I'm baaaaack!!!!

well, i am back. a lot has happened since my last post. we re-built our basement and kitchen (another flood, this time from our faucet in the kitchen, hose split but we were still getting water out of the faucet) we went to San Diego and saw my two youngest play with dolphins off the coast of coronado, (VERY COOL), got a son ready for a mission, took a son to the mtc, cried a lot, started working out at a gym, first with now-departed son and now with loving wife, went to orlando to a toilet paper convention, again, very cool, and now i just got back from working out. arms are jelly, my back is still tweaked but getting better and now i just have to settle into life again. things are going great. life is good, not much to write currently as i will catch people up throughout my posts but it's good to be back!

Jelly

My arms are jelly right now. It's all I can to do type this. My arms are propped up on the desk and supported by the arms of my chair. I am beat and it is only 6:20 in the morning. My youngest son and I went and worked out this morning. I think we are going to join a gym here locally. We went to try it out. I can use it for 3 days for free, if I survive, we will join. We did a chest and bicep work-out today. I can't straighten my arms or lift them above my head right now so shaving will be an adventure for me this morning. I hope I don't cut myself too bad... Life is good. Things are progessing. I feel so blessed. I can't write more because my left arm just fell off... I wonder if as jellified as my arms are, if they actually taste like jelly.....

Shocked!

Aren't you shocked that I am writing 2 days in a row??!!?!?!?! I know I am. Not really, I walked this morning. I had to mail a letter so what better way to mail it than walking to the Post Office at 5 in the a.m.? I know that is what I would do.... Anyway, nice walk. I think I prefer walking to riding the bike simply because I can get out, smell the fresh air (it rained last night, YUMMY!), watch the sun start to play hide and seek with the day, see the moon and stars, just see the sights of C'ville in general, (we all know what a booming metropolis this is...) and just get out and be a part of the morning. Work went well yesterday. I think we are going to get some more accounts, one with the church and another one with a phone customer service center. They, the CSC, have about 1200 employees so they should use a lot of TP and paper towels. I love the fact that even in a down economy, people still need to go to the bathroom! Wonderful business to do right now. My youngest daughter seems to be doing a bit better. She has been battling a bout of vertigo/nausea for the past week and a half and my wife thinks it might be her glasses from a long time ago (she has contacts and just uses those glasses when she takes her "eyes" out) and she seems to be doing better. She is such a sweetie. My oldest married daugther and her family finally made it back to the east coast. What a trip for them. 4 kids under 7 and another one on the way and to drive from here to there in 3 days... ugh. I am glad they made it safe. Life is good. I hope I can remain true and faithful so that in the last day, when I am judged, I am not shocked...

Phenomenae

I experienced and interesting phenomena (the above is plural for those wondering...) this morning: I rode my bike for 1/2 the time I normally walk but I "travelled" about 2.5 times the distance. Perplexing, isn't it? Well, not really, I averaged about 18.6 mph on the bike. If I could walk that, I'd be even more amazing than I already am... hahahaha It was weird riding again. I woke up on time, rolled over, covered up to get a bit warmer and then next thing I knew it was 5:28 so I was stuck riding the bike. I have committeed to doing SOMETHING each and every day. I am also going to start on my iso-exerciser. It is a decent and strenuous work-out for something so non-heterosexual looking. Anyway, I have to take care of myself better for me and for my wife. She is way too good to me... Had a great week-end. My oldest single daughter was home for the long weekend, we had a big breakfast on the 24th at the house with almost all the kids and ALL of the grandkids. I wish we could have had a photo of the gathering or at least one of them when we were together. It's good to be back to "normal" here in the house (at least as normal as our family ever gets...) Life is going well, work is going well, things are peaceful. Life is good and that's the best phenomenae!

Power

We lost our power (electricity) on Sunday afternoon about 6. It was warm and inconvenient but it made me appreciate what I take so much for granted: all the conveniences we have. What conveniences you may ask? Allow me to enumerate:
Light
Air Conditioning
Cars
Ice
Crushed Ice
Water from the Fridge
Water from the tap
Toilets (one of my personal favorites, I am so glad I was born now)
Cool Food
Preserved Food
Packaged Food
Apples in December
Oranges anytime
Bananas
Computers
Garage door openers
News -immediately (whether it's true or not)
The Restored Truth
Phones
Music - the recorded variets
Cell Phones
Music in the Car
Warm Showers
Cold Showers
Carpet
Windows
Electric Razors
3-Bladed Razors
5-Bladed Razors
Toilets (did I mention those yet)
Taller toilets (for us taller people)
Toilet Paper (without which I wouldn't have a job)
Movies (Inception is a great movie)
TV (except for those lame reality shows; ALL of them)
Alarm Clocks
Ice Cream
Vegetables - Canned and Fresh at ANY time of the season we want them
Milk - the really cold kind that gives you brain freeze after you have eaten your cereal
Cereal - especially Cap'n Crunch with Crunchberries, not the new one but the old one with just the red berries
Rice (the yellow kind my wife makes)
The Gospel Restored
Couches
Beds without the bedbugs and lice from years ago
Dog Food
Running Water - Indoor
Lawn Mowers
Gasoline
These are just a few of the things that I take for granted. Feel free to add to the list. Don't forget to be grateful for power both the electrical spiritual kind. There is nothing more important than spiritual power.

Quite a while

I just realized it has been quite a while since I last posted (or, for that matter, walked in the morning which is when I post, AFTER I walk) but anyway I am back. A LOT has happened since I last posted: My youngest son got his mission call to Chihuahua, Mexico, my wife's youngest brother came out to our place and we got to take him to Vegas (great time), my oldest daughter is out here with my 4 grandkids from back east (very energetic, I wish I had even half of the energy they do) I got 30k ft2 of wood floor under my belt which brings me to about 150,000 square feet of wood floor (I almost feel I know what I am doing) the Rotary 5k Freedom Race was successful (we raised more money than ever in our history and we had more come to help in the morning than ever) I have become Rotary President for the next 12 months, we had our first board meeting at our house, ouf dog accidentally ate some rat poison (we have rats out in our rocks and we are trying to get rid of them, they are disgusting), I have been given some strict marching orders regarding some of my sales guys (we talk today and tomorrow), it felt good to go to church yesterday and partake of the sacrament and feel cleansed again, I will finish the BOM this week for number 7 this year, I am getting ready for a trade show this week and other than that, not much has been going on in our/my life. It is full, it is busy and there is no other way I would have it. Life is too short and too enjoyable. I just hope I don't wait to post or walk for that matter for quite a while again...

Waiting

We are wating for a lot of things. I am waiting to lose weight. Why is it that it never comes off as fast as you want? It seems to go on fast, why doesn't it come off fast? One of the mysteries of life, I guess. My youngest son is waiting for his mission call. He is waiting patiently (apparently) and is trying to be stoic. I can see beneath the veneer and he is so excited (as are we) to find out where the Lord has called him. My oldest son is waiting to quit driving and be home more with his family but how can he look when he is on the road so much? Frustrating. My oldest daughter is coming out here soon. We and they are waiting none too patiently for that to occur. It will be so good to see them again and more than anything, hug and hold them. Family is important. My youngest daughter is waiting to be able to relax after finishing school. We and she has been on the go constantly since she got out. My oldest single daughter is waiting to get a car. She has been waiting patiently and she is so good about being responsible. I admire that about her and am trying to be more like she is in that aspect. My other single daughter is waiting, kind of for new opportunities. My wife is waiting to get her walks done. She asks me to wake her up, which I do, but she is not a morning person at all. Our Father is waiting to bless us as we obey. He is waiting for us to turn to Him to be healed and comforted. He loves us and never tires of waiting.