Travels with Lar

August 26-29, 2009

Tucson, Arizona



I went there to teach a two day class. Granted, it is the end of August which is probably not the best time to visit Tucson. Yes, it was hot, but it cooled down okay in the evenings, and the first evening there were thundershowers – the kind you can see coming and then drive into them and then drive out – the kind with great big rain drops that don’t just hit the windshield, they explode on the windshield. Sunsets were beautiful – true dessert sunsets. But I just don’t think I was ever meant to be a dessert dweller. I like green – and there isn’t a lot of it in Tucson – except for the cactus and dry plants that really are more grey than green.



I didn’t have a lot of time to sight see – it was just two days. I guess I could live there – but I don’t want to have to.



Mama, don’t make Larry go live in Tucson.
The people are nice, and the sky is so blue,
But the sidewalk’s so hot; it’ll burn off your shoe,
And the grass is so sparse, if it even is there,
Backing into a cacti, gives a pricked derriere,
So Mama, don’t make Larry go live in Tucson.



Now the trip home was an adventure. Here it is crystal blue skies, but my flight got cancelled. It was a mechanical problem with the plane – and they don’t keep a lot of extras in Tucson. Mind you, I’d rather not fly on one that was broken, so I took the alternative. I flew to Phoenix and then home to Denver. It was only an extra 6 hours to get home.

Reading List

August 28, 2009

The Pocket Guide to Mischief by Bart King

Yes this book was life changing. I never knew the power that I could have just by being a little bit misfit with society. Oh, never enough to do real damage: just enough to capture attention, or sublimely thwart my nemesis. So stay on my good side. I am now well trained.

Really, it was fun, but pretty meaningless. It was suggested and loaned to me by Mat, and yea, I can see Mat getting a doctorate in the Bart King school of “behavioral science”. And I'm fine with that, as long as I don't become his nemesis.

Nope – not on the must read list (as if I even needed to say that). Still, I do get credit becasue I could find the cover by searching Google.

Bathroom remodel - set back - again!

August 25, 2009

We are remodeling our bathroom. It has gone okay - with some minor setbacks. For instance, we ordered a small granite counter top for the little vanity we have. It took a week to get here, and then when it did get here we were at Melanie's, so really it took 2 weeks. Mar went to the store and had them load it in the van for her and then she brought it home. That evening, I got it out and opened it. Yikes - the back splash was broken right in half. Well that just wouldn't do, so I put the lid back on the box and took it back. The store wasn't too happy. They ordered me another one. I was very understanding and nice, but it was hard because it was very evident that the guy thought I had dropped it. I just let it pass.

So the replacement came in while I was on a trip. Mar went to get it. I told her I wanted them to open it and check it before we took it. She said the lady was a little bit condescending about that until they did open it and the counter top was broken in two - double-yikes!! Boy that got some apologies going real quick. So they re-ordered it again - another week in waiting.

I can tell you, when the next one comes in, we will certainly open it in the store - just to make sure.

Reading List

August 26, 2009

The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown




Yes, I know I am not a trend setter. This book was a best seller a long time ago. I saw the movie and wasn’t that impressed, not enough to read the book back then. Then I saw Angels and Demons and decided to read that, and then I decided to read this.

It was okay. I think Angels and Demons was better.

This book did cause a lot of flurry in the world because people took it as the “gospel truth”. I read it just for entertainment, and liked it okay, at least enough to be anxious enough to finish it. I would give it a 3.5 on the 5 point scale.

No it is not on the 501 list.

Travels - Bingen, WA

August 4-7, 2009

Most people have never heard of Bingen, Washington. This is not surprising because it is less than 100 people. It is a small community nestles in the Columbia River gorge about 50 miles upstream from Portland, Oregon. It is directly across the river from Hood River, Oregon. I know all of this because I went there to teach a class. Wait – I taught a class in a community that has less than 1000 people. Yep – Insitsu, a division of Boeing is located in Bingen. It was a good class – only 4 people and it went very well.

The Columbia River Gorge is beautiful. Not really a canyon, but deep and rugged. The primary industry is lumber, tourism, and if you go up out of the gorge, fruit orchards.

Oh, did I happen to mention that I had to cross a mile long bridge to get from where I was staying in Hood River over to Bingen. And not a fun bridge. It was one of those metal grate base bridges (so the wind doesn't grab it so hard), and it wasn't even as wide as my driveway, and that was two way traffic.

I stayed across the river in Hood River, which happens to be one of the Windsurfing/Kite Boarding Meccas of the world. During the summer months, the wind always blows so the afficiados of these sports congregate to do their sport. It is really cool to go down to the river and watch. I was surprised to see that so many of them were older – I mean about my age.

If you leave Hood River and drive south out of the gorge, you get into the Mount Hood area. It is a spectacular area.
I drove back down the gorge one evening to see the Bonneville Damn. Alas, like so many other things, the facility closed at 5:00. I did go to the fish hatchery there and see sturgeons – big, ugly, prehistoric fish.

All in all, I liked this area. Could I live there? Well, the weather was good, but it is Oregon. They do have their share of not sunny days. I think I still like Colorado – but this could be on a list of possibilities.

Birthday Ballooning

August 22, 2009

Larry surprised me with a wonderful birthday present. We got up at 5:00 AM. Larry made me blueberry muffins and then we went on a hot air balloon ride. Yes – a HOT AIR BALLOON. It was a spectacular view and an exciting experience. And I wasn’t scared a bit – and I’m sticking to that. Here’s proof.

We arrived at 6:30 AM to meet with Joe, our balloon pilot, and Roy, the chase man.

Larry helped inflate the balloon - watch out for that fire. It took about 15 minutes to fill up.

I got in the balloon first - that is not a look of fear - it is a look of fun.

See that shadow - I am one with that shadow - wheeee!

The mountains are pretty cool from up there.

Looking down on a lake with Longs Peak in the background..

Afte 1 1/2 hours we landed in a friendly farmer's field. The family came out to watch. It was a very gentle landing. There wasn't too much wind, so we only went about 3 miles. Sometimes we were high, sometimes we were low. We waved to people and talked to cows and horses and other beasts. We saw a bald eage - from the top.

And down it goes . . .

and goes . . .

and goes . . .

and goes . . .

and goes flat. That took about 2 minutes.

Anf then I got to help stuff the balloon into that little tiny bag.

It was sooooo much fun.

A Personal Reflection from Another Time

August 5, 2009

I am in Hood River, OR. Tonight I had a simple dinner at a Shari’s restaurant. Little did I know that Wednesday is “Free Slice” night – you get a free slice of pie with your dinner. I didn’t want to insult the poor waitress, so I had a piece. I choose strawberry-rhubarb.

This made me recollect on an earlier time in my life – a time when I was really oblivious to what was going on around me (more so than I am now). It was when I was going to school at BYU. We were very poor back then. I was working. Mar was babysitting. We were just squeaking by. But occasionally we would take a break – we would have a date. Just a short distance from our house was a Marie Callendar’s. When we really had something to celebrate, we would go there just for a piece of pie. I always got strawberry-rhubarb.

Thinking about that time makes me smile a little – there were some good times. It makes sad a little – there were some hard times. We grew a lot back then.

Reading List

August 5, 2009

The Sword in the Stone by T. H. White

Another Walt Disney story. It is surprising that a lot of the “foolishness” that goes on in the Disney movie is actually in the book. Yes, the Wart is turned into a fish – and a bird – and in the book he is also an owl – and a snake – and a badger. In the book he fights with giants and cavorts with Robin Hood and fights with two sorceresses – and one of them is Mad Madam Mim and she does have a magician’s duel with Merlin just like in the Disney movie. Of course in the book, it is much more important that Merlin wins, because Mim is about to cook and eat the Wart. And yes, in the Book, Merlin does go off to modern day Bermuda for a holiday of sorts. But in the book there is so very much more. It is rich in the ways of medieval England – and has that mixed in with a lot of 20th century references. The things that the Wart does each have a purpose in his education to become the future king. On the cover plates of the book there is the statement that you either don’t like this book – because it is so unreal – or you love it. There is no I liked it a little bit. Me – well I loved it.

It is one of the 501 – with good reason.

Stake Service Project – Colorado Shares Day

August 1, 2009

Our stake is very proactive in community affairs. One way is that each year, on the Colorado Shares weekend, we do a Stake Service Project. Two years ago it was serving at the Firestone celebration. Last year it was a community cleanup in Longmont. This year we were doing service in Lyons. Our ward was assigned to start at a field at highway 66 and 53rd. It us a field that needs to be mowed all summer, but it is full of rocks. The city asked us to move the rocks out of the field.

Mar and I got there at 9:00. At the time there were just us and two other families – a total of 7 people. We were starting to worry that this would take us a long time. But as time passed more and more came – of all ages and all makes. New families – old families – families with kids – families that were just one. In the end we had fifty volunteers and cleared the field in about 40 minutes – and then had time to go into Lyons and help with a weed pulling project along a running path.

It is so good to know that people respond – and had a good time doing it. We do live in a world filled with people with good hearts.

Reading List

July 30, 2009

Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers

Oh the real Mary Poppins is not the Mary Poppins Walt Disney wants you to love. She is strict and vain and not a little arrogant. And, unlike others of the human race, she is much more familiar with the things of another world, and only occasionally lets Jane and Michael Banks (and their twin baby brother and sister) see into that world.

I’m not sure I liked it as well as I should have.

Oh, well. It is on the list of 501. Yes, it is listed as a children’s book, and well it might be. I think this Mary Poppins might scare the average 21st century child. I know she would scare social workers.

Reading List

July 25, 2009

The Golum by Isaac Bashevis Singer

This is an intriguing little tale about a Jewish myth, a golum, who is a creation of clay that can be brought to life to aid the Jewish people in times of trouble. A good rabbi is allowed to create a golum to aid a charitable Jewish banker who is falsely accused of a crime, and if he is convicted then the Jewish people as a whole will face sever persecution. Even though it sounds like a story of intolerance, it is really a story of finding out who one is through love.

It is a children’s story – my translation was a mere 80 pages. It is on the list of 501 books. If not, I never would have had the pleasure of reading it.