Fifteen Minutes of Delusion

Tile Floors: 7 Glass Dishes: 0

I did it! I got our storage unit allotment reduced from three down to two. And in the process, I got the boxes in the two remaining units organized enough to allow quick retrieval of the things we really don't need. Also in the process, I managed to anger my back. I'm not sure which of the broken rules of box handling caused the pain, but I think it was a "twisting lift" infraction. In any case, I had a bit of discomfort yesterday. Up and down at the temple last night was not fun. I was very concerned about sleeping with Kara last night. She is using our old futon mattress, and about the only nice thing I can say about it is that after sleeping on it 5 nights a week, hotel room beds no longer make my back ache. Thank heaven for Motrin - I slept like a baby. I think it's time for some more.

Tonight Anna did a Google search on how to care for tadpoles . The reason is unfortunately obvious. (sigh)

It's been a while since I've written about the sauna, so I thought I would give a quick update. The previous efforts seem to have paid off. Kara is now using our sauna five days a week. (The other two days she's in Dallas.) It's not perfect, and if it runs for too long before she is able to get in, the terps build up to a point that it is a problem. But for the most part, it's working OK for her. I was very relieved to notice that the her increased sauna use the last few months has not caused our power bill to go up (or stay the same - January just about killed me!) The sauna seems to be much more efficient than what I had feared. Still, in order to make the most of the electricity use, I've started taking advantage of the left over thermal energy by taking a quick sauna myself when Kara is done. After she turns off the heater, it is still plenty hot (160) to get me sweating right off the bat. It's supposed to help one loose weight. Kara says I really stink...

The biggest problem with delusion is that it doesn't last. Sooner or later, a gust of reality will come along and blow aside the gauzy veil that allows the deluded mind to take comfort in not seeing clearly, and the stark reality of the situation becomes painfully obvious. Yesterday this blow to ignorant bliss came by way of a bill for a doctor that Kara saw several years ago. Kara believes he helped her quite a bit. I will keep my opinion to myself. In any case, we owed this doctor an amount of money that was almost five digits long. The initial plan was to pay this bill with equity from the sale of our house. The problem is, there was no paper statement for this bill, and I did not understand just how much we owed. By the time a paper bill did arrive, the equity had been pretty much tied up into improvements on this house. So we went to plan B - insurance. We were having a very hard time getting any insurance paperwork from this doctor - he's actually a Naturopathic Doctor , ...

I took the day off from work yesterday. We still have three (ouch) storage units, and I needed to get moved out of one of them before we had to pay rent on it again. Actually, I need to get moved out of all of them, as they're eating us alive. The units are all inside a climate-controlled building, which we did for the sake of the pianos. And since we were only going to be in them for a couple of months, I figured we'd just put all our stuff in the same place, for convenience. I was so deluded back then. I thought that the stuff that we had in the house in Utah would work OK here. But now that we're in our new house, I'm starting to understand that this was faulty logic. We really, really, really should have sold everything and started over from scratch. At least with the furniture, which is what we're going to end up doing, anyway, I'm afraid. Before leaving, I caught up on a few chores left over from Monday, then I programmed our garage door opener to accept o...

It's called a Webkinz . It's like a Beany Baby with it's own online community. You buy the doll, enter a code on a web page, and suddenly you are playing with your new toy in a virtual world with all of your little Webkinz-owning friends. Cute, isn't it? It's a pain in the part where pains aren't good, that's what it is. Anna wants the Pegasus. She must have the Pegasus. She has been saving and saving for Pegasus for the last week now. Unfortunately, Pegasus is rare. About to be retired, they say. Anna hasn't been able to find Pegasus in a store. Never mind that she hasn't actually gone to a store where they sell Webkinz, or called or emailed or anything. She just knows she won't be able to find it in the store, because it's rare. She knows it's rare, because that's what the sellers on ebay say. Every one of the 208 Webkins Pegasus dolls for sale at this very moment has listed in the item description that this toy is rare. It's a...

Pictures in the bluebonnets is a Texas tradition. We took the girls to the park yesterday to celebrate making it through Saturday morning. There were wildflowers galore in the accompanying field. It's amazing how something so pretty can stuff up a nose so fast.

It's taken a decent chunk of two Saturdays, and there's still a couple of hours to go, but the laundry room now has an exhaust fan that blows to the outside. We put this in because the room had no natural ventilation, and it was starting to smell moldy. Smelling moldy is bad. I had bought a light-and-fan combo a year ago to put in our Lehi laundry room, but hadn't gotten any further then measuring a support stud for the attic. The laundry room light in this house was already attached to a large ceiling joist, so I didn't need to add any extra support. But there were other challenges. The biggest was the large piece of press board that was covering the entire laundry room area and had to be taken up without destroying it, as it provides the main access to the HVAC unit. Getting the board up wouldn't have been too hard, except that a couple of phone lines and a heating duct both went through it. I cut the board so the duct now went through a notch instead of a hole, a...

Yes, the trees are beautiful. It was quite green. Texas is green right now, too, but the trees aren't nearly as tall. I had a chance to punch the Charger. It jumped about the same as our Honda. I found a document in the car that says it has the 3.5L V6. I'm guessing the 6.1L Hemi V8 has a little more power. I found Andy Griffith doing his football routine on the Sirius Blue Collar Comedy channel. It was funny, but then the next guy's routine got a little TOO blue. So I switched to Laugh Break , which was a little more friendly to my tender sensitivities. I only had one salad on this trip, but I worked out twice on the elliptical, and I only ate at mealtimes. I think I actually made progress this time around. I couldn't skip the train when I got back, because I landed at terminal E, not A or C. I get to do it all again in a couple of weeks. But this time I'll get to have dinner with my old buddy Joe, who is now a pilot and scheduled to be in Atlanta at the same tim...

I had dinner with Tyronn Lue tonight. Well, actually I didn't have dinner with Tyronn. I just sat by him in a booth. Actually, I sat by myself in a booth that was near his. Three booths away, really. But there was nobody sitting in the booths between us. He left about the same time my Eggplant and Chicken Parmesan arrived. Don't ask me why I ordered an Italian meal in a Cajun restaurant. Probably for the same reason I wrote a blog about Tyronn Lue. Because I can.

I decided to try traveling light on this trip. I've had enough of big suitcases and baggage claims, so I only packed enough clothes for two days. This would ensure that I had the chance to wash one set of clothes in my hotel room sink, just to make sure I could. I learned how to do this at a combined Priest and Laurel activity some twenty-odd years ago. The Priests were there to learn how to do basic missionary things like sew on buttons and wash clothes in the sink (in case of a no-clean-white-shirt emergency). The Laurels were there to help show the Priests how these things were to be done. However, most of the girls looked as lost as the boys when the leaders did their little demonstrations. At this exercise, I learned how to lay a piece of wet clothing in a towel and then twist it until the towel was doubled up into a ball, squeezing out a surprising amount of water. This is easier to do with a partner, but can be managed alone if you stand on one end of the towel and weigh mor...

Well, I made it safe and sound. I should be sleeping, but I couldn't keep you in suspense about my trip any longer. I made it to DFW in 45 minutes, which is some kind of a record. I was even holding back, going with the main flow and getting passed quite a bit. I didn't know which of the three American terminals my flight left from, but I guessed C. It was A. So I got to ride the train . I got off at the stop for gate A11. That's what I thought I read on the monitor. It was A37. But that's OK. a little walk would be good for me. I got to my gate, and realized that I was pretty close to where I came into terminal C. So when I get home, I'll skip the train. The flight was uneventful, and I was able to get a car without too much trouble. I did my best to jump out of the little shuttle and be first in line. I didn't push anybody, don't worry. That lady would have fallen on her own, I'm sure. (Just kidding). I signed up for a compact car. They gave me a Charg...

Grocery shopping - check Put checks in the mail - check Change the air filter in the furnace - check Replace the laundry room light with an exhaust fan - check Make a packing list - not yet Spray Vodka on the couch - check Put nail stops in the window frames - no Update the playlist on Kara's iPod - tomorrow Write blog - check Write follow-up blog - check

Yesterday we had some weather. They kept talking about it all day - first it would get here at 9:00 am, then at 3:00 pm, and then and 8:00 pm. It hit about 5:30. I had just dropped Anna off at a friend's house for a sleepover, and taken Alyssa to Kara's Visiting Teacher's house to play (they have a baby - what more would Alyssa need?) and I got home just a little before the rain hit. Kara got home a little after. The weatherman said there could be winds up to 70 mph and golf-ball sized hail. All we had were a few episodes of near-horizontal rain. It was enough to provide some entertaining weather watching without the annoying and costly cleanup that can sometimes follow. There are places nearby that got tornadoes and hail, but not us. As a side note, the fan that is at the heart of The Stinky Sucky Office Project did not let in any rain, even though it was rolling down the window in sheets. This was really nice. Today is another full Saturday, and yet I sit here typing. Bu...

Although Our family probably didn't travel as often as I think I remember, most of our family summer trips were to visit family, and that always meant a trip to see Uncle Jay and Aunt Ila in Las Vegas. One of my earliest memories of visiting Uncle J as a child is that he had a remote control for his TV. To a kid in the early 70's, this was cool stuff. This remote was called the Zenith Space Commander , and when you pushed the buttons, it really did click. The contraption had several buttons and, along with the click, made a high-pitched noise that that would cause the dial on the TV to turn. I think it might have had an on/off button, too. During this particular visit, I took the opportunity to demonstrate my newfound understanding of direct-dial long distance by calling a friend back in Omaha. When my parents found out who I was talking to, they were embarrassed half to death. (In those days, long distance calling charges actually meant something.) But being a good uncle, J ju...

Earlier today my Uncle J had a massive stroke, and he is not expected to make it through the day. This is a picture of the girls and I with Aunt Ila and Uncle Jay last summer. I'm glad we went. I'll post more on this later. Update: I just got word from my mom that the doctors are waiting for a couple more family members to arrive, and then they will take him off of the ventilator. The funeral is scheduled for Saturday at 10:00. The last time there was a funeral in Vegas, I was able to make a (very long) day out of it, driving down in the morning and driving back that night. I don't have that kind of option this time. I'm scheduled to fly to Atlanta for work Sunday night, so I'm afraid I may have to miss this one. I haven't given up yet, but I just don't see it happening. Update 2: Here is a link to the official obituary.

(This one may be a little tasteless - sorry) Have you heard about the new Al Qaeda children's cartoon? It's called Dodi the Explodi (Fortunately there's only one episode)

Anna forgot to bring home her spelling list today. She needs to study her spelling words every day, because this is not her strongest point. No problem, though. Her teacher has the list posted up on her web page. Last time I got there the round-about way - district page, school page, staff page, teacher's page. But I was in a hurry, so I wanted to go straight to the teacher's page. It was an easy address - www.teacher'sname.com. Um, actually, it was www. mrs teacher'sname.com. Now, this teacher has a fairly common name. There are probably dozens, maybe even hundreds, of people with the same name in this world. One of them appears to be a bit of an exhibitionist.

Despite being unseasonably cold, we had a great weekend. Saturday was every bit as busy as predicted. I went to the storage unit and filled the truck. It will probably take me several weeks to get the boxes all emptied out, but I wanted to bring home as much as I could. We still have stuff in three units, and my goal is to get that trimmed down to 2 before we have to pay rent again at the end of the month. Kara worked hard at getting things ready for Easter. She spent quite a bit of time in the kitchen boiling eggs and baking. The girls had a great time doing the easter eggs this year. We made 15, and there are only 5 left! I think this will be the first year we won't have to throw a bunch of boiled eggs away. The easter bunny was good to the girls this year. Each got a puzzle and a computer game and some socks. A little bit of chocolate, too. Kara made blueberry bunny pancakes for breakfast. Yum! She also made a delicious trifle for dessert, and she made the pudding from scratch....

Yesterday was Good Friday, and it was a good day around here. The girls still had school, I still had work, and Kara was still at the clinic, but by the end of the day we were all together and everyone was in a pretty good mood. Kara and I have both had the feeling that we were on the verge of some big improvements in her health, and this last trip to the clinic brought some results that tell us we may be right. She told me she feels better than she has in a long, long time. I hope this new high point is just the start of many great improvements. Yesterday was movie night. I didn't have a chance to go and rent the new "Charlotte's Web", so we decided to just watch something that we already had at home. As it got later, I opted for something a little shorter - the old Rankin-Bass " Here Comes Peter Cottontail. " We've had this for several years, and the girls didn't really like it that much, but I didn't want to watch anything longer than an hour...

Day one of The Stinky Sucky Office Project appears to be a success. There is negative pressure in the office (air pressure, not work pressure - that's still very much positive) and the hallway outside the office door doesn't smell so much like the office. Hooray! Our insurance changed last September because of our move, and the doctor's office still had the old information on all of the forms, so I couldn't submit them. This is significant, as we pay for Kara's treatment up front, and then get reimbursements from the insurance company. I finally got updated paperwork (300 or so pages) and submitted the first batch, after saying a big prayer over it. Now we wait to see if they will pay without putting up a fight. We're busy trying to figure out our summer schedule, and it ain't easy. I want to spend a few weeks in Utah so I can see family and spend time in the office. While I'm there, I'd like to bring the girls with me and have them split their time ...

OK. The Stinky Sucky Office Project is now underway. I have a twin window fan installed in my office. The fans can be set separately, which is interesting. I have one fan blowing out on high, and one fan blowing in on low, to help me get some of the fine Canadian air that has dropped us over 30 degrees. Thanks, Canada . This setup is worth a try, but it isn't completely perfect. Since the fan is only about a foot off of the floor, the air that is being sucked out is cooler than the stuff at the 10' level, which a ceiling-mounted exhaust fan would pull. Plus, since it's right next to the AC it might spit the cool air outside before it has a chance to get over to me. But these are all potential issues that may or may not make a big difference. The most important thing right now is to keep the office smell out of the rest of the house. If this setup does that, then we're in business.

One way to get a project done is to ask for help. I don't know if this is the best, or quickest, or easiest way, but it is one way. There's a spot on my Y chromosome that tries to prevent me from asking, but I've learned that when someone is scheduled to come and help, it's much harder to procrastinate a task. Plus I've watched enough AFV to realize that, deluded as I am, there are some jobs that require some help. Like jobs involving electricity. Tomorrow night my home teacher is coming with his electrical fish tape to help me with Home Improvement Phase XLII, also known as "The Stinky Sucky Office Project." This is where I attempt to keep the necessary but problematic computer/monitor/printer odors from escaping the office and drifting through an otherwise (mostly) clean house, as the do now. To accomplish this goal, I have purchased the Great-Aunt of All Exhaust Fans and will install it to vent the air out to the world. This will create negative pressu...

As the saying goes, there are four seasons in Texas: December, January, February, and Summer. February was a long time ago, and Summer is well underway here. The electronic sign at Casa Manana said 91 today. The one across the street said 93. In any case, it was hot. Tomorrow should be much cooler, thank goodness. Hot, wet summer days have a tendency to create thunderstorms. I managed to catch this picture tonight. We didn't get anything from this storm but a light show. Some places got baseball-sized hail. In totally unrelated news, our Toy Story DVD is going away. Don't get me wrong - I like Buzz, Woody and the guys. Just not every day, like Alyssa does. She rediscovered this video sometime in March, and has watched it constantly ever since. Actually, she hasn't watched it. She just keeps jumping from one chapter to the another. Our Toy Story DVD is going away. I told her tonight that I was going to put it away for a while, and she was OK with that, which surprised me. Bu...

This weekend was General Conference , and I thought we would be able to watch it with streaming video. So I brought my computer out to the living room and hooked it up to the TV. We were able to watch BYU 's feed for about half an hour before it hung. KSL 's feed made you start at the beginning, which I wasn't really interested in doing. So I just loaded the audio feed and let it run through the Windows Media Player. I hate to admit this, but I enjoyed watching conference this way. The audio came through just great, and the swirling colors of the "visualization" was more interesting to look at than a person standing at a podium. With the computer in the living room, writing today's blog is more of a family affair. I asked the girls what to write about. Alyssa said "doggie," which I can only assume is a reference to a dog we saw today (at a distance) while we went for a walk between sessions. After two nearly solid days of rain, we have now had two ab...