Travels with Mar and Lar

Ogden and Logan, Utah
October 13 – 22, 2011

 
Maybe this was a business trip. Maybe it was a family trip. Maybe it was a pleasure trip. As it turns out, it was all three. And it was the result a one of those "perfect storms".

Lar was scheduled to do a business trip to Tucson, Arizona. Not looking forward to it very much. Then he got an overview of the upcoming schedule and found that another instructor was doing a class in Logan. Charlie, the other instructor, had no reason to be in Logan other than the class. Lar had lots of family reasons. So a short phone call later, the classes were switched – Lar on his way to Logan – Charlie to Tucson. And because it was Logan, Lar decided it would be real nice – I mean real , real nice – to take Mar. So a ticket was purchased and the plans were made.
 
We went out on the Thursday before the class, because Lar had taken that Thursday and Friday off a long time before – more of the "perfect storm". Thursday night, Friday and Saturday morning we spent with Melanie and Mom (that would be Lar's mom) in Ogden. On Saturday morning we all went to breakfast with Emily and Rick. We like doing family help things for them. This trip we:

Trimmed a bush

Trimmed two trees

Cleaned out the rain gutters

Installed gutter guards

Repaired the shed (sort of)

Helped Melanie order new doors

Put plastic on two windows

Played lots of games

Ate lots of food

Saturday morning we went to Logan to stay with Mar's mom for the duration. We sent her into stress by telling her we wanted her to come back home with us. She said okay, so we got her a ticket on our return flight. We stayed with her until Friday morning. We did some things for her also:

Cleaned up a rock garden

Dug up some flowers (that we delivered to Brenda)

Trimmed bushes and spread bark

And Mar did a lot of running around town with her

Spent time with a lot of family

On Tuesday through Thursday, I taught the class – which went okay.

Friday we went back to Melanie's and finished some work (and played games). Then Saturday morning we flew back home.

Good trip – made even better by being surrounded by people I love – and people who love me.

Flowers for Aaron.

The long story.

Brother Altman was doing some work at the church today.  When he left he saw a car with two people in it parked next to his car.  He asked them if he could help.  They asked if he knew where Aaron was buried.  They had driven up from Denver - for City Bark where Aaron used to work - with some flowers to remember him.  Brother Altman called Mar and found out that Aaron really doesn't have that place yet.  So they gave the flowers to Brother Altman and he delivered them to Mar.  He mentioned that they were very touched and obviously still sad at Aaron's passing.

This has touched a sadness spot for us.  But at the same time, it is nice to know that Aaron's influence was remembered as good for these people.  We did not get their names, but we appreciate so much the kindness they have shown - and the love they have shown for our son.

Movie List

July 30, 2011

So this is what I watched flying back from Malaysia:

Clash of the Titans

Don't bother - oh, you say you aleady saw it.  I am so sorry.  Not a good movie.

Iron Man II

Okay, I liked it.  As unbelievable as the first Iron Man.  Still it was entertaining. 

Kids Stuff

(No disrespect to Mathew intended)

Andrea took Emma and Spencer to the Boulder County Fair.  They had a good time and while they were there they "won" two gold fish.  They brought them home and they are now living in Mar's trifle bowl.  We assumed they would die overnight - but alas (and lucky for them) they are holding on.

Andrea was watching the fish and talking to Emma when she mentioned that Mathew had trained the gold fish he had when he was younger.  That comment prompted this from Emma:

"You know, Mat is just strange.  He gets it from Grandpa.  And I'm learning to be strange also, cause were staying with Grandpa."

I am such a wonderful influence on people.

Movie List

July 23, 2011
One thing I can say about international travel – you have a lot of time on your hands. On a trip to Malaysia, I had enough time to finish two books and watch two movies. This is the two movies:

Despicable Me

A cute little movie. It focuses on redemption of a person whose goal was to be the most despicable villain around. A pretty predictable plot, but with nice characterization along the way. And you just have to love the Minions. I liked the movie, but only enough to say it is average – I give it a 2.5 on the scale

Battle: Los Angeles

Aging marine seargent – reputation for losing his men in battle. A strong fight on his hands with an enemy and his new squad. That about sums up the humanity of the story, and it is pretty trite. Still, I liked this movie. It is a good action war movie, and when all of the traditional foes are not in vogue, you have to have a new foe, so why not go for aliens. Of course the hero is really the hero and he and his squad find out how to "take the suckers down", and you can figure all along that it will happen (a la "Independence Day") I liked the portrayal of the marines and especially because I have been at Camp Pendleton and recognized some of the scenery (there was ever a very short scene at the San Onefre gate onto the base). I thought the fighting scenes were well done. It truly gave a sense of battle and the mayhem that goes with it. So I can ignore a lot of the trite story line, and the rough language, and say that it wasn't too bad – not for little kids, however. I can even say I had a favorite line from this movie – "We've already had our breakfast, sir." I give this movie about a 2.5, again just average.

Books on CD

More Rumpole books by John Mortimer

Rumpole Misbehaves (July 16, 2011)

– this is the direct sequel to Rumpole and the Reign of Terror. Again, a fun little story, but without much substance. I am getting better at understanding the narrator's accent.

Rumpole and the Penge Bungalow Murders (July 20 2011)
– I think this one is before Rumpole and the Reign of Terror. It is his memoires and he decides he has to recount his most memorable case. I enjoyed it.

 Unfortunatly, I think this is the end of the Rumpole books on CD at the library. They are good mindless fun, exactly what I want in Books on CD.

House Projects

Painting
June 30 – July 1, 2011
Ah-hah – I arrived home after a strenuous day of work and, behold, work had been done on the house painting project. The "primers" had paid a visit.  Here is evidence of their work.

 And then, early the next morning, as I left for work, the "painters" arrived and began putting up ladders.

I had occasion to return past the house at about 9:45 AM, and progress is being made. We will see what progress by the time I get home in the evening.