Bob Vila Jr.

So I've been working on the 3-month long "Christmas present" of replacing the bedroom doors, casings, and baseboards upstairs. I was pretty sore and tired when H came upstairs and started with this attitude of a been-around-the-block handyman.
"So Dad, how are the doors coming?"
"Really good," I said.
"That's awesome. They look great. Did you get new door knobs?"
"Yep."
"Dad that's great." I showed him around the rooms and what we had changed or added.
You should have heard his tone and enthusiasm. I let him run the shop-vac. That takes vacuuming to another level. The shop-vac.
I just should have had him put on his little orange apron from Home Depot. Icing.

Television drought

We got rid of directv and replaced it with none of the equivalents (dish, comcast, etc). We replaced it with hours of me getting slaughtered by the West Regional Scrabble Runner-Up 2006 AK! We've got to find a replacement game fast. Suggestions? Battleship, Pick-up-Sticks, Pencil Fights?

My parentals got rid of tv for a while as a kid, but we had 5-acres to turn into a snake-catching, tree-fort building, zucchini-war fighting, rooster-roundup chasing, rabbit-cage cleaning paradise!

My Wife the Wonderful Philanthropist

Saturday night AK and I attended the event for which AK has spent dozens of woman-hours preparing. Countless latenight meetings, begging for items to be contributed for the auction all for the Junior League's annual B&W Ball. I think she was one of 5 ladies organizing their biggest fund-raising event of the year. Last year I heard this event lost money (in the red). This year, in ticket sales alone they raised at least $9k, and with auction items up for bid like a Tony Dorsett signed football, I'm sure the grand total raised went much higher.

I had an enjoyable evening stuffing my face with Citrus Grill catered (and donated) food while milling around the works of Andy Warhol at the Museum of Fine Art like a fish out of water.
Splendid job AK! Nice dress too.

Big Snow Year Predicted

We can't wait for some deep snowboarding days this year, and these early season storms are making us more anxious. H and I visited Uncle Chip's shop in Park City on Saturday to see some snow and check out the new gear.
H is stoked for skiing this year, so long as I'm not his instructor after our last outing together.

Bread Snob

Can someone please tell me the difference between a baguette and french bread?? I'm a simple man. Born and raised in the Oregon plains (and a few years in a small desert-town, Phoenix). Reared on home-made whole-wheat bread. Maybe I didn't even spell baguette correctly for all I know.

The Funny Madre made a delicious bisque (that's a soup, for all of you readers in Glendale) and asked me to bring home a baguette. I became confused in the bakery after handling, inspecting, pinching, and sniffing the assorted bread shapes. Nothing was labeled "baguette". Do you think I'd stop and ask someone behind the counter?

I came home with a long loaf of sourdough I thought would work. It did work, but it was not a baguette according to FM. I've been known to cook a good loaf every now and then, but that's my limit to the bread world.

Great dinner AK. That "Home Chef" degree is paying off. Bisque every night.

I mean "snob" in the most loving sense of the word.

My Blog=Funny Madre Part Deux

OK..OK. I'm not updating this blog that often because Funny Madre beats me to the good family topics!! What to Blog about? Huge kudos to the Funny Madre, my wonderful wife for being such a wonderful mother especially while I was out of town in Humid-ville (notice the hyphen PL?)

September 11, 2001

AK, H, Tia D, and I pulled into Tulsa in the early early hours of 9/11/01 for a short-term move. I woke up that morning to AK running up the stairs to our temp home saying to turn on the television. I watched the burning towers collapse after the terrorist attack.

I'll never forget the attacks that day, nor the tremendous courage displayed by first-responders and leadership and reponse by President George W. Bush.

This was not the first attack by islamic-fundamentalist terrorists on the American way of life (ie. freedoms of religion, speech, capitalism), but may be the most memorialized and hopefully the last one of its' kind on our soil as long as Americans continue to remember that day and fight to prevent a repeat.

Saturday's ride

Took a bike ride up to the top of Solitude Ski Resort and back early Saturday. It must have been 40 degrees and chilly. The last quarter mile of the ride to the summit was so steep, compounded by the fact my gears needed a tune-up and couldn't access my lowest gears, I ended up pushing the bike. The downhill was steep and very rocky. V crashed twice and left some blood and flesh on the hill. I want to ride the Canyons and Park City before winter.

¡No más!

I think I've officially, at age 34, kicked the case of AMVS (you know, "Adult-Male Videogame Syndrome"). Listed the xbox 360 on ksl.com and sold the device within 24 hours for $300 more than I paid for it. I don't feel any different. No withdrawals. It can be done. I guess I've logged enough hours playing Halo2 online that I've had my fill and whetted the online-gaming appetite.

In other news, I fished the Low-Pro above Sundance last week with cousin Benny. Landed 3 or 4. The Provo ain't what it used to be. Still, it was an unbelievable setting to be fishing in the shadows of Timp with a gazillion stars overnoggin.

Sunday Afternoon at the Bird

Sunday afternoon hikes at Snowbird are the best. These little guys just love chasing after the squirrels, hiding and scaring each other, and most of all--throwing rocks. Especially into water.
We discovered the rockin' new playground up there. I'm sure we'll hit the Bird several more times before snowfall.

July Fishing

Had a hard time finding a fishing buddy this trip.. Have been hearing about a river for some time so decided to check it out first-hand. The Ham's Fork River north of Kemmerer, WY (our old home state don't forget). This river has character. Park at the old cattle ranch house and leave $10 bucks in the box to fish on private land. The river was empty of other fisher-people which is a pleasant change to the crowded Green and Provo. Was glad the bro-in-law John could make it too (along with his camera).

This is the biggest fish I have landed in a long time. Twentyone inches of rainbow scales. The tape measure doesn't lie.

H's Birthday

Great outing for the 6 year old. Took H and some buds up to the Bird. A little chilly+ice cream sandwiches+rain=cold and wet boys and Dad. ak, O&P all came up as well. There are some monster fish in that little Snowbird pond by the way.

P's Blessing Day

We had a great turnout of fam and friends for P's blessing. Not sure why I didn't just pick her up out of the "bouncy chair". Anet was the elegant mother at F&T mtg.

Fishing with my Dad

The planets aligned and my Dad and I finally made a fishing trip to the Green River. I rounded up an extra pontoon boat (compliments of Chip). We floated the 7 mile section between the dam and Little Hole. Fish Count: Dad landed 5 to my 4. Captured in the foto above is one of the many rainbows in this river, but one unfortunate to be fooled by the rapala. Even with the countless rafters filled with kids (which have as much right to the river as the snobby fly-fishermen) we had an incredible day together. Hope to repeat it soon.

Good Laughs

This Top 10 List (enlarge it) had Anet and I crying we were laughing so hard. We laughed harder at this than we did the Crested Chinese dog that won the Ugliest Dog Contest.

I had the most rockin' Father's Day ever yesterday (even if it did start at about 3am with little O puking up a gallon of pool water he gulped down Saturday). I didn't deserve it all. Anet and my little ones are too kind. All of the attention made me feel a little guilty and inspired me to be a kinder/more thoughtful dad and hubsand (intentional).

Now the big 10 year anniversary! AK and I went to sushi at Kyoto tonight (little Penelope in tow asleep). We had some laughs looking back on the last 10 years and some thoughtful moments wondering where we'll be 10 years from now. Predictions???

3 Fish

I had about an hour of daylight on the Provo River this evening to fish. Ended up landing 3 browns. Totally worth the drive. Next time...the Green. (This photo isn't one of them...) It's incredible to live so close to some great rivers.

CA trip fdbk

Added the Autobots insignia to the header...still trying to figure out what this blog should look like. Love the Transformers though. I would almost miss the bus in jr. high because I was watching as much as I could.
We (the entire Armor Crew) enjoyed a trip to the CA. Anet flew w/ PJ, while the boys and I took a very long trip to In 'n' Out for milkshakes and ended up in Newport. O must have asked 30+ times, "when do we get there???!!!".
Do you Wahoo?? 5x's! Two more days at Big Corona fighting SA for good sand real estate. No sunburns.
After Anet and PJ flew out on Sat, the boys and I left at 4am headed back to the beehive on Sun. morning. H&O were amazed to see the streets so empty that early.
No surfing to report due to some laziness to getting up early to head out.
Remember that part in "True Lies" when Ahnold rides the elevator up while on horseback? That part was filmed in the Westin I stayed in. So I rode the elevator several times because I could. Anet's highlight was visiting the Disney music hall place made of stainless-steel looking sails. Very cool.

The boys

A photo of a day at Li'l Corona last summer. Headed to Shrek the Third in a little bit with the boys. They are pretty excited. Enjoyed Memorial Day. Visited 3 different resting places of the Grandparents on both sides of the family. Spent some of the day teaching (more like instilling confidence) H to ride the "two-wheeler"/bike, which he had balanced underneath him with no help from me within a few minutes at the school playground. Now he's a big-kid riding in the driveway one-handed. Showoff...

I want to be a fisherman

This is what's on my mind driving me nuts right now....Too much to do, and no time to fish one of the top 10 spots in the lower 48. The Green River. The cicadas are going off, and I'm a short drive away...This is why I live in UT.

Dear Diary

I may be mistaken, but around these parts I see quite a few blogs from ladies and next to none from any of my guy friends. Not that I'll be sending this site link to all my bro in laws and friends. I figured there must be some pleasure from speaking my digital mind and spouting my interests.
This may be a one and done. And if so, I'll shut it down and free up "Shining Armor" for another "Knight"