HE'S HERE!

Ben arrived a noon today at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix, AZ. We left immediately for Pete's Fish & Chips in downtown Mesa, Ben's favorite restaurant of all time. He will be released from his mission this evening at 5:30pm by President Salmon, our Stake President.

ALMOST HERE!

ALMOST HERE....

Almost here....

Stay Tuned As More Comes To Light.

Use the one downstairs...(cont.)

Lindsay fills the holes created by the screws with thin set to prepare the backerboard for tile.

Lindsay tapes a seam where two pieces of backboard join.

The job is done. Lindsay will let the thin set dry before she starts to lay tile. Another good job, Lindsay! This is a job that needs to be done in the event that we need to sell or rent the house.

Use the One Downstairs...

The upstairs bathroom is under renovation. Lindsay and I have made good progress this week. After chipping out the old tile and patching the floor, we finally started laying the backerboard.

Lindsay finds the floor joists and marks a line.

Lindsay measures dimensions for another piece of backerboard.

Measure twice, cut once, as Lindsay always says.

Lindsay notes her measurements on the wall.

Lindsay secures the backerboard with screws. She almost reminds me of Rosy the Riveter.

Dad, makes the cuts at the bottom of the door frame to accomodate the half inch difference in height.

The backerboard is in!

It is now time for taping the seams. Good job Lindsay.

Tied Up On Father's Day

I think I have not been hired due to my outdated ties. If only I had realized this months ago, I would now be well employed and making excessive income. My children have stepped in and have dressed their father for success. Take a look my Father's Day tie makeover below.




Thanks kids for sprucing up your dad. I mean, look at these pictures! Who could resist hiring me now with ties like these?

Be On The Lookout

Lindsay passed her driving exam and can now drive with an adult....

with other cars on the road....and pedestrians all around....and cyclists....and....animals...

is my littlest girl really ready for all this?

Treking Through One More Birthday

HAPPY BIRTHDAY REBECCA!

The Cleverest Gadget

Alien spacecraft? Top secret military craft? Mistaken weather ballon? UFO?

Actually it is one of the most clever little gadgets we have ever used. Jon and Steph presented this item to Sandy for Mother's Day. It is a vented lid that is to be used in microwaves to cover bowls and plates instead of using plastic wrap. I love it and use it all the time. No more splatter in the inside of the microwave, less money spent on plastic wrap, and less waste in the landfills! We are going green!

All Alone

Sandy and Lindsay have driven to Utah to attend the wedding of Randee Hawkes and Tim Bereese. I decided not to go with Sandy since she plans to stay the entire week. I couldn't justify spending that much time away from the job search and access to critical job search resources. I am in the 5th month of job search and the stress is starting to take a toll. A new work situation would be most welcome as soon as possible.

There is always something to learn in these situations. The key learning for me is this: always demonstrate that what you do is linked to revenue generation or return on investment. Bottom line...work for an organization that values your skills and sees a direct link between what you can do and the success of the business. If possible, work for a company that understands the value of strategic investments, has the resources to support strategic investments even in downturns and has a culture that values long-term thinking as a competitive advantage. It is possible to have good skills and work for the wrong organization. Work for organizations that align as closely as possible with your values. This one thing alone will keep you engaged, energized and able to generate value.

Sandy has been away all but one day and I feel very alone. The house is empty. The prospect of a whole week without her is not pleasant. I am wondering how I will entertain myself on Memorial Day. Holidays are not the same without family present. By the end of the week I may decide that a trip to Utah would have been a better course of action.

I will try to get back to a more frequent blog updating schedule going forward.

Gold Bar Ranch Adventure

Sandy, Lindsay and I took some time over spring break to get into the outdoors. There is a ranch on the way to Prescott called Gold Bar Ranch that offers camping and fishing. We camped for an evening and fished the next day. Here are some pictures of our fun adventure.

Beautiful Amaryllis

Kathy Merkley sent an Amaryllis down to us when Erik and Lauren came to visit for Christmas. We watched it grow in the kitchen bay window since that time. The stem grew quickly and before we knew it, beautiful flowers appeared.

Synchronized Swimming Triumph

Lindsay's Desert Dolphin Synchronized Swim Team competed today. They chose a very difficult routine. There was concern that it might be too difficult. Competition and judging in Arizona are tough given the number of competitive synchronized swim team in the state. It is very difficult for a team to score well. Good scores are above 6.0 on a 10 point scale. The best teams in the state average about 6.8.

The team huddles before they begin their routine and a prayer is offered. I believe all the girls are LDS. This is a competitive team that has chosen to not swim on Sunday. This is the girls' choice. We are proud of them. This does mean that they will likely not go to nationals since the national competitions are held on Saturday and Sunday.

A quick pose with their team coach, Sarah.

The start of their routine.

The routine calls for three lifts. Lindsay's lifted on the first lift.

Lindsay at the peak of her lift. She settles back into the water artfully.

Someone took a video of the entire routine. Look for a link to Facebook in the future.

Lindsay Continues Her Quest

For her prince.

Tour of Tucson Results are Now Official

(Disclaimer: I am probably making a big deal about this because of mid-life crisis issues)

The Tour of Tucson results are now official and posted. I can share my official results. I don't know why it took so long for the times to become official but there must be some inaccuracy in the tracking system.

The picture above is from the Tour newspaper and shows the group of 1210 riders that competed in the 67 mile event. Of the 1210 riders, there were 30 tandem couples. These tandems are great to have on the ride. You can get behind them and cruise. They break so much wind.

My official overall placing was 95. ( I moved up 13 spots since the unofficial results were reported). I finished with a time of 3 hours 41 minutes. I placed 30th among those riders that were between 50 and 60 years old. Not bad for an old man.

Update on Ben

Sister Joyce, the wife of Ben's mission president, occassionally sends us pictures of our missionary following a mission activity. Ben is pictured here with his new companion, Elder Snyder. I believe that Ben is training Elder Snyder. He is currently serving in Layton, Utah.

Ben often has family sightings and chance encounters due to so many relatives living in and around areas in which he has served. Ben wrote to us this week that his sister, Lauren, drove past him the other day in a relative's truck. She honked and honked as she drove by. The honking is not out of the ordinary. Lots of people do that but he did take notice this time. Ben commented in his letter, "Yes, I recognized Lauren as she drove by. I told my companion that I thought it was her. I was odded out by the truck. That thing must dwarf her! My spiritual sense is doing better. Soon, I will be able to recognize family from a mile away or more."

Ben also had an interesting experience the other day that was bound to happen. The Boizelle family lived in Fruit Heights for 2 years before moving to Arizona. Fruit Heights is in his mission boundaries. Ben had a number friends in his age group. He wrote, "So I met Joe Stephenson (from Fruit Heights). He gave me and my companion a ride, and later, (it was dark) as he dropped us off, he asked us our names, and when I said my last name, he turned around and said "Ben!?" I said yes, and we hugged. He just got back from a mission somewhere. It was good to know that people still remember you from so long ago."

Ben says that his missionary work is going well. I believe that Ben truly loves his missionary work. He is serving faithfully and will return with honor.

When Dad Was a Tough Guy

Some pictures of Dad and associates provided by an old friend from New Jersey. Our ward youth group attended a 50s style dance at the stake center in East Brunswick, NJ. I don't know why our glasses were so large. It must have been the style or my head was too small.

Between the Eyes

Sandy visited the dentist the other day for a root canal. While she was lying in the chair, a piece of equipment came loose from the boom and fell on her face - right between her eyes just above her nose! Luckily, nothing was seriously broken or damaged.

When Sandy came home it was clear that she had been crying for some time. She explained that she had been hurt at the dentist office. I figured that the dentist slipped with the drill or knocked a tooth out by accident. She then explained that her tear ducts had been activated by the impact and would not shut off.

I am not allowed to post pictures of her face and the bruising. She is alright now.

And They Are Off to Las Vegas

Jon and Stephanie waved goodbye and headed for Las Vegas this afternoon. We wish them well.