Big gulps huh?.... Welp....

It seems that a number of the posts I have left on this blog have been somewhat negative. I really hope I don't come across as a negative person, I've just used this space to vent frustrations that I don't want directed at anyone, and get words of encouragment from those I love at the same time. Yes, there have been a couple of things that were irritating me SO much these past couple of weeks... however, instead of venting here, I decided to use my own blog spot on myspace. So, now that my frustrations are out, I wanted to write about something happy... to me at least.

Yesterday was employee evaluation day here at Trophy Homes. It's an annual process which includes each employee filling out an evaluation sheet for themselves, then they review it with their supervisor in a private meeting. I have to admit, there are times at work where I feel I'm really not being productive, or at least not at the level of tenacity that I had when I started 2 years ago. I didn't rate myself below "meeting expectations" on anything, and above that there was "exceeds expectations" and "outstanding." Part of the reason I gave myself "meeting expectations" was becuase I truely feel that that was all I was giving, the other reason I did it was because I remember Bret's evaluation(s) (both the ones he gave an the ones he recieved for himself) and i just wanted to feel prepared for whatever "construcitve critisism" may come. Well... my supervisor is a great guy, and the evaluation went very well. He said he would rate me as outstanding and exceeds expectations on everything, and an overall outstanding. He also dismissed my feelings of underproductivity (if that's a word) as just being "settled into the company after two years." Then he also gave me a $0.50 raise. So, now I'm up to $11.50/hr which, although it's really not that much... it's really good for happy valley as a college student.

I've been really blessed working for this company. They have always been more than willing to work with my school, vacations, sick time, unexpected deaths, etc... I like everyone I've worked with over these past two years, and with the exception of this new jerk they hired to be over our sales department, I still think we have a great staff here.

It's raining here, and it's pretty cold. We have a soccer game tonight (outdoors) and unfortunately Jacob Wall can't make it... looks like I'll be in goal again! :) but that's okay... I hurt my knee playing basketball with our elder's quorum last night (we play every Thursday night) and so I'm not up to running today.

A great dinner

This week Bayer made a visit to our office in Scottsdale from Pittsburgh, PA. They wanted to come to meet the team (I had met them, but my IAMs had not) and clarify a few things. Whenever clients come in Prudential typically likes to take them out to dinner. I always hope that they leave this option up to me as I always pick Zinc Bistro. This is a small French restaurant that I love. Bayer left the option open and I booked our dinner.

I think one reason I love this little place is because it reminds me of Paris. I loved Paris so much and especially the food. This is the only place I have ever been to that feels and tastes like Paris. We went on Tuesday evening. That night I enjoyed one of the best dinners of my life. For an appetizer I had a consumme (a soup) made with herbs and gnocchi. It was fantastic. For the entree I had the pork tenderloin. This was actually the first dish I ever had at Zinc and is what made me fall in love with it. They eventually took this off the menu - so when I saw it back on, I even passed the special of the day which was scallops! The tenderloin is served with carmelized cabbage and other "wonderful" things I'm not sure what they are. It was amazing. Then for dessert I ordered a date shake - a shake made from "dates" (think Indiana Jones). It was perfect. The other great thing is that portions aren't big - so even with three courses I was not too full and was able to play basketball just an hour later with no issues.

Friday night Malik and I went to a birthday party for Kip's kid Ian. Jarek was sick so could not go. We had a lot of fun. Malik was happy until he realized the party was not for him - and he wasn't the one getting the presents. He cried for a bit, but eventually got over it. It was cute.

optimum voice

OK, we need more input. do you know anyone who uses optimum online and optimum voice? we are thinking of switching from Verizon. is the online stuff really way faster? ours is pretty fast already. then I heard that if the electricity goes out, we will have no phone. let me know. love ya all!

GRRRRRR

Grumpy, grumpy
Jiggly, lumpy
This is how I feel.

Hormones wacky
Muscles lacky
How's a girl to deal?

Kids are crying
Husband sighing
I need to pop a pill.

Bed is calling
Eyes are falling
Go to sleep I will!

Just having a rough day due to being a girl. I will perk up tomorrow since my friend is coming over to play games with me. Hopefully our kids don't demolish the house. Okay, I mostly mean her kids, okay I really mean her one kid! Should be a fun day since it is a half day of school! Take care all!

Tevs

GAME DAY!!

For those of you who happened to watch college game day this last saturday saw quite possibly the best series of games in a LONG time!

First off... the Minnesota vs Wisconsin game. Wow... what a show! What a heartbreaker for Minnesota! I was cheering for them as the underdog... not that I really care too much about either team.

Notre Dame vs USC - WOW!!! Here's the thing... I like USC more... not sure why... but it is such a show to see Bush run that ball! I'm pretty sure he's taken ballet too with the way he moves.... However, I also wanted ND to win because BYU plays them next saturday... and despite how bad BYU loses to them next week, if they would have beat USC... it would have made BYU look not AS bad losing terribly to the team that beat the #1 team in the nation.... Despite all my mixed expectations for game... it was more than I could have asked for, right down to the repeated last 7 seconds of the game!!!

Finally... BYU vs CSU - This was BYU's homecoming. Although both teams looked like high school teams after watching the USC ND game... I was VERY excited to see BYU take an early lead thanks to the domination of Brown and Tahi with their running game... not something BYU is usually known for... but Colorado just kept giving us the room... so I'm glad Mendenhall didn't screw it up and try something different. I gotta say, way to hold on the the ball BYU!!! GOOOOOO COUGARS!!!!

San Diego

Last week we decided to take a trip away from normal life and head to San Diego. Tevia, the boys, and I loaded up into the Stratus and began the trek to the West Coast. We had never been to San Diego. We had been to LA a couple of times - a place neither of us enjoyed. But the five hour trip or so found a very nice place. It reminded me of Phoenix with a beach and not hot. Certainly a place I could live. We arrived Sunday evening and headed to Old San Diego and found the Mormon Trek Memorial Center. This was in comemoration of the Mormon Trek that a few hundred members did for the US Military - and became the longest infantry march in US history. It was neat to see the missionaries and see how the Church has influenced such a nice city. That evening we broke the Sabbath and ate out. We had not brought enough food to eat for dinner, so we ate at a restaurant referred to me by a colleague at work called Rocky's Baja Lobster. I ordered a bucket of seafood, as was suggested by my colleague and enjoyed lobster and other fun things. It was fun.

Monday we headed to Sea World. On the way we wanted to find a place to get some breakfast and were willing to stop at any old fast food joint. You would be amazed how difficult a chore this was. After considerable frustration we found a Jack In The Box and were able to eat. We were a little worried Sea World would be crowded as we had not intended our Monday trip to coincide with Columbus Day. But in truth the park was not very crowded. We enjoyed the whole park. My favorite parts were the Seal and Otter show (the main performer was very funny and talented - he was human), the Shamu show, the shark encounter, and the Dolphin exhibit where you can touch and feed the dolphins. This lead to a fun moment. Malik, who loves animals, was laying over the edge like me and trying to get the dolphins to come over. We finally lured one over and as it came up to us at the last minute it opened its mouth - looking for food - but Malik thought it was going to bite him! This freaked him out and he didn't want to be near any more dolphins.

It was a lot of fun. Malik really liked the shark encounter, so we did that one twice. He did NOT like the arctic experience, as the music was scary and the beluga whales looked like "ghosts" to him. Jarek liked everything. We left around five or so and decided to go up to Oceanside. This was a suggestion from Jacob Webb, and it was a good one. It was beautiful as we walked the pier at sunset and watched the surfers and fishermen. One fisherman had caught a small shark. Malik slept through this whole part - and then later told us the "beach" was his favorite part.

Once again that evening we struggled to find a place to eat. We ended up at a small diner called Ricky's. I would have to say that almost every meal was a struggle as we had a hard time finding places to eat. But it was still fun.

The next morning we decided to go to the beach one last time so Malik could see the ocean. Once again we could not find a place to eat breakfast, nor the beach. So eventually we found another Jack in the Box and probably ate our last meal there for years. We are officially sick of it. Afterwards we just started back and decided to stop at some sand dunes half way back. That was also very fun and a great stop.

San Diego was a fantastic place and the trip was very enjoyable. I'm sure we'll return. We'd love to go with Jacob Webb and have him teach us to surf some day.

Direct TV and send an ark! and Happy Yom Kippur!

OK, they are two different subjects. we can get Direct TV for $7. a month cheaper than our cablevision, more channels, all digital, but is it worth the change? dad has heard bad things about digital tv, like if it rains the channels don't come in. ask around and we'd like to hear your comments.
we got so much rain last weekend, 8" in some places. we got 3" more already this week, and it is supposed to rain all day today thru Sunday. things are flooded everywhere, from New Hampshire to MA to N J. we have a wet carpet now all along the back downstairs door, and it keeps getting wetter. we have never had trouble before. roads are closed, like the Taconic and Saw Mill. I have to say, I know it is nothing compared to the suffering of the world, but having 2 dogs who won't pee in the pouring rain really sucks. (we have Cookie this week, Scott's grandmother died). they go out there and shiver and whine and run back to the door and cry to get in. duh. Bugle used to go right out and get it over with and come right back. these dogs seem so stupid. I left Daisy out yesterday morning on her chain for 15 minutes, while she sat and whined. she came in a soaked rat, smelly, and still hadn't peed. I had to get all dressed in raincoat and umbrella and walk her out until she did. this morning, I let Cookie out and she wouldn't even leave the deck, and she was loose. she begged and begged to come back in, so again, I got ready and walked her out and she would jump all over me and she gets wet in 5 seconds because she is all hair, and she got my pants soaked, and finally peed. ugh. when she comes in she is soaked from head to foot. lucky for me the kids are home today, yes, again. today is Yom Kippur. so be thankful you don't have a dog in the pouring rain, and take a walk for me cause I miss walking this week so much!

Embracing Change

Embracing Change

Something we discuss much in the workplace is change – and helping employees to understand that change will always occur.  As a manager it is expected that you help your employees accept and even embrace change, and I feel like I do that quite well.

I also tell others that they must embrace change.  I hear many stories of people who have had friends, spouses, or even children who have “changed,” and it is very difficult for them to deal with it.  It has been so easy to say, “hey, people change – that is part of life; deal with it.”  

But when it happens to me, that is a different story.  I have noticed lately that when those I care about change, it is difficult for me to accept.  Certainly I expect them to accept if I happen to change.  But how dare they change?  I like them for who they are – and this new person, or part of this person, is new and different.  I don’t want them to change (unless, obviously, it is something I don’t like).  It makes me feel uncomfortable.  So, in essence, I have been a hypocrite.  I finally realized that people have every right to change.  In fact, hopefully we all do change.  God wants us to get better and that certainly requires change.  It may even necessitate very large changes in our personalities, habits, etc.  

So how can I get mad if somebody I love changes?  Unless it is a change for the worse (and in this I mean by fact, not just some opinion like they are now a democrat and therefore I think they are evil), I need to embrace this change.  It shouldn’t make me like them less.  If I truly love them, I will accept the change.  

It has been eye opening to me.  I have never really thought of this before.  I finally was able to see that accepting change in loved ones is hard, especially when you are used to them being a certain way.  This can certainly be a reason parents have difficulties with teenagers who “find” themselves.  It is indicative in the many divorces for couples who have someone change (i.e. the woman who starts to stand up to her husband).  I am going to try and embrace change more around me.  And hopefully when I change, those whom I love will accept it in me.

*I posted this with the new Blogger Word plug-in*

Classes

So I'm enjoying this semester of classes... apart from the tuition that is.

A couple of weeks ago, I had my first exams. I usually don't bother to study for exams, a bad habbit carried over from that joke we all call Blue Ridge High School. I was pretty worried about my American History exam at first. You never know what kind of questions an instructor will be asking in a class like that. It's such a broad subject, with SO many fine details. However, the day before the exam we had our "review." This review consisted of the instructor staning up in front of the class and reading word for word each (multiple choice) question on the exam, AND the correct answer for each question. He waited to give each student enough time to write it all down and "study" from it. Well, I'm great at regurgitation of information, so I just went the next day and took it. I aced it. 100%. What a joke. But hey, I'll take it, it's always nice to get a boost like that for the 'ol GPA, and honestly, I'll never have to use any of the class material in the "real world" anyway... so I'm fine with that. I'm basically just paying to raise my GPA.

My other class, Macroeconomics, is another story. I really like economics. The instructor looks, and kinda sounds like, Leslie Neilson (from the Naked Gun movies). He's actually a really good teacher. I like how he covers the course information and applies what we learn to real life situations. It is difficult since the class is only twice a week (MON & WED) for one hour and we go through a chapter every class period!! That's just a LOT of information to be cramming into my little brain each week. Well, my first exam was alomst a review of my Microeconomics class I took at ASU some 4 years ago. I got an 83%, the highest grade in the class!! Average on that exam was 62%. I just took our second exam yesterday. My instructor indicated that this could be the most difficult exam of the semester and it is imperitive to UNDERSTAND the information in the chapters it covers. So, I studied like I never studied before. I felt pretty confident going into the exam... unfortunatly, that is usually an idicator that I will do poorly.
Well... I got out of the exam and got my score, 81%!! I only missed one more question on this exam than the last!! I'm pretty sure I am the first in the class to take it since it just opened yesterday, and most of the students put off to taking it the last day it's available.

So, long story short, classes are good. Work is good (our company holiday party is coming up begining of Nov!!). Dating life, nonexistant.

Love you all!

treatment of women

Tom just finished "Streetcar named Desire". I just finished "Poisonwood Bible", and started "The Good Earth". we had a great dinner discussion. I never realized before how closely the P Bible and good earth are connected. Pearl Buck's father lived in China as a missionary, and made his wife and Pearl, as a child, stay there even during political revolution and danger to whites; same as in P Bible. we told Kathy that being a woman in America, esp in this day and age, is a remarkable blessing. Tom thought his book was dumb, which is to be expected for a guy his age reading that book. why they still feel that is a classic to read in high school is beyond me. Kathy had a question that we thought Bret could answer, are people from Brazil and Chili considered Hispanic? she loves hearing the stories from Juan about Chile. she doesn't remember any stories from you about Brazil. also, she asked dad, where did the people from China come from? I figure we will find out someday with another scripture. Tev, thanks for the blog on exchange students. I am waiting for Bret's before I finish the subject. and Jacob Webb's. how are you doing, Jacob? hang in there.

foreign exchange students

I would love to hear some of your opinions of foreign exchange students. Jacob has quite an interesting one, so I hope he will blog about this. Cari didn't know any. Kathy has met one at Ketcham, Juan from Chili. we met him last night. cute.

famous last words... "it can't get any worse"

Well, it most certinly can get worse. In fact, a lot worse. But, rather than go on about how lame the last 26 or so hours have been, I have decided instead to continue and try to be thankful and use optimism. Carolyn and I have an almost free weekend! This has not happened in a while. Also, got the second highest grade in my ECEn 224 class! Take that EE majors! Unfortunatly I failed my pass fail programming exam tonight along with most of my peers. Not sure what that means yet. I am excited to keep getting to play sports even though my leg might argue. Its pretty bad, so i might have it looked at soon. The bone seems really hurt but not fractured, the skin however is pretty ugly and i'm not sure how well it will recover. But hey, whats more scar. I love my wife and my life is great! And after all isnt stress what keeps us alive? I think I would be bored out of my mind if I had a regulr life... regular not sure I know that that means anyway. Anyway, this entry is done.

Malik's sad day

Well, I am taking up more blog time and space. Yesterday wasn't the peachiest day of the year, that's for sure. So, Bret got to come home early from work yesterday and was playing with the kids and Malik started getting upset about something, then just threw up all over the floor as well as all over Bret. It was pretty gross and he was very pale., Malk that is! The boys were all supposed to go see Madagascar at the dollar theater with Kipp and his boys, but Malik had to stay home, which meant that I didn't go to the Stake Leadership meeting. I got to stay home and clean up vomit all evening! I think he threw up about six times. I am guessing that something must not have sat well with him. It must have been something he ate at school for breakfast, because he didn't really eat any lunch or dinner. This morning he seems to be much better, but I am only giving him easy things on the stomach, like ice pops etc... He likes that! He just wants to sit on the couch and watch The Mupppet Show. (My sister let us borrow her DVD's. The kids love watching them over and over!)
Anyhow, I don't think it is any virus or anything because he seems a lot more perky this morning and his eyes aren't glossy, or his face isn't as pale as last night.

Hope everyone enjoys conference this weekend.

Jarek's Sad Day

Well, Jarek had a sad and embarrassing day today. When I went to pick him up from school, I noticed that he had on different clothes. He was walking slowly (well, slower than usual) with his head down and eyes sad. He came up to me and told me that he had had an accident. He had peed his pants while in his project class. He was very embarrassed. I asked him how it had happened. At his school they are very into not wanting the kids to take restroom breaks during class, and "encourage" them to always go while at recess or lunch. So, Jarek said that he didn't need to go during recess or lunch, but then had to go during the last part of school. He being the kind of kid that doesn't want to break the rules by having to ask for a pass (he says he teacher doesn't like to write passes) decided to try and hold it until it was time to go home. Well, he couldn't make it and wet his pants. I felt so bad for him. I wanted to cry right then, but didn't want him to be even more upset or embarrassed. Poor guy! I just hope that the other kids don't start to ridicule him. Luckily he is a very nice, likeable kid and maybe the other kids will just forget about it. More than likely though I am the only one who is really worried about it at all!

next year vacations

HI, after just returning, it sounds silly to already be planning next year, but we had to think about it while we were with the other Walls. we will obviously be in Utah next summer at the end of August to take kathy to school, so our vacation will be there. this may not work out so well with Jarek's school starting so early in August, but maybe you can come up for a long weekend and play in Utah with us. I would like to show the kids some mountains and maybe even camp or hike. maybe we could meet halfway, like at Zion National park. which made me realize we could try and make the desert trip this spring. anyways, our plans are just outlines at this point, but people do need to know. we are hoping to see jacob and Cari for Christmas and take them down to see my family. then we are hoping to see Bret and Tev and the boys, or just Tev and the boys, or just the boys, whoever comes, in January or so. Tom really wants to spend his spring break in AZ, if we don't do the desert thing. that's it so far. boy, do I plan ahead!

trip out west

Well, I have way too much to do to be blogging, but since I sat down to read my emails, I thought I'd at least summarize the trip for some of you, since we never had time to call. it was great! day by day summary: Phoenix, wonderful to be with all, your place looks great, weather was great, great dinner, yep, great is the word. Las Vegas- egh, I will never go back. sex everywhere, on every taxi, billboard, bush, and pole. we did get to see the volcano explode at Mirage. everyone was over 70 and white. smoking everywhere. we were impressed with the inside of Ceasars and how classy it was. I kept thinking the town was going to be burned down any minute and I didn't want to be caught there.... we did like the temple the next day, and our visit with Mike and Regina and Angela was great. they were nice and talkative. the drive to Vegas and to Zion's was better than the city itself. Zion's was awesome. perfect time of year to hike, great hotel, beautiful scenery everywhere you looked. the ST George temple was also wonderful. one of the temples had the most beautiful celestial room I have ever seen. I forget which one. our drive to Jacob's was fast and easy. I got to shop at BYU bookstore and buy some fun stuff we don't have available here. Jacob and Cari's open house was fun! Curtis Larson came, Maggie, Tammy Fitz and her 2 babies, Ben Ricks, and Jesse and Stacie. they asked for you, Jacob Webb. I also missed seeing you. anyways, again, the weather was perfect, great food, really, and it was fun to meet their friends. we loved their ward, and enjoyed real mormon talks. we loved their place, and they cooked for us! how fun is that! now we have 2 kids that feed us when we come! the drive to Idaho was also fast and easy. mom and dad come over for Patty's awesome dinner. Monica's husband comes home from Iraq by Thanksgiving! she had her 3 kids there, Debbie came over, and Seth and his wife. mom couldn't take the noise very long, so they did not stay long. we took lunch over there the next day, and had a nice visit. she did pretty good. she knew us well, and went on and on about Bonnie and how wonderful she was for over an hour. but she couldn't remember who Mike Wall was. sad. dad has his hands full. we got back to Bonnie's in time for dad to take a nap and I helped her with setting all the tables with real plates and tableclothes and silver ware. she is amazing. she served chicken haystacks, and they were the best! her sauce had some other stuff added. yum. I guess I eventually should list everyone that was there for Bret's sake, and now I have a list of all their kids names. news flash here: David Noalle's wife couldn't come cause she had a miscarriage on Saturday. let me remind you they got married a few weeks before Jacob and Cari did.
it was great to see so many people come so far to see us and Jacob and to meet Cari. Patty and Monica and Crystal and Cami drove all the way down, then back up the same night. there are lots and lots of babies. I hope it wasn't too tempting for you, Cari. :) I actually might have saw them all and immediatley have said, no way, not me. I will make a list and send it out some day this week. so, we had no problem at all. dad stayed calm as a cucumber all week, but he did get a bit stressed on the day we went home cause our rental car had some damage on the grill and we didn't know if we did it or not. but it should all work out. we were 1/2 hour late arriving, and Kathy gave us her sad eyes and how tired she was story. ok, everyone sigh here. but she is already over at Karen's today with Sean Paino, so she ca't be too tired. we did a great job planning a really fun trip! the kids lived fine without us, Tom grew another inch, the dog went into depression a bit, but all in all, it was worth it.

Mortal Kombat

Hi all, I was just wondering if our Mortal Kombat N64 game is hanging out at one of your all's residences. I was looking for it the other day and couldn't remember if someone had borrowed it during Christmas. No big deal, I was just wondering! :) Hope everyone had a lovely Sunday.
Tevs

Take Control ... and BYU Sucks

I'll make the post title more clear - BYU Football Sucks. So we finally get cable this fall so that I can actually watch a few football and basketball games this year since so few are now on regular TV. I was able to watch the BYU game against TCU and watched them take a 41-29 lead into the fourth quarter. At which point I turned it off with about 8 minutes to go since they looked in control and I had other things to do. Not until I just logged on did I even fathom that BYU would have lost in OT 51-50! So frustrating. Maybe it is better just not to watch.

But that was not what I originally intended to blog about. We have all heard the saying that "good things come to those that wait." But it is so untrue. Why do people believe this stuff? Who makes up some of these maxims? The past few months at work have been a perfect example to me that this is not, generally, true. If you want something, if you really want to change something in your life, you have to change it. Does your job suck? You have to be the one to change it. Is your marriage difficult? Sitting there and waiting won't help. But so many people just think that things will naturally change if they just "wait it out." It is a little like the people that stay in these cities when the hurricanes come through (those that have a choice), and they just think that everything will be fine.

But most people are not leaders. Most people don't make an effort to change. Therefore, unless you are fortunate to have some good people around you, nuttin go'in change. You have to stand up and make the change yourself. A much better saying is, "if you want something done right, do it yourself." That one is very true, at least in my experience. Things at work have been a little hectic lately, and people have been a little down since the same things that have always been broken (processes, people) are still broken. I've gotten to a point where I need to do one of two things - move on or fix it. (there is a much better saying that is a little vulgar but is a fantastic metaphore - it goes something like "you either got to take a dump (usually more vulgar) or get off the toilet!" See, I knew you'd like that one). I don't really feel like moving on - I like my job and company - so it's time to fix it.

It is interesting. I am a grateful person who is not obsessed with money and usually don't worry about how much I get paid or anything since I am happy to make what I make. But in a capitalist society, when I look at the people around me and above me - I am a dang good bargain! I don't think any company could really pay me what I am worth. :-)

Farewell to a friend

So I got the call last night that everyone dreds getting... The call that someone very close you has been killed. Shane Sirois was shot and killed Saturday night in Tucson, AZ. Although I somewhat half expected that would be how he went, I didn't think it'd be so soon. He always seemed a little rough around the edges. The kind of kid who defied athourity wherever it was presented. He was raised LDS but chose to follow a different path in life by the time he got into high school. Despite his drug use and drinking, he and I remained friends. A few months younger and quite a bit bigger (built) than me made him the leader in many of our childhood escapades, and no matter the adventure, we were like brothers... the kind of brother you get along with though (which I didn't get along with mine when I was younger).

So I reflect now (and all last night) on memories of the Shane I knew. He and I walked to scouts together in elementry and mid school. We would stop on the way at Whiting Bros. gas station and buy a Dr. Pepper. They had the "win under the cap" lottery going so we would cover for each other to look under each cap before buying them so we could get free drinks.

We spent summers playing in my grandpas equipment out behind our house. Usually we would pretend that he and I were brothers (with a lot of guns and even some super powers) out to find our family, or rescue someone. He was with me the day I got appendacittis (sp) and the first of my friends to come visit me in the hospital afterwards.

We often went to the local flea market on weekends to try and buy a knife or some other taboo item for young 10-12 year olds to have.

As explorer scouts, we went on a number of "moon-capades." He was never shy to share his ham with the world. On one outting we were camping near the slat river canyon (miles from anything) and hiked out to the main road around 10pm (with 4 other scouts) to moon passing cars. Of course it was his idea, and of course, I was afraid to go along, but he always had a way of convincing me to go anyway. Looking back, I'm greatful for small things like that, just to say I've done them. Besides, the thought of driving out in the middle of absolutly nowhere at 10'oclock at night and seeing 6 little white butts shining over the gaurd rail sure gave us a great memory to laugh about for years, and will for years to come.

He and I also were together when we discovered that a can of beans will explode if you put it in a campfire to heat up its contents and don't open the lid... the same happens with cans of compressed shaving cream.

When we were 15, I bought a small Honda 50 motorcycle and we would both sit on that, (me on the gas tank and him on the seat) and cruse the trails in the forest behind my house. Out near the Mogollon Rim, there was an irrigation river (ditch) that we would drive along and sing CCR "Rollin Down The River" everytime we rode there. We were crossing Hwy 260 to take him home from riding one time and accidentally jack-knifed the bike. We both got scraped up, and my leg was badly burned by the exhaust pipe. His grandpa (ex-millitary man) was up visiting from Tucson so he cleaned my wound... one bottle of iodine later, I learned the price for sterilization, and you know, it didn't even scar.

Shane and I would ditch sunday school on occasion to go to the gas station down the road and buy treats. We attempted to do this one night for mutaul and were chased down and tackeled by Shane Hall (an advisor from Show Low who should have even been there). My friend Shane came back for me and kicked Shane Hall and we resumed (and succeeded in) our escape.

When I left on my mission to Ecuador, he was at my farwell. It was the first time he had entered a church since we were 17. He wrote me the entire time I was in Ecuador, and although I could never get him to return to church again, and we pretty much went our seperate ways a couple of years ago, we always tried to keep tabs on each other.

There was always some sort of comfot that I got just knowing he was out living his dream being an international stunt man. Although he never really excelled in school, I knew his potential and always urged him to reach it. Being a stunt man really was his dream in life, and along the way he became fluent in Chinese and well versed in German.

I think the hardest part about all this is that not only was he a brother to me, but he was a brother AND a father to his two younger siblings. Their father died when Shane was only 6 years old and his mother went through a number of bad marriages thereafer. Shane was always there as the family protector; not only for his younger siblings, but for his mother as well.

Although very few, if any, people ever knew the Shane I knew, it is the Shane I will always remember and love. I don't know exactly where his death has taken him, but I know that our Father in heaven is both just and merciful. No matter where he is now I'm sure it's better than where he was on the night of his murder.

I know this was long. I don't really expect anyone to read it. It was more for myself to just get out on "paper". However, if you do read it, you are welcome to still comment if you feel inclined.

batman and courage

Well, dad and I paid the $2. and went to see BatmanBegins. he didn't think we would like it cause he heard it was a chick flic. it wasn't. to me, scary and ugly and violent. but I did like it, and I always try to get something out of each movie. so once again, my take on it was courage. I am working on this particular trait this year, so I see it everywhere, and make note of it. I liked the idea of facing your fears. it was kind of what Bret said in one of his blogs about fear. it was worth the $2.