For those who don't know, I just returned from a trip to Disneyland! Rather than forget the lessons I learned, I thought it would be useful to jot down a few items here.
Lesson #1: Plan some down time! I think for me, the optimal Disney stay would be 4 days in the park, with a rest day in the mix.
Lesson #2: Stagger the standing! World of Color, fireworks, Toy Story Mania and other long waits need to be spread out.
Lesson #3: Avoid the crowds! Arriving early was awesome. Some of my older children and family members stayed late, and they said the crowds were low then as well.
Lesson #4: Travel with family. Having more people there had many benefits. I appreciated my older children being able to stay late and do more with their aunt and uncle. Traven was happy with Grandma's endless supply of Skittles!
Lesson #5: Stay close to the park! I was jealous of those who could walk back and forth.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Free Agency
I find myself in a familiar situation. Someone I know is making a horrible, life changing choice. How many times I have wished for the ability to force someone to make what I feel is the right decision!
What gives me solace is seeing my own life in the rear view mirror. I have made many mistakes. A few were indeed life altering. I have found myself in some dark places. But, would I change any of them? Would I want to lose the wisdom gained? Would I give up the strength those trials had forged upon me? Would I be the person I am today without them?
Our ability to be free and make our own choices is a tremendous gift. Do we all make mistakes? Yes. The important thing is learning to deal with the consequences.
The painful reality is that those we care about will make errors in judgement, and sometimes we reach the point where all we can do is watch the train wreck happen. We pray, we hope for the best.
What gives me solace is seeing my own life in the rear view mirror. I have made many mistakes. A few were indeed life altering. I have found myself in some dark places. But, would I change any of them? Would I want to lose the wisdom gained? Would I give up the strength those trials had forged upon me? Would I be the person I am today without them?
Our ability to be free and make our own choices is a tremendous gift. Do we all make mistakes? Yes. The important thing is learning to deal with the consequences.
The painful reality is that those we care about will make errors in judgement, and sometimes we reach the point where all we can do is watch the train wreck happen. We pray, we hope for the best.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Life comes at you fast, take two!
When I posted my last entry, from a hotel room in Rochester, I thought I had things figured out. Work some on Xerox, some on Novell. Maybe even continue with a bit of Symetra.
Little did I suspect the turn my career would take in just a few short months. I bounced back to 100 percent supporting Novell, then to heading up the web administration team. And now, in a new turn, I leave ACS, to return to my dba roots. This new adventure will also have me commuting to Salt Lake again, although just 3 days a week.
Peter has also left ACS, which means the old crew is down to Gary, Clint and Scott.
I am sad to leave ACS. I enjoyed the work, made some good new friends and learned a lot. In the end, the work for me dried up. I didn't sense a future for me with the new Novell, and the ADM work at ACS is sparse. If the Xerox thing had held, I would have stayed. But after losing it, Symetra and Railinc, it was over for me.
My hope is to maintain my new and old friendships, while forging new ones. I had a good two runs at Novell, and am grateful for the time I had.
My other desire is for my friends that remain at ACS and Novell to have success and hapiness in their careers. Thankfully, today's technology makes it easier to stay in touch.
By the way, this post comes via my Blackberry, sitting fireside at scout camp. I am so cool, right?
Little did I suspect the turn my career would take in just a few short months. I bounced back to 100 percent supporting Novell, then to heading up the web administration team. And now, in a new turn, I leave ACS, to return to my dba roots. This new adventure will also have me commuting to Salt Lake again, although just 3 days a week.
Peter has also left ACS, which means the old crew is down to Gary, Clint and Scott.
I am sad to leave ACS. I enjoyed the work, made some good new friends and learned a lot. In the end, the work for me dried up. I didn't sense a future for me with the new Novell, and the ADM work at ACS is sparse. If the Xerox thing had held, I would have stayed. But after losing it, Symetra and Railinc, it was over for me.
My hope is to maintain my new and old friendships, while forging new ones. I had a good two runs at Novell, and am grateful for the time I had.
My other desire is for my friends that remain at ACS and Novell to have success and hapiness in their careers. Thankfully, today's technology makes it easier to stay in touch.
By the way, this post comes via my Blackberry, sitting fireside at scout camp. I am so cool, right?
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Life comes at you fast
Here I sit, in a hotel in Rochester. This is my 3rd trip out. I'll have spent more time out here this month than I have at home. I'm on day 6 of an 8 day outing this time. After this, I'll return and get to start working from my new office, which is actually some office furniture we placed in the piano room. Yes, I will be working from home full time as of Wednesday.
Two years ago, I was still working with the same team I had for years. Gary, Clint, Scott, Terry, Kent, Peter, Skip and I had worked together at Novell for probably over 10 years together. No one ever left the group, no one ever came into the group. We were a tight knit bunch.
This actually extended to quite a bit of the Novell IT folks. We had little turnover, we worked great as a team, and life was good. I don't think anyone anticipated what was coming.
I had felt something was changing, for several months. It weighed on me to the point that I had to make a change, and went to work for the church. Within months, Novell had outsourced their IT department to ACS, and the changes were fast.
Kent left to work for Ultradent. Terry ended up at Nuskin. I actually left working for the church, came back to ACS to work on the Novell account, and am now half time on a Xerox account. Clint still works for ACS, but is living in Alaska. Gary, Scott and I both work from home, as does Peter. Skip left to work at Overstock. The team is gone!
As far as the former Novell IT department, it is decimated. A few were chosen to still work for Novell, but most of them have left. Many of those that went to ACS seem a bit disappointed and bitter about the change. Very few remain. In fact, I'm not entirely sure how ACS will support the Novell contract, given the widespread departures.
My conclusion is that everyone is seeking something better, maybe a return to the good old days at Novell. I'm not sure what it is they seek, but I hope they find it. Many have gone to work for the LDS church IT department. I suspect they will find it very much like ACS actually. I could have been happy working at the church. The two factors that made it miserable were the commute and the manager from hell. As far as how things are run, you are looking at two ITIL shops, with all the formality and structure that it brings. You encounter management that doesn't always seem to make sense. What I love about ACS is the variety available to me and the ability to work where I want. The church was very odd about working from home, which always struck me as odd since the church itself is very much about family.
My take after working with Novell, ACS, Xerox, the LDS church, Symetra, Unicity and a variety of other groups? The IT industry is what it is, and you have to roll with the punches. Enjoy where you are at, and be grateful to have a job. Be friendly with your coworkers, customers and clients, and make the best of where you are at in your career. If you feel you need a change, do it for the right reasons.
And honestly, hasn't the church IT department grown enough?
Two years ago, I was still working with the same team I had for years. Gary, Clint, Scott, Terry, Kent, Peter, Skip and I had worked together at Novell for probably over 10 years together. No one ever left the group, no one ever came into the group. We were a tight knit bunch.
This actually extended to quite a bit of the Novell IT folks. We had little turnover, we worked great as a team, and life was good. I don't think anyone anticipated what was coming.
I had felt something was changing, for several months. It weighed on me to the point that I had to make a change, and went to work for the church. Within months, Novell had outsourced their IT department to ACS, and the changes were fast.
Kent left to work for Ultradent. Terry ended up at Nuskin. I actually left working for the church, came back to ACS to work on the Novell account, and am now half time on a Xerox account. Clint still works for ACS, but is living in Alaska. Gary, Scott and I both work from home, as does Peter. Skip left to work at Overstock. The team is gone!
As far as the former Novell IT department, it is decimated. A few were chosen to still work for Novell, but most of them have left. Many of those that went to ACS seem a bit disappointed and bitter about the change. Very few remain. In fact, I'm not entirely sure how ACS will support the Novell contract, given the widespread departures.
My conclusion is that everyone is seeking something better, maybe a return to the good old days at Novell. I'm not sure what it is they seek, but I hope they find it. Many have gone to work for the LDS church IT department. I suspect they will find it very much like ACS actually. I could have been happy working at the church. The two factors that made it miserable were the commute and the manager from hell. As far as how things are run, you are looking at two ITIL shops, with all the formality and structure that it brings. You encounter management that doesn't always seem to make sense. What I love about ACS is the variety available to me and the ability to work where I want. The church was very odd about working from home, which always struck me as odd since the church itself is very much about family.
My take after working with Novell, ACS, Xerox, the LDS church, Symetra, Unicity and a variety of other groups? The IT industry is what it is, and you have to roll with the punches. Enjoy where you are at, and be grateful to have a job. Be friendly with your coworkers, customers and clients, and make the best of where you are at in your career. If you feel you need a change, do it for the right reasons.
And honestly, hasn't the church IT department grown enough?
Friday, September 10, 2010
Memories of September 11th, 2001
During the drive into work this morning, the man on the radio was talking about 9/11, and having forgotten a lot about it. As he played back some sounds from that day, my mind was moved to put down some of my own memories.
Jason was attending a preschool over in Provo at the time, and it was my job to drop him off each morning. As we got into the car and prepared to leave the garage, I turned the radio on. They were talking about a plane that had crashed into the World Trade Center. Lori, Emily and I had been there less than a month before, so my interest was peaked. At that point, it sounded like a bad accident. I went back into the house to tell Lori, then left to drop off Jason. After I had dropped him off I went into the office. News was poring in at that point, and it definitely was a lot more serious than one bad accident.
Of course, the only thing we were talking about was what was happening back east. We struggled to find out any news. Rumors circled. Too many people were trying to stream the regular news services on the internet. Cnn, foxnews, etc. were all unusable - they were too busy. We finally found a feed to the BBC news that was working, and we all watched in disbelief. I don't think there was any work done that day. I don't recall much talking either. We all wanted news, but I think most of all we all wanted to go home. We didn't last more than a few hours in the office. Something about the circumstances made each of us want to huddle up with our families, to hug our children. I think it was just as much for our own comfort as for theirs.
I didn't know what to do or think. I recall watching hours and hours of news. It was addictive. Somehow, I think I felt I had to watch. The images were unbelievable. I just kept thinking about having been there recently.
I remember struggling to find a way to explain this all to our children. How do you explain such violence and hatred? You can't.
We attended a candlelight gathering in our neighborhood. We sang, we cried, we tried to find comfort. Honestly, there was little solace. They say time heals all wounds, but as I have pondered the events of that day, my heart still breaks. I recall it all so vividly. My own conclusion is that we should not forget, that we should not let those memories fade. We need to remember that day. It should serve as a reminder to us, to not become complacent or to lose our vigilance. We should remember all those who died, and do our best to honor their memories.
Jason was attending a preschool over in Provo at the time, and it was my job to drop him off each morning. As we got into the car and prepared to leave the garage, I turned the radio on. They were talking about a plane that had crashed into the World Trade Center. Lori, Emily and I had been there less than a month before, so my interest was peaked. At that point, it sounded like a bad accident. I went back into the house to tell Lori, then left to drop off Jason. After I had dropped him off I went into the office. News was poring in at that point, and it definitely was a lot more serious than one bad accident.
Of course, the only thing we were talking about was what was happening back east. We struggled to find out any news. Rumors circled. Too many people were trying to stream the regular news services on the internet. Cnn, foxnews, etc. were all unusable - they were too busy. We finally found a feed to the BBC news that was working, and we all watched in disbelief. I don't think there was any work done that day. I don't recall much talking either. We all wanted news, but I think most of all we all wanted to go home. We didn't last more than a few hours in the office. Something about the circumstances made each of us want to huddle up with our families, to hug our children. I think it was just as much for our own comfort as for theirs.
I didn't know what to do or think. I recall watching hours and hours of news. It was addictive. Somehow, I think I felt I had to watch. The images were unbelievable. I just kept thinking about having been there recently.
I remember struggling to find a way to explain this all to our children. How do you explain such violence and hatred? You can't.
We attended a candlelight gathering in our neighborhood. We sang, we cried, we tried to find comfort. Honestly, there was little solace. They say time heals all wounds, but as I have pondered the events of that day, my heart still breaks. I recall it all so vividly. My own conclusion is that we should not forget, that we should not let those memories fade. We need to remember that day. It should serve as a reminder to us, to not become complacent or to lose our vigilance. We should remember all those who died, and do our best to honor their memories.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
A New Perspective on the Morning Run
This morning, Braden and Jason were off to football early, and it was just Traven and I awake. I asked him if he wanted to go on my morning run, and he said yes. He did insist on staying in his pajamas and bringing Boo (his favorite blankie). I wasn't overly excited to be pushing about 40 extra pounds (that's T plus the stroller!), but thought he would enjoy himself. I also decided to leave off the music and just enjoy the morning.
I marveled at the many wonders Traven found in the morning. He made sure I saw each bird, and wanted to know where I thought they were going. He insisted we stop to talk to an older man out walking his two very small dogs. He took the time to pet the dogs and talk with the man. He talked to each runner we encountered, wanting to know where they were going. He was concerned that we were going much slower than most of the other runners. We stopped to watch some ducks cross the road and made sure they made it into the river. Of course, we stopped to examine the various cows and horses along the way as well.
Traven examined the nearby mountains, and thought we should climb to the tops of them. I told him we should do that someday when he was older. He enjoyed the shade, and made sure to tell me when it was "sunnin" and when it wasn't "sunnin".
We talked about each car that went past. We talked about colors and shapes. And in true Traven form, we made sure to talk about each different smell along the way.
It was probably my slowest 5 mile run to date, but it was also beautiful and wonderful. I hadn't realized the many wonderful things I routinely run by each day. I now have several new friends, who I'm sure will be disappointed if I am out running with Traven.
Thanks for the run buddy!
I marveled at the many wonders Traven found in the morning. He made sure I saw each bird, and wanted to know where I thought they were going. He insisted we stop to talk to an older man out walking his two very small dogs. He took the time to pet the dogs and talk with the man. He talked to each runner we encountered, wanting to know where they were going. He was concerned that we were going much slower than most of the other runners. We stopped to watch some ducks cross the road and made sure they made it into the river. Of course, we stopped to examine the various cows and horses along the way as well.
Traven examined the nearby mountains, and thought we should climb to the tops of them. I told him we should do that someday when he was older. He enjoyed the shade, and made sure to tell me when it was "sunnin" and when it wasn't "sunnin".
We talked about each car that went past. We talked about colors and shapes. And in true Traven form, we made sure to talk about each different smell along the way.
It was probably my slowest 5 mile run to date, but it was also beautiful and wonderful. I hadn't realized the many wonderful things I routinely run by each day. I now have several new friends, who I'm sure will be disappointed if I am out running with Traven.
Thanks for the run buddy!
Monday, June 28, 2010
My childhood home is up for sale!
http://www.utahhomes.com/Property/PropertyDetails.aspx?PropertyID=76485&WT.MC_ID=072310000000000
I'm always trying to tell my children how nice they have it. I'd like to point out a few items from this listing that really stand out to me.
First, check out the number of bathrooms. Yes, it has 1 "partial" bathroom. This leads me to wonder, what was it missing? And how did it ever manage the needs of 6 people?
Second, it lists two bedrooms. I'd just like to point out, once again, that my first bedroom was actually the back porch! That's the room that's listed as a back room, which could be a potential office. Potential buyer, please be aware the room has no heating, and that external entrance goes right out into a tree! It did have 3 bedrooms, plus the back porch when I lived there, so I'm not sure what happened to the other bedroom. I'd be interested to know where it went! One of the bedrooms had a distinct feature - it had a window that looked out onto the other covered porch. I never really saw the vision for that one. The other bedroom opened directly into the kitchen. I still remember the sound and smell of Dad's coffee pot firing up each morning.
Third, the home has no cooling system. So please remember to be grateful for central air.
Translation - "some plumbing redone downstairs = either find a good plumber or learn how to weld". The plumbing was done long before plastic piping came into use.
A fifth point - about 1,500 square feet. That's pretty small!
It's listed as being built in 1951, which is old. However, I think they should mention that part of the house actually sits on an old cabin, which is well over 100 years old.
The property does have some unique features. It has a somewhat scary "stone building", which we used for carving up game. It has a coal chute - you won't find those on many newer homes. The basement is straight out of a low budget Halloween movie - I would never, ever go down there if I was the only one home! It sits on 1.7 acres, a portion of which is actually the steep hill that sits behind the house.
The irrigation canal does run right through the property, so that'll keep you entertained in the summer. It used to have an abandoned well in the back, which I never quite understood.
It was a wonderful home to grow up in, and it never felt small or outdated to me. It's certainly full of wonderful memories for me. I'd buy it in a heartbeat, but the Morgan to Provo daily commute is a bit long for my tastes!
I'm always trying to tell my children how nice they have it. I'd like to point out a few items from this listing that really stand out to me.
First, check out the number of bathrooms. Yes, it has 1 "partial" bathroom. This leads me to wonder, what was it missing? And how did it ever manage the needs of 6 people?
Second, it lists two bedrooms. I'd just like to point out, once again, that my first bedroom was actually the back porch! That's the room that's listed as a back room, which could be a potential office. Potential buyer, please be aware the room has no heating, and that external entrance goes right out into a tree! It did have 3 bedrooms, plus the back porch when I lived there, so I'm not sure what happened to the other bedroom. I'd be interested to know where it went! One of the bedrooms had a distinct feature - it had a window that looked out onto the other covered porch. I never really saw the vision for that one. The other bedroom opened directly into the kitchen. I still remember the sound and smell of Dad's coffee pot firing up each morning.
Third, the home has no cooling system. So please remember to be grateful for central air.
Translation - "some plumbing redone downstairs = either find a good plumber or learn how to weld". The plumbing was done long before plastic piping came into use.
A fifth point - about 1,500 square feet. That's pretty small!
It's listed as being built in 1951, which is old. However, I think they should mention that part of the house actually sits on an old cabin, which is well over 100 years old.
The property does have some unique features. It has a somewhat scary "stone building", which we used for carving up game. It has a coal chute - you won't find those on many newer homes. The basement is straight out of a low budget Halloween movie - I would never, ever go down there if I was the only one home! It sits on 1.7 acres, a portion of which is actually the steep hill that sits behind the house.
The irrigation canal does run right through the property, so that'll keep you entertained in the summer. It used to have an abandoned well in the back, which I never quite understood.
It was a wonderful home to grow up in, and it never felt small or outdated to me. It's certainly full of wonderful memories for me. I'd buy it in a heartbeat, but the Morgan to Provo daily commute is a bit long for my tastes!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
School District Politics
When did we decide to treat our children like cattle? At what point did the numbers become the most important factor in decisions? I need to rant to someone, and you, my few blog readers, will now fill this personal need of mine.
The boundary for Spanish Fork junior high is the street 1400 East in Spanish Fork. The boundary for Spanish Fork high is 1700 East. Canyon Elementary is directly to the north, East Meadows is just to the east. My address happens to be at 1662 East.
Check this out. My children go to Canyon Elementary. 99 percent of their peers go to SFJHS. But guess what? Due to the infinite "wisdom" of the school district, my kids go to Diamond Fork. That puts them in with a whole new set of friends. Then guess what? When they transition to high school, they get sent back to SFHS! Basically, they lose the majority of their friends from elementary, make new friends for 3 years which they turn around and lose, only to be thrust back to the original friends, who have changed a lot in 3 years.
I've been waging an email battle to at least bring this issue to light. One district official replied that "hopefully most kids have found friends in elementary that follow them to jr. high and then jr. high friends that accompany them to high school". Oh, ok. Well, I'll just tell my friends to only associate with students living south of Canyon road and between 1400 E and 1700 E. My goal of not using profanity is ruined, yet again!
Of course, this is only an issue because SFJHS is at capacity. Of course, the district office posts the enrollment numbers on their web site, and it turns out DFJHS is at capacity as well. So what's the difference? And the district is having issues with keeping enrollment up at SFHS, since they completely blew it with the new boundaries for the openings of Salem Hills and Maple Mountain, which are bursting at the seems since all the growth is within their perimeter, while SFHS was pretty much land locked. And all I get is discouragement and roadblocks. If I want to provide consistency for my children, I need to look outside the district to private schooling or charter schools. Real nice Nebo. All you'd have to do is allow for a choice for those of us living in the DMZ, and you'd have a problem solved. You'd have most Canyon students wanting to follow their peers to SFJHS, then onto SFHS, thus helping bolster enrollment. But instead you come up with the best freaking idea ever, to heard around a handful of students like a bunch of sheep!
I'd run for the school board, but I'm afraid it'd be detrimental to the other board members. If this decision is a sampling of their decision making and planning capacities, we wouldn't last long together.
Thanks reader. I feel a bit better now.
The boundary for Spanish Fork junior high is the street 1400 East in Spanish Fork. The boundary for Spanish Fork high is 1700 East. Canyon Elementary is directly to the north, East Meadows is just to the east. My address happens to be at 1662 East.
Check this out. My children go to Canyon Elementary. 99 percent of their peers go to SFJHS. But guess what? Due to the infinite "wisdom" of the school district, my kids go to Diamond Fork. That puts them in with a whole new set of friends. Then guess what? When they transition to high school, they get sent back to SFHS! Basically, they lose the majority of their friends from elementary, make new friends for 3 years which they turn around and lose, only to be thrust back to the original friends, who have changed a lot in 3 years.
I've been waging an email battle to at least bring this issue to light. One district official replied that "hopefully most kids have found friends in elementary that follow them to jr. high and then jr. high friends that accompany them to high school". Oh, ok. Well, I'll just tell my friends to only associate with students living south of Canyon road and between 1400 E and 1700 E. My goal of not using profanity is ruined, yet again!
Of course, this is only an issue because SFJHS is at capacity. Of course, the district office posts the enrollment numbers on their web site, and it turns out DFJHS is at capacity as well. So what's the difference? And the district is having issues with keeping enrollment up at SFHS, since they completely blew it with the new boundaries for the openings of Salem Hills and Maple Mountain, which are bursting at the seems since all the growth is within their perimeter, while SFHS was pretty much land locked. And all I get is discouragement and roadblocks. If I want to provide consistency for my children, I need to look outside the district to private schooling or charter schools. Real nice Nebo. All you'd have to do is allow for a choice for those of us living in the DMZ, and you'd have a problem solved. You'd have most Canyon students wanting to follow their peers to SFJHS, then onto SFHS, thus helping bolster enrollment. But instead you come up with the best freaking idea ever, to heard around a handful of students like a bunch of sheep!
I'd run for the school board, but I'm afraid it'd be detrimental to the other board members. If this decision is a sampling of their decision making and planning capacities, we wouldn't last long together.
Thanks reader. I feel a bit better now.
Monday, March 08, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
The Measure of a Man
Recently, I attended a viewing for a friend's father. The service was held in an LDS stake center. The line stretched down one hall, into the cultural hall, then wound around until it was almost circling the room. For those of you who have not been in a stake center, the cultural hall is actually a regulation sized basketball court. Imagine how many people it takes to wrap around a court. We were in line for about an hour and a half. In that time, the line never went down. It was amazing. What a testament to a person's legacy. One of his daughters remarked that anyone who knew him instantly liked him, and if anyone didn't there was obviously something wrong with them. It was a very thought provoking experience. How many people who know me would stand in a line that long to pay their respects? What type of legacy am I going to leave behind? Do I do enough for my faith, for my community and for my family? How do I treat others? How will I someday be remembered.
I contrasted that with the position my dear parents have chosen. They chose to retire and move from Morgan to Ivins. Since they've been in Ivins, it's been hard for them to make friends and get to know people. They have avoided interactions with members of their faith. They live far enough away that it's hard for most of the family to stay in touch with them. I love them tons, and certainly don't judge them for the choices they have made in their retirement years. But I do think I've learned from them, and realize how important it is to stay active and involved. I do think they might have been happier if they had chosen to differently. I hope to learn from these two lessons and make choices in life that will help me be happy and to stay happy. It's seems to me one of the keys to a happy life is to give of yourself to others. I believe you receive far more back than you ever gave away.
I contrasted that with the position my dear parents have chosen. They chose to retire and move from Morgan to Ivins. Since they've been in Ivins, it's been hard for them to make friends and get to know people. They have avoided interactions with members of their faith. They live far enough away that it's hard for most of the family to stay in touch with them. I love them tons, and certainly don't judge them for the choices they have made in their retirement years. But I do think I've learned from them, and realize how important it is to stay active and involved. I do think they might have been happier if they had chosen to differently. I hope to learn from these two lessons and make choices in life that will help me be happy and to stay happy. It's seems to me one of the keys to a happy life is to give of yourself to others. I believe you receive far more back than you ever gave away.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Merry Christmas!
Well, I put this web site in the family Christmas letter. I'm wondering if any family and friends will actually make it out here? If so, did you enjoy Traven's letter?
Out here in the cyber land, I can give you all the details on the family, and not incur additional ink, paper and postage costs!
I switched jobs from Novell to the LDS Church back in April. It has been a bumpy ride. I went from no structure to way too much structure. It takes an act of congress around this place to get anything done now. The layers of management are mind boggling, and there are too many people trying to build their own little kingdoms. Thankfully, I have some good buddies I work and commute with, so they help the pain somewhat. And all in all, I have found happiness in my new employment.
I've also really enjoyed my other jobs. Being a husband and father is awesome. I am definitely happiest with my family. I have also enjoyed working with the scouts and spending extra time with Jason. It'll be sad when he turns 14 and leaves the troop in May. I don't know if I'll be around when Traven hits the troop!
Lori still does some part time work for Kids Who Count. It works out well to help pay for Kaylee's tuition at BYU. Lori works when Kaylee can watch Traven. That way, we get the money coming in without putting T in day care.
Kaylee had a rocky summer semester at college, but is doing great now. It was a culture shock to go into those first year BYU classes where there are hundreds of students. She is in the groove now, though. She has also climbed the corporate ladder at Western Watts, and is pretty near the top of the office now.
Braden earned his Eagle award this year, despite the apparent goal of the local leaders trying to do everything they can to keep boys from getting it done. Ridiculous. I hate it when people focus on roles and rules and not on the end result. But I digress. That happens a lot.
Back to Braden - also completed the St. George marathon this year, participated on the track team and seems to just love life. He has learned some about dating - asking him about dating the twins if you see him. Oh, and Braden is in 11th grade at Maple Mountain High. And he works with Kaylee at Watts.
Jason was delighted to get a dog for his birthday. He spends a lot of time with Buddy. He played football again this year, and has the potential to dominate the line of scrimmage once he muscles up some more. Ok, he is already stronger than me, but that's not saying much. He is in 8th grade now, and doing awesome. If I could just get him to get his room clean!
Alyssa is the social butterfly of the family. Maybe that just comes with being a 6th grade girl? I get a lot of calls, asking if so-and-so can come over. She is a lot of fun. Her friends are amusing as well. Alyssa had two great soccer teams this last year, and is excited for basketball season. Speaking of which, I think this is the first time in 10 years I am not coaching! I am also WAY excited for the season, and to just be a loud, obnoxious parent and not a coach!
That leaves us with Traven. He is two, and is so much fun. He is also a great, big turkey! He can be loving one moment, then an absolute beast the next. He makes us all laugh, and I think he has made us all cry. Usually from pain. Man, that boy can use his head like a lethal weapon. He is an athletic wonder, loves to jump and run, and loves playing any type of ball.
Anyway, that's a bit more of the boring details on the life of the Elquist family!
Mike
Out here in the cyber land, I can give you all the details on the family, and not incur additional ink, paper and postage costs!
I switched jobs from Novell to the LDS Church back in April. It has been a bumpy ride. I went from no structure to way too much structure. It takes an act of congress around this place to get anything done now. The layers of management are mind boggling, and there are too many people trying to build their own little kingdoms. Thankfully, I have some good buddies I work and commute with, so they help the pain somewhat. And all in all, I have found happiness in my new employment.
I've also really enjoyed my other jobs. Being a husband and father is awesome. I am definitely happiest with my family. I have also enjoyed working with the scouts and spending extra time with Jason. It'll be sad when he turns 14 and leaves the troop in May. I don't know if I'll be around when Traven hits the troop!
Lori still does some part time work for Kids Who Count. It works out well to help pay for Kaylee's tuition at BYU. Lori works when Kaylee can watch Traven. That way, we get the money coming in without putting T in day care.
Kaylee had a rocky summer semester at college, but is doing great now. It was a culture shock to go into those first year BYU classes where there are hundreds of students. She is in the groove now, though. She has also climbed the corporate ladder at Western Watts, and is pretty near the top of the office now.
Braden earned his Eagle award this year, despite the apparent goal of the local leaders trying to do everything they can to keep boys from getting it done. Ridiculous. I hate it when people focus on roles and rules and not on the end result. But I digress. That happens a lot.
Back to Braden - also completed the St. George marathon this year, participated on the track team and seems to just love life. He has learned some about dating - asking him about dating the twins if you see him. Oh, and Braden is in 11th grade at Maple Mountain High. And he works with Kaylee at Watts.
Jason was delighted to get a dog for his birthday. He spends a lot of time with Buddy. He played football again this year, and has the potential to dominate the line of scrimmage once he muscles up some more. Ok, he is already stronger than me, but that's not saying much. He is in 8th grade now, and doing awesome. If I could just get him to get his room clean!
Alyssa is the social butterfly of the family. Maybe that just comes with being a 6th grade girl? I get a lot of calls, asking if so-and-so can come over. She is a lot of fun. Her friends are amusing as well. Alyssa had two great soccer teams this last year, and is excited for basketball season. Speaking of which, I think this is the first time in 10 years I am not coaching! I am also WAY excited for the season, and to just be a loud, obnoxious parent and not a coach!
That leaves us with Traven. He is two, and is so much fun. He is also a great, big turkey! He can be loving one moment, then an absolute beast the next. He makes us all laugh, and I think he has made us all cry. Usually from pain. Man, that boy can use his head like a lethal weapon. He is an athletic wonder, loves to jump and run, and loves playing any type of ball.
Anyway, that's a bit more of the boring details on the life of the Elquist family!
Mike
Monday, November 02, 2009
Things I've done at work that don't suck
Since I fear this will come up someday and I'll have to defend my work accomplishments, I am going to start jotting them down here so they are convenient to get to and I can update them on the fly.
1. Bundles 33 - 34. Went in faster than any other bundles / bi-monthly release ever has.
2. RAC. My project time line was awesome. I also worked to get a SOW from Quest for their Shareplex product.
3. Windows patching. I worked with the server team to get anti-virus software installed on our servers, and worked out a patching schedule with them. I also wrote a Windows script to be used to check if the job is running PeopleSoft jobs, then reboot it when it is free.
4. Monitoring. I worked to reduce some unneeded alerts we were getting, and also worked to set up some new ones for the database servers.
5. Phire. I stepped in and helped get the project done. I also worked to get the dev environment up and running with 4 VM instances.
6. Oracle security. Worked with Tony and others to research ways to lock our environment down more.
7. I have excelled at covering the duty phone, handling the remedy queue, etc.
8. As far as the training I went to, the others that have been to the same training did not come back with all sorts of ideas either. The class is what it is.
1. Bundles 33 - 34. Went in faster than any other bundles / bi-monthly release ever has.
2. RAC. My project time line was awesome. I also worked to get a SOW from Quest for their Shareplex product.
3. Windows patching. I worked with the server team to get anti-virus software installed on our servers, and worked out a patching schedule with them. I also wrote a Windows script to be used to check if the job is running PeopleSoft jobs, then reboot it when it is free.
4. Monitoring. I worked to reduce some unneeded alerts we were getting, and also worked to set up some new ones for the database servers.
5. Phire. I stepped in and helped get the project done. I also worked to get the dev environment up and running with 4 VM instances.
6. Oracle security. Worked with Tony and others to research ways to lock our environment down more.
7. I have excelled at covering the duty phone, handling the remedy queue, etc.
8. As far as the training I went to, the others that have been to the same training did not come back with all sorts of ideas either. The class is what it is.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Flying to Albuquerque
I recently learned several things you don't want to see or hear when flying.
First off, when you are waiting for your plane to arrive at the gate, it's not comforting to see that the airline can't even run the digital status board, but has written your flight information on a large white paper and taped it to the screen. This seemed a bit odd to me.
Later, just after the plane has taken off, the pilot decides we need a thorough debriefing on our flight. I realized a pilot can indeed share too much information. He proceeds to tell us that our flight was delayed, because our original plane had mechanical issues. Also, he throws in this little tidbit - the navigation system on the plane is out, so we are doing things the old fashioned way. Excuse me? I'd rather not know my life is in the hands of a pilot with no electronic navigation and we are in a hand-me-down aircraft?
It was scheduled to be an hour and a half long flight, but 50 minutes into the flight the pilot announces we are beginning our descent. Apparently when you have a loaner plane and aren't hampered by that obnoxious navigation system, you can really put the hammer down and see what that plane can do. Once we were safely on the ground, I had the urge to kneel down and kiss the ground. This was an unusual flight, to say the least!
First off, when you are waiting for your plane to arrive at the gate, it's not comforting to see that the airline can't even run the digital status board, but has written your flight information on a large white paper and taped it to the screen. This seemed a bit odd to me.
Later, just after the plane has taken off, the pilot decides we need a thorough debriefing on our flight. I realized a pilot can indeed share too much information. He proceeds to tell us that our flight was delayed, because our original plane had mechanical issues. Also, he throws in this little tidbit - the navigation system on the plane is out, so we are doing things the old fashioned way. Excuse me? I'd rather not know my life is in the hands of a pilot with no electronic navigation and we are in a hand-me-down aircraft?
It was scheduled to be an hour and a half long flight, but 50 minutes into the flight the pilot announces we are beginning our descent. Apparently when you have a loaner plane and aren't hampered by that obnoxious navigation system, you can really put the hammer down and see what that plane can do. Once we were safely on the ground, I had the urge to kneel down and kiss the ground. This was an unusual flight, to say the least!
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Monday, June 08, 2009
Family vacation 2009
The weather - awesome.
The crowds - thin and few in number.
The trip - great!
We left on Friday after I got home from work. Long ago, I decided I prefer to make the California trip over two days. It costs more, but making the drive in one day is exhausting. We arrived early enough in St. George that I had time to drive out and say hello to my parents. That seemed like a good way to start the trip. That night, Braden and I did some speed work on a local running trail. The next morning, we had an over-priced, poor quality breakfast at JBs, then we made the trek down to Anaheim.
The last two times, we have stayed at the Staybridge Suites. I highly recommend them. It's about a mile away from Disneyland, but the accommodations are clean and nice, the breakfast is a good quality and for us, having 3 beds plus a sofa bed is awesome. This night, Braden and I went for a longer run through the streets around Disneyland. I'm pretty sure we strayed where we shouldn't have, but it was one of the best runs I've had lately. We cruised for about 5 miles.
Sunday was our first day in the park. We decided to start with California Adventure. Grandma mentioned that Soarin' Over California is her favorite ride, so we started with that. Man, I love that ride. I always feel just a bit emotional when it starts. I know that's silly, but hey, that's me I guess. We hit most of the major rides in the park, then moved over to Disneyland and watched the fireworks show.
Monday we were off to Universal Studios. I loved the new Simpsons ride. They crack me up. I should also mention that Traven was actually very good this trip. He had a bit of a hard time not being able to get down and run around like he likes, and he was a bit of a bear when he got too tired, but all in all he had a great time.
Tuesday we spent in Disneyland, then Wednesday we sort of just hit the spots we wanted to again and took in a few shows. It is a lot of fun vacationing with Glenn and Allison, along with their kids, and also with Grandma and Grandpa and Jeremy and Emily. It's interesting to see the different personalities play out, interact and sometimes have a bit of conflict.
I should mention two funny, embarrassing moments from this trip. First, we had a load of our family on It's a Small World, and we managed to get our boat stuck. We had to off load, then shamefully parade back to the front of the ride to board another boat. I mean, they just had the ride shut down for months to fix it up for fat people, and we broke the thing! Then, on Roger Rabbit, Lori managed to break that one down all by herself. It turns out that, if you don't board as quickly as they need you to, the ride shuts down. Actually, she was just trying to get Traven on board, but we still tease that it was all her fault.
Thursday was our journey down to San Diego. Everyone slept the whole trip, well except me! We then went straight to the zoo. The zoo was a lot of fun, but sadly Glenn and Allison's vehicle was burglarized while we were in the zoo. That put a damper on things. I feel very badly for them. Glenn also got a speeding ticket on the way down, so it was not the best of vacations for him.
Friday we spent at Sea World. Traven loved the shows. He was so sad when one would end, so we would have to find some more as quick as possible. This is the day he really wore down, and pretty much just wanted his Daddy to haul him around. I was sore and exhausted by the end of the day, but I really didn't mind.
In 2010, the new water show will open up in California Adventure, and then in 2011 the Little Mermaid ride will open. Sweet! And Kaylee, Jeremy and Grandma stayed late one night and saw a preview of the new fireworks show starting soon. They loved it.
That's pretty much the story of our trip. Saturday we drove up to Las Vegas, and Sunday evening we were home. All in all, it was a great trip. Kaylee starts college in a couple of weeks, so I really wanted to have one last family vacation while we could. It gets harder and harder the older the kids get to find time to do things together.
Monday, April 27, 2009
When did I become so old?
Saturday, I watched as Kaylee's prom date picked her up, and helped Braden get ready and then watched as he left for his first prom date. Kaylee graduates from high school next month, Braden will be a junior and Jason will be at the junior high. Even my two babies are getting old. Alyssa will hit the 6th grade now, and Traven will be into the terrible twos. Well, he is there already, but that's a different story.
Time just flies by now. It terrifies me. If it continues to go by faster and faster the older I get, I'm just about done already! I guess the secret is to enjoy each day and make the most of your time. With my new job up in Salt Lake, I feel more isolated from my family, so I try to make the most of each evening and especially the weekends. I'm also happy about this occasional swing shift thing we have going on. Today for instance, I don't go into the office. I work remotely from 2:00 pm - 10:00 pm. I like the notion of that.
I ran a half marathon last Saturday, so physically I guess I'm doing ok. Of course, I've whined about the pain and soreness for a week now, so maybe not.
Time just flies by now. It terrifies me. If it continues to go by faster and faster the older I get, I'm just about done already! I guess the secret is to enjoy each day and make the most of your time. With my new job up in Salt Lake, I feel more isolated from my family, so I try to make the most of each evening and especially the weekends. I'm also happy about this occasional swing shift thing we have going on. Today for instance, I don't go into the office. I work remotely from 2:00 pm - 10:00 pm. I like the notion of that.
I ran a half marathon last Saturday, so physically I guess I'm doing ok. Of course, I've whined about the pain and soreness for a week now, so maybe not.
Friday, March 06, 2009
Reflecting Back
As I am on the brink of making a change in employment, it has caused me to do some serious soul searching. I've been with Novell for close to 12 years now. I find this very fitting. I see a lot of parallels between my high school education and my time at Novell.
I came to Novell back in 1997. I had tried several times to get some type of job there. I was working up in Salt Lake up by the zoo, and felt overworked and under paid. When I interviewed with BJ Murray, she was in need of a Sybase database administrator, and I had Sybase on my resume. I was so happy when she offered me a job. It was honestly a dream come true.
Within about the first week of employment, I received my first assignment. It was to help out with terminating accounts and locking out users as Novell did a massive layoff. This became a theme of working for Novell - speculating about layoffs, hoping they didn't affect any close friends or neighbors, then trying to carry on after the carnage.
My first major assignment was to support the Vantive databases used by support. My first rollout was a disaster, and the entire system was down for hours. Looking back, I realize my manager probably had to fight to keep me from being fired. I have since sent her a thank-you note!
I remember Kent and Kevin talking like Beavis and Butthead and playing air guitar to Collective Soul playing on Kevin's sound system. I remember Clint being the quiet Oracle guy who sat back out of the way.
I remember doing tape rotatations as part of oncall, and also producing the morning database report that went out via voice mail.
I met Gary at Weinerschitzel, when Kent wanted to meet him for lunch. This was when G was thinking about coming back to Novell. I had no idea the history and drama behind all of that!
Scott was a Unix guy when I joined the group. His baptism by fire into the database world was on the financials project.
I'm quite sure I will never find another Terry Wong. He is awesome and always entertaining.
Many extremely talented, great people passed through the group. Stan, Bill, Greg, Clint and Skip all were great managers. Of course, they all spent time at Novell doing things other than managing the database group. Ginger, Aaron, Barb, Tom and Randy all did the dba thing at some point. We had times when the group included non database people, such as Nicole, the apps group and the web group.
I'm sure I've missed some people, but I wanted to at least attempt listing off some of them.
I took on support of HR, and then the web group. This proved to be too much, so I transitioned Vantive and nts to Gary, and eventually HR over to others.
The web thing evolved from our preliminary one Oracle instance running on a Solaris Veritas cluster to hundreds of MySQL databases, dozens of Oracle instances, PostgreSQL and more.
I went from just Sybase to working with about a half dozen different database platforms. I came into Novell with experience writing Rexx scripts on OS/2. Since then, I've learned about Perl, Netbasic, awk, sed, bash shell and many other utilities.
I've worked on many different operating systems. I've learned to write my own web utilities. It has been quite a ride.
I came to Novell back in 1997. I had tried several times to get some type of job there. I was working up in Salt Lake up by the zoo, and felt overworked and under paid. When I interviewed with BJ Murray, she was in need of a Sybase database administrator, and I had Sybase on my resume. I was so happy when she offered me a job. It was honestly a dream come true.
Within about the first week of employment, I received my first assignment. It was to help out with terminating accounts and locking out users as Novell did a massive layoff. This became a theme of working for Novell - speculating about layoffs, hoping they didn't affect any close friends or neighbors, then trying to carry on after the carnage.
My first major assignment was to support the Vantive databases used by support. My first rollout was a disaster, and the entire system was down for hours. Looking back, I realize my manager probably had to fight to keep me from being fired. I have since sent her a thank-you note!
I remember Kent and Kevin talking like Beavis and Butthead and playing air guitar to Collective Soul playing on Kevin's sound system. I remember Clint being the quiet Oracle guy who sat back out of the way.
I remember doing tape rotatations as part of oncall, and also producing the morning database report that went out via voice mail.
I met Gary at Weinerschitzel, when Kent wanted to meet him for lunch. This was when G was thinking about coming back to Novell. I had no idea the history and drama behind all of that!
Scott was a Unix guy when I joined the group. His baptism by fire into the database world was on the financials project.
I'm quite sure I will never find another Terry Wong. He is awesome and always entertaining.
Many extremely talented, great people passed through the group. Stan, Bill, Greg, Clint and Skip all were great managers. Of course, they all spent time at Novell doing things other than managing the database group. Ginger, Aaron, Barb, Tom and Randy all did the dba thing at some point. We had times when the group included non database people, such as Nicole, the apps group and the web group.
I'm sure I've missed some people, but I wanted to at least attempt listing off some of them.
I took on support of HR, and then the web group. This proved to be too much, so I transitioned Vantive and nts to Gary, and eventually HR over to others.
The web thing evolved from our preliminary one Oracle instance running on a Solaris Veritas cluster to hundreds of MySQL databases, dozens of Oracle instances, PostgreSQL and more.
I went from just Sybase to working with about a half dozen different database platforms. I came into Novell with experience writing Rexx scripts on OS/2. Since then, I've learned about Perl, Netbasic, awk, sed, bash shell and many other utilities.
I've worked on many different operating systems. I've learned to write my own web utilities. It has been quite a ride.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Confusion of the Ordinary Man
I have many thoughts racing through my mind, and need to get them down and try to sort things out.
First, I should state I was not supportive of either of the major parties Presidential candidates in 2008. It saddened me that they both felt the same to me. When the one who campaigned on "change" was elected, I was terrified, but tried to be optimistic.
Now, it seems the change we are presented with is a growing national debt and an erosion of our liberties. Taxes are certain to go up, as we are crushed by a debt we cannot possibly pay back.
I see Bank of America, failing due to bad loans, being rescued by a multi billion dollar bailout, then told that the majority of that bailout money should go towards more loans. Huh? Isn't that what put them in a failing position in the first place?
I see "universal" health care has managed to creep into the bailout legislation. Ask anyone in Canada how well that has worked out for them.
Of course, the "green" movement / global warming paranoia is still being milked for all its worth. Have you heard about the smart power grid, with the all seeing smart chip? If that goes forward, the government will be able to see what you are using power for, and will be able to regulate how much you use. That's what I need. Someone telling me I can't have two TVs on in my house at one time.
We closed Gitmo, and are limiting how are military can interrogate and detain prisoners of war. I'm sorry, but if you are threatening to kill Americans, then I could care less what the military does with you. You go to war with us, you deserve what you get. How many of you are excited about having prisoners of war sitting in the continental United States, in prisons you and I pay for, being represented in our court system?
I don't know if any of you have checked into what is happening south of our border, but it is frightening. It seems to me Mexico is on the verge of collapse. Are we going to be bailing them out as well?
I haven't checked on the 2nd amendment lately, but I would assume it is in trouble as well. I also hear talk about infringements on our right to speak out on whatever subject we please. Nice.
I am just an ordinary, very simple man. But it seems to me that in a short amount of time, we are going to be taxed at an unreasonable rate, we will have our freedom of speech and our 2nd amendments rights either severely limited or removed. We will be told how we can use power and how much, and we will be told what medical treatments we may or may not receive. We will have terrorists sitting in our back yard, being fed and sheltered by our dollars. We will be saddled with a national debt that we cannot afford, and the very thing that drives the economy, businesses, will be controlled in large part by a government that does not appear to be expert in handling the management of finances.
How do we fix this? What can we do to stop this downward spiral in which we are caught? I really don't know. Many great societies have come and gone upon the earth. I hope our time is not up already.
First, I should state I was not supportive of either of the major parties Presidential candidates in 2008. It saddened me that they both felt the same to me. When the one who campaigned on "change" was elected, I was terrified, but tried to be optimistic.
Now, it seems the change we are presented with is a growing national debt and an erosion of our liberties. Taxes are certain to go up, as we are crushed by a debt we cannot possibly pay back.
I see Bank of America, failing due to bad loans, being rescued by a multi billion dollar bailout, then told that the majority of that bailout money should go towards more loans. Huh? Isn't that what put them in a failing position in the first place?
I see "universal" health care has managed to creep into the bailout legislation. Ask anyone in Canada how well that has worked out for them.
Of course, the "green" movement / global warming paranoia is still being milked for all its worth. Have you heard about the smart power grid, with the all seeing smart chip? If that goes forward, the government will be able to see what you are using power for, and will be able to regulate how much you use. That's what I need. Someone telling me I can't have two TVs on in my house at one time.
We closed Gitmo, and are limiting how are military can interrogate and detain prisoners of war. I'm sorry, but if you are threatening to kill Americans, then I could care less what the military does with you. You go to war with us, you deserve what you get. How many of you are excited about having prisoners of war sitting in the continental United States, in prisons you and I pay for, being represented in our court system?
I don't know if any of you have checked into what is happening south of our border, but it is frightening. It seems to me Mexico is on the verge of collapse. Are we going to be bailing them out as well?
I haven't checked on the 2nd amendment lately, but I would assume it is in trouble as well. I also hear talk about infringements on our right to speak out on whatever subject we please. Nice.
I am just an ordinary, very simple man. But it seems to me that in a short amount of time, we are going to be taxed at an unreasonable rate, we will have our freedom of speech and our 2nd amendments rights either severely limited or removed. We will be told how we can use power and how much, and we will be told what medical treatments we may or may not receive. We will have terrorists sitting in our back yard, being fed and sheltered by our dollars. We will be saddled with a national debt that we cannot afford, and the very thing that drives the economy, businesses, will be controlled in large part by a government that does not appear to be expert in handling the management of finances.
How do we fix this? What can we do to stop this downward spiral in which we are caught? I really don't know. Many great societies have come and gone upon the earth. I hope our time is not up already.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Vehicles I've owned
Here, for no apparent reason or request, is a list of vehicles I have owned. I just had this random thought that it would be fun to list them all out. Here we go!
1. 1970 Buick Skylark. Engine head cracked.
2. 1974 Chrysler New Yorker. Tranny went out.
3. 1974 Ford Gran Torino. Sold.
4. Some really small Datsun. It was Lori's when we were married. Abandoned in Logan, as it could not make it up and out of the valley!
5. 1984 Ford Tempo. Engine head cracked. Gave to my brother in law Larry.
6. Ford Probe. Sold to my brother in law Glen, who wrecked it.
7. Ford Escort. Traded in on next car.
8. Ford Taurus. Traded in on next car.
9. Ford Windstar. Traded in on next car.
10. Ford Expedition. Leased vehicle.
11. Ford Windstar. Traded in on next vehicle.
12. 2002 Chevrolet Suburban. Traded in on next vehicle.
13. 2007 Chevrolet Suburban.
14. Pontiac Grand Prix. Traded this for concrete work at our house.
15. 1973 Chevrolet Pickup. Traded this for a PlayStation 2.
16. 1999 Ford Taurus.
17. 2008 Ford Escape.
18. 2009 Honda Civic.
19. 2000 Plymouth Neon.
20. 2010 Ford F150.
So, if I've been driving since I was 16, that'd put my total driving years at 25. Subtract 2 for my mission years, so total driving years would be 23. I'm averaging a changed in automobiles about every 1.3 years. The 1999 Taurus is the record holder for longest stay. I've had it for 11 years now, and it's still just purring along.
Update - Braden totaled my Taurus. It had a good run. Rust in peace my friend.
1. 1970 Buick Skylark. Engine head cracked.
2. 1974 Chrysler New Yorker. Tranny went out.
3. 1974 Ford Gran Torino. Sold.
4. Some really small Datsun. It was Lori's when we were married. Abandoned in Logan, as it could not make it up and out of the valley!
5. 1984 Ford Tempo. Engine head cracked. Gave to my brother in law Larry.
6. Ford Probe. Sold to my brother in law Glen, who wrecked it.
7. Ford Escort. Traded in on next car.
8. Ford Taurus. Traded in on next car.
9. Ford Windstar. Traded in on next car.
10. Ford Expedition. Leased vehicle.
11. Ford Windstar. Traded in on next vehicle.
12. 2002 Chevrolet Suburban. Traded in on next vehicle.
13. 2007 Chevrolet Suburban.
14. Pontiac Grand Prix. Traded this for concrete work at our house.
15. 1973 Chevrolet Pickup. Traded this for a PlayStation 2.
16. 1999 Ford Taurus.
17. 2008 Ford Escape.
18. 2009 Honda Civic.
19. 2000 Plymouth Neon.
20. 2010 Ford F150.
So, if I've been driving since I was 16, that'd put my total driving years at 25. Subtract 2 for my mission years, so total driving years would be 23. I'm averaging a changed in automobiles about every 1.3 years. The 1999 Taurus is the record holder for longest stay. I've had it for 11 years now, and it's still just purring along.
Update - Braden totaled my Taurus. It had a good run. Rust in peace my friend.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Cory Hunter memories
Recently, I noted my two oldest children spending a lot of time on Facebook. I decided it would be a good idea if I checked it out, so I created me an account and started looking around. Within moments, I was hooked. I found old classmates from Morgan High, former coworkers and former neighbors. It was a lot of fun.
I started wondering, who else might I know on Facebook? I noticed one of my good friends was a member of a group from his lds mission, so I checked and found two groups for me (I served under two different presidents).
Now, I must confess I am horrible with names, and most of the people in the groups did not sound familiar. But I remembered Elder Hunter had married a former sister missionary, and I saw an entry for Becky. I wasn't sure if it was his wife, so I googled her name. What I found was shocking. Elder Hunter had passed away back in 2007.
I went through a range of emotions. Firstly, I was shocked. He was so young, so energetic. How could this happen? I felt ashamed for not keeping in touch with him. He was one of my favorite companions, and I had done nothing to keep in touch. I felt concern, wondering how his family was dealing with this loss.
Now, I mainly want to put down some memories of him. Honestly, I'm not sure why, but it just feels like the thing to do.
Hunter and I became companions when I was 22 months into my mission. He was the perfect, inspired choice for me. I was feeling run down and tired, and his enthusiasm was contagious. I was the zone leader A, but in truth he was A+. He gave me a renewed drive to finish strong which I did not think possible. Most of journal entries reflect this. He truly was an inspiration.
One funny memory I have is of an experience with a lady named Roseanne. We had been teaching her for weeks, and things were going well. In fact, she was close to baptism. We had invited her to an activity at the church one night. I don't recall the activity, but I recall her insisting she needed to talk to Hunter alone. Since we were in the church, we figured this would be ok. They went into the kitchen, and I stood outside the door.
Well, it turns out she wanted to confess her love for him. She chased him around the kitchen, trying to steel a kiss or a hug. When she finally abandoned her plan and left, he was an absolute wreck. It was probably just minutes, but he looked like he had been working out for hours!
I also recall an entry he made in my journal. It was addressed to my future children. He bore a quick testimony and urged them to listen to their father. It was not a long entry, but it shows his thoughtfulness and foresight.
I remember him having such a strong testimony and an ability to relate to others. He had a way of reaching all. He was a great leader, and really took our zone to new heights.
One particular young lady had been investigating the church for months. She had been taught by numerous missionaries. There was nothing we could teach her that would help her make the decision to be baptized. We bore plain and simple testimony to her, and eventually she chose to be baptized. I think it was due to the way Elder Hunter could reach people, the way he knew what to say.
He truly was a great missionary. He turned the last two months of my mission into two of the most productive. There simply was no way you could not be enthused around him. Every day was filled with a desire to work hard and do your best.
I regret not knowing Cory's family, and for not staying in touch with him over the years. He truly was a great young man when I knew him, and I am sure he left behind a lasting legacy.
I started wondering, who else might I know on Facebook? I noticed one of my good friends was a member of a group from his lds mission, so I checked and found two groups for me (I served under two different presidents).
Now, I must confess I am horrible with names, and most of the people in the groups did not sound familiar. But I remembered Elder Hunter had married a former sister missionary, and I saw an entry for Becky. I wasn't sure if it was his wife, so I googled her name. What I found was shocking. Elder Hunter had passed away back in 2007.
I went through a range of emotions. Firstly, I was shocked. He was so young, so energetic. How could this happen? I felt ashamed for not keeping in touch with him. He was one of my favorite companions, and I had done nothing to keep in touch. I felt concern, wondering how his family was dealing with this loss.
Now, I mainly want to put down some memories of him. Honestly, I'm not sure why, but it just feels like the thing to do.
Hunter and I became companions when I was 22 months into my mission. He was the perfect, inspired choice for me. I was feeling run down and tired, and his enthusiasm was contagious. I was the zone leader A, but in truth he was A+. He gave me a renewed drive to finish strong which I did not think possible. Most of journal entries reflect this. He truly was an inspiration.
One funny memory I have is of an experience with a lady named Roseanne. We had been teaching her for weeks, and things were going well. In fact, she was close to baptism. We had invited her to an activity at the church one night. I don't recall the activity, but I recall her insisting she needed to talk to Hunter alone. Since we were in the church, we figured this would be ok. They went into the kitchen, and I stood outside the door.
Well, it turns out she wanted to confess her love for him. She chased him around the kitchen, trying to steel a kiss or a hug. When she finally abandoned her plan and left, he was an absolute wreck. It was probably just minutes, but he looked like he had been working out for hours!
I also recall an entry he made in my journal. It was addressed to my future children. He bore a quick testimony and urged them to listen to their father. It was not a long entry, but it shows his thoughtfulness and foresight.
I remember him having such a strong testimony and an ability to relate to others. He had a way of reaching all. He was a great leader, and really took our zone to new heights.
One particular young lady had been investigating the church for months. She had been taught by numerous missionaries. There was nothing we could teach her that would help her make the decision to be baptized. We bore plain and simple testimony to her, and eventually she chose to be baptized. I think it was due to the way Elder Hunter could reach people, the way he knew what to say.
He truly was a great missionary. He turned the last two months of my mission into two of the most productive. There simply was no way you could not be enthused around him. Every day was filled with a desire to work hard and do your best.
I regret not knowing Cory's family, and for not staying in touch with him over the years. He truly was a great young man when I knew him, and I am sure he left behind a lasting legacy.
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