Things I overheard

When Nate goes out of town my mom steps in and handles the morning schedule. Makes sure the kids (well mostly Tanner) are dressed, feed, packs lunches, and drives them to school. A while ago, Casi told me this story.

She said that Grandma had finished getting Tanner dressed and then sat him down to breakfast. When she left the room, Tanner leaned over to Casi and whispered "Casi, help my hair"

Things I overheard: A superhero's story

Tanner and I are driving in the car when Tanner starts intensely flinging his hands at the radio.

Tanner grumbles: "Why is it not working?"

Me: "Why is what, not working?"

Tanner: "In Daddy's truck I can change the volume by doing this." Tanner flings his right arm at the radio and wingles his fingers
"I can change the music too!"

Me: "Well, why don't you try it again?"

Tanner snaps his right arm into place and wringles his fingers. The radio station changes.

Tanner excitedly states: "It works in your car too!" He then immediately flings his other arm forward and I hit the button on my steering wheel for volume. I am excited he didn't notice my trick.

The car is rather intense as Tanner continues tossing out one arm after the other at the radio. Arms whipping forward into place. Fingers wriggling with glee. His attention focused on his task. But I have a problem. I do not know what arm or finger wiggle does what action. So I change the radio stations and volume randomly; right arm, volume up, right fingers wriggle, station down, left arm, volume down, left fingers wriggle, volume up.

Finally he relaxes and lets out a sigh. He sits back in his seat. His eyes focused straight ahead and both arms lay silently at his side. He is deep in thought. After some time, he turns his head towards me and states with unease.

Tanner: "I don't know how to control my powers"

This one is on me!

I live in Utah. The location of the first Kentucky Fried Chicken. Somehow this makes us famous or perhaps special. Well at least, I guess my Mom thinks so. Since for as long as I can remember to today, she will point it out and say “Did you know that is the first Kentuky Fried Chicken...ever?!”. She has never failed to point this fact out.

I often wonder what this piece of trivia holds for her. My mother grew up in Utah. Perhaps, watching the opening of the first KFC and seeing it turn into what it has become placed Utah on the map for her. Or maybe it is just a piece of trivia she knows and she likes to share it. Either way, this statement has become an unofficial tradition for me and even today as I drive by I will state “Did you know that is the first Kentuky Fried Chicken...ever?!” No one usually gets the joke.

A few days ago, I took Cassidy to work with me to help move my office. She would load a cart with stuff from the old office and then bringing it to the new office where I would unload it and "put things away". After 8 years of working at Echelon, I have a lot of crap. Once we were done moving, we went to find a chair. This quickly turned into a game of pushing each other in rolly chairs; the one sitting tossing their hands in the air and exclaiming “Wheee!” excitedly. We never did find a chair.

We then drove home, along the way we passed the blue church building on the west side of Foothill Drive and I turned to her and said "Thats the church that Erin got married in!". Casi replied with rich sarcasm that only a teenager could produce "I know, Mom!"

Bad poetry: A Valentine Poem

I used to wish I could stick my head in a bag,
Thinking I looked like an old hag.
My natural curls went every which way
And I used to think my hair felt like hay.

On most days my hair was a big flop
Reminding me of a very very dirty mop
Then I found you through Tami’s blog (Thanks Tami!)
But I could not afford you. You are a money hog (go with it)

Every day was pure hell
I wanted to send every hair product to jail
I tried so many. My cupboards where full
of discarded products that did not do what they told (try to get through it)

They made promises they could not keep
My hair proved them deceivers, liars and creeps
But then one day I gave up the fight
I went to Albertson’s and bought you that night.

The next day, it was love at first use
My hair was soft since it took less abuse
My curls (almost) did not drive me crazy
and I could go back to being lazy

Oh, PureOlogy how I love thee
You gave shape to my curls and made my hair less frizzy!

I would like to dedicate this poem to Insomnia, who gave me the time and mindset to create such a wonderful work of crap

Valentine Dance: Casi

Casi's first dance

Kitchen remodel

We just replaced the laminate flooring in our kitchen! This is a picture of Tanner eating breakfast on a section of finished tile. We did not have a table.I just love how he is eating with his gloves on. It was snowing and he was excited to wear them to school.

It's finished now and we still dont have a table or chairs in there. Just a winder dairy crate on the floor with a pillow on it. Casi and I usually (jokingly) fight over the only seat in the room.

Here are the finished images (I wish I had a picture of the crate)



Is it strange that I get distracted in this image by the trees outside and the fact that Tanners pants are too short?


Here is my favorite image of my Uncle who did the work. Watching someone else mop my floor gave me so much joy! Is that wrong?


I know its stupid but I keep thinking of that credit card commercial.....

Miscellaneous Expenses: $100
Tile: $500
Labor $950

Paying someone else do the work... PRICELESS!

Tag: Twenty-5 random things

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you.

1. I am 40 years old!
2. When it comes to my age, I like to round up to the nearest 5
3. I am taking 3 prescription drugs. Drug A is for chronic illness A, Drug B is for the side effects of having illness A, and Drug C is for the side effects of taking Drug B. Drug D will be from the side effects of turning 40.
4. I wash my hair every 2-4 days.
5. This means I wear 2-6 days of bed head per week. This is fine since, bad hair goes well with the stereotypical appearance of a scientist. Yet another thing Einstein contributed to science. As a matter of fact I think that there is a resemblance between his hair and mind.


















6. I habitually leave drawers and cabinets open. I used to complain to my family about this until I was told it was me.
7. I habitually close open drawers and cabinets, so I don't irritate myself.
8. I still leave drawers and cabinets open.
9. I started collecting magazine advertisements that I think are "bad". They decorate they back wall of my office.
10. I check my blog for comments multiple times a day. I sometimes wonder if the excitement of seeing a new comment will ever get old. (Thanks! to those who comment. Luv you!)
11. I love nuts!
12. Turtles
13. and occasionally my Kids
14. I love my kids
15. The books sitting on my nightstand are: Things I overheard while talking to myself by Alan Alda; Queen Bees & wannabes, by Rosalind Wiseman; Pilgrim at tinker creek, Anne Dillard; An American Childhood, by Annie Dillard; The writing life by Annie Dillard; Aldo Leopolds Southwest; by brown Carmony, An exileration of wings, by Jen Hill; The serpents Paradise, by Edward Abby; and the Dance of the Dissident Daughter, by Sue Mon Kid.
16. I am reading all of them.
17. Some of the books, have not been opened in 5 years.
18. My nightstand also contains: an unknown number of mismatched screws, the cap to a hose, a bag of green bean seeds (unopened), two barrettes, 3 rocks, and a bra.
19. I can pee really fast.
20. but I have never validated this in a race.
21. I am not religious
22. but I am spiritual
23. Sometimes I am neither but I am never both
24. I wish I was done with this
25. And now I am!

If they would like too play, I would enjoy reading a similar post from Casi, Mom Branch, and Tami. Tag! Your it!

Backyard birdcount!

Time to make plans for the Great Backyard Bird Count! It is held next week from February 13-16. The instructions are posted below. Its easy, and its science for birds! Three of my favorite things!

1. Visit GBBC's website for easy to follow instructions, tips for identifying birds species, and to download a checklist for your area.
2. Count the birds wherever you choose to count. Write down the highest number of individuals you see at one time to avoid counting any bird twice.
3. After at least 15 minutes of watching in one place, report your results. You can always spend more time observing if you prefer.
4. You can repeat your count at the same place on each day of the Great Backyard Bird Count, or visit other locations and submit separate tallies for those as well.

A sit with ones self

I had a dream last night. A naked dream. I have been having them quite often. Usually, in the dream, I am overwhelmed with the urge to cover myself up. I spend the entire dream trying to find clothes or hide from those I  did not want to see. Last nights dream, however, was different. I was not bothered by my situation at all.  I did not care about being naked and instead spent the entire dream trying to convince those around me that my  nakedness is OK. Their pestering bothered me. I was irritated at them for making such a big deal out of nothing. 

I went to work the morning of the dream.  I used my key card and entered the lab, the dream working the back corners of my mind; slowly analysing. Trying to make sense of it. I set my bag down  and left. I walked out the door without a second glance. My key card sitting on my desk. I am the first to come to work. The next person will  arrive sometimes hours later. I was  locked out. 

The next thought that entered my mind was what I would do with the time I was given. I had No phone,  No car keys, and  No computer.  It felt odd. Uncomfortable.  I laughed,at myself, when I realized how comforting my electronics are to me. Then laughed again at the thought that the naked dream was predicting my future. 

Still unsure what to do with myself,  I went and sat in the foyer and looked out the large two story windows that make up the front entrance of the building. The windows look east, overlooking  the parking lot,  towards snow capped mountains. This morning, however, I could see neither. It was dark outside and the room I sat in, lite up; my reflection was all I could see. 

Sledding 4 Science

This year Casi gets to participate in a science fair. Yippie!

Casi however, is openly against learning science (or at least enjoying it :). Luckily, she found a fun way to participate in the fair while still demonstrating her knowledge of the scientific method; speed vs friction in the form of sledding. 

Casi, Nate and I went up Big cottonwood Canyon one Sunday morning with agenda of collecting data for her project. We stopped at the first unofficial sledding area we found. 

It was raining in the valley and from the weather report up to 9,000 ft the day before. We were all worried the rainy conditions would affect Casi's sledding experiments.  We needed powdery conditions for Casis Hypothesis states:

"I predict that as the packed down, icy quality of the snow increases, the speed of the Fantastic Flyer III will also increase.

 I believe the following is true since the surface area of the Fantastic Flyer III is less than the H20! sled. Reducing the friction will increase the speed of the sled."

 As we climbed up the canyon the rain turned to snow; covering the slops with a  foot of Utahs finest powder. The greatest snow on earth.

Nate records Casi time as she crossed the finish line.

I am a data hog. I like reviewing data. I like graphing it. I like making graphs tell a particular story. Especially when a correlation is seen. For those data hogs that might be reading this, Casi's results are shown below.

Graph 1: Snow pack vs speed

This graph has quite a bit of information. It shows what an irratic sledder I am in comparision to Casi. Indicating that Casi is a way better sledder than me. It also shows how snow pack and speed are correlated. Showing that as the number of runs increase the snow began to pack and become icy. The packed snow and ice reduced the amount of friction acting on the sleds. As the friction reduced so did the time it took the sled to go down the slope. The sleds became faster. 
This graph also shows how initially the Flyer (sled on rails) was slower than the H20! (a plastic sled) but as the slopes became more snow packed and icy the Flyer became faster than the H20!. The Flyer performs better on icy slopes. The H2O!'s speed is less affected by the type of snow. 

Graph 2: Weight vs Speed

As the weight on the sled increased the time it took to go down the slope increased. The heavier a person is the more friction acts on the sled. The sled becomes slower. This is opposite to what Casi and I thought. Another fun experiment would be to test how a longer slope would affected this. 

Update: The display board (OMG! She is so cute in this picture)

Admitting mistakes

A mistake? An error? and he admits it? What? 

"So this is a mistake -- probably not the first one I'm going to be making in this office, but what I'm absolutely committed to doing is fixing it," Obama said. 

What a bright contrast in comparison to the last eight years; where the opportunity of recognizing ones mistakes or fixing them was rarely taken. 

Tanner's (Casi's and Angie's) Fav

Meet Mimi

Mimi has been with us for about 3 years now. She was Casi's Rat. Now she is Tanners. We brought her into our home after Max died (our first Rat). She is nothing like her predecessor though. Max was bold and could be demanding; banging the lid of his cage when he wanted something. She is rather shy. 

Every night, before Tanner goes to bed, we give her a raisin and a nut. Having a sweet tooth she likes raisins most. Eager to receive her precious daily raisin, she will stretch the boundaries of her cage, crawling onto the rim of the 10 gallon glass aquarium that acts as her home and sit there eagerly. Impatiently waiting through Tanners  bed time story and the feeding of the fish that live next door. 

Things I overheard

While watching Scrubs...

Casi: "Ha ha! JD is so funny. He is such a dork and he tries so hard to be cool."

Me: "Don't we all?"

Things that make me cry

I love pork products (except pork chops-I don't like them even a little)! A friend, who shares my passion, sent me this link to "Bacon explosion" If you like sausage and bacon you should check it out. The article is filled with a wonderful array of pork product porn and porkly phrases.  I honestly teared up at photo number 7. Mmmmm! (If you don't like bacon and sausage ...shame on you.)

Here are a few of my favorite phrases...

1) "To kick off the construction of this pork medley "

2) "bacon weave"

3) "Now that you’re pork is well seasoned, it’s time to add more pork."

4) "bacon layer number two"

5 "bacon goodness"

6) "You’ll reach pork Nirvana is no time flat!"