update

Random things that have been going on:

Introducing Kruger. The picture is blurry - but all the pictures I've taken of him are blurry. He's about as photogenic as Charlie, every time I point the camera her direction, she moves. So does Kruger.

Kruger came from Alamo, Nevada. Scott resucued and brought him home. I wasn't sure why Scotty would bring home a dog just before he leaves to go on a mission. He thought I needed someone to keep me company when he's gone. Kruger's already had a hospital bill - one thing I swore I'd never do. But when they wake you up at 1 in the morning sick...as a dog...you have to get them some help. Appearantly puppies can't eat just anything.

Another new thing around here has to be the coolest surprise I've ever gotten in the mail. (is gotten a word?) Wait, maybe the card announcing Kara's pregnancy was the coolest thing in the mail. But this item sure is Saweet. Allison and Terry Owens sent this roomba vacumn cleaner as a combined Christmas/birthday/thanks-for-letting-Brian-live-with-you gift. I don't know that I would have ever bought one for myself, but now that I have it, it is awesome. You just turn it on and it travels throughout the room cleaning up after everybody. (well, when it can clean up a puppy oops, then it will be cleaning up after everybody)

I also decided to tackle tuning my piano. I started thinking about it last November. It was soooo out of tune and choir practice would be at our house the month of December. One day as Ron was taking apart a motorcycle in the garage, I got to thinking, how hard can it be to take apart a piano? So I got up, walked over and started dismantling it. Then I decided I have a pretty good ear, how do you do it? Thanks to the internet and YouTube, there are many people willing to tell you how to do it. I ordered the wrenches and rubber wedges on-line and last week sat down to tune the piano.

This has been the funnest project I've done in a long time. In case you didn't know, each note has three strings that form it. Isolate and tune one outside string of the three, then isolate and tune the other one, then tune the middle string to vibrate perfectly in sinc with the other two. When you reach that tone, it is the coolest thing ever.

My goal to read all book club books this year bombed in month #1. Not because I didn't purchase and begin to read the book. But because at Page 33, I said, "This is crap." and I put it down. My opinion didn't go over too well at book club meeting. I'm not against reading other books, I want to, that's why I choose book club. But this book didn't fall into the 'best of books' category. So I'm even rethinking the whole participating in book club idea. At first I thought since I was a member of Relief Society and HFPE meeting monthly was being replaced by monthly interest groups and a quarterly get together, it was my responsibility to choose an interest group. Scrapbooking, or book club. Book club won. But if I have to torture myself through one more self-help book, I'm going to scream. So I'm thinking if this is what everyone enjoys, why should I go and spoil it for them. I'll just not go.

Brad & Kara have an announcement on their blog that's generated a lot of comments. Check it out.

David & Rebekah celebrated their 2nd anniversary. Their blog has a nice slide show. Check it out.

(doesn't that make you want to break out in Black-eyed-Peas song...."Check it out. I met a girl down at the disco she said, hey, hey, hey, let's go." Which brings me back to book club discussion. Appearantly it's o.k. to read crap, you're just not supposed to listen to it.)

Drew started Sunbeams, wrote his own version to the theme song. Again, check it out.

Jenn & Jordan have callings in their ward and are doing great. Maybe she'd be offended if I didn't ask you to check them out as well.

Seminary Oops. Here's what I get for following the manual and trying to mix up my teaching style a bit. The lesson was on God using the weak things of the world to accomplish his purposes. It gave five different people out of the Book of Judges. So I typed up the name and scripture reference on a piece of paper. The kids were instructed to look it up and explain the situation and why that person was an unlikely hero to the house of Israel. The other kids got papers that said, What can you do to help move forward God's kingdom on earth. I mentioned that they might need to read chapter heading, a few verses before and after to get the full picture. It was all fine until Jephthah (Judges 11.) One of the smartest girls in the class ended up with his name. She not only read the reference (which was two verses) but chapter before and after. And ends her explanation with "in the end, he ended up making an oath with God to sacrifice his daughter, which I don't understand because God isn't about sacrificing children."

"No, he's not." So there must be something she didn't catch in the reading. I open to that chapter, kind of started reading through and talking to the kids about it - can't let this go unaddressed. But it really is reading as she explained. and it gets worse. Luckily I have the skills to read, talk, and skim ahead all at the same time. I ended up just trailing off..."and she wanted to go...away...for the month...with her friends..." And I just ubruptly stopped and said, "I don't have an answer why he was allowed to sacrifice his daughter, I'll have to sit and look at this a little closer." I don't think there were many students following along that would have filled in the words about her bewailing her virginity, but it was a couple of seconds of panic on my part. Good thing I was saved by the bell. And the Institute manual.

And finally, politics. UGHHH.... What's up with the GOP? I've always been with the red state way of thinking. But 'they're' making it harder and harder. I've liked Mitt for a long time. I've followed his website long before it was announced he was running, back when he was still putting committees together. I've always thought a business man should run the country. I didn't have a problem with him changing his mind on things. I can't stand McCain. I've never liked him. I can't figure out why a state like Arizona who has just as many conservative thinking people like me would put up with him, let alone elect Gov. Janet Napolitano. Go figure. Huckabee is hanging around to be a thorn in Mitt's side and to get on as McCains #2 pick. It's almost enough to make me turn blue. I don't know what I'm going to do, short of moving out of the country. I'm so upset.

Well there's lots of good news on the horizon....until next time.