Spencer Hinckley

I'm getting married!

2012-01-28T19:13:00.001-07:00

I'm marrying Victoria Ferris! If you'd like a mailed announcement, please follow the link below.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/embeddedform?formkey=dDlvaENybFRmdnROU0Z4UzNEZFlBZ0E6MQ

Spencer Song Videos

2010-09-30T11:28:00.003-06:00

Buddy Mondlock returns to Grey Haven House Concerts!

2010-03-01T22:26:00.005-07:00

Buddy Mondlock
returns to
Grey Haven House Concerts!

Friday March 26, 2010
The Music Room at the Stephensons
2530 East Lincoln La. (4115 S.)

Go to the Grey Haven House Concerts blog for more info.

Join the Facebook group!

Tom Kimmel at Grey Haven

2009-07-24T13:00:00.003-06:00

Tom Kimmel
Grey Haven House Concerts
Wednesday August 19, 2009

see greyhavenhouseconcerts.blogspot.com for details

www.tomkimmel.com

Grey Haven Local

2009-07-14T18:38:00.004-06:00

Grey Haven Local Concerts is hosting Steel N' Thunder this Friday, July 17th at the Hinckley cabin in Big Cottonwood Canyon.

Grey Haven House Concerts has hosted several national musicians over the past several years. This year we are kicking off our new concert series to showcase local musicians. We call it Grey Haven Local. Our kick-off concert will be this Friday, July 17th! Come listen to Steel N' Thunder play bluegrass favorites along with their own compositions. You are certain to enjoy their energetic show.

Come at 7:00 for the opening act. Steel N' Thunder plays at 8:00 (or so). We suggest a $5 donation to Steel N' Thunder for their talent.

Grey Haven (the Hinckley cabin) is located in Big Cottonwood Canyon, just 30 minutes from Salt Lake. Here's how to get there:

Drive up Big Cottonwood Canyon 11 miles
Turn left onto the side access road across from the bank of mailboxes on the right. If you reach the Silver Fork Lodge you've gone to far, but only a little bit.
Follow the small road as it curves sharply right.
Go past the three garages on the left. Mind the "Don't Even THINK About Parking Here" signs. The neighbor really means it.
The Hinckley "Grey Haven" cabin is just a little further on the left, the gray A-frame.

Parking is limited at the cabin. You can park on the main canyon road and walk up the side access road. It's really close.

Hope to see you there!

www.steelnthunder.com

New Sheets part 2

2009-05-30T07:00:00.002-06:00

So those sheets I bought from BB&B for $15. . . (see post "New Sheets", May 22, 2008)

They're terrible. They shred to bits. Before I wash them I have to vacuum them so as not to clog the washing machine or dryer lint trap. My Dad says you get what you pay for with paint. I found this to be true with sheets.

So, I bought some newer sheets: $60 at Costco. They are so nice. I prefer the color over the chipper BB&B sheets, and they are the perfect friction coefficient--not too rough, not too slick, but just right. They're probably the equivalent of the $100-120 sheets at BB&B, and I am so happy. So really, if you do the math, I spent $75 to get the sheets that I was eventually satisfied with. Not a bad price, considering.

The experience of shopping at Costco was much better, as well. Costco makes decision-making easy by narrowing down the choices. In the sheet section, there were only 4 colors to choose from and two styles. It only took me 5 minutes to decide (as opposed to 45 at BB&B). Check out www.addictedtocostco.com if you need validation that you're not the only one.

So, word to the wise: buy the good sheets. You spend a lot of time in bed, might as well make it comfortable.

On blogs

2009-05-17T12:00:00.002-06:00

Edit, edit, edit. No amount of editing is too much--4 or 5 people may read the blog.

Make it funny. You don't want people to get bored and not make it to the end of the post. The last line or paragraph should send them away chuckling to themselves, like good Broadway sends you away whistling.

Moderate embellishment is acceptable if it makes the humor more robust.

Don't get discouraged if nobody writes comments--everyone writes blogs that bomb from time to time. Just keep at it. It is a skill, and like any skill, requires practice, focus and hard work to improve. You can do it. Keep writing. Keep editing.

Use the "Link:" box to refer to refer to funny websites. This enhances the reader's experience by providing additional content in an interactive way.

Avoid reading too many Mommy blogs--they're not the highest quality writing and may make you lazy about your own. Look for more crafted writing, like overheardindc2.blogspot.com, to guide you.

As you mature as a blogger, you will find the joy of spending way too much time writing and editing entries that may attract not more than one hand's worth of readers. As Despair, Inc, has said about blogging, "Never before have so many people, with so little to say, said so much to so few." But with time and effort you may get a blog-following of your immediate family and a friend or two. Keep it up--blog, blog, blog.

Ten

2009-05-09T23:30:00.004-06:00

I was going for the screwdriver in the butler pantry. Apparently, the butler pantry door did not want me to get the screwdriver and let me know in no uncertain terms. As I opened the door--admittedly with some force--the top three hinges released while the bottom one held. Down came the door to my forehead with a wack. "Is there blood?" one of the parents, who had just sat down for lunch, asked. I wasn't sure, so I reached up to the bonked forehead. Yep. I applied pressure with the palm of my hand as I had seen my Dad do years ago when he sustained a wound to the forehead. (Parents--your children notice what you do. You can teach them so much without words.) Like my Dad, I walked over to the sink, hand on forehead, to let the blood fall harmlessly down the drain.

Fortunately, it was not nearly as bad as that Labor Day, but it certainly brought the memories back. On the way to the ER we told stories of that day, how there was a flap on Dad's head, Holly being so interested in the cauterizing machine, the alarm going off at the house and the police walking through discovering the blood stained bathroom (there was blood on the wall, one person reminded us). "Well, Dad," I said, "this is something we both share--forehead lacerations."

We went to the new IHC hospital complex in Murray. It wasn't too busy. I walked to the desk to check-in and removed the paper towel to show the nurse. "Looks like we need to sew you up. Do you have some photo ID?" I guess they wanted to make sure that it was really me and that I wasn't just posing for someone else who was supposed to get sewed up. After looking at my driver's license, they determined that it was me and sent me back to Triage Room 3. One guy came in, sat down at the computer and started asking me questions. Do I have any major medical problems? "Um. . . no." Do I take any medication? I listed three. Am I allergic to any medications? "Not that I know of." Have I ever had surgery? "When I broke my leg." Have I had a tetanus shot in the last 10 years? "Yes, when I shot the nail through my thumb." He didn't look at the wound.

I met a very nice woman who explained all about what she would do and what Dr. Boyd would do. She would give me some numbing shots (which hurt, actually), then Dr. Boyd would sew it up. Soon to be Pte and Hma Hinckley couldn't decide if they should stay in the room and watch. "This will be good practice for you," said Dad to Mom. "You're the medical chief." They both stayed.

Dr. Boyd put a few stitches under the skin, then sewed up the surface with 10 more. Some other guy came and put "Steri-Strips" on it. The nice woman came back and put a huge band-aid over it. I'm not supposed to get it wet. Tape some plastic over it in the shower, she said, to avoid that. Come back in 5 days to get the stitches out. For the next 6-8 months I should take 50-60 SPF sunscreen everywhere I go and apply it liberally--this will help minimize the scarring.

The incident did bring about something I've been hoping for. Mom said that I may have to gut the kitchen and re-do it while their gone. "It would be pleasure."

OCD

2009-05-09T01:04:00.000-06:00

Some things must be done right. For example:

Driving routes. They must be the absolute most efficient way to get there. You gotta know the roads. You must be aware of the traffic patterns during the various times of the day, like morning and evening rush hour. I detest back-tracking because it is geographically inefficient. Of course, it can be condoned if it is more time efficient than a more direct route. Take the same route to the airport every time. When you are taking the 6:00 am flight, this will avoid unnecessary route planning for a tired head that was probably up until midnight packing.
Absolutely and under no circumstances must you resize electronic pictures that include circles so as to obscure the circle into an oval. Doing so immediately reveals your unprofessional lack of sensitivity to image integrity and basic computer skills. If you don't know how to resize the image, let someone else make the flyer.
Daily maintenance routines must be performed efficiently. This means lining up activities in the proper order. Shampoo hair first, then soap body in the following sequence: left arm, right arm, chest, stomach, back, left leg, right leg, face and neck. Pants first, then shirt. This allows you to loop the belt without having to lift up the shirt. This process must be reversed, however, when dressing for Sunday. In that case, the shirt must come first so you can simply pull up the trousers over the shirt, avoiding any unnecessary tucking or adjusting. Left sock, right sock, left shoe, right shoe. Always tie left first so as not to get things out of sequence, requiring you to re-think what must come next and hence slowing down the entire process.
Trying to scrub every plate, fork and knife is too time consuming, so just rinse those off and stick 'em in the dishwasher. Leave the pans for last, hand washing them and counter dry them.
Click the alarm clock volume to "Lo" before setting the alarm. This lessens the annoying sound of the voice that announces each number as you rotate to the correct time. Be sure to switch it back to "HI" so you're certain to hear it in the morning.
CD's must always be upright in their jewel case or CD holder. If they are randomly rotated then it strains your eyes and neck to read the artists and titles, especially for those who are not familiar with your library.
Pay attention to the "Artist" column in your iTunes library. If you do not, then you might end up with several names for one artist and you won't know which song or album is under which version of the artist's name. For example, "The Mormon Tabernacle Choir," and "Mormon Tabernacle Choir." If you have not adjusted the names, then when you're looking for Amazing Grace, you may have to look under several Choir entries--highly inefficient. Double check the album names, as well. A little work while importing songs can save you a lot of time finding them later.
Wallet goes in the left front pocket; the iPod too, when necessary. Keys and phone go in the front right pocket. Change, when carried, goes in the left. Don't put your wallet in your back pocket--it can misadjust your chiropractically aligned back. Save the back pockets for receipts, small screws and guitar picks.
Put the toilet paper on so that the end lays on the front side not the back--it saves time and energy.
Fold shirts in half, pants in thirds. For hanging pants: those with creases, hang according to the creases. For no crease pants, fold them out (the front of the pants facing out). Wrinkles are less likely with this approach.
Getting in the car: sit, door shut, keys in and start, (lights if needed), belt, (if present, iPod into FM transmitter, choose playlist, radio to 89.5, volume), in gear, check left side blind spot, go, adjust climate control, adjust volume again if needed. Getting out of the car: park, lights off, keys out, belt off, (disconnect iPod), open door, get out/lock doors, (put iPod in front left pocket).
In Windows, always open the browser first with gmail on the first tab. That way, you can quickly and easily navigate to your inbox when the notification window appears on the bottom right hand corner. At work, Open Outlook first so it's the left most button on the Start Bar for the same reason. Try to open links in new tabs as opposed to new windows (except Google Calendar). Sometimes this requires a right-click and choosing the option "Open link in new tab." This keeps the desktop and the Start Bar from getting cluttered.
Always keep the milk in the same place. This avoids confusion in blurry-eyed mornings.
Always click "Preview" before you post a blog to make sure the layout works. Edit if necessary.

Paraonia

2009-05-07T05:00:00.000-06:00

I worry about a lot of things. Here are some examples:

Dropping my keys in the sewer drain in parking lots
Hitting a sewer drain on my bike
That others think I am shoplifting. To avoid this, I walk slowly out of stores with my hands in clear view.
Running out of soap in the shower
Running out of toilet paper
Not getting up on time to go to work
Forgetting something important at work
Locking my keys in my car. I keep an extra key in my wallet for this purpose.
Someone breaking into my house and stealing my computer. They would probably do it during the day when I'm at work.
When I was in Junior High - getting AIDS. They had all those sex ed classes that told you if you got AIDS you died. There was that show "Go Toward the Light" of that little boy who got AIDS from a blood transfusion. I worry about getting it when other people are bleeding.
Stepping in dog doo-doo
Losing one glove
What I'm going to eat for lunch
What I'm going to eat for dinner
Getting in a car accident
Plumbing problems, especially bursting pipes. I don't like how they're all in the walls and ceilings and floors and that you can't see them. There's no way to know if there is a problem until it's catastrophic.
House fires. I keep my bedroom door closed at night for this reason, just like they taught you in elementary school.
Moose attacking me while hiking alone
Forgetting my eye drops
Dropping my iPod
My iPod getting stolen
Identity theft, credit card theft, etc.

"Meet me in St. Looee. . ."

2009-04-28T21:57:00.010-06:00

There's a song that goes something like that, but I'm not sure that I've actually heard it. Maybe, a long time ago. In any case, it sounded a like a good title for blog about visiting the Gateway to the West.

Thursday was travel day. I went to pick up Eileen at 7:15 am. She was waiting for me at the curb--she has been really excited about this trip. She sent me an email a week ago saying that she was packed. Today, while Shane and I went to the top of The Arch (more on that later), Eileen sat with my cousin Heather studying the Connection materials they sent her in the mail. She really wants to be ready tomorrow. Heather asked if she was presenting at the conference tomorrow. "No, but I just need to know this stuff."

After picking up Eileen, I remembered where my iPod was—not in my bag, but in the Hansen heirloom media cabinet at 1564. I figured there was enough time to run by and get it. Then I realized that I had forgotten headphones. So I called Dad to see if he could set out his Bose Noise Cancelling headphones (a bonus from the GBH estate), so I could stop by real quick and grab them. Then it was off to Shane's. We had a few minutes before Christy got there to drive us to the aueropuerto, and I hadn't eaten anything for breakast. So I got some Honey Nut Cheerios from Shane, with soy milk--it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I don't think I would want to drink it straight, but it worked for a quick breakfast away from home.

We made it to the aueropuerto around 8:20 am. I was able to print our boarding passes the night before so we didn't have to wait in the horrendously long line to check in. After making it through security (Eileen’s toothpaste was confiscated), we headed to the gate--E75. It was the furthest gate I've ever traveled to at the SLC aueropuerto. It was so far that there was no automatic breezeway. We walked out on the tarmac and up the stairs of the Canadair CRJ700. Shane and I sat in 15A and 15B with Eileen across the way in 15C. We slept the whole way there--I didn't even use the iPod or the headphones after all. Nor did I write that letter of recommendation that I brought my computer for.

After landing, we hopped on the shuttle bus to the St. Louis Airport Hilton, quite a step up from the EconoLodge I had the affiliates sleeping in last weekend. I called cousin Heather to come pick us up. We headed for The Arch--Gateway to the West. There were school kids everywhere, maybe 200 of them between the different groups. The name of the arch is actually "The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial" (http://www.nps.gov/jeff). There were park rangers there with their brimmed hats and matching shirts, slacks, and belts. I thought that would be interesting duty for a National Park Ranger—no trees or wildlife, and so much for the survival training.

Shane and I went to the top. The visitor's center and trams to the arch are actually located underground, right beneath the architectural marvel. Eileen does not prefer heights and almost wouldn’t walk down the ramp. "I don't want to go up," she said with some consternation. "Oh, it's just the visitor's center down here," Heather assured her. Shane and I paid our $10 to head to the top of the stainless steel and concrete memorial. To get to the top, you jam in these little “trams.” There are five seats in a U shape, room enough for five "seats" but not quite room enough for knees or heads. Fortunately, the couple that we rode with was very nice. They were visiting from Arkansas with their 2-year old, and you could tell they were from somewhere like Arkansas from their accents. At one point, the daughter said she wanted to get out of the tram and the mother said, "We're fixin' to."--no joke. It reminded me of the Show Time Utah wild west dinner show (see the previous post), only at Show Time Utah it was make-believe. So you ride this tiny little tram car up to the top where you are now 630 feet above the ground. There was a healthy wind blowing and you could feel the sway. We asked the ranger up there how much it sways and she says that in 150 mph wind it theoretically could sway 18 inches, but that today it was probably only swaying .5 inches. Shane and I didn't believe her--we were certain it must have been swaying 2 feet or more.

Just up the hill from The Arch is the Missouri State Supreme Court house, where the famous Dred Scott case was initially decided. Dred Scott was a slave who sued his owner, Dr. John Emerson, for his freedom. Scott argued that because Emerson had taken him to states in the Union where slavery was outlawed, that Scott should have been emancipated. Judgment came down against Scott in Missouri, but through appeals reached the Supreme Court. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dred_Scott for more information.

After retreating from our Memorial perch, Shane and I rejoined Heather and Eileen. Heather dropped off Shane and Eileen at the hotel, after which we went to the St. Louis Bread Co. for some soup and sandwiches. I ordered the "Tomato and Mozzarella" sandwich, one of my favorites, and Heather ordered some soup and some chocolate chip muffies to go.

As we were driving around, Heather was continually flailing her arms, driving, talking on the phone, texting, and talking to me. Here’s the situation—the choir is coming to St. Louis in June. Heather’s stake president asked if she could be in charge of the centerpieces and other homey decorations for the VIP reception at the Scottrade Center. There was a great room there for the reception—the only problem is that it is a split-level, with a little loft. Well, the organizer’s wife can’t climb stairs, so that room just wouldn’t do. So instead, he reserved another room. I don’t remember what the name of this room is, but essentially it is the “Bud Light” room. There are huge floor to ceiling posters, banners and signs of “Bud Light.” (Anhueser Busch is headquartered in St. Louis.) Well, rooms full of beer advertising are not exactly conducive to Mormon receptions (see D&C 89). So, in addition to centerpieces, Heather now must organize for black plastic vinyl, drapes, or anything else that could be used to cover up the gigantic pictures of “great taste, less filling” frothy beer. Needless to say, this “centerpiece project” has Heather’s famously mild temperament a little less so.

During dinner, Heather received several texts from James (16 years old) and Rebecca (14). James was ready to be picked up at the high school after his baseball game (they lost). Rebecca was told to meet us at the high school so Heather wouldn't have to make two stops. When we got the high school, James was ready, but Rebecca wasn't there. After 10 or 15 minutes of impatient comments from James and a few chocolate chip muffies, Rebecca showed up and we were off home.

When we pulled up to the house, there was a white van out front. "Oh no!" shouted James. "I was supposed to go home teaching at 7:00 (it was 7:02), and I'm in charge of the lesson!" James ran in the house frantically looking for the current Ensign, which was nowhere to be found. Was it in the kitchen? Was it by the computer? Was it downstairs? "Just share a scripture and spiritual thought," Heather told him. "No--that's like the lamest lesson ever." Finally, James decided to take last month's issue and try to come up with another lesson.

The Blairs have a dog--Wallace, or Wally, for short. "The bain of my existence,” says Heather. As most dogs, it wants to bark and jump on new visitors. And, like most dog owners, the Blairs yell at it, “Hey! Wally (or dog’s name)! Get down!” As you may have experienced, it takes about 15 minutes for both dog and owner to settle back into normal life. Inevitably, the owner gets busy doing something else and the dog ends up sleeping on the carpet. Wally eats well—only the finest from Purina. Tom brings home coupons from the office and Heather redeems them at the local store. Sometimes, she forgets the coupons (or has run out), but the store lady doesn’t mind. “Just bring them next time,” she says.

The Blair children call their house “The Disney Play House.” There are no Mickey’s or other cast members, but if they did show up they would feel right at home. The walls are orange, blue, purple, red, maybe other colors. (See pictures.) Heather likes it that way. Have you ever heard that old Disney song, “Red, yellow, blue, red, blue, blue-green…” Fitting.

When I first called Heather to tell her I was coming to St. Louis, she said that I couldn’t very well come to St. Louis without going to “tudrous.” Tedroos? Ta drews? I wasn’t quite sure. Whatever it was, Heather has lived there for 25 years, so if there is something that you don’t want to miss in St. Louis, she would know about it. I agreed to go. So, after James got back from home teaching (one person wasn’t home and only the teenager from the other family was home--so much for that well-prepared lesson), we headed out to Taddrews.

“Ted Drewes” is a frozen custard shop, similar to Neilson’s Frozen Custard in Utah—only more so. Some aspects of the business model are similar: concretes, lots of flavors, high school kid employees. But the whole experience is much richer. For one, it’s bigger. There must be at least 12 windows to order from, which is good because there are 12 times as many people than at Neilson’s. The clientele is similar—kids, middle-aged, aged—with one exception. I am told that it is not unusual for limos to pull up and their occupants spill out to order a “Fox Trot” or a “Flying Dutchman.” Prom parties, with all their bowties, vests, chiffon overlays and wrist corsages, are known to spend part of the evening spooning Dottie’s Special’s while sitting on the various benches around, being careful not to sit in a stray spoonful of a large chocolate oreo concrete. It was such a fine time, we returned Saturday night for a concrete reprise.

Show Time Utah

2009-04-12T18:56:00.010-06:00

Matt, Matt's Laura, and I went to the "Old West Dinner Show" in Pleasant Grove starring Emily as the Sheriff's Deputy Andy and Joann and as the Steal n' Thunder band leader. If you're not quite sure what an "Old West Dinner Show" is, let me explain. You go to Show Time Utah at 20 S. Main St. in Pleasant Grove. There are two ticket options: one is for the show and dinner, and the other is for just the show. When you buy just the show, you just sit there and watch the show while everyone else sits there and watches the show and eats dinner.

Well, the show was great. Joann led Steal n' Thunder like she's been performing since she was 3, playing guitar, mandolin, fiddle and banjo. She played a few of her own compositions as well as some old classics, including a mean Orange Blossom Special.

Andy (Emily Stevens) was the Sheriff's deputy. Let me tell you about the Share-iff: he is your typical old west town sheriff--loud, not too intelligent and not very eloquent. His friend, the Can-Can girl (or something) had some rubies stolen some he and Otis were looking for the thief. There were several suspects, including Spencer. Spencer tried to hide the evidence (the rubies showed up on the rail next to his chair) buy placing it on the opposite side of the room when the sheriff wasn't looking. Somehow, the rubies ended up back behind Spencer, who was then arrested and taken off to jail (backstage) where he was forced, with the other suspects, to put on a skirt and wig and dance with the Can-Can lady. Well, Spencer's Mom told him never to cross-dress, so he decided on another variation of the can-can woman skirt (see the pictures).

Well, the grand finale came during Andy's (Emily's) aria "You Can't Get a Man With a Gun." Try as she might, Andy couldn't get the sheriff to notice her femininity: wielding that gun around all the time just made her look like another man. Hence her lamenting "you can't get a man with a gun" (see the video). Well, the can-can woman helped Andy out, who, after retreating backstage, then reemerged as Miss Andrea, and the sheriff couldn't keep his eyes off her (much less all the other cowboys in the room!).

All and all it was a hoot-hollorin' good time!

If you plan on going, make sure to say "boots" for $5 off.

Happy Trails!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

diy.despair.com

2008-10-30T23:42:00.003-06:00

iTunes

2008-10-26T16:46:00.002-06:00

I recently discovered a feature of iTunes--Play Count. It keeps track of how many times you play a song on your iPod. It was very interesting. Just for your interest, here's my top ten with the Play Count:

1) Heart of Life - John Mayer; 134
2) Great Big World - David Wilcox; 119
3) Mexico - Jump Little Children; 79
4) New Day - Celine Dion; 63
5) Good Times - Edie Brickell; 62
6) Shady Grove - Crooked Still; 59
5) Happy With You - Barbara Kessler; 58
6) Other Side of the World - KT Tunstall; 56
7) Like an Angel Passing Through My Room - Sissel; 55
8) The Luckiest - Ben Folds; 54
9) Sonata da Chiesa, Op 3 No. 1, 1 - Corelli; 53
10) O Holy Jesus - Mormon Tabernacle Choir; 52

And, on HSM3 opening weekend, here are some relevant rankings:
15) What I've Been Looking For - Gabriella and Troy; 50
25) Start of Something New - Gabriella and Troy; 43
39) What I've been Looking For - Ryan and Sharpay; 36
49) We're All In This Together - The Cast of High School Musical; 33
59) Get'cha Head in the Game - Troy; 31

From Despair.com

2008-10-02T21:37:00.004-06:00

The Fiddlers

2008-06-16T12:53:00.001-06:00

Jeannette and Varci--yikes!

Folk Night

2008-06-15T19:28:00.003-06:00

Folk Night. Friday June 13, 2008. I'll take Clark Johnson over Lyle Lovett any day.

High School Musical Mega Mix

2008-06-15T10:35:00.003-06:00

In the Poconos--let's dance!

My Kiddies

2008-06-12T22:38:00.002-06:00

Mine really are the cutest.

Grand Canyon Bike Ride

2008-06-12T22:20:00.002-06:00

Back in college (2002?)

Goodbye Nalgenes

2008-05-30T16:53:00.003-06:00

Since Thermo Fisher announced that their popular Nalgene Outdoor bottle contains BPA, I have felt a deep sense of loss. I have been a long time user of Nalgenes--I currently own 10. Those Nalgenes and I have been through a lot together: up to the Living Room, Big Cottonwood, Grand Canyon. I use them at work. They're more than just a means to carry liquid--they are friends, companions. We hike together, road trip together, share our experiences together. They have provided me life-giving waters. They have given me Gatorade. I've even used them to make chocolate pudding out on the trail. They're not just bottles--they are a part of me.

I'm less worried about the biological effects of the BPA I have consumed than the lifestyle change of using another bottle. It's like breaking up--you've been together so long, you don't know if you could ever be with someone else. And what do you do with all the pictures, the mementos? Just toss them? I'm not quite ready to do that. I'll just have to ease into a new path of life, a new social circle, a new outdoor bottle. Goodbye Nalgenes, I'll never forget our times together, and what you gave me!

New Sheets

2008-05-22T22:01:00.000-06:00

I wore out my second pair of sheets last week. Have you ever done that? I woke up and there was a big tear down the middle. I didn't know sheets could wear out like that. I thought, "Maybe I can just sew it up." The surrounding area was too worn out for that--anywhere I would pull to test the strength "rippp!" another tear.

I went to Bed, Bath and Beyond to look for a new set. Sheets are expensive! Eighty and 90 dollars a set! I found a set that was on sale for $62.99, still a lot money. "I wonder if I have any of those Bed, Bath and Beyond coupons that come in the mail," I thought. Do you get those? I checked the junk mail pile at home--nothing. I asked my parents. They had one but it had expired. Not to worry, two days later another one showed up.

So tonight I went to the store, armed with my 20% off coupon. I figured that with 20% off I could weigh the options and get something that I really liked. So I started pulling sets off the shelf to compare. My main criteria was color. I was leaning toward the greenish ones. I walked up and down the aisles looking for reasonably priced green ones (that is, less than $80 retail). And then I found the clearance section. Apparently, the Bed, Bath and Beyond brand is only $29.99 for a king set. But, they were on clearance for $19.97. Subtract 20%, and you get $15.98. $15.98! But they weren't my first choice of color. They were also on 250 thread count instead of 300. The 300 thread count was $64.99. I kept looking at the two: "this one is the color I like. . . but this one is only $15. But I like the color better on this one. . . but this one is only $15. Sixty-five dollars. . . or fifteen dollars." I deliberated for the better part of 40 minutes.

I bought the $15 set. I'm so proud of myself. They aren't wrinkle-free like the other ones, but they were only $15. I ironed the pillowcases so now there's only a hint of wrinkles on those, and I think after a few nights, I'll totally forget the other color. Good job, Spence. Way to live cheap.

Lonnie

2007-10-12T16:21:00.001-06:00

My guitar is my favorite possession. Possession, however, isn't quite the right word. Really, it's a relationship, not a consumer/product arrangement, but rather a team of equals. We met in 2001. I was working as a guitar instructor and she was hanging beautifully on the wall.

She's a Larrivee L-05: solid wood mahogany back and sides, solid sitka spruce top. Appointments are classy, understated: abalone rosette, maple wood binding, ebony fingerboard, inlaid silver Larrivee headstock logo, and a clear pick-guard to let her beauty shine through.

I bought my first guitar back in high school. It's a Washburn dreadnaught style. It worked well for several years, until I started hanging out in the 'expensive guitar' section of the music shop. I spent hours playing and talking to Tom at Local Music.

One day Tom was being particularly helpful. He would hand me one guitar and then another. I would play a few minutes on each, sizing up the sound. Most of the guitars in the shop were upwards of $3,000, most decidedly out of my price range (which at the time was about $5). One of them was a Larrivee L-05. I kept wanting to play it again and again, and decided, when I have the money, that's the guitar I want.

While working as a guitar instructor at Summerhays music, they ordered two L-05's. I was so happy. Between lessons I would go out and pull one off the rack and play. I longed to buy one, but the sticker price was more than I could afford. Until I talked to the manager. He would give me 10% over cost. Still a lot of money, but I wouldn't get a better price. I bought one. Biggest check I'd ever written, and to this day not a twinge of regret.

Although Lonnie and I have only known each other six years, it seems much longer. Each time we are together we grow more fond of one another. There is no guitar but Lonnie for me. I've never met one with whom I feel as comfortable. She's heard my songs many times and always knows if I am excited, happy, sad, angry, or tired. Behind every great player there is an even greater guitar, and this is certainly true of our relationship.

Thanks, Lonnie, for your hard work, dedication, commitment, and love. Yours always,
Spencer

A Theologically Gated Community

2007-08-26T14:14:00.000-06:00

One of a few metaphors Dave used this weekend. "So you build this theologically gated community. You get the walls tall enough, make sure all the gates are secure, the passwords set, only to look out and He is on the outside. 'What are you doing out there? You're supposed to be in here!' 'Didn't I tell you to love your neighbor?' 'Yea! In here, neighbors like us!'" Hmmm. . . . Easy to love people who are the same as you. What about others?

Another one: Dave was on a mountain bike ride, it was getting dark so he took a short cut through the railroad tunnel. It was a long tunnel. But he could see the light at the end. No sweat. There was enough light at the beginning, so he could see where the rails were and could keep in the middle of them. Bumpety, bumpety, bumpety. . . . As he got further in the tunnel it became darker and darker. He could still see the light at the end, but not anything in front him. "Oh no! I can't see where the rails are! What if I hit one and tumble over, and hit my head, and a train comes?! What if there is something in the middle and I hit it, and tumble over, and hit my head, and a train comes?!" But as he got closer to the other side, gradually, he could see the rails, until finally he made it to the end without incident. "When I got home my father and son were inside smiling at me as I got to the front porch. One still had light from where he came from, and the other could see better as he got closer to the end. But here was I, in the middle, wondering if I was headed in the right direction. I was doubting. But I see now that I can trust that as I ride through the darkness the light will come."

It was a relaxing evening. It wasn't a performance. Dave just sat there and played us some songs. I have seen him a dozen times. I like him. I trust him. He knows what it's like. Thanks, Dave.

4th of July Salt Lake City!

2007-07-07T12:24:00.000-06:00

Fourth of July 2007 began with a wonderful hike to Lake Mary. Mom, Lizzie and Spencer took it easy and enjoyed the scenery, and Dad, in near marathon shape, powered ahead with a "real hike."

Immediately following the hike was the annual Brighton breakfast hosted by the Wasatch 2nd Singles Ward. We each got the 'blue' breakfast, pancakes, eggs, and sausage. The line was long, but the food was good.

Fourth of July evening we rode bikes over to Sugarhouse Park to see the fireworks. It was crazy crowded with lots of interesting people. We even saw a skater dog. (See the skater dog.)

Here's Catherine, Spence and Brinton (with Hillary on the phone).

The fireworks show lasted half an hour and had a wonderful finale. (See the finale.)

All in all, it was a great Independence Day!

Chocolate Breakfast

2007-07-04T10:46:00.001-06:00

I love chocolate. I crave chocolate, a lot. No meal is complete without at least a morsel of cocoa to end on. I'll take milk chocolate in a pinch, but dark chocolate is my favorite. (Semi-sweet chocolate chips are great for chocolate emergencies.) Last winter I found a place, Hatch Family Chocolates, that sells dark hot chocolate. Holy cow, that stuff is good.

I love chocolate fountains. The first time I saw one was at a wedding reception. I couldn't believe it: there was flowing chocolate, just like in Willy Wonka's factory! It was a dream come true. At this reception there were two fountains, one milk, one dark (wonderfully). Strawberries, cinnamon bears, bananas, and other things, were used as mediums to get the chocolate to your mouth. It was heaven.

I eat a lot of cereal. (I'm a bachelor.) Growing up we never ate 'sugar cereals.' Mom didn't think it was good for us. We never had Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Golden Grahams, or Lucky Charms. This was hard as child, with all those 'sugar cereal' ads between the cartoons. Once, I went to Blake's house and saw in their cupboard a bunch of 'sugar cereals.' I was astounded. "Oh, lucky!" I shouted. I was depressed that the next morning I had to settle for Cheerios. Cheerios, Cheerios, Cheerios; I had so many Cheerios growing up, I still have a hard time eating them now. Anyway, when I left home, I thought "I'm going to treat myself right. Bring on the sugar cereals! Mom ain't buying the cereal now, I am, and I'm going to buy sugar cereals!" It was great. I discovered the Malt-O-Meal discount cereals--the same as the name brand, but cheaper, and in bigger quantities. Cinnamon Toasters, Honey Graham Squares, Marshmallow Mateys; it was fantastic.

So I overcame my childhood conditioning that one should not eat sugar cereals. But, there lingered in my mind this idea that one should not eat chocolate for breakfast. I couldn't bring myself to do it. In spite of my declared liberation from 'healthy' cereal breakfasts, I still couldn't bring myself to eat chocolate cereals for breakfast. Yes, I love chocolate, and yes I love sugar cereals, but chocolate for breakfast? Certainly this went against nutritional wisdom.

Until. . . . John left a bag of Cocoa Dyno-Bites (brand named Cocoa Pebbles, i.e., Rice Krispies covered in chocolate) on the counter. I came home from work, looking for a snack. "Hmmm. . ." I thought, looking at the over-sized bag of Malt-O-Meal cereal. "I wonder. . . ." It wasn't breakfast. This was just a snack, right? I would eat Oreo's for a snack. That's chocolate. Why not some Cocoa Dyno-Bites? I poured a bowl (with whole milk) and dug in. It was soo good! I poured a second bowl. I was hooked.

I'm on my sixth or seventh bag (these are big bags, mind you), and I don't feel the least bit bad about it. I eat them for breakfast, second breakfast, lunch, after-work snack, bed-time snack, whenever the heck I want. Nutritious? I'm not worrying about that now: I'm a bachelor, and bachelor's don't have to eat right. I don't have kids, so there's no one to teach about eating right. I can eat whatever I want. Including chocolate sugar cereals.

Cocoa Dyno-Bites, anyone?

Seven Peaks Water Park

2007-06-28T00:22:00.001-06:00

I was the most scared I've ever been in my life! They have this new ride called the Boomerang. It's kind of like a half pipe, but it's shaped more like a V. You slide down one side (3 stories), around the curved bottom, and up the other side. I thought I was for sure going to fly off the ride and land in the asphalt. I got off and I was shaking. Literally shaking. I could not control the trembling and made some half-hearted attempts at playing it cool by saying, "yea, that was intense," which slowly degraded into comments like, "that was really scary," and "I'm never doing that again."

(See Lizzie and JT on the Boomarang!)

Shotgun Falls wasn't too bad. I went in front, JT behind. It's dark in there so you don't know when the drops are, but you're on a tube, so there is some cushioning. Jagged Edge was kind of cool. It was the tamest of the scary ones. It required some not so minor suit readjustment, but all-in-all it was good.

JT, the accounting wiz of the group, did the math to see what food we could buy with exactly $6.25. He did it, even with a last minute menu change. All-in-all, it was a fantastic day.

Here's JT being a show-off on the rope swing.

Cart Wheel Competition

2007-06-21T09:41:00.000-06:00

Remember doing cart wheels as a kid? Catherine and Jon decided to turn back the clock at Brigham Young Historic Park. It was a well manicured field, perfect for spinning cart wheels. Let's see who can cart wheel the fastest:
Looks like Catherine ran into some trouble. But it doesn't matter who won, we all had a good time.

David Wilcox

2007-06-12T15:28:00.000-06:00

I’ve been listening to Big Horizon recently. This was the first Wilcox album I bought. There are some real gems there, some of Wilcox’s best. These songs are introspective, thoughtful, insightful. I believe this album is also musically the best by Wilcox. The songs are arranged well. The music matches the spirit of the words. Here’s what I’ve been thinking about:

“That’s What the Lonely is For” Take hope as you walk the depths of sorrow and loneliness, for the deeper the loneliness, the greater your capacity for happiness. How big is the fullness of your heart? A mansion.

“Show the Way” Love, another name for Deity. Are you surrounded by darkness and depression? Does the world seem a cold place to be? Remember, Love built the stage. The plan will not fail. “There is evil cast around us, but it’s Love that wrote this play / And in this darkness Love will show the way.”

“Break in the Cup” Maybe you’re the secret missing piece of my heart, finally going to make me happy! Nope. We can’t solve each other’s loneliness with our own capacity. We must go to the waterfall, to God, “From whom all blessings flow.” He will continually fill us with His love, and when we love another we are full.

“Farthest Shore” Shiny junk? What’s really important, what can I take with me? What should I work for? U2 reminds us of “all that you can’t leave behind.”

“All the Roots Grow Deeper When It’s Dry” “In the day of their trouble, of necessity they feel after me,” (D&C 101:8). Suffering has a purpose. In times of trial and affliction, do we feel after the Lord? Doing so will plant us more firmly in sacred ground, and when the winds and the storms blow we will not be uprooted.

“Hold It Up To The Light” “I see if you gave me a vision, I would never have reason to use my faith.” Boyd K. Packer said there is a “moment when you have gone to the edge of the light and step into the darkness to discover that the way is lighted ahead for just a footstep or two.” Will he guide us? Yes, if we step forward in faith. The light will come, and with each step we may say, “This far it feels so right.”

Look Unto Me

2007-06-04T13:45:00.000-06:00

I met Emily Dyches in Copenhagen. She was there working on the murals in the Copenhagen temple. I was there with Gramps for the dedication. We met in the church where the original Thorvaldsen Christus resides. She is a rising super-star in religious art. She did this painting for my birthday this year, January 2007. It only took 2 days. It is a wonderful gift to remind me of that trip with Grandpa, and is special because Emily was there, too. My first original piece of art, a true family heirloom. Thanks, Em!

Do you want your milk in a bag?

2007-05-25T20:12:00.000-06:00

Do I want my milk in a bag? Why do they ask that? Of course I want my milk in a bag. You put everything else in a bag, why not the milk? Perhaps you're lazy and don't want to bag one more item than you have to. Or you're trying to make it difficult for me to get my milk home. Perhaps next time I will say, "yes, I want my milk in a bag--a paper bag. That would be the most inconvenient way to transport my milk, don't you think?"

And while we're on the subject, what's with this new "Self Check-Out" business? I spend all this money buying groceries, and instead of serving me, you make me scan them myself? It's easy enough to scan the ones with barcodes, but what about bakery items, doughnuts and muffins? I don't know the codes for those. "Please wait for customer assistance, " the computer says. So the lady, from her supercomputer checkout mainframe, has to yell over, "What are those?" "Two doughnuts!" I wait for a few moments until the machine shouts at me, "Please place item in the bag." I guess there is an upside of self check-out: I get to put my milk in a bag myself.