The Batch: Reality Bites Edition

Desiree didn't take the news well...

Is anyone out there still watching the Batch?  I didn't think so.  So last night, Des' fairy tale got interrupted when one of her suitors--Brooks from Salt Lake City--dropped the bomb on her.  So, as it turns out, Brooks just isn't that into her.

Des was devastated and it was probably one of the most real moments that I've ever seen on any "reality" tv show--The Batch or otherwise.  She cried.  Brooks cried.  I took no pleasure in it.  In fact, my heart went out to Des because I thought that her reaction was so genuine and so sincere.

I also really liked the way that Des handled it with class--a quality that is growing increasingly rare in our society.  She told him that she didn't care what he said, that she still loved him, and that she wasn't afraid to say it, even as Brooks was casting her aside.

And then Des told Brooks something that I think every guy (and certainly every contestant on The Batch) dreams of hearing someday:

• Des: "You want to know why I was conflicted throughout this whole thing?  Cause I didn't want to share my heart, I wanted to give it to you.  That's why I was conflicted.  And when I was going on dates, I wanted to go on dates with you.  And that was why, this entire thing, I have been conflicted."

• Brooks' incredibly articulate response (I guess to himself???): "Sorry, I'll shut up.  It's not helping."

I know that it's hard to believe that a young (presumably) Mormon dude might have commitment issues (even with a beautiful, articulate, classy girl).  I mean Brooks, has been around the world to exotic locations and one-of-a-kind dates with an incredibly beautiful, vibrant, famous,  and possibly wealthy(?) young woman who is totally into him...what more could he possibly want?  Of course, for all Brooks knows, there might be someone incredibly better around the corner for him, so the smart move was definitely to let Des go.  :-/

Brooks attempts to comfort Des

Yes, Brooks is a dufus.  But I guess I respect him for at least telling Des now rather than going through the farce of having her pick him only to break up 3 months down the road.  Of course, no Batch contestant would ever fake a relationship just for the show...

...well you know, other than Jef (with one F) and Emily; Jason Mesnick and whats-her-face; Jake Pavelka and Vienna (Snausages); Kasey ("Guard and Protect Your Heart") Kahl....  Oh nevermind!

My guess is that Des shuts it down.  There will be no hometown for the guys to meet Des' family (thank heavens for small favors that we don't have to see her brother again) and there will be no proposal.  It could well be the most dramatic Bachelor finale ever.  And this time they might actually be right.

Insta-what?

So I finally caved yesterday and signed up for Instagram. I had been staging a silent boycott of the application for personal reasons for a while now.  

I think there are a lot of good reasons for me not to be on Instagram, including the fact that the last thing I really need in my life right now is another "time suck" to waste my time. 

But I had a lot of down time yesterday as I drove through the desert to Arizona for a quick visit and the whole "time suck" argument didn't seem so persuasive at that moment. 

I also worried that I would probably end up signing up for Instagram one day anyway and I worried that all the good names that I would want to use would be taken. (As it was, my top two choices had already been taken. My Insta-name is a compromise.  I may yet decide to change it--assuming that's even possible.)

I also figured that signing up for Insta would make it easier to see pics that J. takes of the kids--especially because they've been in Arizona. 

In a moment of weakness, I capitulated and joined the Insta-phenomenon. I may yet regret it...

Still, belonging to Instagram may not be all that bad. I can practice composing clever (and annoying) hashtag phrases that may or may not actually mean something (and may or may not be legible). #brevityisthesoulofwit #yesiknowthatfacebookhasnowmadehashtagssearchable

Also, I can't wait to take and post my first  selfie on Instagram. Then I can add hashtags like #nofilter and #nomakeup. Of course, pretty much all of my pics could be labeled #nomakeup so I'm not sure that I'd really be imparting any useful information. :-/

Also, now that I'm on Insta, I can apparently stop blogging. I keep hearing that Instagram has killed off blogging, so it must be true. #blogicide #ripblogosphere

Anyway, I'll probably see you on Instagram or maybe not. Just because I have an account, doesn't mean I have to use it.  (Sorry @royalandnicole...) 

But as you can see from my very first Insta-post above, I've made my first foray into the Insta-craze, err #fad... #heavenhelpusall!

Best.HouseHunters.Episode.Ever!

My sister T. and her husband T. (Whom I like to think of affectionately as "TNT" because they are dynamite!  Yes, I just said that... :-) are going to be featured tonight on HGTV's newest edition of "House Hunters."  I already know the outcome, of course, because I have been blessed to visit (and stay at) their beautiful home on several occasions, but I will be watching tonight for sure!  I can't wait to see what happens.

Here's the official summary:

I also want to publicly thank TNT for graciously allowing me to do multiple loads of dirty laundry for myself and my kids following our weeklong family reunion at Bear Lake.  I don't think that I could have made it home without getting all of that smelly dirty stuff taken care of!

Tune in tonight at 10 p.m. EST for TNT's episode of House Hunters...I can't wait!

TNT...I love you guys!  :-)

No Brother Left Behind: Camp Pendleton's World Famous Mud Run

Team Dyer Brothers

Last month, my four brothers and I got together for the last session (June 15th) of this year's Camp Pendleton World Famous Mud Run.  This was the first time that all five of us have run together in a race and it was a lot of fun. We started off the race fast and I did my best to keep up.

Look closely and you can see Team Dyer Brothers just off to the right in our blue sleeveless shirts

I bought matching shirts (moisture wicking, of course) so that we looked like a team.  It turned out to be a good call.  The light blue color that I picked really stood out in the crowd.  My parents were watching the live feed in Colombia and they were able to pick out all of us on the live feed (and by "all of us," I mean everyone but me!  Apparently, I didn't get any love from the cameras!).

This year's race had a lot more obstacles than last year and it was a lot of fun--except for the low-slung cargo nets.  They were set at about 2.5 feet off the ground and were pure torture for me.  I was just too tall!  I also narrowly averted disaster when the watch strap on my million dollar Garmin watch broke going over the "Wall" obstacle.  Luckily, I noticed that it was loose and grabbed it before it was lost forever in the Camp Pendleton mud.  That was the good news...the bad news was that I had to carry it the rest of the way and that meant I didn't have full use of my hands for the remaining obstacles.

One of the first obstacles: The Steeplechase - My brother N. successfully completes this!

The first few obstacles went smoothly...N. is my youngest brother and is just a year removed from his mission (to Argentina).  This was his first race, so I kind of stuck with him and within sight distance of L. and Big S.  Click here for a cool pic of L. with N. and me in the background going over the Steeplechase.  SLD was gone as soon as the gun went off.  Only later would I learn how amazing his race was.

SLD tackles the high "Wall"...Notice how there don't seem to be any other runners in sight.

The high "Wall" was a difficult obstacle.  I was so tired by the time that I got to it, that it seemed like it was 8 feet tall.  I managed to get over it somehow, but landed in the mud as my watch dangled from my wrist.  Luckily, I snared it and kept going.

Here's some video of me going through the final obstacle...the Mud Pit:

One thing that occurs to me when re-watching this is how utterly exhausted I am at this point.  You can see it as I enter the Mud Pit and then you can see it as I stagger out to finish the race.  Even though I was tired, my motto is to just keep moving forward.  Hopefully you can see my determination to keep going.

Here are the links to the videos of the rest of us going through the Mud Pit:

• SLD
• L.
• Big S. and N.

Thanks Nicole for taping these for us!

Here are some of the notable achievements.  Indulge me for a second while I brag on my brothers:

• SLD - 51:59 (for a course that billed itself as a "10k" but was actually about 6.6 miles long!).  SLD got 14th overall and 2nd in his age group!!  There were about 3,000 runners in the race.  SLD is a frickin' amazing runner!
• L. - 1:02:34 - 13th in his age group (118th overall)
• Big S. - 1:06:05 - 19th in his age group (#168 overall)
• N. - 1:06:53 - 8th in his age group (#186 overall).  This was an awesome result for his first race ever!
• Me - 1:09:44 - 28th in my age group (#246 overall).  As the oldest brother, I took responsibility for making sure that no brother was left behind.  Someone had to do it....  :-/

After the race, we hit the showers:

And took some more pics:

N. and SLD with his medal

Superman photobombs the post-race brothers pic..

My miracle, super-nephew!

If you're family and not already bored out of your gourd, you can check out Nicole's photo album on Google Plus here.

Love this cute fam pic!

Riding the shuttle to the parking lot...

I love my nephew's cute smile

This run has become somewhat of a tradition now in our family:

2011

2012

2013

I'm sure we'll be back next year!

Car Swap

"So long, farewell...adieu to you and you and you..."

I said good-bye forever yesterday to an old friend.  It was a little bittersweet, but it was time.  And while I'll miss my friend, I will take some happy memories with me.

Two weeks ago, I swapped cars with my dad so that I could drive to our family reunion up at Bear Lake.  My dad's car hadn't been driven in about six months and it had a little bit more space for the trip.  Plus, I think there was some concern about whether my Saturn would actually survive the drive.

In two weeks, I put over 3,000 miles on the Ford Fusion above.  It is being sold, so I probably won't be able to enjoy driving it again.  It's not a very fancy car, but it was peppy, responsive, and had satellite radio (a huge plus for the wide open desert landscapes that I had to drive through late into the night).  I'll never forget being able to take that trip with R. and S.  I hope they have happy memories too.  

Good times in the Fusion

I had so much fun and was so grateful for those good memories that I didn't even complain when I had to vacuum out Chex crumbs from the little holes in the leather seats in the back yesterday (I had to use a safety pin dislodge the little crumbs!).  The Ford Fusion got us home safely and I'm grateful to my Dad for being so good to us.

It was a bit surreal to get back into my Saturn and turn the ignition.  It was like seeing an old friend and I have lots of good memories of this car as well (see here and here for some recent ones).  At about 245,000 miles, the Saturn has certainly given me a good return on my investment and been very reliable.  But one day, it'll be time to move on.  And I'll be looking forward making some great memories in that (new) vehicle too.

Blackout!

This is my view right now as I sit on my porch overlooking the ocean. The lights went out a few minutes ago. My town has probably never been this dark. An orange moon stands vigil over incoming fog while a few street lights below blink red.

It's cool out tonight and for that I am thankful. Especially after enduring the heat of Arizona and parts of Utah as I traveled last week. 

I managed a run tonight. Nothing spectacular, just my regular "Walmart 10k" course. Sometimes routine is good. 

There must be a parliament of owls living near my house, because I saw two if them during my run. 

I'm lucky I saw them because they looked like white shadows gliding gracefully and silently through the night. I only noticed them because they were so much lighter than the dark shadows surrounding them.  Right now, in this darkness and without any streetlights, I'm sure that I would never have seen or heard them. 

Bambi and Thumper

There is a lot of wildlife in our area, even though I feel like we are solidly in the suburbs. The other night, I turned a corner and almost hit a deer that was standing in the middle of the road!

It's funny because twenty years ago, while I was on my mission I'm the Dominican Republic, I don't remember a single day where the power didn't go out at least once--often for hours at a time. It was a part of life I'm the D.R.  Now, the power goes out and I barely know what to do with myself. 

It's nearly midnight. I guess maybe ill just go to bed...

Fire of the Covenant

I recently took a road trip with the kids.  We had plenty of time in the car, so I had us listening to this book on tape about the Mormon handcart pioneers.  My purpose was at least two fold.  Yes, I did want to "engage their little brains" so that they didn't fight or argue.  But I also wanted them to gain an appreciation and understanding of our pioneer heritage--especially because we have a direct ancestor that was a major figure in the tragedy that befell the Willie and Martin Handcart Companies.

The book is outstanding.  Gerald Lund does a great job of using historical fiction to humanize the story.  As I listened, however, I could not help but feel a certain sense of dread because I knew what lay ahead.  Yet, I was inspired by these pioneers who were willing to sacrifice everything to make it to Zion where they would have finally find religious freedom.

There are so many great stories from these pioneers.  I think one of my favorite, however, is the story of Levi Savage.  Levi Savage joined the Willie Handcart Company (a "Company" was a group of approximately 500 people who crossed the Plains together--in this case under the command of James G. Willie--hence the name "Willie" Handcart Company) in Iowa in the Summer of 1856 as the Company was preparing to head West.

Levi Savage -- As portrayed in the film "17 Miracles"

He was literally completing a trip around the world that had begun nearly 4 years ago.  He had left Salt Lake City in 1852 to serve a mission to the Far East.  He passed through San Francisco before reaching Burma where he preached for 2.5 years.  His route home took him through India and on to Boston.

Savage had crossed the Plains before and he knew the hazards of the trail.  The Willie and Martin Handcart Companies were starting too late in the season and were courting disaster that could come with early Winter weather.  Before leaving Iowa, the handcart pioneers held a meeting to vote about whether they should go on to Utah or wait until Spring.

Levi Savage warned his fellow travelers that the crossing would be dangerous if they did not wait for the Spring.  When he was outvoted, Levi Savage is quoted as saying the following:  "What I have said I know to be true; but seeing you are to go forward, I will go with you, will help all I can, will work with you, will rest with you, and if necessary, will die with you. May God in his mercy bless and preserve us."

Of the 404 pioneers in the Martin Handcart Company that left Iowa on August 17, 1856, 68 died before reaching the Salt Lake Valley on November 9, 1856.  Levi Savage survived and helped lead the survivors on to Salt Lake.  In 1858, he married a widow that had been a part of that Company.  He went on to live a full live and died in 1910 at the age of 90.

The rescuers from the Salt Lake Valley help the handcart pioneers cross the icy Sweetwater River in Wyoming

I'm grateful for people like Levi Savage who have passed on a legacy of faith to us.  He was blessed for his faithfulness and his willingness to sacrifice.  But he did not know that he would be blessed at the time that he made his decision to help his fellow Saints in the Willie Company.  He had to have faith to do that because he did not know what the outcome would be or if he would even survive.  He had no guarantees, but he did what he felt was right even though he knew it would be difficult.

I know my children loved listening to this book on tape during our trip.  But I hope that this was more than just a good story for them.  I hope that they can learn to develop their own faith as strong as Levi Savage and the other handcart pioneers.

I Would Walk 3,000 Miles

Juan Bandito Rides Again

Many of you have probably heard that song: "I Wanna Be (500 Miles)" by the Proclaimers.  The chorus of the catchy song talks about walking 500 miles.  Well, last week, I got to drive 3,000 miles to get myself and my two oldest kids (R. and S.) to a family reunion up at Bear Lake, Utah.

Over the course of the past 8 days, I have driven nearly 3,000 miles (approx. 2,900 to be exact) which took 19 hours of drive time each way.  We got to spend the week with about 120 members of my family, including sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, and cousins (both near and distant)--including some I'd never met.  But by the time the week was over, I felt like I'd known these new-found cousins for years.

I've always felt like I've been blessed with a pretty awesome family and extended family.  That was confirmed this week over and over.  I have cousins who I practically grew up with (or watched them grow up) who feel more like siblings to me than cousins.  I sure am grateful for the love and support that I feel from them.

Here's a quick photo dump of a few of the highlights from the week:

R. and my brother SLD doing a little stand up paddleboarding...

Jordo and me

S. and I doing some tubing...It was S.'s first time ever on a boat.  I was proud of him for being so brave.

Later, I decided to try a trick that I saw one of my younger cousins doing.  It looked a lot easier when they were doing it!

"Hitchhiking" is jumping from one tube to the other while the boat is moving

Making sand castles with the cousins

Cousins...B-Man and S.

We also hiked a mountain....

R. contemplates the Universe

Hiking back down the mountain...the wildflowers were so incredibly beautiful

My family has given me a legacy of faith and I'm so grateful to be a part of our family tree!

Our (partial) family tree...

Some pics of my grandpa from his polar explorations

And then I was grateful to make it back and to see the rest of my kids...

I think it's impossible to get all four kids looking at the camera at the same moment!

It was a great week and a lot of fun to spend some time with my kids.  I hope that they will draw the same strength and comfort from our family tree that I have.  I think that this bunch is definitely worth driving 3,000 miles!

PS--The pic above is my kids with the lead actor in the play "Bandito Rides Again" which we saw at the Pickleville Playhouse on Thursday night.  The play was a complete riot and my kids were practically rolling in the aisles.  I'd definitely go see it again.

Naomi Peak

This is my view right now from the top of Naomi Peak. It's about a 2,000 foot climb along a 3.5 mile trail. It's been fun to have the boys with me on the hike. We've talked about all sorts of interesting things along the way, but the most important thing that I hope my kids remember is that they can do hard things if they don't give up. 

It's all downhill from here!

Bear Lake

This is my view right now. It's pretty relaxing. Bear Lake is known for being cold and having beautiful azure blue waters. This picture probably doesn't do it justice, but I love it's deep blue waters. 

I haven't actually gotten in yet, so I can't vouch for the temperature, but I'm sure it'll be nice and refreshing. Especially compared to the 110+ degree temps that I braved over the past two days on the drive here. 

This morning, as I walked along the beach of the lake, I was reminded of a quote that is prominently featured on my sister's blog:

"The cure for everything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea."

--Isak Dinesen

The quote is mostly true. Some problems can be worked through. I imagine that dime can be cried through--at least in part. But many may need healing. And salt water can heal both physical ailments as well as other ones. 

This morning, I watched the sandpipers race along the shore and listened to their shrill cries.  I enjoyed the sparkling light of the rising sun as it reflected off the gently rippling waters. 

The stress and tensions of my work and daily life seemed a million miles away. Perhaps that is because they are--given that I'm tucked away in this remote corner of the Rocky Mountains, where cl service and this little known thing called the "Internet" appear to be all but unknown. 

But perhaps it's also because these crystal blue waters--while they may not contain salt--may also have the capacity to heal.  

Snorkeling With The Sharks

Note the Hapari Boardshorts

My brother and I decided to celebrate the 4th by going snorkeling down at La Jolla Cove and La Jolla Shores.  It's been years since I'd been there, but it was amazing.  The water was warm and refreshing and visibility was pretty decent.  We saw scores of garibaldi, dozens of barracuda, leopard sharks, a school of soupfin sharks, sea lions, and even a cool looking Pacific Coast jelly fish.

Heading Out...Note how I've mastered diving hand signals even though I'm not scuba certified!

A large (6+ foot) soupfin shark

The sharks weren't as scary as I would have thought.  I spotted a young (2-3 foot) leopard shark and swam along him for a bit.  Then a bit later, my brother and I came across a school of soupfin sharks.  They were swimming probably about 10-15 feet below us and they kept on coming and coming from out of the slightly murky depths.  I counted at least 6--all 6+ feet in length.  My brother thinks that there may have been at least 10.  Here's a quick video which an idea of what it was like.

These barracuda looked like mini missiles in the water.  There were too many to count.

These sea lions were quick and unpredictable in the water.  Fortunately, they didn't seem too concerned with us around.  That was a good thing because I was actually more nervous around the sea lions than I was around the sharks.  They were fun to watch and I kept hoping that we'd see a sea lion catch a fish--but it was not to be.

A sea lion swims amidst the garibaldi.

We also saw a bat ray gliding along.

Heading for home...

(Great job to my brother for all of these cool pics!)