A Little Light Reading

I love to read.  It's one of the things that I've always loved to do.  I find that it helps to relax me and actually helps me to think better.  A good page-turner really engages my mind and draws me in.

I recently finished the last book from my "summer" reading list:

This is the "bulk" of my reading material since about May...

Let's face it, I'm not claiming that any of these are Pulitzer material.  And they were all fiction from basically the same genre, but I thought that they were fun to read and I enjoyed them.

I finished the last one over the Thanksgiving Break.  I have a few other books queued up, but I really wasn't sure which one I wanted to tackle next.

My current "project"...
I always take the dust jacket off when I read a book because
I hate it when the dust jacket gets messed up.

I ended up selecting a book that was given to me loaned to me recommended to me given a good review by a friend colleague acquaintance fellow reader (who shall remain anonymous).

It is different from my past reads.  It is non-fiction and a lot shorter than most of the other books on my summer list.  Also, I heard that it was funny.  But I really wasn't sure what to expect when I cracked it open.

I have to admit, it was a tough slog when I first opened it.  I pushed through only to find out that one of the collection of "humorous" anecdotes is about a lovable character whose last name might be Mr. No-Short-Term-Memory.  Mr. NSTM loves to remind people (every time he sees them since he has issues with his short-term memory) to think of him and always wear their helmet when they ride a bike.  

Tragically, Mr. NSTM didn't do that and suffered a head injury.  Then he lost his job, his family, and basically everything he had in his life--only to wind up living in a rented room at the local YMCA.  And I thought this book was supposed to be funny!

Did I mention that Mr. NSTM and I share the same name?  I promise that I always remember to wear my helmet when I ride my bike!  Lesson learned.

Anyway, I'm still not even halfway through the book, but I'll be sure to give it a shout out if it ends up being as good as advertised.

When I think about funny stories about reading, this short clip from Zoolander comes to mind.  This is a great movie--very funny!

If anyone has read any good books lately, please let me know...I'm going to need some new material here pretty soon!

Black Friday Edition

Shopping Pandemonium

Black Friday was yesterday.  It has traditionally marked the start of the Christmas shopping season.  I have heard that it got it's name because it is the day when retail stores go "in the black" for the year and become profitable.

Every year there are stories of people going crazy trying to get in on the great deals.  This year was no exception:

Today's Headlines Re Black Friday

Yes, I'm ashamed to say that the pepper-spraying incident happened in Southern California.  I heard she at least had enough remorse to turn herself in today.  No word on whether she kept the discounted X-Box that she was so desperate to get at midnight!

I like to avoid the crowds at Black Friday.  And if you are going to catch me doing any shopping at midnight, it will be from the internet as I enjoy the comfort of my own home.

My mom and sisters, however, are another story.  They were plotting out their midnight shopping routes on Thanksgiving Night.  I haven't yet heard whether they have recovered yet or if it was even worth it.  I'm sure they'd claim that it was worth missing sleep, but I still have my doubts!

My big online purchases yesterday were a new 23 inch monitor for our home computer from TigerDirect.com and a DVD.  That hit my shopping limit for the day.

Today, J. had me brave the crowds to hit Costco in search of some items that are on the kids' wish list for Santa.  She stayed safely at home and I got to take E. for some quality daddy-daughter time.  I think the real reason E. was excited to go was that I promised her a Costco hot dog and a slushee.  But I was still glad that she came with me.

This might or might not be on Santa's list this year...
...depends on whether Costco gets it back in stock!

Frankly, it was a lot busier when I was at Costco on Wednesday (the day before Thanksgiving).  It got so frenzied that someone actually took out my legs from behind with their shopping cart.  I narrowly avoided biffing it in front of the entire store.  

Yes, this story is true...

If I had, I'm sure that people would have at least been kind enough to step over me or around me as they continued on their merry way!  Maybe if I'd been really lucky, someone might have even stopped!  ;)

What struck me from yesterday and today in my limited anecdotal experience, however, was how few people seemed to be out shopping.  Our brand new Target's parking lot looked pretty empty last night.  I had to go to two Costco's today looking for the things on Santa's list (the first store was sold out) and both were pretty empty.  The I stopped at Walmart today.  Not too busy.

I really hope my experience is wrong.  Our economy could really use a boost from a strong holiday shopping season. 

If you're shopping for others this holiday season, don't forget to
follow Uncle Eddie's advice to Clark Griswold and get yourself "[s]omething really nice!"

I'd love to hear some of your crazy holiday shopping stories...

Happy Thanksgiving 2011

Our family celebrated Thanksgiving Day this morning by participating in the 34th Annual Dana Point Turkey Trot.  Thanksgiving morning runs have become a tradition in our country.  It seems like most communities have at least one.  We had a lot of fun today, so I thought I'd give you five tips for ensuring a fun, traditional Thanksgiving morning Turkey Trot.

I know, most of us are still in a tryptophan-induced haze following dinner at this point.  But don't worry, this is not the type of blog that actually gives real advice or tries to tell you what to do.  Nor will I give you any boring, "tried and true" tips like: "warm up and cool down properly"; "eat a good breakfast"; "run at a good comfortable pace without overdoing it"; "make sure to stretch out"; or "get a good training schedule."  The truth is, I don't do any of that, so why would I advocate that anyone else do so.

And all of that is really just common sense anyway.  So don't worry about taking any notes or remembering anything from this post.  This post is mostly just an excuse to throw up some cute pics of the kids.  :)

#1 - Early Bird Registration is Key

Team Dyer

Usually you can save a few bucks if you pre-register.  Plus it will save you some time on race day when you don't have to track down your timing chip, race bib, and cheap t-shirt that you'll probably promptly donate to Goodwill.

I saw the line this morning of people trying to do same day registration and I wouldn't want to wait in that.  If you miss the online registration like I did, it's much better to go sign up about a minute or two before the race officials shut down the packet pick-up.  If they give you a hard time like they did to me, look at your watch and let them know that it's still not closing time and tell them that you had a long drive to make it there.  I only had to wait for about 5 minutes, rather than 45 if I'd had to come back this morning to do it.

#2 - Nupe It!



Years ago, there used to be all sorts of commercials for this little yellow pill called Nuprin.  I have no idea what happened to Nuprin.  While Nuprin may be gone, we still have ibuprofen which is the generic version of Nuprin.

I woke up Tuesday morning and couldn't get out of bed because I was having some intense back spasms.  I was pretty sure that I was not going to be able to run in the race.  That was before i started on ibuprofen.  Thanks to what was probably illegal amounts of ibuprofen and a very therapeutic session at Massage Heights, I showed dramatic improvement and was able to run this morning.

In my opinion, ibuprofen is a wonder drug.  Every home should have it as a staple of its medicine cabinet.

#3 - Don't try to Break In a New Pair of Shoes on Race Day

As you may know, I did the St. George Marathon about two months ago.  I decided to get some new shoes before the race.  Then I was smart enough not to wear them.

My last race before today was the Pumpkinman Triathlon about six weeks ago.  I've been running exactly once since then.  I thought that since I had had my "new" shoes for two months, they'd be broken in enough to wear today.  Bad move.

For some reason, I signed up for both the 10k Race and the 5k Race.  Then I ran the Kids 1 Mile Fun Run with R. and S.  Total mileage on the day: 10.3 miles.

The 10k "Team" From the SC 6th Ward!

The 10k Race was first.  By the time I hit the finish line, I had developed a hot spot on my foot.  It was a full on blister by the time I started the 5k Race 45 minutes later.  Let's just say that every step of the 5k was...unpleasant.

The boys were excited for the Fun Run!

Then the Fun Run may have been the worst, even though it was only 1 mile.  I could hardly keep up with the boys!

Let's just say that the boys were way more excited to start the fun run
than I was.  Check out S.'s "high knees" on the right!

Anyway, I learned my lesson and will have my shoes well broken in before my next race!


#4 - Avoid the Crowds When the Gun Goes Off


Last year when the gun went off, I was still walking to the finish line.  I spent the first mile dodging strollers and walkers en route to a pretty miserable time.  (No, I won't share it...I do have a small amount of pride remaining!)

This year, I tried to make my way much closer to the start line.  Overall, I was better off, but I was still shocked with the amount of people that will go to these races, push their way up to the start line, and proceed to run slowly while pushing a jog stroller or actually walk in the first half mile of the race!

People, please!  If you are going to be walking at the start of the race, please do us all a favor and let the runners go in front of you and then try to stay out of the middle of the course!

#5 - Find Something to Keep the Kids Occupied

This is crucial!  Last year we staked out a spot by Mile 6 that allows clear views of three parts of the course.  it also has lots of grass for the kids to run on:

Trees for the kids to climb in:

Hours of entertainment...

It's also great to bring some friends or buddies along.  In this case, we brought their cousin J. from Tucson.  He literally is a miracle baby.  His mom ran in the race and my brother did a great job of cheering her on.  They also have a really cool blog:

The "Real" Team Jacob

It was so cute to see E. playing with her cousin Jacob.

Team Jacob?

I know I'm biased, but I think that this Jacob...

...is way cuter than this Jacob:

Odds 'N Ends:


Anyway, it was a really fun morning.  I was pretty happy with my run times, especially considering that I really had not prepared like I should have for the race.  The official results aren't in, but my watch unofficially had me in the following times:

• 10k - 49:11 (7:56 pace)
• 5k - 24:37 (also a 7:56 pace--a big improvement over last year, but I definitely was feeling the effects of the 10k earlier that morning)

R. and S. did great too.  Last year, S. did the Fun Run and I forgot to set my watch, but it was probably about 10 minutes for him.  This year, S. (who is 2 years younger) did the 1 mile in 9:11 and R. did it in 9:13.  What was amazing was that their mile pace was only about a minute slower than mine!

They both had a good time and I think they'll do it again next year.  R. stopped for water at the half mile mark and couldn't bring himself to throw his cup on the ground because he didn't want to litter!  It was fun to run with him and show him how to chuck his cup on the ground and that it was okay to do that just during the race!

Also, the race had a couple of celebrities.  We passed female athlete and amputee Sarah Reinertsen during the Fun Run.  She was on the Amazing Race and is an accomplished triathlete and marathoner.  She was the first female amputee to complete the Kona Ironman.  (Someday, I hope to do that!)  Sarah was very gracious during the run and I told her that I loved her on the Amazing Race!

Sarah Reinertsen

I also saw one of the cast members from the Real Housewives of Orange County.  I'm actually ashamed to admit that I recognized her, because I never watch that show.  But she did happen to be on the one episode that I guess I watched.  Anyway, I refuse to name who she is.   I want to preserve what little shreds of dignity that I may have remaining to me!  ;)



We'll be back next year!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Birthday Ocho!

"Choose to be happy,"

Said Grandma and so you did.

Your smile blesses us.

Thoughts on a Sunday...

Anguished cries of grief. 

Pain--not of body, but soul.

Healing comes through Christ.

Mr. Mom

So J. is out of town this weekend.  She is having fun attending our family's "Sisters Weekend" up in SLC.  Every so often my sisters, my mom, and the sisters-in-law get together to hang out and do girl stuff.  Actually, I'm not really sure what they do (probably get things like pedicures and facials or something), but they all seem to love it.

So I've been playing "Mr. Mom" for about two days now.  Yesterday was the first full day.  I was supposed to work from home.  That didn't quite work out as I had a last minute, emergency appearance I had to make for a client.  I thought I'd be home just after lunch and spend the rest of the day with the kids after sending the babysitter home.  Instead, I had all sorts of emergency calls, letters to send, and meetings.  It was probably one of the longest, craziest days I've had in a while.  To say it was stressful would be an understatement.

To make a long story short, I left the house at 8:15 a.m. and sent the babysitter home at 8:00 p.m.  I was 130 bones poorer, but it was worth it knowing the kids had been well-cared for and safe.  I'm not sure how working moms do it.

I thought it would be fun to watch a movie last night with the boys.  They loved it.  I totally passed out!  The boys woke me up when it was over and I made sure that they got to bed before hitting the sack myself.

I got woken up this morning at about 7:30 a.m. by my daughter (E.) asking me for a "chocolate shake."  That's what she calls chocolate milk.  Since then, it's been a whirlwind of a soccer games, errands, trips to the store, diaper changes, feeding kids, more diaper changes, and trying to do a few projects around the house.  Again, I'm not really sure how J. does it on a regular basis.  But I know that she'd be proud of me.  More importantly, she'll be thrilled to read this and hear how "hard" I think it is to do her job.  (I love you J.!)

One of today's projects--I added a shelf for drying clothes in the laundry room.

This is how we roll through Walmart!

The boys are still going strong downstairs.  I pray they haven't made too many messes down there that I'll have to clean up later.  I got E. down to bed and am trying to enjoy the BYU football game before it's time to put the boys down.

It's been a lot of fun to spend some quality time with the kids.  They have been great and we are blessed with better kids than we probably deserve.  E. especially is so adorable.  She is 3 and actually picked out her purple outfit (above) and pink pajamas below and dressed herself today.

I have loved it every single time she has told me today: "Daddy, I love you sooo much!"  She is such a momma's girl, that this is really a huge deal and feels like a breakthrough for me!  :)

Watching the BYU football game together...Go Cougars!

J., you probably are too busy at Sister's Weekend to read this, but when you do, I hope you feel better knowing that the kids are good, happy, and well fed.  We've had a great time, but I'm glad I don't have to quit my day job to do yours!  :)  Hurry home, we miss you!!

The 10 Commandments of [Male] Fashion

A couple of months ago, I did a post about some of The Rules that I follow regarding fashion.  It got a lot of great comments.

So I've been thinking about fashion a little bit lately and I decided that I ought to add three additional "Rules" to the previous seven so that I could have an even "10 Commandments of Male Fashion."

As I share these "commandments," keep in mind that I am not a fashion expert.  If you don't believe me, just ask my wife.  I know that she is (not-so-secretly) horrified at some of my fashion choices.  But as ignorant as I may be, even I know enough to not blunder into these fashion disasters.

Here briefly are the First Seven Commandments:

#1 - Always wear a belt (unless wearing suspenders).

#2 - The color of your belt should match the color of your shoes.

#3 - Wrinkly dress shirts look terrible. Save yourself lots of time and headache by just buying a good quality non-iron dress shirt.

#4 - In casual or social situations, it’s generally not a good idea to tuck in your shirt..

#5 - Pants should not look like this (yes, I know these are women, but that still doesn’tmake it look any better. Trust me, it looks worse on a man):

#6 - Wear socks or sandals—not both.
#7 - The color of your socks should match the color of your pants.

And The Final Three:

#8 - Wifebeaters Are For Wife Beaters...Rednecks.

You Might Be a Redneck If...
...You Actually Think You Look Good In One of These.

Your Honor, I rest my case.

It actually boggles my mind that anyone actually wears these at all.  They don't look good when they are worn as the "outer layer."

Nor do they look good when they are worn as an undershirt beneath a dress shirt, for example.

 It seems like the reason for wearing one is to convince the world that you are a "tough guy."

For my money, I'd say that they just make the wearer look like a thug.

Were these ever in style?  I can't remember it in my lifetime.  I've always thought that they looked bad.  Does anyone ever actually like to wear one or think that their husband/boyfriend/significant other does look good in one?  I'd be shocked if the answer was not a resounding "No."

Sorry Mr. Putin...

This guy appears to have more than a passing
resemblance to Jeff Foxworthy.

 #9 - Unless Your Initials Are MJ, Don't Wear White Socks With Your Dress Pants.

Thriller!

Most dress pants tend to be dark in color.  Wearing white socks with dark slacks and/or dress shoes is a no-no in part because you might as well be walking around with a strobe light on your ankles.  The eye is drawn to it--and not in a good way.

Some would argue that wearing white socks with jeans is verboten as well.  I disagree, but I could be wrong about that.  It's been known to happen from time to time!  ;)

Where's the Flood?  This Guy Is Guilty of Violating
Several Commandments--Including #4 and #9.

I mean I get it, dress socks are not comfortable, but nothing says, "I don't really know how to dress myself" quite like committing this fashion faux pas.  Just don't do it.  You'll thank me for it.

#10 - When In Doubt, It's Better To Be Overdressed Rather Than Underdressed.

Gratuitous Shot from the Ocean's 11 Premiere

No, you don't have to wear a tuxedo to every event, but it's a lot easier to shed your jacket, lose the tie, and unbutton your top button that it is to dress yourself up at the last minute.

I remember once I went to a professional luncheon and wore a nice pair of dress slacks and a dress shirt--no tie or coat.  I got to the luncheon and realized that everyone there was wearing a coat and most were wearing a tie.  I was out of luck and was miserable the whole time because I felt like I stood out like a sore thumb.  I made sure to have a coat and tie for the next time I went to that event.

Anyway, feel free to chime in with any of your tried and true fashion commandments.  I promise to pay careful attention because I could use the help!

The Drought Is Over!

I do not <3 droughts, especially when they are en mi casa!

I'm proud to announce that as of approximately 11:30 a.m. yesterday, the water was back on at our house!  Hallelujah!

If you remember nothing else from this post, here are two very important life lessons that I learned from the recent water outage in our house:

#1 - Check Your Warranty!

Remember how I said that our house was only four years old?  Well, a friend of mine reminded me that new homes in California are basically under warranty for ten years.

What does this mean?

Scott the Plumber hard at work...and The Price Was Right!

It means that one (1) strategically placed call to my builder + one (1) more call to the original plumber = the pipe was fixed under warranty.

Total out of pocket cost:  Zero, zilch, nada, gratis, FREE!

So, when you have a warranty, 1 + 1 = $0

The builder (Standard Pacific) and the plumber are even sending someone out tomorrow to re-pour the concrete pad that I had to have demo'd.  I love good customer service!!!

(and I'm a little embarrasssed I didn't think of this sooner)

#2 - There's Always a Workaround

Remember how I said that I would have run my neighbor's hose into my kitchen if I could have?  Turns out I didn't even need to go to that much trouble.

I did not know this, but Scott the Plumber told me that if you shut off the valve to the house, you can run a hose from his outdoor spigot to your home's outdoor spigot and you will have water in your house.  Maybe it won't be as strong as your normal pressure, but it will work.

I'm excited to try this next time someone I know (because this better not happen to me ever again!) has a pipe break.

#3 - Yesterday Morning -- A Photo Essay

Mark and Gabriel showed up promptly at 7 a.m.
They didn't waste any time getting to work.

Jackhammer?  We don't need no stinkin' jackhammer!

The hole wasn't hard to spot once we got rid of the concrete.

Someone did a lazy repair job during construction.
It's not supposed to look like this...

Much Better!!

This is pretty much what the driveway looks like now...
...minus the plumber of course!

Yes, still not complete, but did I mention that we have water??

The Ox in the Mire...

This is what it looked like once the water
got shut off...lots and lots of muck and mire!

My 7-year-old woke me up very early this morning to tell me: "Daddy, there's a man at the door who said there's a flood in our front yard."

Of course I got up, even though I didn't want to and went to check it out.  Turns out the man was one of my neighbors and I did have a flood.

My house is four years old.  We've lived in it for a year.  You don't think this stuff happens when you have a relatively new house.  But I'm living proof that it can.

Here are some tips on how to survive if you ever have to shut off your water for an extended period of time:

1.  Be Prepared and Don't Panic.

You should know where the water shut off valves for your house (or dwelling) are located.  My house has 3 main ones:  the one at the curb that shuts of EVERYTHING.  This is the most important one.

I don't think anyone has ever actually touched the whole house water shut-off valve in the four years since our house was built.  That made shutting it off a pain in the neck!  I had to get a wrench to get enough leverage to get it to budge.

Then next most important valve is the shut off for the whole house.  Ours is located in the garage.

The Whole House Shut Off is the yellow lever on the right...
Notice how it's in the "OFF" Position

Then there is the shut-off for the sprinklers.  Ours is located on the side of the house.

Anyway, make sure you get that turned off so that you stop the bleeding.  If you know where those are located ahead of time, you'll be a lot better off and you won't have to panic.

Whenever I think about NOT panicking, I think of that great Vince Vaughn quote from "Couples Retreat" where he screams: "He said not to panic, He said NOT to panic!"  (it's at 1 minute 5 seconds of the video...)

(That reminds me that I need to show J. where all of those things are....)

2.  It Takes A Village.

Even though there was little they could do except feel bad for me, I was heartened by having so many neighbors come over and offer to help.  Some offered to let me borrow tools (helpful because many of mine are still packed even though we moved over a year ago!); others offered to let us shower at their house (I took a neighbor up on that one); and one let me actually use his outside hose.  

He's the real lifesaver and we've been using that all day.  If I could, I'd run that hose right in my kitchen window!  We never would have survived without it!

3.  The Bucket Brigade.

Break out the buckets and water bottles!  If you put one in the bathroom and kitchen it will make your life easier.  If you didn't have the foresight to have either, a quick trip to Walmart will solve the problem pretty cheaply (so long as there isn't some sort of natural disaster in your area).

I shamefully admit that I had to buy a couple of extra buckets and the water bottles pictured below.

Your neighbor's borrowed outdoor hose will come in handy as you fill those bad boys up.

Your fancy dishwasher won't work without water, but don't worry...
...the photographer doubles as a dishwasher!  :-)

You never really realize how dependent we are on water until you turn the tap and nothing comes out.

I'm grateful for our modern water supply!

Having this in the bathroom will make brushing your teeth a snap!

Put those buckets to work "re-loading" your toilets!

 4.  Dig Yourself Out Of A Hole or Don't Be Afraid to Get Your Hands Dirty.


Fixing a broken water line is not as tricky as it sounds.  I've actually done it several times.  Many times if you count broken sprinkler lines.  The more you do yourself, the more you can save yourself financially speaking.  I can't imagine what a plumber would have charged to come out today (on a Sunday) and get started on this!!

First, you need to try and find the break in the pipe.  In this case, water was gushing from the hole on the right and cascading down my yard into the gutter.

Note how the force of the water pushed up the concrete slab.

You will need to break out the shovels.  I had three different ones, depending on where I was trying to dig and what I was trying to dig through.

I had to dig through chunks of concrete construction debris, tree roots, clay, muck, mire, pebbles, and mud.

WARNING: Don't try this if you care about how your hands and nails look. My nails are scuffed and torn from digging and reaching through clay, stones, and concrete.  I have scratches all over my arms and hands.

I was able to dig the break out and stick my arm down the hole to try and find the break.  I got all the way to my arm pit, but still couldn't touch the pipe.

Unfortunately that means that I will have to "demo" the sidewalk slab to get to the break.

I just hope that our demolition work is limited to one slab and that I don't have to tear up the driveway.

Those are sprinkler pipes (not leaking)...
...I'm still looking for the main line (which is leaking)!

With Thanksgiving Day approaching, it reminds me of one famous family Thanksgiving where the main water line to my parent's house broke on Thanksgiving Day.

We spent all of Thanksgiving Day digging a huge hole in our neighbor's yard where the break in our pipe had occurred.  Somehow my mom managed to make Thanksgiving dinner with no running water because she had dozens upon dozens of 2-liter bottles of water that she had stored.  That was a memorable Thanksgiving for sure!

Be sure to pile the dirt out of the way--like the driveway.

5.  Have A Sense of Humor!

I suspect that I'm going to need it when I get the bill following demolition tomorrow!

J. told me that she thinks that I've been a star today for having such a good attitude, but it has been stressful.  It's no fun to have to ration toilet flushes or to carry water upstairs in the bucket brigade so that you can keep the bathrooms "civilized."  (I'll spare you any further details...)

I think that the kids also deserve a star because they have been really good.  E. kept on coming out to check on me and wanted to help so much.  She is so adorable that it's hard to be grouchy or bugged when she is so cute.

For example, I came in tonight to find that the kids (who couldn't really run around or get dirty today--and never had a bath) had set this up to entertain themselves.

Seeing my kids play brought back a lot of memories...

...of making forts and structures like this
and playing with my brothers and sisters.

It was really cute to see them playing together like that.

Even though we are still in the midst of this crisis, we are blessed with so much.  It helps to remember that and to remember that "this too shall pass."  Let's just hope it's tomorrow!!