Forgiving

I learned the best definition today:

Forgiving is letting go of the hope that you can change the past.

The Wrench in Our Plans

Jesica and I have plans!

We thought about Arkansas for the Holidays. We have a Cabo trip planned. We have a Europe trip in the works. We spoke with our realtor last week. Since I travel for work now or work remotely, we're looking at other places we could live (not that we're moving). We keep discussing kids because her schooling at its close (but again, this isn't an announcement).

We have plans and those listed above aren't even an eighth of them!

However, everytime we feel we're just to the point where we can move forward...something like this happens:





Yes, this is our Mitsubishi without a transmission! And without AC and without a horn. It seems that they all decided to stop within a week of one another. Horn, then AC, and finally the transmission. And that tow was crazy pricey!




However, with this HUGE setback, we can find hope in more than just the Gospel.

The Redlands Bowl is close! And it is free! Thank you kindly's go to Jesica for a wonderful weekend concert with Lorna Luft and the San Bernardino Symphony! Oh, I love John Williams music (he's an incredible genius) and it is so much better live! Thank you kindly, Sweetie for a great evening!

And Casey is as happy as he's ever been!

And we have each other!

Our plans will come together regardless of a broken, stupid, idiotic, oafish, expensive, dirty-rotten, insensitive, worthless, zany, hairbrained, expensive, absurd, moronic, fatuous, ridiculous, expensive, no-good transmission!

Let's make our plans happen!

My Sad Realization

This evening while watching the phenomenom that is American Idol and listening to '60s songs for two days in a row, I realized that my chance to be on the show is slowing drifting away.

I'm sure that this came about for one of two reasons:
1. My voice really isn't that good. I'm not a soloist really, just a great bass.
2. The fact that I can't even sing along with these people without my wife plugging her ears.

I've missed you blogging world. Welcome back to my life...

Thanksgiving Delights

Every Thanksgiving for the last four years I've worn my favorite shirt. It is Christmas green and simply states with holly for quotation marks:

Holiday Magic

Jesica hates it with a passion! But she puts up with it because - well, I don't know why she puts up with it (maybe I should be worried). There are a great deal of things to be thankful for today and there is a certain kind of magic in the air. So, as we sat around the dinner table with her family, I stated a few things I am thankful for. The two items that top my list are: Family and a safe place where my family can reside and do what we want to do when we want to do it...

...within the bounds of the law.

But there are some other very important things and I'd like to thank a fellow student of mine in AP Literature in 12th grade - Charles "Chuck" Kidd - for engraving them in my mind. I have lots of quotations and stories to attribute to Chuck, yet one stands out every Thanksgiving.

We were discussing what we were doing for Thanksgiving. I discussed the Turkey bowl, key lime pie and a movie. He had only three things to discuss, as well, and then an exclamation. I'll forever remember his comment:

"Evan, I only have three things planned for Thanksgiving and school work is not one of them:

Eat,

Sleep,

and Watch Football...

GOD BLESS AMERICA!!"

Chuck, thank you kindly! Need I say more? Oh, Happy Thanksgiving!

Forty-Something

Happy Birthday, Moprah! Saturday was Jesica's mother's birthday. And unlike some Mother-In-Laws, mine is actually (yes, I'm going to say it) the bomb-diggity!

Does your Mother-In-Law fight with other swimmers in a game of grab the Toypedo before anyone else does?

Does your Mother-In-Law tell you crazy stories about the incredibly large body parts (parts that you hope don't enlarge on your body) she encounters in her work as a nurse?

Does your Mother-In-Law read Cosmo?

Does your Mother-In-Law really understand your spouse enough to pat you on the back with reassurance?

Does your Mother-In-Law call herself Moprah?

No? Too, bad for you...

Happy Birthday and thank you kindly for being a great influence in my life and for raising an incredibly wonderful woman! I'm glad to be in your family!

Also, for any of you who actually read this Blog, the answer to my last posting, a.k.a. my Hero, is Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain.

Cream in Laguna

The definition of laguna: a bay, inlet, or other narrow or shallow body of water. The definition of Laguna Beach? Fun in the Sun (near the shallow body of water). Today you can see the effects of the sun on me after our wonderful time on Memorial Day. I've been called red, rosy, stupid, and white boy. And asked by each of those accusers if I knew what sun screen was.
Is it really necessary to remind me of my lack of color? When I hold my arm up to my wife's and her little sister we find that the coloration goes from cream to caramel to chocolate.

The only problem today is that I am now more of a strawberry cream - and I'm hungry!

Woah!

So, after my nap and nap-blog yeserday, I started to do some homework. But I really just clicked that Next Blog link at the top of the page...and kept clicking it.

I came to the sad realization (again) that I am not a Blogger. I found all kinds of stuff. I don't have links, but here is a list of some of the most common and/or wacky topics I found (in no particular order, but numbered for your convenience):

1. Goofy Naked Children - some parent that loves to take pictures of their naked kids
2. People in Love with Animals - squirrels eating from a pizza box, a dog's travels, and a pet's blog - psycho...
3. A woman who Makes a Pair of Socks a Month - oh and there is a picture for each month's contribution.
4. Mormon Haters - Wow! I thought I found some of these serving a mission and have been reprimanded by even more since...apparently there are a lot more out there.
5. Christian Haters - Jerry Fallwell's death pulled them out of the closet...get it?
6. Homosexual Haters - Apparently, people have found it in themselves to hate from the last three numbers...wierd!
7. Sex craved citizens - If you choose not to see various body parts exposed be careful hitting that Next Blog link. I'm glad I've chosen not to take such pictures of myself and I think I'm a handsome man...
8. Burnt Tortillas - Yes, someone actually makes tortillas and shows before and after pictures (uncooked/cooked)...interesting, yes, but kind of like watching paint dry.
9. Beautiful Landscape Pictures - I'm kinda thinking that I should put some more of these up of Oklahoma.
10. Why Blog - This was actually helpful, though if you read it, you find that you don't really learn anything.
11. Geneology - Did you know that this is one of the fastest growing hobbies - have you read the last two scriptures in the Old Testament?
12. Poetry - I should write more of this, though my poetry is more Suessistic.
13. Travel Logs - Apparently, there are some people in the world that just travel and Blog about it - Oh the life!
14. My Blog - I think that I have no direction in Blogging. I hope that it makes someone smile though...that is, if I ever Blog. Maybe I use too much punctuation for anyone to really get it; perhaps punctuation detracts from the overall purpose of my posts?
15. And my favorite of the day - A new Fan!

So, here is to you Bloggers out there looking to make a name for yourself. Whether you're wasting time, avoiding homework, making money, or keeping in touch, you've made the world a better place - thank you kindly!

Memories of my Mother!

Now, my Mom never made me stand in front of my school for punishment as seen here (go ahead and click the picture for the full story).

But, I do have some crazy stories of how my Mom tried to cure my issues during my schooling years:

1. I went to preschool twice - my Mom held preschool for 12 children in our playroom and because I started young, I went twice.

2. 2nd Grade - On the intercom in class I was told to come to the principle's office. Once there, I was instructed to walk home (one mile) to make my bed.

3. K-5 - My Mom was the playground lady...all 6 years! I thought that it was kinda cool, but when I fought other kids, my punishment was so much harsher.

4. 6-8 - She was the lunch lady for these three years. My friends and I had a belching contest and only my best friend and I got kicked out of the cafeteria.

5. 6-8 - These were the only years that I rode the bus to school. I rode the bus because it was too far to walk (4 miles if you Mapquest it and then add some time for a kid walking). The point is this: if I missed the bus...I walked! In fact, my assistant principle (ironically named Mr. Rule) just waived my tardies because my Mom would call him while I was walking. I guess he loved to side with my Mom on disciplinary action.

6. 11-12 - She was a snack shack volunteer for break periods.

Maybe you noticed the lack of 9th and 10th grade, but that is for another Blog. Throughout my schooling, my friends loved my Mom. They were always welcome at our house, we had a great playroom, the fridge was available to anyone, and my Mom was always cooler at school events to them. Though I was embarrassed often, I look back and now, I wouldn't have wished it any other way!

Thank you kindly, Mom - love ya!

Today in History for the Birthday Men

So, I really didn't do much research on this one...that would have been a little creepy. I mean I love my brother Jon and Boone is great, but that I would take a grip of time to research their special day may have been a little much. However, everyday I get an email from Reference.com so today here is a copy of this day in History with some additions by me:

Feast day of St. Comgall, St. Credan, St. Maieul, St. Tudy, St. Ansfrid, St Walter of l'Esterp, St. Richard Reynolds, St. Francis di Girolamo, St. Ignatius of Laconi, St. Asaph, St. Gengulf, and Mamertus.
Jamaica: Bob Marley Day (memorializing his death in 1981).

Events:
1647 - Peter Stuyvesant arrived in New Amsterdam to become governor.
1858 - Minnesota became the 32nd state of the Union.
1910 - Glacier National Park in Montana was established.
1946 - The first CARE packages arrived in Europe, at Le Havre, France.
1947 - B.F. Goodrich Co. of Akron, Ohio, announced the development of a tubeless tire.
1949 - Israel was admitted to the United Nations. 1949 - Siam changed its named to Thailand. 1969 - The Monty Python comedy troupe is formed, with Monty Python's Flying Circus first airing on October 5, 1969.
1980 - Mobster Henry Hill busted on drug possession.
1984 - Haunted Castle at Six Flags Great Adventure burns down, killing 8, A transit of Earth from Mars takes place.
1997 - "Deep Blue," an IBM computer, defeated Garry Kasparov in a six-game chess match, who lost the match 2.5 to 3.5.
1998 - A French mint produced the first Euro coins of the 12 European Union member countries, collectively known as the Eurozone/Euroland.

Births:
1803 - Hector Berlioz, French composer.
1854 - Ottmar Mergenthaler, German-born American inventor of Linotype.
1888 - Irving Berlin, Russian-born American composer.
1894 - Martha Graham, American dancer, choreographer, pioneer of modern dance.
1904 - Salvador (Felipe Jacinto) Dalí (y Domenech), Spanish surrealist artist.
1912 - Phil Silvers (Silversmith), Emmy Award-winning American comedian, actor.
1980 - Justin Boone Botkin, future American Senator from Utah, future president of NACTA, poker genius-winner of World Series of Poker 2010.
1984 - Jonathan Gillis Eastman, future former American-born Latvian ambassador to the UN, future Cello playing bass operatic soloist and conductor for the Bartlesville Symphony.

Deaths:
1812 - British prime minister Spencer Perceval, assassinated in the House of Commons.

Happy Birthday!

May 11th!

Here is to my musically-inclined, Cardinal loving, not-so-little brother and Anchos serving, Utah loving, air-controlling friend!

to both of you, I mean:
"daudz laimes dzimšanas dienā!" and "feliz cumpleaños!"

What I learned at Dinner...

This evening Jesica and I shared a little home made goodness and a very intriguing conversation. Though, most of our conversations are intriguing, I learned three things that I probably should have known. In fact, the term uncultured came up. Did you know this stuff?

1. The mom should not "throw" a bridal shower for the daughter.
2. The mom should not "throw" a baby shower for the daughter.
3. Honey never goes bad and some honey has honey as the third ingredient.

So, go now and live your life a smarter, wiser person.

Happy Easter!

Today is Easter Sunday and I am so glad that the Easter Bunny found my basket! There is nothing better than Cadbury Eggs and an Easter tie. Thank you kindly, oh wise Bunny!

I don't need to explain the reason for celebrating Easter (empty tomb and eternal forgiveness), but it was interesting stepping out my door this morning, tying my tie, and looking at my neighbors, who also were on their way out.

You may have read that Jesica and some other neighbors have deemed them the Addams Family compared to Jesica and I. So, I greeted them with my usual smile and a "Happy Easter". They informed me that they were going to do some Black Easter thing. They were all in black and got into their black Scion and left.

Though I'm not really sure if that is what they were doing, or if they just wanted to see my reaction (which was a simple "Oh, have a great time"), I know that they must have been referring to a 1968 book about how an arms dealer requested a black magician to release the demons from hell. So, if you're reading this, this is not what they did today.

I like Resurrection, triumph-over-death, Easter much better!