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.

Shall We Dance?

The NCAA basketball tournament has many nicknames, including "March Madness" and "The Big Dance."  I'm a huge basketball fan, so this time of year is always fun.

I can't tell you how many memories I have of watching NCAA tournament basketball games.  In many instances, I can remember exactly where I was and who I was with.  I remember: going with my former bishop to buy scalped tickets and see Kentucky (with Ron Mercer, Derek Anderson, and Rick Pitino) play in the Huntsman Center; going to another Huntsman Center contest another year to see the Virginia Cavaliers play; buying tickets for my aunt to see UCLA (with Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook) play and then seeing BYU (and Jimmer) lose to Texas A&M; walking through the Wilkinson Center and seeing games broadcast on television; and running out to shoot free throws as a 14 year old kid during half time as BYU (featuring Marty Haws, Jim Usevitch, Jeff Chatman and Michael Smith) lost to UNLV one year...Good times!  =o)

BYU is back in the tournament this year. No Jimmer this year, but the team has a #14 seed.  BYU will be a Cinderella, underdog team at the Big Dance this year, but at least we're dancing!

The Cougars already played on Tuesday and won in a thriller--setting an NCAA record by coming back from being down by 25 points to win the game by 6.

Noah Hartsock and Brandon Davies

 The win Tuesday was a first for the Cougars in that it came in a "play-in" game (also known officially as a "First Four" game).  Last year, however, Virginia Commonwealth University started by winning its' "play-in" game as a #11 seed and went on all the way to the Mecca of college basketball--the Final Four!  It'd be great if the Cougs could have some similar success.

Speaking of the Final Four, my best friend from high school called me about two weeks ago to offer me tickets to the Final Four this year in New Orleans.  Unfortunately, I already have a prior commitment that Saturday (and I'm not talking about General Conference....)  I can't tell you what a bummer it was to have to tell him that I couldn't make it.  But I'm glad that they're going and I'll have to dream of making it to the Final Four someday.

Maybe if the Cougs manage to keep dancing all the way to the Big Easy, I'll end up skipping my Ironman race to go cheer on them on!  =o)

Aloha Means Goodbye

A Sunday in Paradise--The Kona Coast

"All my bags are packed I'm ready to go...

Cause I'm leavin' on a jet plane

Don't know when I'll be back again

Oh babe, I hate to go"

Maybe John Denver said it best.  After what seems like an eternity, we are leaving The Big Island to head home.  By the time anyone reads this, we will be there.

This has been an amazing ten days.  Best.Dyer.Family.Vacation.Ever!  Okay, maybe that's not saying so much since it's practically the only Dyer Family Vacation ever, but it's one that I hope we remember for a long time.  

Kilauea's Road to Nowhere

We have snorkeled with Sea Turtles, ran and cycled through lava fields, frolicked on white sand beaches, made sand castles on black sand beaches, walked through lava tubes, seen lava flows/eruptions/craters, feasted at luaus, and literally pushed our rental car to its limits (don't tell Budget) as we have climbed mountains.  It has been amazing!

I hate to go and I don't know when we'll be back again.  But I have a feeling that we will be back. One day.   =o)

I'll try and do a few posts in the coming days to recap some of our adventures.

But for now...this is the end of the road!  Aloha, Hawaii!

The End of the Road...At least for Mount Kilauea

What A Difference A Decade Makes...

Ten years ago today (September 10, 2001), I started my legal career. I remember a little about my first day on the job, much more about my second. (Who doesn't remember where they were on that day?)

My new firm put Julie and me up in the Four Seasons in Philadephia for my first few days on the job. I left the hotel and went across the street that first morning to our orientation at the top of the Bell Atlantic Tower. I wasn't sure what was expected of me, except that I figured I would be asked to work hard. And I was ready for it (or at least I thought I was...).

Little did I know that forces were already in motion that would impact the way we live our lives.

Much has changed in the past 10 years. At the airport today, both my wife and I were singled out for enhanced security. I opted to stand with my hands above my head for some sort of body scan device so that I wasn't subjected to a full body patdown that I was warned would include "sensitive areas."

I also forgot to take the liquids out of my bag, so I had to watch while a "friendly" TSA agent took out my cough syrup, tooth paste, deodorant, and soiled laundry bag. (There's nothing like having your dirty laundry aired in public...)

On September 10, 2001, I could not have imagined that this would have seemed normal 10 years later. I don't know if it is good or bad that this is now routine. I'm not even sure if it makes me feel safer. But I do not know that things have changed.

On the legal front, in the past ten years, I have billed many thousands and thousands of hours (worked many, many more than that), represented hundreds of clients, and worked for four different law firms. I have helped a client who lost her husband win a jury award of millions of dollars, I have tried a case with my dad, I took my first deposition (and countless others after that), I have helped settle many disputes. I feel like my clients know that I care about them and their problems. I am grateful for the confidence my clients have placed in me and I always want to be worthy of that confidence.

I have worked hard and I am a better attorney than I was 10 years ago. Being an attorney is not an easy job. But being an attorney can be really fun (at times) and I have felt a sense of personal satisfaction at helping my clients resolve complicated issues.

I have a few gray hairs now--though I'm not actually sure if those hairs are from my cases or from my kids. (Probably both!) And I look at the picture of myself at the top of this post (my first professional picture as an attorney) and I think that I didn't really look old enough to be an attorney.

I don't really like change. But I know that it is essential both personally and professionally. 10 years from now, I expect to be a much better attorney than I am today. And I expect to be a better person, better husband, and better father as well. It will take continued hard work, but I am just as confident today as I was 10 years ago that that I can do it.

I guess that part remains the same.