10aC Utes

Friday, February 20, 2009

SD's Surprise 40th Birthday Party Hawaiian Style

The surprise birthday party was supposed to be at our house, but with the tree tumbling down on top of our roof and having a hole in our living room, we had to change location. One of our very good friend offered her house to have the surprise party and I was very thankful that I did not have to cancel the party. I went to her house on the day of the party to decorate and set up the table of food. It was suppose to be a surprise party but it ended up being semi surprise because when we got there, some people were still arriving. We tried to play limbo game and hula hoop. The kids enjoyed both games. We all had fun talking, eating and wishing the old man happy birthday. SD will probably need to give his own version of his surprise birthday party.

SD's baby picture

The cake says "Over the Hill Happy 40th birthday " and the candle says "OH NO THE BIG 40"

SD received two gifts from some of our friends. One of the gift is BENGAY creme for pain and aches. The other gift is 2 jars of homemade applesauce with a card saying "Food for your old man teeth."

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Pine Tree Tumbling Down!!!

Heavy wind and storm, knocked down our pine tree

A Branch went through the roof, attic and then our living room

While having preschool at my house, the wind knocked down our big pine tree. Luckily the kids and I were in the dining room decorating our Valentine's Day cookies. We are all fine. A tree removal company is coming today to estimate the damage and I also called our homeowner insurance to place a claim.

Update from SD:

So the tree has been completely removed and we have a nice FEMA roof. The tree did no real damage to the structural integrity of the house. While there are four holes in the roof, one rather large that pierces into the living room, the rafters and the rest are completely intact.

As some of you may know, this is the second big tree we have had fall down on us during our time in Tennessee. After the first one fell at our old house, I have always had a hard time sleeping during wind storms because of the fear that this big pine tree would fall. I always thought that if it did, it would crush the house. So I would go stand outside our front door and watch it sway in the wind, with the hope that if it started to fall I could warn everyone to move. So for five years I have debated whether I should cut it down or if I was just being paranoid. Ironically, after spending most of Saturday clearing downed trees in Kentucky, I had decided that it was probably time to cut the tree down. But I didn't think I would need to act so quickly.

Monday, February 9, 2009

Heat Wave in February??

I LOVE when the temperature goes up to the 70's specially in February. The kids enjoy wearing shorts and not wearing heavy coats. I wish it will stay in the 70's until December. I can only wish.....

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Bucket List and Reflections on 40 years.

The movie the Bucket List has two old men trying to complete their list of things to do before they kick the bucket.

Given this week's milestone, I thought I would reflect on some of the things I have lived through in the first 40 years and then put out my current draft of the Bucket List.

Somethings I have witnessed or participated in or accomplished (in absolutely no order of importance or chronology) in my first 40 years:
1. Earned a PhD. (University of Utah, 1999).
2. Served a mission.
3. Learned a foreign language (Cambodian).
4. Got married in the Salt Lake temple and stayed married for at least 16 years (so far.)
5. Had 3 delightful (sometimes) children.
6. Received a major NIH grant.
7. Served as president of a non-profit organization.
8. Helped organize a major community cycling event.
9. Sang in the choir for a general conference session in the old Tabernacle.
10. Ran a marathon.
11. Won high school region championship in swimming.
12. Became an assistant professor at major university.
13. Experienced a major earthquake ("World Series" quake 1989.)
14. Attended a major league baseball game (A's, Royals, Cardinals.)
15. Attended an NFL playoff game (Titans vs Ravens 2008).
16. Attended an NBA game (Suns, Jazz, Pacers.)
17. Witnessed the University of Utah NCAA national runner-up season 1998 (we attended most of the home games that year.)
18. Presented my scientific work at major scientific conferences.
19. Witnessed the two BCS wins by the University of Utah football team (we use to go to most of the home games).
20. Experienced the death of my father.
21. Experienced the death of three of my grandparents.
22. Witnessed the RedSox blow the 1986 world series, and then finally win the World Series after 86 years in 2004, and then again in 2007.
23. Bought a house.
24. Completed an olympic distance triathlon.
25. Had two trees blown down on home or property.
26. Represented my high school in the Sterling Scholar competition (Science, 1987).
27. Made some friends who still keep in touch despite my being a curmudgeonly old man.
28. Completed a century ride (ULCER, Salt Lake, Harpeth River).
29. Snorkeled Hanauma Bay.
30. Certified in SCUBA, but only dove in Blue Lake, Nevada.
31. Served in my church as sunday school teacher (2x), sunday school president or counselor (2x), assistant ward clerk, student ward bishopric counselor, executive secretary, elder's quorum president or counselor(3x), primary teacher (2x), nursery leader, cub scout leader. Least favorite service (assistant ward clerk.)
32. Witnessed humpback whales breaching in Hawaii.
33. Witnessed reenactment of 1847 pioneer trek at This is the Place Monument.
34. Lived through tornado passing overhead.
35. Took my family on trips to Hawaii, Disneyworld, and the great Western trek.
36. Got thrown out of raft in a small rapid while river running.
37. Survived being hit by car while on my bike.
38. Saw moose face to face at short distances (City Creek, Dog Lake).
39. Hiked Mt. Timpanagos.
40. Watch sunset at Double Arch. Also hiked to Delicate Arch, Double 0 Arch.
41. Survived the hike to Kolob Arch.
41. Hiked the Zion Narrows and Subway.
42. Other favorite hikes or mountain bike trails: AF canyon: Pittsburgh Lake, Silver Lake, Julie Andrews Meadow, Timp cave, beaver ponds; Salt Lake Canyons: Red Butte, dog lake, Millcreek x-country ski main road, Donut Falls, White Pine, Lake Solitude, Albion Basin, Cecret Lake; Ogden: Adams Canyon. Wyoming: Turtle Rock; Tennessee: Virgin Falls, Burgess Falls, Fiery Gizzard, Fall Creek Falls, Volunteer Trail, Radnor Lake, Montgomery Bell Park, Lock 4 Park.
43. Mountain biked Slickrock trail.
44. Backpacked to Abram Falls in Smoky Mountains.

Bucket List items still to do (in no particular order of importance):
1. Snorkel/scuba dive with sharks in open ocean.
2. Learn to surf. (Then surf Waimea Bay).
3. Bicycle across the United States.
4. Motorcycle across the Unites States.
5. Hike the Grand Canyon's Havasu Falls.
6. Run the Grand Canyon via river.
7. Hike a substantial section of the Appalachian Trail.
8. Write and publish a children's storybook.
9. Write and publish a short story.
10. Ride L'Alpe d'Huez
11. Visit Angkor Wat.
12. Dive coral reefs in the following locations: Kaneohe Bay, St. John's Island, Great Barrier Reef, Catalina Island, Nassau, Biscayne Bay.
13. Publish a scientific article cited over 1000 times.
14. Visit Paris and ride the Champs de Elysee.
15. Run a marathon in under 4 hours.
16. Visit all 50 states. (Airports don't count.) So far: Hawaii, California, Washington, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, Louisiana, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts,New Hampshire, Vermont. So by my account I am missing: Alaska, Oregon, New Mexico, Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Arkansas, Mississippi, West Virginia, Delaware, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine.
17. Visit Thailand.
18. Visit Ireland and Wales.
19. Visit Maui.
20. Visit my old hometown of Kaumakani, Kaua'i, swim at Salt Ponds beach, go to Na Pali coast.
21. Learn to snowboard.
22. Slalom water ski again.
23. Run the Ocoee River.
24. Ride a significant portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
25. Discover/invent a new therapeutic agent.
26. Publish an article in Dialogue or Sunstone or other major Mormon Studies journal.
27. Go to a RedSox game at Fenway Park.
28. Ride a century (100 miles) in under 5 hours.
29. Swim with dolphins in the wild.
30. Backpack the following the Smoky Mountains: Ramsay Cascades, Clingmans Dome, TwentyMile Loop, Mount Le Comte, Appalachian Trail.

Friday, January 30, 2009

Petal Princess Ball.....Father/Daughter Dance

A Date Night with Daddy

I should add that JA, while very excited about getting to wear her new dress, was not excited about the dance. She broke her father's heart by refusing to dance even once! ME on the other hand, seemed excited to dance.