Reading List

May 18, 2010

The Last Full Measure by Jeff Shaara

And this should be the final of these books that I will read for a while. Michael Shaara and his father, Jeff Shaara, wrote a series of three books about the Civil War. This is the last one. I already read the first two (Gods and Generals and The Killer Angels). I really like those two and so was looking forward to this one. Hey - I really liked this one also.

I now know more about the Civil War than you would ever get from high school or even college history classes. True, these are historical fiction, but I will be bet most people wouldn't even know that there was a battle called Cold Harbor, which was a perfect slaughter of union forces, or what happened at the siege of Petersburg, or even why there was a siege, or why the surrender of Lee's forces was at Appomattox Courthouse. Most people just know that sometime after Gettysburg, Lee surrendered and that ended the Civil War. Historically, I now know more than most Americans about the last two years of the war.

But of more significance is the way these three books captures the humanity - or inhumanity - of the war. It captures the people involved and how they felt. Yes, it is a dramatization, but I think Shaara did a pretty good job of really describing the feelings of the participants. It is not a Red Badge of Courage story, because it is not a story of those fighting in the front lines. It is a story of the generals - which is a remarkable view point, and probably one that is easier to fully research from the writings and discussions about those generals.

Would I recommend it - I mean all three of them - yes I would. You will enjoy the writing. You will occasionally be disturbed by the inhumanity of the war. You will occasionally be saddened by the humanity of the characters.

Travels with Lar

May 17-19, 2010

Dallas, TX - Addison, TX

I could get used to these kind of trips. I flew to Dallas, spent one day teaching at the office in Addison, then the next morning I flew home. Short and no problems. It was a breeze - except -

I caught a cold and so it wasn't as easy as it could have been.

But all went well and there isn't much else to report - so I will stop here.

Travels with Mar

(and Michael)

May 10-17, 2010

Logan, UT - Rexburg, ID - Ogden, UT

Michael finished his semester at Front Range and so it was time for a - - -

- - - ROAD TRIP - - -

He and Mar drove to Logan, UT on the 10th. The next day, Michael took the car and went to Rexburg, ID to see Taylor. His adventures there were nice for the two of them - but not legendary - and besides, he didn't tell me everything he did. But it included going to class - going to soccer games - going to Michael's cousin's house - and then on Saturday, driving back to Logan with Taylor along to "meet the grandmas".

Meanwhile, Mar was in Logan without a car. She did a lot of visiting with her siblings, helping her mom, and shopping when she could borrow a car. On Sunday she and Michael took Taylor and drove down to Ogden to Melanie and my Mom's place.

Monday morning, they dropped Taylor off at a shuttle to take her back to Rexburg and they drove home. It was a week of relaxation - a week that they both needed and deserved.

Running

May 15, 2010

The Run for Life and Breath

Look back about a year ago and you will see a similar post. This is the second year "our family" has done this run. It is a 5K run around the University of Colorado medical complex in Denver. It is a nice course because it is a "wrap around course - meaning you run half way, then run the same course back, so you get to see everyone going the other way. And this year they had timing chips, which made it seem so official.

My goal was to do it in under 28 minutes. I started out too fast, which is a tendency for me when I am running against others, so I was spent by the end. Still, I did it in 27:53 officially meaning I made my goal. Still that is 30 seconds slower that last year. I ended up 3rd in the over 50 age range - and 94th over all. And when it was done I went back and ran with other family members.

Mat and Andrew were next to come in. They shaved some significant time off of their last year time. Next was Rich. Then Andi and Mylie and Wyatt (in a stroller) came in. Erica also ran with both Alice and Evelyn in a stroller. I went and ran in with them, and as we came close to the finish line, I took Alice out of the stroller and let her run in. She had a lot of people rooting for her as she crossed. She liked it so much she went and did it again.

It was a nice morning exercise. Too bad that Mar couldn't do it this year (she was in Utah), or Ben (he was on a scout camp out), or Breanne (she had to work).

Travels with Lar

May 12-14, 2010

Hood River, Oregon

I am beginning to sound like a broken record - sheesh - don't I go anywhere else but Hood River.

This was a special case trip. They just wanted a one day review class, and since I knew every one in the class, and since I really knew what they wanted, I went. And the Company, Insitu, had moved across the Columbia River from Bingen, WA and now had their site in Hood River, so I didn't need to cross "the bridge". I believe this is the last official business trip I will take to Hood River/Bingen. I have taught all the people all that I know.

It really was an easy trip. Fly out on Wednesday afternoon and drive up the gorge to Hood River. Teach on Thursday and then drive down the gorge to Portland. Wake up on Friday morning and take a little bit later flight back home (the last time I took a flight that left Portland at 5:00 AM). There was nothing meaningful about this trip - except -

Grant was also in Portland teaching this week, and of course our company's home office is just south of Portland, so when I drove back to Portland on Thursday night after the class, I met Grant and two of the others from the team, Tracy and Lisa, for dinner. It was nice. Actually, for a while Tracy and Lisa thought I drove the 60 miles down the gorge just to have dinner with them. They thought that was so nice. I should have let them think that they were that important. Instead, I told them I was coming to Portland for the night at an airport motel anyway. Boy, they now think that I think they are not that important. I would have driven down just to see them - but - oh well, now I am in the dog house and I will probably have to go to weird places like Chicago and Minneapolis and Kansas (three times in a row) - yep, that is my upcoming schedule.

Reading List

May 12, 2010

Preach My Gospel

So I was sitting in a meeting one day and people were saying that we all needed to get a Preach My Gospel. It suddenly occurred to me that I had a copy - but I had never read it - or from it. I had opened it once, but I didn't know what was in the book that I was supposed to have.

So I read it. May I say it is wonderful. There are a lot of things that one would say only applies to missionaries - but I found that I can apply a lot - no most of it to myself. I can just talk to the Elders better now, because I know a little bit about what they know. Michael came home and said he loved it. Now I know why.

Be serious about it. Get a copy - and read it. It could be a lifelong study guide just to help you really know the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Movie Review

April 24, 2010

The Blind Side

This was one of those movies that people said "you have to see". I agree. It is not flashy. It is not action packed. It is a story of real life. It is fun and engaging - and very well done. Well acted. Well written. Well made.

Go see it - rent it.

I heard one criticism of this movie - I is told primarily from the view point of the family who adopted and encouraged the black protagonist. Yes - and no. It is true that it does not delve deeply into the environment that he came from - there were only brief glimpses there. But I do not think that was the point of the story. There were enough glimpses to know that where he came from was not good - and that he was going to go no where. The story was about how there was a Christian, loving influence that raised him up - despite some over powering odds against.

I personally would give it a - with a pause - a four.

Travels with Lar

April 12-16, 2010

Hood River, Oregon - Bingen, Washington



A trip to Hood River/Bingen is not anything new in my experience. This is my third trip, and so I was very familiar with the whole ordeal - the flight into Portland (uneventful), the drive down the gorge (as breathtaking as ever), the two "cities" separated by the demon bridge. It was a five day, four night trip that I had already "been there and done that."

However their was an amusing part to this trip - Flat Stanley. Emma had a school assignment in which Flat Stanley, a children's book character, is supposed to go "on adventures". Well the assignment was that the children drew Flat Stanley and were supposed to take his picture on adventures. Emma sent her rendition of Flat Stanley to us just the day before I left for this trip. I took Flat Stanley with me. He got his picture taken at the airports and with the airplane. He drove up the gorge and had his picture taken at a few key sights - Multnomah Falls, the Columbia River, Mt. Hood, the demon bridge, the white buffalo in front of the Hood River liquor store. It was a little bit un-nerving taking pictures with Flat Stanley in front of a lot of people. At the airport in Denver, one lady saw me and said, "Okay, now I need to know the whole story". I told her and she helped me pose Flat Stanley to appear as one of the animals on a Frontier Airline jet. At the Portland Airport, a lady just asked, "Is that Flat Stanley." She knew all about Flat Stanley and his adventures.

Thank you, Emma, for having such a fun assignment for your Grandpa. Maybe I should take Flat Stanley wherever I go.