Trick before treat

There is always a trick before a treat at my house on Halloween. Kids come expecting candy only but there is a learning process as well. I ask them a math question. Ironic, isn't it, that I am asking math questions when my kids pass me by on their math about the 8th grade... Regardless, it is kind of fun and the return kids come to expect it. I think they kind of look forward to it... Not sure but we seem to have a good time. Tricks before treats is kind of the way life is as well. We need to put in the time before we are able to reap the reward. Those things for which we don't work aren't as appreciated as those that cost us sweat, brain juice and effort. I appreciate what I have because I have had to work for it. I think that is going to be one of my mantras for life: Trick before treat.

Comfort

I love the comfort of home. I can come home from work, doesn't matter the type of day it has been (I had a great day at work BTW) walk in the door, smell the smells, hear the sounds and feel the feelings of home and know there is safety and comfort. Home is where I want to be. Home is where I am. Home is comfort.

Peace

Peace is what I feel when I am doing what is right. Peace is what I feel when my children are doing what is right. Peace is what I feel when I contribute. Peace is what I feel when I am with friends. Peace is what I feel when I am with my wife and we are pillow-talking. Peace is what I feel when my wife looks at me. Peace is what I feel when my wife says she loves me. Peace is what I feel when I come home. Peace is what I feel when I read the Book of Mormon. Peace is what I feel when I pray. Peace is what I feel when I look at a sunset. Peace is what I feel when i smell a rose. Peace is what I feel when I am happy. Peace is what I feel even when I am concerned about things. Peace is what I feel about my married kids. Peace is what I feel when I think about my grandchildren. Peace is what I feel when I sit and think. Peace is what I feel when I am at church. Peace is what I feel when I feel the promptings and stirrings of the Spirit. Peace is what I feel when I look into my mother's eyes. Peace is what I feel when I feel love. Peace is what I feel when I bother to slow down and appreciate the things with which I have been blessed. Peace is what I feel with my wife. Peace is what I feel when my wife smiles at me and laughs at my dumb jokes. Peace is what I feel. Peace is a good feeling. Peace is what is promised even amidst the turmoil of the last days. Peace is peaceful. I love peace.

Water

Water has taken many forms in my life over the past few years. It had taken the frozen form while I had a boy play hockey for the past 12 years. I also had a daughter play for a couple of years. I was comfortable with the frozen kind. I understood it and enjoyed my time in the summer when it was blistering outside, it was cool and comfortable at the rink. In the winter, not so much but still enjoyable as I watched a boy, and to a certain extent a daugther, grow up on the ice. Early mornings, late nights, dodging pucks and sticks and helmets in the box. It was enjoyable. I returned to my roots tonight attending my alma mater and children's alma mater high school hockey game. The box was still there and comfortable. They won 9 to 0 over Skyview, a team that has been a nemesis of theirs for years. A thumping as it were. I have, however, with my youngest daugther, given up frozen water for liquid as she is swimming. I have had to learn new things, terminology, I serve as a stroke official (I have to disqualify kids when then do things wrong, it's sad and it sucks when you see them working so hard to try to do it right and succeed, and no, I am not a sadist...) and there is a crossover camaraderie that exists among the swimmers as did at the rink. I am so proud of my youngest daugther: she sliced 9 seconds off of her 50 yard time and an amazing 30 seconds off of her 100 yard swim time today! She is learning, she is trying, she did it right and she didn't stop. She has progressed so much. It is truly amazing. She finally has something that is hers, and hers alone. No one else has swum. We had kids play football, baseball, soccer, basketball, hockey but no one has ever done swimming. She is alone and unique in this. It is hers. She feels accomplished. She has what no one else has in our family. Being one of 6 and the last, I could see where she kind of got lost in the shuffle of type A personalities. She is not. She is, however, tenacious and giving. There is a certain bulldog in her that is demonstrating itself in her swimming. Way to go, princess! I am proud of you. I know water is essential for our lives. It nutures and enlivens us. It also is a great source of enjoyment for me in the past, now and into the next few years. I am thankful for water.

Talking

I talk for a living. I am in sales. I lead a great group of very talented sales professionals. I also do my share of talking and even more listening. I had to do some talking today because of a situation that has arisen. Things were discussed, explained and things are getting worked out now. It is amazing how much can get resolved from talking, asking good questions, listening and then following up on the answers received. I can't believe more people can't do that. To me it is so elemental and basic. There are times, I know, that I want to get my point across that I will ask a question, not pay attention and then respond with something that is so incongruous with what was previously stated that it was patently obvious that I wasn't listening. I hate when that happens to me. I am trying to get better at listening and asking for clarification. If we can learn this, again for me, simple thing, we can get much farther in the world. Everyone wants to be heard, everyone loves to hear their name (try it at a restaurant and your server next time and watch the service you get) and everyone wants to feel like you are listening to them. If you listen correctly it is much easier to do the right talking.

New

I have a new sales guy at work. Well, he hasn't really started but he is in the process of it. He took a day off of work to come and get some training from one of my vendors who is the representative of our buying consortium. It was all new to him and exciting. I think we need to be around new things every once in a while so we don't become so jaded. We need to see things through the prism of new and experience things again for the first time with a different perspective. I think that is why I don't mind moving and changing. It's good to step outside of our comfort zone and see things in a new way, in a new area with new people. I always enjoyed that about growing up. I don't think my mom knows that. I am glad that my kids aren't afraid to experience new things, and old things in a new way. My oldest single daughter informed me that she is going to start acting again. I am excited for her. She is good, she is real and she has passion for it. Something old in a new perspective for her. I am glad that I was able to spend time listening to the training and see something old, that I now almost take for granted, (my knowledge that I have accumulated here) in a way that is fresh in the eyes of someone new.

Cammo

Cammo is home! He stopped by the house tonight. He got home from Argentina yesterday afternoon, gave his homecoming talk in church today (without telling anybody, by the way, of course he said that he had lost everyone's phone number) and he had a hard time talking English. That's the way I know he was a good missionary. He was involved with the people, out being with them, teaching, preaching and helping as good missionaries do. It's funny watching missionaries talk English after being immersed in another language and culture for 2 years. His Spanish is better that most people that go to Argentina, however. Not so much vos, che and the buzzed double l and "y" sound. Those who know Spanish know what I mean. Anyway, I got to thinking about how fast the time passed. It just doesn't seem possible that it had been 2 years and, in fact, it had been longer because he extended another 6 weeks. We also found out that while he was serving, his folks were in Africa serving a mission as well. That family must have truly been blessed. I am excited for my youngest son to go. I hope and pray that he remains true and faithful and continues in his desires to serve. I hope that any of my kids that want to go, can go and know that we will do all we can to support them. Anyway, it was great to see Cammo!

Dryer!

We got a new Dryer today! We are able to wash and dry clothes now. Our old dryer started leaving black racing stripes on all the clothes. It was unsightly but now we are good. I had to change the swing on the door. Way too hard! I had to dis-assemble the entire door just to do that and it doesn't work quite right. It is weird. I take a lot of things for granted. I took my dryer for granted and now I really appreciate it. Our new dryer is very quiet and it dries quite nicely. We are also decorated, finally (all my fault, my sweet wife had everything about about 3 weeks ago, I didn't do anything with it so she put most of it back) and it looks good. I like halloween. I can act like a kid again, in some ways. I want to get more decorations for halloween but I don't know where we would store them. We have a lot for Christmas and my wife does such a fabulous job of decorating the house for that special season. If we were ever going to sell our house, we would do it during Christmas just because my wife makes it look so FABULOUS. It looks like a Better Home & Garden home or an Architectural Digest home the way she decorates. I take so much for granted. I realize how blessed I am to be surrounded by such wonderful people that make me a better person. I have to strive harder not to take all that I have for granted like my dryer.

Oops

Oops. I hate it when I make a mistake. After sales meeting today we had another meeting up at a big hospital chain to hav e atraining seminar on how to run some of the machines they bought from the company where I work. We were supposed to have a power point and everything. I checked on the power point that I helped put together and was told by my manufacturer rep that all we were doing is hands on and preventative maintenance stuff, we didn't need the power point. I didn't check with the other person going with us who has been co-spear-heading this with me. Oops. We should have had one. I felt like a doofus. For those of you that know me, you know that is an all too common feeling for me. Anyway, it went well, not everyone came that was supposed to attend, the head person wasn't there either so we were able to save a little face. I was able to save the day by going to the temple and doing sealings. Powerful. We were doing someone's direct, researched family names. Those always seem more real and close to me. It was a great afternoon. Went to work after that and got caught up on email. Email is a blessing, bain and curse all at the same time. My wife and I stayed home tonight for our date night. It was calm and peaceful because my youngest daughter got punked with a surprise party for her impending 16th birthday next week. She has good friends and I am grateful for them. Also, my big screen after about 15 years is finally giving out. Bummer. You never seem to have the money you want to get the things you want. I had some money set aside but it has been spent on a new dryer (very necessary) contacts and braces. It goes fast. Well, I guess I have learned a lesson today (we'll see how long it lasts) to always ask twice, kind of like the contractor axiom to measure twice and cut once, so I don't have to feel like a doofus again with another oops!

Marie Callendar's

Marie Callendar's always puts their pies on sale the month before Thanksgiving? Why this insidious plot? Why to get us to pay full price for their pies for Thanksgiving so we don't have to bake them. Dastardly and sneaky! Well, it doesn't work with me because I LOVE the smell of baking pies the night before Thanksgiving and then the smell of turkey, stuffing and yams the next day. We don't EVEN mention the rolls that are baking. I don't know what kind of rolls I am making this year but they will be yummy. We are going to cut down on our pie construction and consumption this year. I don't know who, besides family, if anyone, we are having over this year but I am only going to make 4 pies this year. G-ma always makes 2 pecan, you HAVE to have punkin pie for Thanksgiving and that only leaves me one option available. I don't know if it will be a cherry crumble, apple, chocolate, banana cream or what but I will only do 1 extra this year. Could I buy one? I don't know but those sneaks just might make me reconsider at Marie Callendar's!

sleepy

I have been dozing off and on since about 7:30 tonight. The TV is great for insomnia. My bed calls. I am sleepy.

Geneaology

Geneaology, I am doing it... Yes, it's that song that my kids learned in Primary. We didn't have that song when I was a kid but we did have a piano that we brought across the plains.... As our High Priest Group Leader I have been asked to learn the new family history program the church is putting out. It is, in fact, out in the rest of the church but they, the leaders, didn't want the system to crash as use along the Wasatch Front happened. Well, it has been crashing as they have rolled out sections of Utah. It is now our turn. I am starting to catch the vision, although it's still cloudy, of what searching out my ancestors means and will mean. It was an interesting decision to make tonight because we also had ward temple night and I am kind of in charge of that as well but I have to get this program learned when Utah goes completely live the end of the month. Also, my wife and I are going to the temple on Friday so it was easier to justify my absence there tonight and my presence at the class. I am looking forward to getting going. I think my sister had tried to do some work on my father's side but since she passed away a few years ago, and didn't share with us what she had discovered, I don't know where we are. I guess I'll just start at the beginning, it's a very good place to start. 2 songs in 1 blog tonight, who would have thought? Anyway, I will be starting and continuing my geneaology.

Pooped

I'm pooped. Why do we say I am pooped when we are tired? If I translated that directly, I would be very messy. Anyway, I am really pooped. I was at work until almost 8 tonight. We had a machine demo at a Harmon's grocery store. In fact, I still have the machine in my car. I didn't want to take it back to work, I will in the morning. The guy I was going to have to let go quit today which made my life a lot easier. He got another job today that is going to work out well for him. I am grateful for small miracles. I am here yawning and I am pooped. Not messy, just really tired. It's a weird phrase: pooped.

Linger Longer

Linger Longer. That is something that members of our church do outside of Utah. We stay after our meetings, talking and chatting and sometimes (most of the time) we eat and share. In Utah, where the church is so prevalent, where the majority of neighbors are members of the local unit, there seems to be no need to do that. We supposedly see each other during the week in the neighborhood but that is a fallacy. We are so busy, we barely have time to see each other as family members, let alone our neighbors. If we do, it is a quick wave, a howya doin', and see ya later. We need to spend more time together, getting to know each other. We take for granted here what we have, around whom we live and the area where we live. There is a commonality shared among people that, at times, can be viewed as a closed society. We are not very social around here with all. Why this quasi-diatribe? We had our annual High Priest Quorum meeting tonight and the President of our High Priest Group, the Stake President, shortened the meeting, asked us strongly not to use the side doors to leave but to go to the back of the meeting house in the cultural hall (acutally a basketball court, we are crazy for basketball out here) and just mingle and get to know each other better. Not to go with people we already knew but to introduce ourself to people, to ask questions, to serve each other and to listen. What a wonderful experience. It was almost, just like what we, my wife and I, experienced outside of Utah. It was wonderful. We all, whether at work or wherever we spend time with people, need to get to know each other better, appreciate our similiaraties, celebrate our uniquenesses and differences and Linger Longer.

Baby Food

Baby Food is an interesting subject. You eat it when you are a baby and can't really remember eating it. I remember enjoying a few things that my kids ate when I was feeding them. I guess we need kids to remember what it was like to eat baby food. My favorite:Peach Cobbler from Gerber's. YUMMY!!!! Why the stroll down memory lane?, I am in our local Rotary Club and with the Interact Club (Rotary for High School, it's a service club and looks great on a college resume/application by the way) and it was our annual baby food drive. We collected over 800 pounds of formula (way expensive now, by the way, like $17.00 a can, it was like $5.00 a can when my kidlets were little, I don't know how people can afford kids now, but we are earning more so I guess it equals out. Quite a long parenthetical, no?) diapers, wipes, cereal, baby food in the tiny jars and, of course, my favorite:Peach Cobbler. We talked about it while we were collecting with the kids and some other adults. Some like the bananas (yucky), some like the PEAS (totally gross!) and the winner was the Peach Cobbler. I don't know what that says about me. Am I a follower, a member of the herd mentality or is Peach Cobbler just extra yummy? I guess I'll never know. Any way, there were a lot of people that were very generous. I found the most generous were generally the older folks giving when even their grandkids were grown. People are amazing. There is hope. We just can't let things overwhelm us. We are good, we can do great things together. How do I know this? How can I write with such certitude? I saw people today giving baby food!

Funeral

I went to a funeral today, it wasn't someone I directly knew but I knew the family of the person who had passed away. My boss' mother-in-law died last Friday and her funeral was today. It was touching, humorous, thought-provoking and filled with hope and love. Tender and precious were the words spoken but children, daughter-in-law, sweet songs sung by grandchildren and a feeling of peace pervaded the meeting. Sales meeting went well for those wondering about from last night. I went to the funeral after our meeting. I am glad I went. I was touched and I am a better person for having gone. The effect of 1 person, especially a mother, is felt for generations and it was in ample evidence today. A giant has left us but her influence will be felt for generations and all of eternity. God bless mothers. May we, as children, appreciate the tremendous and extreme sacrifices make for us to make us better people. Nothing can help put things back into proper perspective like a funeral.

Sales Meeting

Sales Meeting in the morning. I have only 4 slides of my powerpoint done for the meeting. Yes, I procrastinate also, kids. I actually have a reason, I was on a date with my green-eyed daugther tonight. We saw Harry Potter. Second time for her, first for me. It was at the dollar theatre. She also has homework for school tonight due early tomorrow but since she is working, she is writing a paper, if not two, as well. Had some sad news from my boy in Chicago, the scholarships that he was expecting to help finish paying for school, didn't come through and it looks like he might have to end his adventure there and come to school here where it is a bit more affordable. With his grants and other options available, he will be fine. Of course he could be fine and a miracle will happen. We are having a special fast for him on Sunday for those that would care to join in. Your prayers and faith are appreciated. Any way, I have to leave the house by 6:00 to get set up for my sales meeting. I need to get busy. Sales meeting!

Virtue

Virtue is the medium through which the atonement is efficacious in our lives. I went to a fireside tonight with my wife and youngest daugther when Sister Cook, of the General Young Women Presidency came and spoke to the youth of our stake. Profound. She talked about the tapestry of our lives, the threads of people that combine together to make us unshakeable and the Saviour as the Golden Thread that makes us untearable (if that is a word, it means to not be able to tear). Sister Dalton, the General Young Women President stated in a talk a while ago, "The youth of this church are going to be the ones to restore virtue to the earth." I hear that and there is hope for a world lost in the turmoil of apathy and sin. I pray for my children to remain strong in the face of such, at times, overwhelming adversity. I pray that I will remain strong and rely upon my Big Brother to carry me home. Just think for 5 minutes about the significance of virtue in your own life. Is there any? I hope so. There is nothing more precious in all the world than virtue.

WIndshield time

Windshield Time in known in the "industry" or the "business" as spending time driving around. I had my share of it today as I went south to a School District and my sales guy and I met with the head maintenance/custodian guy. had a great meeting and we have another school district with our non-alcohol hand sanitizer! Why non-alcohol you may ask? It is quite apropos for a school district so that kids don't go around lighting their hands on fire with alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Don't believe me? Look here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT7cqO_9xHU and you will see what our youth are doing. Amazing. It makes for an easy sell once we start talking with people in charge, especially at high schools, what they, the kids, can do with alcohol-based hand sanitizer? How do I know this? My college attending son, a senior last year, told me about it. Fantastic! Anyway, windshield time gets me where I need to go and occasionally leads to success. Not to mention I got to see the mountains around the valley on fire with the colors of autumn. This won't last long but there are, if I look for them, some perks to windshield time.

Office Days

Office Days are like nothing-is-planned-today-on-Saturday-and-let-me-catch-up days. It was wonderful. I got ready for Sales meeting on Friday. Well, I don't have my presentation ready but I do have the packet ready which takes almost, but not quite, as long. It was good to re-acquaint myself with the office again. I also had to give condolences to the company owner and the executive VP on the passing of his mother and the CEO's mother-in-law. They both commented on how much easier her passing was with the knowledge of the gospel and the knowledge of a better life. I honestly don't know how people can live and survive without the hope and sweet peace the gospel brings. There is a sense of serenity and satisfaction knowing that if I live correctly, repent fast and often, am obedient, death will be sweet as I am welcomed home, back to the presence of my Father and Big Brother and Mother. I appreciated the time that I had in the office today to contemplate and discuss that a bit with co-workers and my boss. While few and far between, I appreciate Office Days.

Progress

Progress, how can we measure it? I can measure it when I am on a diet by how my clothes fit me and the ones that don't fit me when I start, are fitting again. I measure it with my youngest daughter: Today she backed the car out of the garage and down the driveway. Not a big deal, you say? You haven't seen our driveway. It was brought grown men to tears and embarassment as they try to navigate the downhill turn and avoid my roses and the fall off on the other side. Way to go, princess! It's always a momentous day when that first occurs. Now, all of my kids can back down our driveway. I just wish I could do it consistently well... Well, I do but sometimes I have to make adjustments going down. It's embarassing to have to pull back up the driveway to go back down it... I can measure progress at work by how my sales guys are doing and the numbers they are generating. I measure progress at church by how I feel after my meetings. Did I make an effort to be taught? Was I receptive to the whisperings of the Spirit? More importantly, did I follow up and/or through on those promptings? I can measure the progress of my married children by their children. I measure the progress of my children in college by their grades and their socialization. My question remains to myself: Am I progressing? Am I doing it for the right reasons? Will I, after this life, be able to progress because I have been true and faithful? I guess it all boils down to obedience. Am I willing to be suffiiciently humble to progress?

I wonder

I wonder how my kids are doing. I think I know but I don't know everything. That is tough for a parent. I know I have to let them alone and live and learn but I don't want there to be any hurts or anything. At the same time I realize that they need to fall down and experience failure and success. As long as there is more success than failure, I guess life is good. I don't know why I am writing this but I was contemplating my children. My oldest son, driving truck, away from his family too much. I wish I could help him but he has to provide for his family. I hope he can figure out soon how to find something local and go to school as he expresses frequently. I wish we spoke more. My oldest daughter in Georgia. Going to school full-time, busy in church, with 4 kids, involved in other things and a great husband. I wish I could make her life easier but that crucible fortifies and helps one appreciate. My oldest single daughter, going to school, discovering her major, experiencing her passion, I wish I could get her through school and onto a career of her choosing and with the correct person in her life. My green-eyed daughter, working full-time, going to school full-time, figuring out how to do things in school again. Discovering the joy and frustration of learning and studying. I wish I could help her get through this first year so she can realize that it is possible to do. My single son, away at school, studying and touching lives. I wish I could help with his largest problem now but he has to take the steps to work it out and make arrangements. He is learning and growing in way that he couldn't anywhere else. My baby girl, I wish I could help her through the learning process of math (I am not an engineer for a reason although that is what I initially thought I would be, aeronautical, to be precise) and help her get through the first part of her new athletic endeavor. Again, crucibles forge strength and resilience and self-reliance. Through it all, my wife is there, comforting, calming, loving and reminding. Where would I be without her, I wonder...

My Wife

My Wife is an amazing person. She is everything that I am not: most notably humble. She is quick, she is loving, she is patient, she is caring, she is giving, she always looks for the best in people, she is funny, she is quiet, she is artistic, she is not self-promoting, she tries new things, she is willing to risk things, she is passionate, she is sweet, she is loving, she constantly surprises me and she is the best person I know. What prompted this, you may ask? Last night she had her initial art show opening! She has been taking art classes and doing amazing things. Things I can't even begin to do, accomplish or fathom where people come up with the imagination to do things like that. She is so into non-self-promotion. Her show opened at 6:00pm last night. About 5:15, 5:20 she comes up and metions to me that, if I wanted to go with her, if I was interested, her opening night was tonight at 6:00 and would I like to go with her!?!?!?!?!? what the heck?!?!?!?!?! Why didn't you tell anyone? Why don't the kids know? Why am I just finding out?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! I just want to do it my way. Don't you think others would like to know what you are doing? Not really, this is for me. For how much are you going to sell your paintings? No one will buy them, I am just learning. They don't know that. I still have to put names on them and sign them. (the last few sentences should be considered conversations between my wife and me and have quotation marks around them but I was lazy, just for clarification, in case you were wondering if dad is really going nuts and I just write random, made up conversations...) We went. It was truly amazing. My wife has talents that I wish I had coming out of her ears. What she is doing with me I will never know. Her art is mesmerizing. She is amazing. If you want to know how to be a better person, talk to my wife.

Home!

Home - is there a better word in the English (or any for that matter) language? I am home. I am safe, I am happy and I am tired. I said good bye to my son this morning as he went off to school and I went off to the last day of ISSA (at least for me). I forgot to mention something yesterday: I helped Bill Nye, the Science Guy at a luncheon I attended yesterday. It was cool. He is fairly cool. I don't think the product with which he is affiliated works but it was good to be there and get a better feel for what it is. Done with the sidebar. There was a keynote speaker today that dropped the f-bomb 4 times. I can't believe how far our standards have sunk where that is considered anywhere close to acceptable. I am thoroughly disgusted by where we are as a society. It is a sad state of affairs. Anyway today I got to go snooping and see what the competition has and how we, as a company, are going to have to compete. There is some cool stuff out there but I think that we are positioned extremely well for the future. We just need to grow more. I was talking to a couple of owners from the Palm Springs area today and they are doing 12mm with just 6 sales guys. I think I need to raise the bar considerably more than where it is. I can't do it all at once but we have to get there. My flight was good and I am home. I missed my daughter's swim meet. She finished all of her races. I am so proud of her. Keep working hard, sweetheart, and you will get what you want. It was so good to see my wife again. I don't deserve her. I love her so much. It's good to be home. It'll be great to have someone in the bed wtih me again. I am not being gross, single kids. You can only understand that if you are married and then apart. It is totally foreign to sleep alone. I am home!

Education - Tuesday

I got up and came to the McCormick Center in Chicago to get educated on things today. I love education. I love learning. It keeps me sharp. Although I don't currently attend a formal school, I am doing what I can to educate myself on things. I took a few courses today, 5 to be exact. My brain is fried. I also represented our company at meetings and a reception tonight. It was interesting. What I don't understand is why people feel the need to drink more than they need and get a little stupid. I don't totally understand drinking to start but I accept the social aspect of it in gatherings. I guess it lubricates business.... Anyway, my son left this afternoon. He has school in the morning and had institute tonight. He is a good kid. I miss my wife and daughter. I am going to miss my youngest daughter's first swim meet on Thursday. I am bummed. It's good to be here, to see my son and to get educated. Learning doesn't equal education. It's the application of what is learned when we truly become educated.

ISSA - Wednesday

Wow. What a show. There are so many things there to see and learn. I spent almost the entire day at vendor booths. Those that sell to us, getting to know them better, learning what is coming out and just building relationships. I was at the Buckeye booth talking to a good friend there, Angel, and this guy walks around the corner. I look at him and just ask him, "and who are you?!" (in that "voice" I get, you know the one, not really snarky but coyingly obnoxious) and he introduced himself as Kris, the owner of the company! I shook his hand and told him how much we love his product, the guys that work with us and we spent the better part of an hour together. It was weird. We both tried to get away, he had things to do, people to see, but we just kept getting sucked back in to each other with a question or something. Good man, good heart. We went to their reception on the 96th floor of the John Hancock Building. Views were incredible. Had a great time. My son went with me and impressed people with his ease in public situations and how he was able to communicate with people much older and more experienced than he. Son, Angel says to say hi and that he was really impressed. It's late and there is more tomorrow. I can't believe how extensive and sophisticated everything is. ISSA, gotta love it!

Chicago!

Today was a wonderful, yet sad day. I left my family for ISSA, the jan-san trade show of the year for my work. I had to leave my wife and daugther; Bummer :( but I got to see my son who is going to school there!!!!! It has been so great to see him, hug him, kiss him and just be around him. He is a good kid. I had to opportunity to get bumped today on my flight. They would have given me 600 in airline vouchers (that would have almost paid for my son to come both at Thanksgiving and Christmas, tough choice) a couple of meal coupons and they would guarantee me the 5pm flight. There was another flight like an hour later but I could only get Priority Wait List Status, no guarantee. I thought about it but I didn't take it. Time with my kids is too precious for me to have wasted an entire day at the airport. Anyway, my son met me at the airport and he started screaming, "Dad, Dad!" when he saw me, he came running up and just threw himself at me. Everyone was looking at us and "awwwwing". It was cool. We went to the Sears tower. They have something up there where you can step out onto plexiglass and it looks like you are standing in mid-air. Totally freaky. You all know how much I love heights but I did inch out onto it a bit. Freaked me out. We then went to get pizza at Giordano's. Good. We got back to my hotel and crashed for a while then we went out to dinner at the Saloon Steakhouse. Unbelievable. The steak was incredible. Great time. I am tired and the show starts early tomorrow. Chicago!

Surprise!

I got shwerved and surprised last night. My oldest single daugther dropped in on us from BYU. I was pleasantly surprised. I am so proud of her (well, all my kids, but I will talk about her for a minute), she has figured out what her major is before she is done with school, she is passionate about it and she is gifted at what she wants to do. She has such a facility with the written word. She can paint images and you are there with her. That is a rare gift that few people have. I also got surprised at conference these past 2 days. I am always surprised there though (although after all the conferences to which I have listened, I shouldn't be surprised) at the depth, passion and instruction that is so precient for our times. How the Lord loves us as He communicates His will to us through his representatives on earth, His apostles and prophet. I love being surprised but at the same time I really appreciate being prepared for that which is to come. There was nothing directly said, but if one is listening with the Spirit, there are things perceived and as I review the talks next month and online here shortly, there will come to me greater light and understanding as to what I need to do to prepare myself better today. I also get to see my youngest son tomorrow! He is away at school and hasn't seen anyone from home for about 2 months. He has done well but I am excited to see him, hug him, tell him I love him and get caught up with him. I miss our "hockey talks" that we used to have as we would go to practice and games together. I was also surprised last night as my daugther's (different daughter) boy friend and I went out for a tooti frooti after Priesthood meeting. I had a wonderful time. It was not awkward at first but there was some initial getting used to each other as we sat there. It went better than either of us expected. Not that I was expecing something bad but it is always weird a first time, alone. Guys aren' t the greatest of communicators but we did all right. Anyway, my oldest, single daughter is gone and there is an empty space in the house again. It was so good to hear noise and laughter this afternoon as the youngest and oldest teased each other and enjoyed each other. I miss the noise. The silence can be deafening. I hope my youngest soon invites friends over (of course that would necessitate our finishing the basement after our most recent water happening a month or so ago, but we are getting there, YAY!) and there is noise and laughter once again in our home. I am grateful for surprises. Thanks, princess for finally putting one over on me, thanks for the noise and joy you bring. Please, surprise me again...

El Rojo

El Rojo is an old car we have so the kids can learn to drive and then drive it during high school. It cost my oldest, single daughter 400 samolians. We have since put about 1600-1700 into it in just over 4 and a half years. It is a great car but not loved by my youngest daugther. I took her swimming in el rojo today and she complained. I took it to put gas into it. I love filling that car. I did it about 3 weeks ago and I still only put $16.50 into today to fill it up. El rojo is loved by those who see it as a mode of transportation rather than a status symbol but it is so old it has almost become a retro-status symbol. Anyway. I took her, she got, rather shot herself, out of the car so no one would see her. I drove to Einstein's Bagel shop. They remodeled! Where do they get off remodeling?!?!?! I get used to a certain way for my bagel shop and they go and do that to me?!?!? Anyway, we always get bagels for conference which is today and tomorrow. El rojo plays into what several conference talks referenced today; being that we should not live beyond our means, we fix up and care for that which we can and look to help others. El rojo is a metaphor for life: If we base who we are on what we drive and where we live, we will always and eventually be disappointed. If we are wise stewards over that with which we have been blessed, care for the things, talents, goods that are ours, our lives are happy and full and we can concentrate more fully on doing good and "being about our Father's business". I like cars but they are less and less important to me. They are a mode of transport from point A to B. I want to be more like el rojo.

Comfort

I love the comfort of realizing, at times, my children actually listen to advice and direction given to them. Well, anyone for whom I care, for that matter. I only want what is best for those that I love. I am not certain that is a true statement either for I feel a love/concern for all of humanity as they are my brothers and sisters all. I know there are people over whom I have direct and immediate influence and those for whom I have an indirect effect. My examply must speak for and of me. It radiates my belief and hope in God, that we are His Children, He is our Father and that we are all interconnected. I take comfort in the knowledge that through my Big Brother, Christ, I can be forgiven, we can ALL be forgiven if we but repent, obey the commandments and endure to the end. We obtain mercy after all we can do. It is not enough to merely profess, we must live according to the dictates of mercy and justice. Christ is our bridge from justice to mercy because He overcame all. He was perfect, he obeyed the Father, abrogating His, Christ's will, to that of His Father and our Father, providing in Himself the perfect example. He overcame all, He brought about the atonement and broke the bands of death. He is my Lord and my light! He is my friend, He is my goal, He is my comfort.

Time

Have you ever noticed how fast time sometimes moves and other times it drags on interminably? Today was one of those days where it flew by but it seems that this morning was forever ago. I woke up for the first time at 3:11 this morning, thinking I had to get up and go to work... JOY! I had another 2 and a half hours of sleep. I tried to go back to sleep and time dragged on until suddenly it was time to get up. Interesting paradox when time both drags and flies, how is that possible? Anyway, I had Rotary this morning. I was clock watching because I had to get to a meeting on our insurance changes at the office by 7:30. I knew I wasn't going to make it. However, I didn't think I'd stay at Rotary until 8:00. The time flew by. I got to the office by 8:27, meeting still going on and then the meeting seemed to drag on for about 45 minutes but seemed much longer than that. Had my weekly meeting with the CEO and that flew by. Had a meeting with a vendor, helped with a powerpoint presentation for a huge hospital chain where we are trying to get our foot in the door, that dragged on but went fast, weird. Had to go get a shot, 2 actually. Painful - MMR and Varicella for admittance as a vendor into afore-mentioned hospital chain and then a trip to the bank to straighten out some problems with Delta and them. I got charged for 8 tickets, rather approval was given but no tickets issued. I leave for Chicago on Monday without money being available to me. I am frustrated that each side blames the other yet I am out the money. There is no customer service. That dragged on forever. Had Rotary with my wife tonight. She had a board meeting that I didn't attend. I read a book and the time flew by. Went in for her meeting, clock watching again so I could get to my board meeting. Time dragged on yet all of the sudden it was 7:20 and I wanted to leave at 7:00. Got to my board meeting at 7:50 and it ran until 9:45 and it flew by but I look back and the start of the day seems a week ago. I guess it is all my perception of time.