Sunday, September 22, 2013

Wide Open Spaces

Wide Open Spaces
I made it to my storage shed today.  Everything looks like it made it.  :-)  As I left to head home, I noticed the mountains above.  It reminded me of this Dixie Chicks song that I've always loved.  And it made me happy that I'm living in such a beautiful place.

Across the valley, you can see Mt. Timpanogos on the left and then to the right of that is Y Mountain (and BYU).  I have many memories of driving up to Salt Lake as a kid in our big blue suburban with kids piled everywhere.  We would excitedly look for the "Y" on the mountain (not so easy to see the white "Y" when the mountain was covered in snow!) and then "Timp" always reminds me of the legend that says Timp's peaks hold the outline of a sleeping Indian princess.

Then, if you look south, you can see Utah Lake.  I love that a thunderstorm seems poised to sweep through the south end of Utah Lake in this photo.
The view to the South...
To the North, I can Point of the Mountain (which is steadily being chopped away by the companies mining sand and gravel from it) and the Adobe building in Lehi.  Wide open spaces, indeed...
Point of the Mountain is to the left...
The movers did a good job with the storage unit.  This is what it looked like when I opened it up:
Can't hardly wait to unpack this...NOT!
The main reason for going there was to get my passport, which I need for my first day of work tomorrow.  I opened up one box and didn't see it.  Then I realized that I was in trouble--because I really need my passport to verify my employment eligibility and I didn't want to spend all day hunting through boxes!

I said a quick but sincere prayer.  Then I opened another box:
Eureka!
Or perhaps more appropriately, Hallelujah!  It was literally an answer to prayer!  And I was so grateful.

I am so excited to be here that I couldn't stop myself.  I'm staying with my sister and her husband for a little bit and I couldn't help but notice a couple of items that needed a quick fix.  Luckily, I had my toolbag and set about trying to make myself useful.  Here's a partial list of some of my projects today:
  • Fixed the shower knob (this was total self-interest...It was working, which forced me to have a cold shower last night.  I didn't want to have another one tomorrow!)
  • Fixed the toilet paper holder in the master bathroom
  • Fixed a slow draining sink in the guest bathroom (out of respect for my sister, I am NOT posting pics of the clog)
  • Fixed the towel rack in the guest bathroom (it was pulling out of the wall because the builder hadn't used drywall anchors or drywall screws)
That was all before dinner.  Dinner was at one of my sister's houses (J.--I have 5 sisters!).  She put on quite the spread!

We finished off the evening by going to visit 3 more of my sisters...it totally felt like a family reunion!
Three of my cute sisters
New city...new job...lots of stuff to do...but I feel like I'm off to a good start.  I've traded the beach for the mountains, but I'm loving the wide open spaces!  :-)


Tuesday, September 17, 2013

End of an Era

I recently had the text exchange above with a friend of mine here in town.  It is true...I got a new job and it's in Utah.  Unfortunately, that means that I have to leave Southern California. I grew up in the North Coast area of San Diego and we have lived for the past 9 years (almost) here in southern Orange County.

That's a long time.  The new job was pretty much a fluke.  I happened to see a job posting online that intrigued me and the process moved swiftly along.  I feel like it was pretty much a miracle, but since I accepted, I've been rushing to get the Big Move completed.  It hasn't been easy.  Fortunately, it's almost over.
This San Clemente sunset is a metaphor
As I have contemplated leaving California, I have had to come to grips with all the great things I love about living here and will miss after the move.  Of course there is great weather.  And the beach.  Beautiful scenery. Not to mention year-round warm temperatures.  But I have come to realize that I will miss the people--both friends and family--the most.

As I sat in church on Sunday, I realized that it was my last Sunday in that ward (i.e., congregation).  I looked around the chapel and saw many individuals and families who had done countless acts of service and show true Christian love for me and for my family.  It would be impossible (not to mention incredibly ungrateful) to not be humbled by the sheer volume of acts of kindness, goodness, and generosity that have blessed us during our time in San Clemente.  And it will be impossible to repay them.  But those selfless acts have formed a bond that will link us together even though we may move many miles away.
The view from my favorite "room" in my house
But enough of this sappy stuff...

The move itself has gone as well as it could go, I suppose, but that isn't saying much.  I hate moving.  The packing, the junk, the garbage, the carrying of boxes, the dust, the feeling that you would never have imagined that your house could have crumbs and dirt and lost toys littered under every piece of furniture and in every crevice and corner of the house.

It's embarrassing to have the movers come in and see the disorganized state of chaos.  I have consoled myself by being convinced that our house is not "as bad" as other houses that they may see on a regular basis--since they are moving "professsionals" after all.

I may be right (that there are other houses in far worse shape), but that isn't really saying much.  The whole moving process makes me feel like I should be a candidate for the tv show "Hoarders."  I take a perverse pleasure in throwing stuff out.  It would blow your mind some of the stuff that I "found" while going through the packing process.

I feel a bit like Mark Twain, who has been famously credited with remarking that he would have written less, but he didn't have more time.  (Meaning that it takes time to refine, rewrite, and edit good literary prose.)  It takes time to pack less stuff.  Time that I didn't have.  So I just told them to pack it all.  #everythingmustgo
It didn't all fit...sadly
Here's some of the other stuff that I've been doing to relieve some of the stress from moving....

Saturday:
Poor Visibility at T Street Beach
The visibility was crappy on Saturday, but I wanted one more day at the beach.  I have noticed that since I grew up here and live here, I don't go as much as I should.  I figure I can go whenever I want, so I never do.  Sad but true.

So I took a break from returning crap, packing, and making about 37 trips to Goodwill to go down to the beach real quick.  There was a layer of coastal fog, but the water was surprisingly warm.  In part, my new Oakley wetsuit/rash guard probably helped keep me warm.
New Oakley Surface Tension Jacket--Hapari Compression Shorts
I caught some really decent waves while bodysurfing.  Maybe bigger than I ever have before.  One of the nice ancillary benefits of doing triathlons is that I'm a much better swimmer than I ever have been in the past and I think that helped. I've never been--and still am not--a surfer, but I enjoy bodysurfing.  There is something awesome about the power of the ocean as those waves propel you toward the shore.  It helps give you some perspective on things.  Plus, even though the sun wasn't out, the beauty of the waves and the ocean is undeniable.

I may have to try and sneak away from work this week for one more excursion to the beach before I pack up the car and head out.  Don't tell my boss!  I will definitely miss this, but I'm glad that I can still come back to visit. :-)

Monday:
#43 is officially retired
I know that I said that we won the championship last week--and we did--but a new season started and the first game was on Monday night. I felt like I could use (yet another) break from packing, so I asked if I could play one more time.  My Latham teammates seemed happy to have me back.
This is what my finger looked like today...one day later
It was a fun night, even though I jammed my finger pretty severely in the first few minutes of the game.  It hurt a lot and I had to be conscious of it--dribbling, shooting, giving five to my teammates--for the rest of the night.  It's been a while since I've jammed a finger that bad, but it's an occupational hazard of basketball.  There is definitely some bruising and it may be a while before I can bend my finger properly, but I wasn't going to let it ruin my night.
Brooks' Dodgeball Injury Had Him Passing Out in the Ambulance
I can tell you what I didn't do.  I didn't "pull a Brooks" from the Bachelorette last season.  Brooks tweaked his finger playing dodgeball and had to be life flighted in a helicopter to the E.R.  He passed out along the way, but I think that may have been due more to his embarrassment at having to wear those ugly dodgeball uniforms.  Still it was disappointing to see what a wimp he was.  I guess it foreshadowed his ignominious exit from the show.

Like I said, I didn't have the time to summon an ambulance for a mere finger injury.  I soldiered on and we won the game 65-47.  After the game, I asked the scorekeeper how I did.  He told me: "38 and 17."  I had to ask him again because, while I thought I had played decently, I didn't know what he was referring to.  Turns out I had 38 points and 17 rebounds.  I feel like that's a pretty solid effort and an opportunity to go out on a high note.  :-)

Since I don't know when, if ever, I'll play organized hoops like that again, I am posting the box score from the game:
Last dance?
Gratuitous Kids Shots:

I've rambled enough.  Somehow, some way, this move has happened.  I admit to feeling overwhelmed at times, but I've had some good help.  Most importantly, J. and her mom put in a ton of work sorting stuff into the "KEEP"; "JUNK"; and "GOODWILL" piles.  I can't thank them enough.  

I've also had friends bring food, cookies, and even offer to let me stay in their homes (since all the beds have been gone since last week!).  Apparently it does take a village to move all of our family crap.  I'm just grateful that we live in an awesome village.  

Now for the kids:
M. looking for his blanket in the dryer.  I don't think I can really call him Baby M. anymore!  :-(

We're both exhausted.  And this doesn't happen nearly enough.  

Monday, September 16, 2013

The System

This is the newest book on my Kindle.  It has two chapters that were recently excerpted in the DesNews.  If the rest of the book is as good as these two chapters, this may well be one of the best books that I've read in a long time:

Kyle Van Noy:
Kyle Van Noy Awaits the Snap...
Kyle is one of the best linebackers in the country last year and this year.  He is likely going to be a very high draft pick in the NFL draft this Spring.  He basically won BYU's bowl game last December (against San Diego State) single-handedly--even though he is a defensive player--by blocking a punt, intercepting a pass which he returned for a touchdown, and forcing a fumble which he then returned for a touchdown.

For a defensive player to score two touchdowns in a bowl game is almost unheard of.  He's had a great career at BYU...but he almost didn't come to BYU.  Here is the backstory behind Van Noy's decision to come to BYU:
Kyle Van Noy is one of the reasons that I love BYU and I love BYU football.  No he is not perfect, but none of us are.  His decision to sit out an entire season so that he could come to BYU is admirable (and almost beyond belief).  It would have been very easy for him to go to another school and tell himself that he was going to make the changes necessary to get his life back in order at that other school.  But he didn't do that.  He knew that he was supposed to be at BYU and he made the necessary sacrifices so that he could attend (and play for) BYU.

I'm excited to see what Van Noy can accomplish at BYU this season, in his NFL career, and in life.  But in the meantime, I'll feel good cheering for him (and the rest of the Cougars) this Fall.

Bronco Mendenhall:
Bronco shows some emotion on the sidelines
How can you not like Bronco Mendenhall?  First of all, he's got a great name.  Second, he is loyal.  Third, his teams play with energy and passion.  I remember when he was first hired as BYU's defensive coordinator, I used to root for his defense to take the field because Bronco's defense at BYU was more exciting to watch than BYU's offense.  At a school known for its high-powered passing attack like BYU, this represented a fundamental paradigm shift.  (Of course, this was in the Gary Crowton years when the offense was a bit stagnant).

Here's the excerpt about Bronco from the book:
I love that Bronco was loyal to his friend Gary Crowton.  I love that Bronco's players were loyal to him and went to the school's administration to support him.  And I love that one of the first things that Bronco did after getting hired was to get on his knees and pray.  (I can relate to feeling so overwhelmed with a new assignment that I felt like I needed to pray for guidance.)  

Anyway, I'm grateful that it's football season and I'm grateful for the opportunity to cheer for the Cougars.  Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll actually be able to see a game this season.  In person.  Go Cougs!!!!