstration he did his Sky High superhero stunt of walking on air (because the force runs strong in my family). Still, the board was impressed. Of course, we knew he had it in him all along. We are just excited that he can now hone his skills and prepare to show them off to the world.

Use the Force

Which of the following is the most accurate description of the pictures on this page?

A. Darth Vadar has taken over the US Army
B. Isaac and Janika are being paid handsomely to test new, top secret equipment
C. There was recently a major terrorist incident in East Texas
D. Isaac and Janika are attempting to conceal bruises and fatigue, by acting cool.




Saturday, Isaac and I finally got our schedules matched up with the weather and played paintball, like we have been planning to do since his birthday in February--And I have the bruises to prove it.

We hooked up with some boys who didn't want to play with the kids with all the high-tech equipment. They thought we would be easy meat, and were surprised by our skill (beginners luck). I had only played paintball once before, but I had read a couple of paintball magazines cover to cover because for a long time, it was the only reading material in the bathroom. I made a few kills early on, but Isaac was more successful in that arena. I was really good at providing cover for teammates to advance.

Isaac credited his success to strategic video games. I guess simulative training works.

I don't know what the stink I just did to make the text do that. I don't have time to figure it out. It is time for scouts and Achievement Days.

Sky High Elementary School

Claire is beginning to demonstrate her super-human strengths. We are so proud of her making the cut to enter the prestigious Sky High Elementary to develop her super powers. The first gift she demonstrated was cat-flight. In the first picture, she attempts shadow-pouncing, with catlike stealth to combat the evil that lurks in the shadows.







In between trial events she demonstrated her mild-mannered alter ego personna and tried out potential sidekicks.


Next she demonstrated her pre-flight ability to walk on air. The selection committee said she shows great promise. We are just glad she is part of our family.

Isaac's Choir

This week Isaac had a band concert on Monday and a choir concert on Tuesday. It was absolutely useless to capture band images, and as you can see, it is scarcely worthwhile to attempt capturing the choir preformance.

Isaac is in the second row on the left near the edge. Below they are all cupping their ears to listen as part of their choreography.

Update

There, I updated my blog. Would you rather I ramble with philosophical musings? Maybe next time.

What Do You Get?

What do you get when you leave children alone too long with a military man?

AAAAGH!










What do you get when the girls feel left out?


Emylie got a good 6 inches cut off her hair before I left on my trip. But then she asked me this week to cut it all the way off. Then, of course, Claire had to get hers done too.

HI COUSINS!

Claire's Program

Today was the second grade program. Claire had two special parts. She got to wave the flag while everyone sang "You're a grand old flag" but you can't really see her, nor that she has a flag because she was waving it so fast that my camera phone couldn't see it.
Also, she was the only child in her class who got to circle dance (as opposed to square dancing) in "The Texas Star." She is the one in the green shirt circling.
Then, you can also see her if you look carefully, and know what you are looking for as she carries the parachute. I call it a Clairachute.

Then, of course, there was an after-the-show photo op with a few classmates (third from left).

More OCD

Another thing I am obsessive about, as far as even wear goes, is on my microwave. Instead of pushing the 1 or the 2 all the time for the quick cook feature, I will use a combination of any of the numbers after 3 and stop the microwave before the time runs out. The only trouble with that is, it puts extra wear on the start and cancel buttons, so I only do it in moderation. I also make sure to evenly distribute use of my stovetop burners.

I am realizing this obsession is serious. It extends to the highway at times as well. Sometimes--not too often--I will drive with one tire exactly in the middle of the lane where most people's tires don't usually go. I dont' do it that often though because that makes the other tire drive exactly on the center or white line, and I don't want to wear those out either. Oncoming traffic is scarcely a factor.

My bed must be carefully slept on as well. Yes I rotate the mattress to avoid uneven wear. But I make sure to sleep at the edges and middle at different times. When I am sitting on my bed, I try to sit where my knees and calves would be if I was lying down because those parts of my body are not as heavy and don't wear as much on the mattress.

Should I see a professional?

Non-Disclosure Agreement

Life is great, but I can't tell you about it. I signed a non-disclosure agreement. lol

I spent this week in Tennessee getting business going and checking out the area. I found the area I want to live, and got the real estate contact information. Pending issues with my house here in Marshall, TX, I will be moving out there at the end of the summer.

In the same complex as my business meeting, I found Big Idea Studios, makers of Veggie Tales. Betty at the front desk took some pictures of me with Bob and Larry--the stuffed ones. They couldn't let me into the green room to have their digital images blended with mine.

I am actually and finally updating my blog because I cannot play paintball with Isaac on account of the rain.

I am doing an experiment right now. Have you had your keyboard long enough that there is an indentation from your right thumb on the space bar? My keyboard is so worn out in just over 2 years of use that I really have to feel for the bump on my "J." Anyway, it is taking me a lot longer to type this because I am using my left thumb for the space bar to try and even out the wear on it. Try it as you post comment to me.

I am nearly obsessive compulsive about even wear. To save my new carpets, I will walk closest to the coffee table, where the majority of foot traffic does not go. Going up the stairs, I will walk as close to the wall as possible because everybody else goes right down the middle. Of course, I haven't had new carpets in a while, so that is not a current obsession. What are your obsessive behaviors?

Day 6: Belize

Day 5 was another day at sea. We slept-in for a time, having stayed up so late the night before. We lounged on the deck, ate lunch, got ready for dinner. Then I went to Karaoke again for the 6pm session. I believe it was the second formal night of the cruise. After dinner every night Theresa and I watched the Theater show. She went immediately to bed after that because she wanted to make sure she was well-rested for what would be the highlight of her cruise: diving at Turnefee Atoll.

I was going to see the Mayan Ruins, and knew I had a long bus ride to get there. I wasn't concerned about my sleep. I did Karaoke until 1 am and then went to Medusa's Lair to dance. Again Tommy and Alex, the young ones, were there with their usual crowd. The night before I had met Michael from Connecticut who is an Attorney. I danced most of the night with him. This night, though, I danced with What's'isname from Boston. We said good night and went our separate ways, but when I got to my floor, he was coming down the other end of the hall with his "roommate" (male--remember I said he was from Boston, and that's how he talked). He didn't stop until he was at the door across the hall from mine. Funny.

The bus ride was very relaxing. I found a family (mother, father, son, daughter) at the ruins. I don't remember their names either. That's what I get for posting 3 weeks after my return. Here are some facts and pictures about the location.

http://www.delange.org/altunHa1/altunHa.htm

I was not really impressed with the tour guides, as they put a lot of emphasis on the practice of human sacrifice. To me, that was a very small part of Mayan culture and was not common until the decline of the civilization--hence the decline. My favorite part of the trip was on the bus back. We were stopped at one of the 4 stoplights in the whole country and I looked out my window and saw, amongst the minimally cared for buildings there was one with a bright coat of white paint and muted orange trim bearing a polished brown sign with the familiar golden words, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day saints. It was mission headquarters, and there at the door, atop the stairs, were two sister missionaries. No one noticed it, and I didn't point it out. I just enjoyed the feeling of being home in a foreign place. I belong to a worldwide church. That is real to me now.

In the evening, the after dinner show was a hypnotist. A number from our group sat in the front row so that we could be picked. Most of us rushed the stage when he simply said that he wanted anyone to come and fill the 20 chairs he had on stage. Not a single one of the 20 of us gave an authentic show. I got pulled front and center to order food from McDonald's and get really mad at the guy for messing up my order. At best, it was a nice little drama exercise. It was fun, though because people recognized me after that. As if they didn't already know me. There were just a few channels on the cabin TVs, and one was where they played video of ship activities. I was on there twice for the survivor and fear factor. But my grand performance would not be until tomorrow.

Stay tuned.

Day 4: The Rich Coast

This morning we dock in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica. The bay is much prettier than the harbor at Panama. Costa Rica is truly beautiful. The city is still a Central American city, but it is designed to appeal to tourists, and they keep it clean. Bananas are one of their top 3 industries. Number one is--tourism. I suddenly feel like they like me. They really like me.

Again we had a long bus ride through narrow and winding roads to get to our target destination. Again, it was an eye strain to keep up with passing scenery. It was almost all banana plantations. They put blue bags over the bananas to keep the bugs from getting them. I did not fall asleep, though because Theresa and I did a lot of chatting. We stopped for a classier potty break than the ones we experienced in Panama. There was a gazeebo with juice and stuff for us. While we were standing around two fairly cute guys asked me to take their picture for them.

Finally we got to our destination. The river did not look especially menacing, so I entered the raft with trepidation in check. Of course the especially sleek, curly-haired latino guide in his wetsuit soothed any anxiety that might have remained. Otto drilled us on commands before we pushed off. The last command was "high ten" where we all raised our oars to the center and sout "Pura Vida!" It means, literally, life is pure. Otto told me the slang translation was "It's all good."

The rapids didn't go very fast, they were only a class two--cruiseship liabilities and all--but it gave us time to scan the vegetation for toucans and sloths. Termite tree nests can easily take the form of sloths. Because it was the dry season, again and still, we learned an extra command: "Bounce." That's what you do to get the raft off of the rocks. sometimes it didn't work so Otto got his wetsuit wet and pushed us off while we bounced like children on a red Kool Aid overdose.

It only took us one time passing another raft to learn the command "splash." Oars double as water distribution weapons against slower moving rafts. In fact, we did not have to be commanded in all things, and began to take initiative. For a time, the semi-placid waters did look like rapids.

This excursion was the most fun, definitely. We returened to the ship famished and took full advantage of the buffet offrings. Then we took a little time to relax and prepare for dinner. We diverted from our normal routine and ate in the Supper Club, which was gourmet dining for a cost. As a group, we were a little too rambunctious for the setting, but I think most on the ship knew us by now, and expected that.

That night was a pool party. Trey got selected for the lipsync contest and won, because he was pretty good, and because he had an awesome cheering section. There was live music from a calypso sort of band until 1 am. I had just finished a liter of Supergreens, so I was good to go. My friends were plenty willing to call it a night, though. I wished them good night and went to seek adventure.

The club was closed because the pool party that night was the club. Karaoke was closed for the same reason. There was nothing to do! I went to my room and got the mp3 headphones they gave me (loan) to practice for my upcoming performance. I took my music down to the vaccant Karaoke lounge and worked my number. I herd running overhead. Elephants? Wildabeasts? I went to investigate. I the adult was having a terrible time finding something to do and, lo, at 2 am the 9-11 year-olds have supervised activity until 3 am.

I wandered around the ship and found the two guys who had asked me to take their picture being equally bored. It was actually a whole group of under age 25 bored people. We finally gave up and went our separate ways. Still.......

!Pura Vida!

Day 3: First Stop

I am about to set my feet on foreign soil for the first time in my life (not counting Agua Prieta and Nogales because they don't really, really count.)

WELCOME TO PANAMA

Crossing the plank we see several people holding signs for excursions that people have signed up for, and solicitors trying to hook you on their excursion. Our group of 10 has 2 extra friends. We are essentially glued together looking for "Mario." One of the guys in our group set the excursion up for us online through a private company, not associated with the cruise line. A man with a thick local accent starts saying "mario, mario" along with someone else. We follow him to a nearly empty parking lot. He looks at his partner and leads us in another direction.

Some of us are developing heist anxiety. We ask for him to read our names from the list of people who signed up so that we know he is legit. He does not have it. He begs us to follow him. Still no one named Mario. We follow him anyway and he leads us to the proper busses with a tour guide who reads all of our names from a her list. Whew!

We drive for over an hour through the bumpy streets of Panama as the two tour guides take turns describing different facets of panamanian culture and canal history, to which my eyes relax. I find the strain of keeping up with the passing scenery to be too strenuous.

Still, my bladder keeps me awake, trying to contain the supergreens, even though we stopped at a grocery store fairly early on to stand in line for a single restroom. I would not find relief until we reached the slatted (non-private) shack with a hole in a concrete slab at the village of the indigenous tribe we were to visit.

We were greeted by dark men in colorful loincloths. They led us to a hand-carved canoe on the especially low waters of a river somewhere in the rainforest. (It was the dry season.) The primitive man pushed us off with a long pole and then started the outboard motor. (Who wants to teach a bunch of tourists how to row?) Still, we had to get out of the boat in the shallowest spot to free it from its attachment to the bottom of the river.

We docked at the bottom of a high, rounded hill. Tribe members greeted us atop with the music of coarse reed fluts and rythms of turtle shells and gourds. We were honored guests. The chief himself played an instrument. After two canoes (long ones) full of people took the aforementioned potty break, they served us lunch. It was fish and, perhaps, corn-breaded plantains. The "plantains" tasted better with every bite, and the fish was the most flavorful I have ever had. It was served in a banana frond folded into a cornucopia.

We were then invited to watch sacred dances of celebration and healing, as well as join in. We were then given a few minutes to peruse tables of handmade crafts: beadwork, weaving, and sculpture.

The canoe then carried us further upstream where we would begin a hike to a waterfall with a large natural pool. We only had about 10 minutes to enjoy the cool, if not clear waters. We dried as we walked back to the canoes, which took us back to the busses, which then carried us to the heart of the Panama Canal.

The ship that was passing through the barges was massive. Just the width (which fit snugly into the canal) had standard rail cars stacked 17 wide, I didn't count the length of rail cars, but it might have been as long as a regular train (60-80 cars). The average toll for passing through the canal is over $7,000.

Within a mile or two of the canal we passed an LDS chapel. It warmed my heart--and was the closest I got to Sunday activity. Church was already out, or I might have made the bus let me off and pick me up when it came back through.

It was a magnificent day.

Day Two

Still at sea on day two. Rough waters. Oi! I think I had cradle flashbacks as I slept with as much as the boat was rockin'. I felt a little queasy after I got my first liter of Supergreens down, with all the fluid that was sloshing in my belly. Time sunning on the Lido deck nearly settled it.

At 1:00 there were no volunteers in the sign up bucket for the Fear Factor challenge. Theresa put her name in and submitted mine as well. Julie was the social host who moderated the game that day. She encouraged me to keep my name in because there was nothing really bad that we had to eat. AND I BELIEVED HER!

The first challenge was getting the four people on our team across the stage without touching it, using only two exercise mats. We aced it and beat the other team. We also aced getting ping-pong balls across the stage between our knees. We lost it though in the balloon-pop because my balloon wouldn't blow up big enough to pop. I lost it personally when we had to chug down a mixture of coffee, ketchup, mustard, tabasco sauce, and various seasonings. There was more than volunteer names in the bucket all of a sudden.

That evening, Karoke began at 6:00 so I enjoyed being one of the only 3 people who wanted to sing, and I got my voice thoroughly warmed up for the 11:00 auditions that night for the Legends concert, which consists of 10 passengers doing various celebrity impersonations. I got one of the parts. Stay tuned to find out who I became on the last day of the cruise.

Cruise: Day One

My cruise was absolutely fabulous. Unfortuately, the memory stick in my camera is not feeding properly into my computer. Perhaps I will post pictures later.

Technically, day one of my cruise was Thursday, March 9th. Our flight from Dallas had a nearly 2 hour delay, so we barely made our 3:00 boat departure. Leaving port was pretty smooth. It was really cool though when the boat started rocking because that was the only indicator that I had that I was not just hanging out in a huge hotel-casino. It was like, "oh yeah, I am on a ship on the ocean."

The first full day at sea is what I will call Day One. My name was drawn out of the bucket to play survivor. I helped my team regain time it had lost by swimming vigorously with a volleyball tucked under a wet T-shirt that I had to trade with my teammates. Still, they voted me off in the first round because they all knew each other. By the way, the water in cruise swimming pools is saltwater straight out of the ocean. That was a little surprising.

Every night we had a sit-down, four-course dinner with an awesome waiter named Derek from South Africa (bald white guy). Then Theresa and I would always go and see the 10:30 show in the 2,000 seat theater. 11:30 was when Karaoke started. It stayed open till 1 am. Still, Theresa and I stayed up and chatted until 3:30.

We slept in the next day because we had another whole day at sea. More on that later.

Super Leland

This is the young and virile Leland Gibson Lay Jr. Please post the story of our brave hero. We accept fiction, biography, fantasy, or humor. I look forward to reviewing your submissions.

(I tried to edit the photo in 2 different programs, but it wouldn't let me save because the pic is in a read-only format)

Color test

I am writing invisibly right now on a white background because I have recieved a complaint that the ink colors were difficult to read. I will now see if it works and if I should have proof-read my invisible ink before I posted it. Thank goodness I just figured out the "edit post" feature.

Fun to do

Here tis:


Making a pie is fun to do, fun to do, fun to do.
Making a pie is fun to do, to do, to do to do.

Posting on blogs is fun to do, fun to do, fun to do.
Posting on blogs is fun to do, to do, to do, to do.

What is fun for you to do?

Ethics Class

I finnished my Computer class with a high A. I am beating myself up for working that hard. I am trying to be just a B student. My next class, though is Philosophy of Human Conduct (ethics), and it is much easier for me. I get to babble about morality and my beliefs.

Here is a sample:

I can't say I agree with Kant in all aspects of his philosophy because it would take a far more thorough study to determine that, but I fully subcribe to Universalism. There is one set of morals and ideals that apply to all men everywhere in every period of time. Kant argued on behalf of natural law and presumed that its orderliness was evidence of man's ability to be governed by universal order--of his own free will (Oxford Companion to Philosophy p. 438).

"Absolute moral truth must be logically consistent, free from internal contradiction" (Shaw p.23) That to me, means that there is no inconsistency between what you think and what you feel (reason and conscience) and no contradiction with what you do and what you expect others to do. If everyone did these checks "with a sincere heart, and with real intent" we would all come to the same conclusions. In my moral questions, I know I have found universal truth when I find that the answers are consistent and unchanging.

I do not believe that morality is legislated by God. I believe that God is God because he proved himself obedient to Universal Law and has, thus, mastered the elements (power through submission of will--"Nevertheless not my will, but Thine be done"). As we increase our moral capacity, we become more and more like God, and he wants for us what he has for himself--He follows the Golden Rule and is a model of moral consistency.

Sandwiches

They're Samwiches, Samwiches
Barely even human
Samwiches, Samwiches
Eat a little more.

I know you wanted to see some pictures, but I haven't taken any in a while, so I found a disk with some pictures that I don't think you have seen. I thought you would like that better than me posting my Ethics class discussion board assignments--I can still to that too if you would like.