USA v. mexico

If anyone is wondering what they should watch on Wednesday night at 9:00 PM EST, what, with the writers strike going on and everything, I have a small suggestion: Watch the second best rivalry in America (the first, of course, would be the Giants-Dodgers): USA v. mexico in soccer. And, by-the-way, the U.S. has owned mexico lately, which means that I probably just jinxed them, and we will lose. Every since I went on my mission I have developed a fondness for "the world's game," especially Team USA. For those of you who think that soccer is only interesting every four years during the world cup I encourage you to watch this game. The U.S. has the potential to be an entertaining team and we own mexico. Seriously, we haven't lost to them in a long time (I'm too lazy to research how long our unbeaten streak is against mexico, but suffice it to say, we own mexico.) After all, (with the exception of war) when do two countries get to battle each other for bragging rights? And it's really fun to be better at soccer (or futbol) then mexico. So watch your team beat our friendly neighbors to the south at what they consider to be their game. And what could be more American than putting other countries in their place?



P.S. If anyone needs an idea for a birthday present for me (March 3rd) I may need a new U.S. jersey.

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Kelley Acre Ride Adventures
I discovered The Kelley Acre ride a couple months ago, and it quickly became my favorite since moving to the east coast about a year and a half ago. A big group of local racers meet at Chris Kelley's to ride all over the beautiful mountains and countryside around Frederick, Maryland. It's always a great adventure...but today it was probably a little heavier on the "adventure" side than we would have liked. The absurd total of TWENTY flat tires made our usual 4 hour, 67 mile ride turn into 5.5 hours of time outside in the winter cold. I only made it back due to the creative help of Bill fashioning a fix for the centimeter long slash on my front tire out of my empty Hammer Gel packet. My tube was starting to herniate through.

After using a CO2 cartridge to fill the tire back with air, I made the mistake of touching it with my bare finger. They normally get pretty cold after releasing the co2, but today, it was SO cold that it actually burned my finger. (Lame picture to prove.) Luckily, my hands were already so numb from the cold that it didn't really hurt much. I've always been a little afraid of those things. I'm a little fascinated by the fact that I got burned by touching something too cold. Even if it is a wussy little burn.

The other thing that I was absolutely mesmerized by was the forest we rode through that was covered in ice. I've never seen anything like it. I wished I'd had my camera. Because it rained, (without any snow) last night, then froze overnight, every single little branch of every dead tree in this forest was sheathed in ice. Then it turned sunny outside and the light reflected off of them causing this bright, silver, rainbow forest of ice trees that dripped all over us as we rode through. The only damage was when a big icicle fell on me. I was fascinated enough to spend 15 minutes searching google for a picture, and found this one - although it doesn't nearly do justice to what we saw today.

All was capped off with a warm pot of chili waiting for us back at Kelley Acres. I love this ride. Thanks Chris!

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President Gordon B. Hinckley
I can't remember ever having felt a sense of loss at someone's passing, whom I have never actually met before, the way I have this week after President Hinckley passed away. I will miss him! I guess it's because there are probably no other public figures whom I admire, respect, and love as much as I do Gordon B. Hinckley. He has been the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for well over a decade now, and I have grown to love listening to him speak and trusting in his guidance. Even at 97 years of age, his words were always infused with wit, great optimism (not a hint of grumpy-old-man syndrome), and wisdom. His pure life of service made him a trusted leader and exemplar.
I was reading in my journal and found a couple of my favorite quotes from him.

On Charity...
"One of the greatest challenges we face in our hurried, self-centered lives is to follow this counsel of the master - to take the time and make the effort to care for others, to develop and exercise the one quality that would enable us to change the lives of others - what the scriptures call charity. We tend to think of charity as donations to a homeless shelter or a check written to a favorite institution that dispenses funds to those in need. But best defined, charity is that pure love exemplified by Jesus Christ."

Things Work Out...
"It isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don't worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us if we will put our trust in Him, if we will pray to Him, if we will live worthy of His blessings. He will hear our prayers."

Here is a nice article in The Washington Post.

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It's On (and poppin')

Let's take a small step back in time...when the Warriors were coached by Nellie and had a rookie named Chris Webber. This was before 'Spre choked out PJ. Before the 12 year playoff drought. In fact some prognosticators claim that when the Warriors traded Webber for ...Tom Goggliota and three first round-picks, that was when their decline began. But now things have come full circle and the Warriors have signed C.Dub. Maybe this will be just the acquisition the Warriors need to add to their three world championships (two in Philly, and one in the City). That would be three more then the Jazz have.

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Counterpoint: DC does have it figured out - well, at least snow
Picture this -you're rudely awakened very early one morning from your wife's cell phone ringing with the message that she gets to sleep in and enjoy a day off work, and yet you look outside and there is not even a hint of bad weather. You still have to wake up (again) in an hour and go to work. Okay, so Rob perhaps has a little snow day envy. I don't blame him. But I still feel compelled to counter what he wrote in his previous post (read below), because it does not properly pay respect to the beauty of the way people here know how to work a snow day. He accuses Washingtonians of being "out of touch with reality" on the basis that schools all over the place were canceled because of the threat of snow that day. I see it as just the opposite. The truth is, no one could be more in touch with reality than those very people who have figured out that they can cancel school, and more importantly, their own work day, on the basis that they are looking out for the safety of the community. Somehow, the community around DC has collectively discovered a genius way of creating surprise holidays and half days of work - while doing it in the name of safety. What other place in the U.S. could pull this off better than a place crawling with government workers? The way I see, it was too difficult to get congress to add any more national holidays to the calendar, and this is our underhanded way of evening the score with other nations that get hoards of holidays.
I can't blame Rob for feeling a little ripped off that I have gotten as much time off of school due to snow in the last couple months than he got his entire life growing up in Salt Lake - where our big storms would barely make the evening news - but I still can't help but revel in the beauty of snow days here. It's like the universe's way of making up for the fact that I don't get to live in southern California anymore. It gives me a reason to take enjoy the beauty of snow, instead of just being annoyed that I'm stuck to riding my bike indoors for the next week until it all melts off. I mean, if I get a day and a half off from work from a few hours of snow, I'll gladly take that as adequate payment for the inconvenience. Thanks D.C. - at least you have ONE thing figured out!

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SNOW?

Lorena's phone rang at 6:00 am this morning. It was her school calling to say that school had been cancelled in anticipation of snow! What?!? I mean it ended up snowing, but maybe three to four inches. Not enough to cancel school (in my never humble opinion). In fact just about every school around here ended up being canceled or closing early.

For those of you that think people in Washington are out of touch with reality, maybe they are. Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for snow days. But three, maybe four inches? Growing up on the mean streets of the SLC I think we had school cancelled twice. And I'm going to go out on a limb here, but I think Salt Lake gets more snow then D.C. Anyway, unfortunately the Federal Govt. didn't shut down merely on the threat of snow, but they did let us go home about an hour early, because the "roads might be dangerous." Rumor has it we will be able to go to work late tomorrow to allow for the roads to de-ice or something. This kind of reminds me of Los Angeles when it rains. Everyone freaks out, no one knows how to drive, and no one knows what to do. The funny thing is that it happens every year. You think they would figure it out sometime.

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Florida: The new California
Okay, well not really. But still, I can see why all the blue-haired folk flock here for retirement. It has the same great weather and beautiful beaches, without the same price tag. Rob's parents rented a beach house for the family for Christmas, so we've been here all week enjoying what has been a true vacation. Not the kind that leaves you feeling like you need another vacation afterwards. We are out on a peninsula called Alligator point, and the closest thing to us in civilization is a grocery store about 30 miles away. Now that's vacation. So here is what we've done while having nothing to do...
Overly elaborate sand castles...walks on the beach...


make fun of Amy's hairdo...all day long bike ride...1000 piece puzzle...

get destroyed at cards by Rob...strange competitions on the beach...collect seashells...




family runs (how cute, I know)...


In fact, the only "plan" we had for the whole week was going on a river tour to see alligators, manatees, and other cool wildlife. I felt like we were on the set of Tarzan - and as it turns out, this place actually was the set for Tarzan. For my California friends, it's just like going on "The Jungle Cruise" at Disneyland, except we didn't have to wait in line for two hours, our guide didn't have a script of lame jokes, and we didn't see a rhinoceros using its horn to chase some guy up a palm tree.

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CHRISTMAS MIRACLE
Who wrote that "Walking in Memphis" song? Man, that song sucks. Since I am on the internet, I am going to look it up...(answer: Marc Cohen). Why am I writing about Memphis...because it is a Christmas Miracle, we are stuck at the airport, in Memphis.















From these pictures, you can see what fun we are having on Christmas Eve. We are trying to fly to Tallahassee (I honestly don't know how you spell it, and I don't care, never was a big Florida State fan anyway) to spend Christmas with my family (for those out there who are confused and thought my family was in Utah, well yes, some of them are. But Andrea is a reporter for the CBS affiliate in Florida, and we are all going to visit her.) Anyway, we are stuck at the airport in Memphis. I'd never been to Tennessee before (what is with all of these places with multiple repeat letters?) but I have now been at the Memphis airport for a while. It is seriously awesome (as in it sucks). First we got on the plane, and then we sat there for a half hour and then we got off. Looks like the First Mate called in sick. That means we have to wait for another First Mate, or until the sick one gets better, which ever comes first. I was contemplating writing about how I hope the other guy is dying, but that isn't nice, so I won't. Anyway, at least they let us get off the plane, versus staying on while we wait for the First Mate replacement. If you look at picutre number too it says that our flight will be boarding at 3:45 (this factors in the initial hour-and-a-half delay). Well, right now it is 3:56 and we aren't boarding. While waiting in the lobby the stewardess for our flight sat down by us. Then she got up and asked us if we would watch her luggage. Here is a picture of us watching her bag.

Isn't that what they have a million announcements about not doing? We still said yes, and then contemplated telling on her and seeing what happens. In the end, we didn't. Maybe we will get a free drink on the plane? If we did, it would be a Christmas Miracle. No wait, actually leaving Memphis would be a Christmas Miracle.






P.S. The FIRST MATE JUST SHOWED UP! IT REALLY IS A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE.

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The Walkenhorsts:
Mike and Sara came to visit us in D.C. It was rad. This was Mike's present to himself for graduating from business school. As you can tell from this picture we had to drug Mike to be able to take him out in public. But it was still a fun trip. We went to Mount Vernon, Arlington National Cemetery, saw the monuments, the National Archives, the Air and Space Museum, and went to a Wizards game. In between we ate some good food, reminisced, and caught up on old times. For those that don't know, I think I met Mike when I was six years old. He likes to tell a story about me getting him in trouble in first grade for swearing. But isn't that how friendships start, by ratting someone out? Or maybe that is how you get killed by the mafia...anyway, it was a fun trip and we were very stoked that they came to visit us.


At the wizards game

At the capitol. Sorry, I couldn't figure out how to rotate the picture...lame, I know
Lorena and Sara at the Capitol. Again, picture rotation problems.

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Bali Art

So it only took five months for us to get the art we purchased in Bali "stretched" onto a frame so we could hang it up in our house. The best part? Getting it stretched cost more then the picture! Oh well, we think it is cool. And now we can call our selves art collectors. This is our first piece. It's Balinese. It's a picture of ships on the water. It will look a lot better once we buy a house and paint the wall behind it. Until then, this is what you get...

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Favorite Christmas Special

Although Charlie Brown's Christmas will always be my favorite, The Office (British) Christmas Special is a close second. If you have never watched the British version of The Office, then you are missing out on pure awesomeness like this...

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This post is for a good friend of the Candrian blog, Garrett Snow. He was just promoted to Lieutenent in the US Naval Corps. Congrats G.

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Guess the video posted below doesn't work. Here is a link instead: Adam Sandler's Turkey Song

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Happy Thanksgiving!
Today I woke up thinking this:
"Turkey for me, turkey for you, let's eat Turkey from a big brown shoe."
So I had to hunt down my inspiration on the internet and share.

We lucked out here and got great weather for Thanksgiving this year and will be spending it the way every proper Thanksgiving Day should be spent - sleeping in, mountain biking, playing soccer, and going to our good friends' Tyson and Alicia's house to gorge ourselves on all their food. I don't know exactly how I've been able to dodge the bullet of cooking Thanksgiving dinner so far into adulthood, but every year we've been rescued. Oh, wait, come to think of it - I guess we did host Thanksgiving dinner once - but we BBQ'd steaks and and crab instead. It was the year when Rob convinced me, my entire family, and some friends to subscribe to his theory that "for Thanksgiving dinner, you should eat the food that you are most thankful for" - which we decided was steak and crab. I guess he was right - it was a dinner we were all thankful for. But I'm even more thankful to be invited to someone else's dinner. Thanks Ty and Ali!

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The State of Sports in THE CITY

Where have you gone, Will Clark? A nation turns it's lonely eyes to you. As this blog points out, the Bay Area is having a bad run in the sports world. And this was before the Bonds indictment. I think it is karmanic (a word?) payback for all of the great years I enjoyed as a kid when the 49ers were dominating in football and the Giants and Warriors were half decent. For further information about how craptastic the Bay Area has been in Sports lately, see here (although fair warning: in trying to keep this blog family friendly they start the linked post with a word found in the bible, describing a place that is really hot.)

While we are on the topic of steroids and baseball - not to mention my random musings on life - I can't wait until they announce that Roger Clemens was on the juice. I dislike him very much.

And, while I forgot to comment about this when it was announced a few months ago - and no one except for me, my Dad, and Scott Briggs will even care - but how did Will Clark not get more votes for the Hall of Fame? That is unacceptable.

Finally, I was listening to the Dan Patrick radio show a few weeks ago and he was intervewing Tommy Lasorda. Is it just me, or should the combination of obesity and alcoholism have taken his life long ago?

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