We may end up naming the baby Chuck Norris. He has quick and vigorous kick.
This pictures also came up when I googled Chuck Norris
Also, I got a haircut on Saturday at the mall.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Chuck Norris and Susie Derkins
This pictures also came up when I googled Chuck Norris
Also, I got a haircut on Saturday at the mall.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Conspiracy Theories at the Veggie Derby
Saturday night our ward had a veggie derby, sponsored by the EQ. The concept was to attach wheels to the veggie of your choice and send it down a race track and see what happens. It was basically a bunch of former boy scouts living out their wildest pinewood derby dreams. Video cameras and multiple stopwatches (the iphone kind) recorded the action. Participants were allowed, or rather encouraged, to modify their vegetable/fruit/tuber/root. Wheels and axles would be provided. The only stipulation was that the end result had to be at least 50% veg.
I was impressed with the level of creativity on display, ranging from Lego stunt drivers and Peeps passengers mounted onto various veggies, to rooty replicas of the Black Pearl and watermelon rockets. None were so impressive, though, as Joe's Mr. Potato Head. Not sure what the final weight was but, with a massive pipe wrench duct taped to it, that potato had to weigh at least 10 pounds. Pinewood derby rules allow a certain amount of weight to be added to the car to help propel it down the track. Joe took that logic and applied it to the potato, and conducted scientific tests to ensure the wrench was indeed less than 50% of the volume of the potato.
Vehicles were sent two by two racing down the track. A bevy of children waited at the end of the track for the veggies to come flying off, and then chased them around the gym until they came to a stop, either on their own or often with a spectacular crash at the far wall. Ryan brought an unadorned giant daikon, which had rather impressive stability and shot straight to the back wall. Milo's lime-jello-filled red pepper had a respectable run, although without the explosive ending he was perhaps hoping for.
Then came Mr. Potato Head, poised at the top of the track, ready to wipe out the competition. Spectators and judges were told to stand back lest the vehicle were to hit a bump on the track and go flying. A massive pipe wrench with a mustachioed potato strapped to it flying through the air would be, in a word, disastrous. Mr. Potato Head and his puny competitor were released, and Mr PH flew down the track in two seconds flat, destroying all competition. It almost destroyed the video camera too when it smacked into the table where the camera was teetering on a tripod.
A clear winner. Faster than they all. An easy win. Perhaps too easy of a win - that must have been what the "officials" were thinking, because Mr PH was forced to race again, this time with a substandard set of axles and wheels that produced a little too much drag. Unbeknownst to Joe, myself or likely most of the crowd, this second race was used to determine the winner. This came to light at the award ceremony, where I was sure that we would be going home with the grand prize of a 10 pound sack of potatoes. Winners in other categories were named off - Green award, style award, best in show, others I can't recall - and then..... the Overall Winner is... some tiny little rutabaga perched atop a zucchini. The shock on my face was apparent, I'm sure. Joe was busy chatting, perhaps not even aware that his award had gone to someone else. Once he realized the competition was rigged, however, he picked up Mr PH and said "let's go". He'd seen enough. The ugly face of "the establishment" had shown itself. His creation wasn't good enough, or maybe it was too good. He made no direct accusations of fraud, rigging, buying votes, etc., but was convinced that his entry was blacklisted from the beginning. Mr. Potato Head never had a chance.
I was impressed with the level of creativity on display, ranging from Lego stunt drivers and Peeps passengers mounted onto various veggies, to rooty replicas of the Black Pearl and watermelon rockets. None were so impressive, though, as Joe's Mr. Potato Head. Not sure what the final weight was but, with a massive pipe wrench duct taped to it, that potato had to weigh at least 10 pounds. Pinewood derby rules allow a certain amount of weight to be added to the car to help propel it down the track. Joe took that logic and applied it to the potato, and conducted scientific tests to ensure the wrench was indeed less than 50% of the volume of the potato.
Vehicles were sent two by two racing down the track. A bevy of children waited at the end of the track for the veggies to come flying off, and then chased them around the gym until they came to a stop, either on their own or often with a spectacular crash at the far wall. Ryan brought an unadorned giant daikon, which had rather impressive stability and shot straight to the back wall. Milo's lime-jello-filled red pepper had a respectable run, although without the explosive ending he was perhaps hoping for.
Then came Mr. Potato Head, poised at the top of the track, ready to wipe out the competition. Spectators and judges were told to stand back lest the vehicle were to hit a bump on the track and go flying. A massive pipe wrench with a mustachioed potato strapped to it flying through the air would be, in a word, disastrous. Mr. Potato Head and his puny competitor were released, and Mr PH flew down the track in two seconds flat, destroying all competition. It almost destroyed the video camera too when it smacked into the table where the camera was teetering on a tripod.
A clear winner. Faster than they all. An easy win. Perhaps too easy of a win - that must have been what the "officials" were thinking, because Mr PH was forced to race again, this time with a substandard set of axles and wheels that produced a little too much drag. Unbeknownst to Joe, myself or likely most of the crowd, this second race was used to determine the winner. This came to light at the award ceremony, where I was sure that we would be going home with the grand prize of a 10 pound sack of potatoes. Winners in other categories were named off - Green award, style award, best in show, others I can't recall - and then..... the Overall Winner is... some tiny little rutabaga perched atop a zucchini. The shock on my face was apparent, I'm sure. Joe was busy chatting, perhaps not even aware that his award had gone to someone else. Once he realized the competition was rigged, however, he picked up Mr PH and said "let's go". He'd seen enough. The ugly face of "the establishment" had shown itself. His creation wasn't good enough, or maybe it was too good. He made no direct accusations of fraud, rigging, buying votes, etc., but was convinced that his entry was blacklisted from the beginning. Mr. Potato Head never had a chance.
A quick stop at Dick's (where we unexpectedly ran into the Laytons, who had left the activity 30 seconds before we did - apparently their kids were too busy running after the veggies to be bothered with the baked potato bar at the derby) and all was forgiven, or at least forgotten.
Joe may be remembered at church as the guy who tried to race a wrench in a vegetable competition, but he will always be a winner in my book. aawwwwe
Friday, March 13, 2009
42 inches and counting
Here are some belly pics from the last week or so. I feel a little like a cartoon character that's just eaten something big, like a turkey, and swallowed it whole, and it's only going to get bigger!
This picture shows off the belly band - a tube top, basically, that helps hold up the pants
This picture shows off the belly band - a tube top, basically, that helps hold up the pants
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Baby Boy
Here are the first baby pictures! We had the ultrasound about a month ago at 16 weeks and they gave us some prints. These are the most recognizable.
Tomorrow I have another checkup and will be at 20 weeks - halfway! Hope all goes well.
Profile
Face. The little dark spot is the heart. And yes, the image of a tiny baby skull is a little freaky.
Feet
The arrow points to ... the determining factor
Tomorrow I have another checkup and will be at 20 weeks - halfway! Hope all goes well.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
All together now
Yes, I'm at work right now
Today was the funeral for Ezra Sherman. For the full story on Ezra go to www.ezrasherman.blogspot.com
It was one of the most uplifting funerals I've been to, and definitely the largest. In a nutshell, Ezra's family has been in our ward for years, and Joe has know his parents Ryan and Kandice since the University ward days, and Kandice and I worked in the RS presidency together. Ezra was suddenly diagnosed with leukemia on January 30th and had massive uncontrolled bleeding in his brain. He died less than a week later at the age of 10. It's hit everyone really hard, and it still seems unreal that we just went to his funeral.
The service was mostly songs, which was so appropriate for Ezra. He was a happy kid who always had a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye that meant he was thinking up some devious plan with his twin brother Milo. He loved music and singing and being onstage. He was also kind and helpful and had a strong testimony of the gospel.
There were probably 300 or so people there, including kids from his 5th grade class, from Guide Dogs for the Blind, from Broadway Bound, church, and family. At the beginning the music was very stoic, with an operatic version of How Great Thou Art, and Luka and her choir-mates singing a beautiful and mournful song in German. Then it got down to business with a bluegrass trio doing I'll Fly Away. There was a smattering of applause from the non-LDS people in the crowd, unaware of our stodgy traditions in the Mormon church. After that was a primary song from the cousins which was very sweet, then came the Beatles. I'll Follow the Sun and a sing-along version of Let it Be. The 5th grade music teacher was jamming on his acoustic guitar, leading the kids in rousing versions of Get Together and Put A Little Love In Your Heart (not the Beatles, but still a little more lively than most church songs).
I think it was the first time we had a guitar, a banjo, clapping, and audience sing-along to the Beatles in the chapel. And if President Olson has anything to do with it, it will be the last. When the music teacher started going nuts on his guitar I could see it written across the stake president's forehead: I've lost all control of this meeting and my chapel is being turned into a concert stage. Joe was thoroughly enjoying it all, especially that aspect of it. And really, everyone in the audience was enjoying it. It was appropriate and upbeat.
But still, that's the last kid funeral I want to go to. Ten years is too short of a life.
Today was the funeral for Ezra Sherman. For the full story on Ezra go to www.ezrasherman.blogspot.com
It was one of the most uplifting funerals I've been to, and definitely the largest. In a nutshell, Ezra's family has been in our ward for years, and Joe has know his parents Ryan and Kandice since the University ward days, and Kandice and I worked in the RS presidency together. Ezra was suddenly diagnosed with leukemia on January 30th and had massive uncontrolled bleeding in his brain. He died less than a week later at the age of 10. It's hit everyone really hard, and it still seems unreal that we just went to his funeral.
The service was mostly songs, which was so appropriate for Ezra. He was a happy kid who always had a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye that meant he was thinking up some devious plan with his twin brother Milo. He loved music and singing and being onstage. He was also kind and helpful and had a strong testimony of the gospel.
There were probably 300 or so people there, including kids from his 5th grade class, from Guide Dogs for the Blind, from Broadway Bound, church, and family. At the beginning the music was very stoic, with an operatic version of How Great Thou Art, and Luka and her choir-mates singing a beautiful and mournful song in German. Then it got down to business with a bluegrass trio doing I'll Fly Away. There was a smattering of applause from the non-LDS people in the crowd, unaware of our stodgy traditions in the Mormon church. After that was a primary song from the cousins which was very sweet, then came the Beatles. I'll Follow the Sun and a sing-along version of Let it Be. The 5th grade music teacher was jamming on his acoustic guitar, leading the kids in rousing versions of Get Together and Put A Little Love In Your Heart (not the Beatles, but still a little more lively than most church songs).
I think it was the first time we had a guitar, a banjo, clapping, and audience sing-along to the Beatles in the chapel. And if President Olson has anything to do with it, it will be the last. When the music teacher started going nuts on his guitar I could see it written across the stake president's forehead: I've lost all control of this meeting and my chapel is being turned into a concert stage. Joe was thoroughly enjoying it all, especially that aspect of it. And really, everyone in the audience was enjoying it. It was appropriate and upbeat.
But still, that's the last kid funeral I want to go to. Ten years is too short of a life.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Origami mommy (or should that be mami?)
Crystelle was asking me how to make those little origami building blocks with which you can make a little box or spiky ball. Here are step by step instructions:
Tucking the pointy end of the 1st piece into the pocket of the 3rd piece will start making a cube
Notice the center point on the ball. There are five ridges encircling it. For a cube there are only three ridges going around the points. I can't remember how many building blocks it takes to start a ball and get the requisite 5 ridges, but just experiment. Every center point on the ball (where it's open slightly) should have 5 ridges around it.
This pattern is courtesy of Luka Sherman.
Thirsty Koala
Oh man, this is too much, I can't handle it. He's holding the little burned paw!
Here's the video. Thanks for the tip Jenny
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