What a miracle the birth of a baby is! We are very, very happy to welcome Silas into our family and are grateful for the answer to our many prayers in his and Lindsey's behalf (oh, okay, and Dustin too!).
Silas - Origin and Meaning of the name
(from www.babynamespedia.com)
The boy name Silas is pronounced as SAYLahS. Silas is used predominantly in the English language and its origin is Latin. Biblical name derived from the element 'silva' which means wood, forest. Silouanus (Old Greek), Silvanus (Latin), and Silvianus (Latin) are old forms of Silas. The name was originally used as a nickname for someone living in the woods, or else someone whose job involved working with wood. The name appeared in Roman mythology as Silvanus, the spirit or god of the trees. In the Bible, it was borne by a prophet and companion of the apostle Paul and Timothy. The name was also borne by several early saints, and was adopted by English Puritans in the 17th century. In literature, the name appeared as the miserly weaver in the George Eliot novel Silas Marner (1861), and as the villian in the Sheridan Le Fanu novel Uncle Silas (1864). The name Silvana (German and Italian) is the female version of Silas.
Popularity of SILAS as a boy's name in United States
(from www.babynamefacts.com)
Year - Rank
2007 - 346th
2006 - 373rd
2005 - 412th
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
An "L" of a birthday*
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears! March 19 is Brenda’s birthday, a significant one in that it ends in a zero. Some weeks ago Brenda mentioned to me that she has never in her life had a birthday party with invited guests just for her. She’s been part of many birthday parties for our kids when they invited guests. And we have had family birthday parties to celebrate Brenda’s birthday. But apparently neither as a child nor in our marriage has she enjoyed a “real” party of her own.
I thought about organizing a surprise party to celebrate Brenda’s birthday. But her birthday falls during Spring break and many of the friends I would invite are out of town. So I decided instead to invite church members, friends, and acquaintances from former times and places to join me in wishing Brenda a Happy Birthday by phone call, text message, or e-mail. I printed copies of a little card I handed out to people in church inviting them to contact Brenda. I also e-mailed many people in my address book with the same invitation. Brenda is not aware, I think, that I have gone to this effort. It will be fun to see how many people take part.
Already some birthday cards have arrived in the mail. Brenda was a little puzzled to receive a card from one woman she hardly knows. I was relieved to see that the note accompanying the card did not let the cat out of the bag.
Tonight I will need to be a little sneaky to charge Brenda’s cell phone without her knowing I am doing so. And tomorrow I will have to come up with some excuse to keep her at home so those trying to call Brenda can reach her.
Happy Birthday, Brenda. I love you.
* Think Roman numeral L
I thought about organizing a surprise party to celebrate Brenda’s birthday. But her birthday falls during Spring break and many of the friends I would invite are out of town. So I decided instead to invite church members, friends, and acquaintances from former times and places to join me in wishing Brenda a Happy Birthday by phone call, text message, or e-mail. I printed copies of a little card I handed out to people in church inviting them to contact Brenda. I also e-mailed many people in my address book with the same invitation. Brenda is not aware, I think, that I have gone to this effort. It will be fun to see how many people take part.
Already some birthday cards have arrived in the mail. Brenda was a little puzzled to receive a card from one woman she hardly knows. I was relieved to see that the note accompanying the card did not let the cat out of the bag.
Tonight I will need to be a little sneaky to charge Brenda’s cell phone without her knowing I am doing so. And tomorrow I will have to come up with some excuse to keep her at home so those trying to call Brenda can reach her.
Happy Birthday, Brenda. I love you.
* Think Roman numeral L
Monday, March 09, 2009
Dickens: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times;"
Here are a couple of observations I noted in a recent economic report:
US employment numbers dropped by 651,000 jobs in February, nearly equaling the monthly declines in December and January. The national unemployment rate rose from 7.6% to 8.1%, the highest since 1983.
I finished graduate school in 1983 during a significant recession. It was very difficult to find full-time employment at that time. In fact, because I could not find work I accepted a position as a summer intern while I continued to search for a “real” job. I felt a heavy responsibility to provide for my wife and three little children and was very concerned that I might not be able to find work by summer’s end. So how did I get a job?
My manager was responsible not only for Human Resources (my educational background), but also for Corporate Services, which included all the buildings and office cubicles. Several office moves were scheduled for the summer months and I did whatever I could to help out. So instead of doing what I was educated to do, I helped plan and organize office moves. This was “down and dirty” work, often involved working late and on weekends to help with the moves when people were away from the building. Instead of working with the white collar professionals in the company, I worked in the trenches with the maintenance workers, office construction staff, and moving company staff. I think when my manager saw my willingness to pitch in and help with whatever was necessary, she decided I was worth keeping. I ended the summer with the offer of a full-time position.
The United States, China, and many countries in Europe have enacted economic stimulus packages, with the U.S. and Chinese packages proportionately larger than the European packages. Little impact will be felt before late 2009; most of the impact will appear in 2010.
Today I think it is necessary to adopt a strategy to “ride out” the recession. It seems clear that a recovery will take some time to occur. That said, I am confident that we will see better times again. During difficult times, we can all fall victim to two extremes of thought. We can mistakenly think that good times will always continue and not have a backup plan or build a safety net. I think this is what we have witnessed during much of the last thirty years. The prophets have been very clear that we should be prepared for emergencies, including loss of employment and reduction of income. Conversely, during bad times we can conclude that the future will always be bleak. Such catastrophic thinking may destroy hope that better days will come. Both extremes can cause us to make short-term decisions that have poor long-term consequences.
Life tends to follow a roller-coaster pattern, with recurring highs and lows. I once heard a speaker say that as adults our lives would likely move in and out of crisis every three months or so. At the time I thought his comment was extreme. I no longer think so. I can think of no generation that has not had serious challenges and struggles. Certainly the pioneers faced difficulties we can only imagine. Within the last hundred years the world has experienced two great world wars and countless smaller wars. Some lethal diseases, now rare, were once commonplace. And economies have fluctuated over and over again. So what we are experiencing to day, though it may be different in degree, is certainly not different in kind from what many others have seen. We have no reason to expect a life without challenge and turmoil. But that doesn’t mean we won’t be happy and experience joy in life. With patience, preparation, persistence and prayer we can – and will – weather the problems we face. “Therefore, let your hearts be comforted; for all things shall work together for good to them that walk uprightly … (D&C 100: 15)
US employment numbers dropped by 651,000 jobs in February, nearly equaling the monthly declines in December and January. The national unemployment rate rose from 7.6% to 8.1%, the highest since 1983.
I finished graduate school in 1983 during a significant recession. It was very difficult to find full-time employment at that time. In fact, because I could not find work I accepted a position as a summer intern while I continued to search for a “real” job. I felt a heavy responsibility to provide for my wife and three little children and was very concerned that I might not be able to find work by summer’s end. So how did I get a job?
My manager was responsible not only for Human Resources (my educational background), but also for Corporate Services, which included all the buildings and office cubicles. Several office moves were scheduled for the summer months and I did whatever I could to help out. So instead of doing what I was educated to do, I helped plan and organize office moves. This was “down and dirty” work, often involved working late and on weekends to help with the moves when people were away from the building. Instead of working with the white collar professionals in the company, I worked in the trenches with the maintenance workers, office construction staff, and moving company staff. I think when my manager saw my willingness to pitch in and help with whatever was necessary, she decided I was worth keeping. I ended the summer with the offer of a full-time position.
The United States, China, and many countries in Europe have enacted economic stimulus packages, with the U.S. and Chinese packages proportionately larger than the European packages. Little impact will be felt before late 2009; most of the impact will appear in 2010.
Today I think it is necessary to adopt a strategy to “ride out” the recession. It seems clear that a recovery will take some time to occur. That said, I am confident that we will see better times again. During difficult times, we can all fall victim to two extremes of thought. We can mistakenly think that good times will always continue and not have a backup plan or build a safety net. I think this is what we have witnessed during much of the last thirty years. The prophets have been very clear that we should be prepared for emergencies, including loss of employment and reduction of income. Conversely, during bad times we can conclude that the future will always be bleak. Such catastrophic thinking may destroy hope that better days will come. Both extremes can cause us to make short-term decisions that have poor long-term consequences.
Life tends to follow a roller-coaster pattern, with recurring highs and lows. I once heard a speaker say that as adults our lives would likely move in and out of crisis every three months or so. At the time I thought his comment was extreme. I no longer think so. I can think of no generation that has not had serious challenges and struggles. Certainly the pioneers faced difficulties we can only imagine. Within the last hundred years the world has experienced two great world wars and countless smaller wars. Some lethal diseases, now rare, were once commonplace. And economies have fluctuated over and over again. So what we are experiencing to day, though it may be different in degree, is certainly not different in kind from what many others have seen. We have no reason to expect a life without challenge and turmoil. But that doesn’t mean we won’t be happy and experience joy in life. With patience, preparation, persistence and prayer we can – and will – weather the problems we face. “Therefore, let your hearts be comforted; for all things shall work together for good to them that walk uprightly … (D&C 100: 15)
Friday, March 06, 2009
My nickname in grade school ... and Book of Mormon nicknames?
When I was a boy there was a fast food hamburger chain in Salt Lake City called Dee's Hamburgers. Long before McDonald's came to Utah, the advertising image of this outlet was a clown. If the clown had a name, I was unaware of it; everyone knew it as the Dee Burger Clown. I was the only student in school named Dee. And guess what my nickname was? Yes, I was known far and wide as the Dee Burger Clown.
Today going for a hamburger is practically an everyday occurrence. In the late 1950s and early 1960s it was still a big deal to go for burgers. This photo of the Dee Burger Clown shows a price of 28 cents for a hamburger, but I can remember when I was in graduate school in the early 1980s there would occasionally be specials for 19 cents (Mom and I would enjoy a night out for fine dining!) and on a rare Friday the 13th the special promotion would be hamburgers for 13 cents.
I can still remember the advertising jingle that played so often on the radio: "Let's all go to Dee's ... Let's all go to Dee's ... That's what Daddy says and the family all agrees. Dee's!" Okay, so it was in the days before women's rights and gender equality.
Eventually this chain was sold to Hardee's and the cherished Dee Burger Clown disappeared. My nickname hung on through high school, though, as the memory of Dee's Hamburgers was indelibly impressed in the memory of many people. Interestingly, the chain had an outlet in South Africa as some entrepreneur from Utah (a returned missionary, perhaps?) tried an early international expansion. Apparently this was the first experiment at a fast food outlet in that country (see Wikipedia for more details). The next photo shows what must have been the eventual fate of all the Dee Burger clowns (sigh) -- except me.
Based on my not altogether pleasant experience with this nickname, when Mom and I had children we tried very hard to choose names that we thought would not lend themselves to terrible nicknames. Try as we might, though, various nicknames took root and flourished. Ben became known early on as BJ. Lisa was called Weesa and later as Chunga (ask her). Brian became Briney when one of the younger girls couldn't quite master the correct pronunciation. Laura was Oreo for a time when Lindsey couldn't say the letter L properly. Later she was Lorp or Lorpie, and I believe eventually Autumn tagged her with Woe-wee. And Lindsey will forever be known as Cheekers (ask Laura for the de-"tail" on this one ... pardon the pun). I've undoubtedly overlooked or forgotten many other nicknames; perhaps everyone can add to the list I've started here.
In the back of some editions of the Book of Mormon is a pronunciation guide to the names found in the manuscript. What I would really like to see is a list of their nicknames! During my childhood Nephi might have been known as Pop (because of the Nephi soda sold at that time). Laman would undoubtedly have been Lame-man. Perhaps Lemuel would have been called Lemur (a cousin to a weasel?). We already know from John Bytheway that Shiblon was dubbed Shibby (ugh!). And it is for a good reason that the brother of Jared was known by that substitute for his real name ... but I bet he had a nickname, too. Too bad it was so difficult to engrave on the metal plates. Or maybe the nicknames are in the sealed portion of the plates!
Thursday, March 05, 2009
100 and counting
In trying to decide the topic for my 100th blog entry, I have been considering themes that have to do with the number one hundred … century … Roman numeral C … and so on. When I thought about the number one hundred as ten squared, I was reminded of my grandparents who, coincidentally, each had ten children.
On the Oviatt side are three sons (Volmer, LuDean, Arden) and seven daughters (Vea, Grace, Agnes, Elva, Lois, Marva, Sally).
- Volmer lives in Price, Utah. He was involved in fierce fighting in WWII, but I never heard him mention anything about his war experiences. We would stop occasionally on the way to visit our grandparents to see him and Aunt Rita, who is now gone.
- LuDean and his wife Connie lived in California and we did not know him very well. The only time I remember seeing LuDean was at the Oviatt family reunion. They are both gone now.
- My dad, who died in 1976 a month after turning 44 years old, was the first of his siblings to pass away. He is buried next to his parents in the Elmo cemetery.
- Vea and her husband Leo Sabey lived in Midvale, less than a mile from the house we lived in from 1963 or 1964 to 1966. Uncle Leo was the manager of the Utah-Idaho sugar factory where both my parents worked for a time. Both are deceased.
- Grace and her husband Albert Rodgers lived in Salt Lake City. Grace was famous for the wonderful caramels she made for Christmas gifts. Her boys sold us a gasoline powered go-kart we loved driving up and own our lane. Both are gone now.
- Agnes lives with her son in Elmo. Even though she doesn’t see very well, she does intricate beadwork and has sent me a number of bead animals as gifts. Aunt Agnes lost a son in a coal mining accident. His body was never recovered.
- Sisters Elva and Lois married brothers Ted and Bill Jensen. We frequently visited Bill and Lois, who had children my age, but seldom visited Ted and Elva, whose children were older. You have heard me talk about visiting Aunt Lois’ farm and sledding down a snow-covered hill onto the roof of a shed. The first time I saw a goat slaughtered was at Uncle Bill’s house. Only Uncle Ted is still living.
- Marva Dawn and her husband Clifford Jones lived in Othello, Washington. I spent the summer of 1966 living with them and working on their farm. What an impact they had in my life and on my activity in the church! Marva still lives in Washington; Uncle Clifford is gone.
- Sally and her husband Dan Russ lived in Cheyenne, Wyoming. My earliest memory of Aunt Sally is seeing her in uniform (Air Force). While we didn’t visit her and Russ when I was younger, I have enjoyed visiting her as an adult. Pray for Aunt Sally as she recovers from double knee replacement surgery!
On the Allen side are five sons (Jim, Lynn, Hugh, Bob, Dean) and five daughters (Reva, Zelma, Melba, Loretta Mae, Rolene).
- Jim and his first wife, Connie, lived in California, where he had served in the Navy. After her death several years ago, he moved to Ferron, Utah and remarried (Dorothy). I have very few memories of Jim when I was young because he had already left home.
- Lynn is living in Colorado. Upon returning from his mission, he stayed with our family in Midvale for a short time while he was looking for a job. His first wife, Betty, died and I know little about his current situation.
- Hugh and his wife Carol lived in Grantsville, Utah. Hugh was terribly injured in an avalanche on a Boy Scout activity and nearly died. He also nearly lost his leg and had a very prolonged recovery. He finally passed away at a very young age of heart failure, no doubt hastened by his severe injury. I can remember Hugh digging out a basement under his house in Grantsville while he lived in the house. I never understood how the house didn’t fall in on him. Aunt Carol remarried and lives in Utah.
- Bob and his wife Earlene live in Orangeville, Utah. I worked for a brief period with Uncle Bob while on break from college classes. Bob saved my life one time by not killing me when I painted a house he was finishing the wrong color because I couldn’t tell the difference in the shades of the interior and exterior paint. Aunt Earlene made it possible for Mom and me to go to Mexico and Jamaica by watching our five children while we were gone (we didn’t trust anyone else with our kids!). Remember eating “dirt and worms?”
- Dean and his wife Connie live in Clawson, Utah. Dean went through the Salt Lake Temple with me as I prepared to leave for the mission field. I’m lucky this wasn’t work for the dead because of an earlier time when I was with him in a car he was driving and decided to show me what it was like to go 100 miles per hour on a country road!
- Aunt Reva and her husband Norman lived in Lawrence, Utah. Aunt Reva was already married when I remember visiting with my Allen grandparents. But we enjoyed many visits to her farm, especially at lambing time when we got to help feed the bummer lambs with large glass bottles full of milk. Uncle Norman is gone now.
- Zelma and her husband Jack Minchey live in Grantsville, Utah. We were frequent visitors at their home when I was growing up. One time I got into big trouble because I used my new tape recorder to secretly capture a conversation between my parents and Jack and Zelma. I have no idea what they were discussing. I remember that I was forced to erase the tape!
- Mom was responsible for purchasing the house in South Jordan where our family lived from 1966 until she moved recently. My father thought the $110/month payment for a house costing $20,000 was beyond their means and wanted to move into a more modest place (a dump close to a bar). But Mom held her ground – a wonderful decision for us kids!
- I never met Loretta Mae. When Grandmother Allen was pregnant, she slipped during a trip to the mountains and fell on her stomach. Loretta Mae was born disabled and eventually was placed in what was formerly called the American Fork Training School because of the care she needed for her severe disabilities. Coincidentally, she died shortly after my Grandfather Allen passed away in 1974.
- Rolene and her husband Gale Rasmussen live in Vernal, Utah. When I was a child Rolene visited with us and taught me how to dunk for quarters. On the Fourth of July holiday, one activity for the kids involved a big wash tub filled with water with coins scattered in the bottom. We were allowed to keep as many as we could pick up using only our mouths (no hands!). Thanks to Aunt Rolene, I became very good at this and got more than my fair share of extra spending money. Rolene has served as a Justice of the Peace in Vernal.
Not many people are so fortunate as to have twenty aunts and uncles (even more counting their spouses!).
Monday, February 23, 2009
Apologizing and Repenting
For years I have been amazed at what passes for an apology. A typical scenario is when someone gets caught (and this, unfortunately, is usually the motivation for what follows) doing something really stupid or unethical or vulgar or illegal and offers an apology by saying, "I'm sorry if anyone was offended by what I did."
This isn't an apology at all! In reality, this is a criticism. Someone who offers this type of "apology" is really saying, "I didn't do anything wrong. But I'm sorry that you are so overly sensitive that you were offended." In other words, no apology is really intended. And no change is intended except, perhaps, to avoid getting caught next time.
Imagine if people repented like this. "Heavenly Father, I realize that technically I broke six of the ten commandments and kind of skirted two of the others. I'm sorry if you are offended by what I did and hope you will forgive me."
Here is a lesson I learned while teaching my children (you will know who you are) to drive. When Brenda and I married, she did not have a driver's license and had, in fact, never learned to drive. Growing up in Branch, Arkansas (population 200) really didn't require either a license or a car. And coming to school at BYU in Provo certainly didn't require driving. So I did all the driving when we were dating and after we married. Occasionally Brenda would express concern or anxiety about my driving and I would get peeved at her for questioning my ability. Once I started teaching my own children to drive I rode in the passenger seat and gained a new perspective. It was at that point that I adopted a rule in my own life and tried to teach an important principle to my children: the driver is responsible to operate the vehicle in such a way that the passenger feels comfortable and safe. If Brenda does not feel safe, it is my job to change how I am driving so that she does. It is never acceptable to say (or even think), "If you don't like the way I drive, get out of the car!"
This was hard for me initially, but I have grown in wisdom ... at least in this area. My position is no longer, "I'm sorry if you don't like the way I drive." Instead, I swallow my pride and change my approach so that my passengers feel safe.
To me, this analogy illustrates the principle of a true apology. I don't slow down grudgingly while remaining angry. I change how I drive so my passenger feels truly safe. In areas other than driving, I no longer tell others I'm sorry if they are offended at something I have said or done. Instead, I tell them I am sorry for my words or acts. Even if I think they should not be offended, the reality is that they are and that I am the cause. When this is the case, I owe a true apology.
Now, if I can just master repentance ...
This isn't an apology at all! In reality, this is a criticism. Someone who offers this type of "apology" is really saying, "I didn't do anything wrong. But I'm sorry that you are so overly sensitive that you were offended." In other words, no apology is really intended. And no change is intended except, perhaps, to avoid getting caught next time.
Imagine if people repented like this. "Heavenly Father, I realize that technically I broke six of the ten commandments and kind of skirted two of the others. I'm sorry if you are offended by what I did and hope you will forgive me."
Here is a lesson I learned while teaching my children (you will know who you are) to drive. When Brenda and I married, she did not have a driver's license and had, in fact, never learned to drive. Growing up in Branch, Arkansas (population 200) really didn't require either a license or a car. And coming to school at BYU in Provo certainly didn't require driving. So I did all the driving when we were dating and after we married. Occasionally Brenda would express concern or anxiety about my driving and I would get peeved at her for questioning my ability. Once I started teaching my own children to drive I rode in the passenger seat and gained a new perspective. It was at that point that I adopted a rule in my own life and tried to teach an important principle to my children: the driver is responsible to operate the vehicle in such a way that the passenger feels comfortable and safe. If Brenda does not feel safe, it is my job to change how I am driving so that she does. It is never acceptable to say (or even think), "If you don't like the way I drive, get out of the car!"
This was hard for me initially, but I have grown in wisdom ... at least in this area. My position is no longer, "I'm sorry if you don't like the way I drive." Instead, I swallow my pride and change my approach so that my passengers feel safe.
To me, this analogy illustrates the principle of a true apology. I don't slow down grudgingly while remaining angry. I change how I drive so my passenger feels truly safe. In areas other than driving, I no longer tell others I'm sorry if they are offended at something I have said or done. Instead, I tell them I am sorry for my words or acts. Even if I think they should not be offended, the reality is that they are and that I am the cause. When this is the case, I owe a true apology.
Now, if I can just master repentance ...
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Good-"Buy" to Shopping
When the weekend comes, practically the last thing I want to do is go shopping. Yet this is exactly what a run to the store with Mom to buy something often turns into. And in only two sentences I have described one of the huge differences between men and women. I reference the title of a research study from a prestigious business school: "Men Buy, Women Shop." This is exactly what I experience.
For me, buying something is usually a focused, practical, short-term activity. That's because the act of making a purchase is very much tied up with solving a problem. I go to the store because I need something. The faster I can find what I am looking for, the sooner I can fix what is wrong and move on to doing something enjoyable.
For Mom, shopping is an "experience" or an "adventure." It is a chance to do something fun or different. It is an opportunity to explore ways in which our lives or house could be made more interesting. And it is a time to see new things and talk to new people. Shopping is enjoyable in itself and making the purchase brings the fun to an end. Mom will go to the store because she wants something, and that something is often a break or diversion from the day-to-day routine of life.
Don't get me wrong; I will price shop for a significant purchase to make sure I'm getting a good deal. But this type of shopping is a means to an end, and the end is buying. For Mom, shopping can be recreational, a "date" like eating out or going to a movie.
Now, how do you think we enjoy going to the store together? Often I am finished within the first 5-10 minutes and Mom is just getting warmed up. A recent visit to the thrift store is a case in point. I went into the store thinking that I would try to find a shirt. I found two shirts within a few minutes, quickly walked up and down the store aisles to see if there was any bargain too good to pass up, and then went to tell Mom I was ready to go. When Mom walked into the store, the jewelry counter caught her eye. While I found my shirts and went through the entire store, Mom was still looking at jewelry. She was not even close to being ready to go let me know that she needed much more time to look through the rest of the store. So I drove home to shovel the driveway and came back 45 minutes later to get her (and she still was not finished shopping).
The person who performed our marriage (I'll always remember his name, Vernon Thomander) counseled Mom and me always to do everything together. I understand the wisdom of his counsel and have tried to observe it throughout our marriage. His intent, I'm sure, was to strengthen our marriage and help us draw closer to one another. But I'm quite confident our marriage will continue stronger if I "buy" and Mom "shops" separately!
For me, buying something is usually a focused, practical, short-term activity. That's because the act of making a purchase is very much tied up with solving a problem. I go to the store because I need something. The faster I can find what I am looking for, the sooner I can fix what is wrong and move on to doing something enjoyable.
For Mom, shopping is an "experience" or an "adventure." It is a chance to do something fun or different. It is an opportunity to explore ways in which our lives or house could be made more interesting. And it is a time to see new things and talk to new people. Shopping is enjoyable in itself and making the purchase brings the fun to an end. Mom will go to the store because she wants something, and that something is often a break or diversion from the day-to-day routine of life.
Don't get me wrong; I will price shop for a significant purchase to make sure I'm getting a good deal. But this type of shopping is a means to an end, and the end is buying. For Mom, shopping can be recreational, a "date" like eating out or going to a movie.
Now, how do you think we enjoy going to the store together? Often I am finished within the first 5-10 minutes and Mom is just getting warmed up. A recent visit to the thrift store is a case in point. I went into the store thinking that I would try to find a shirt. I found two shirts within a few minutes, quickly walked up and down the store aisles to see if there was any bargain too good to pass up, and then went to tell Mom I was ready to go. When Mom walked into the store, the jewelry counter caught her eye. While I found my shirts and went through the entire store, Mom was still looking at jewelry. She was not even close to being ready to go let me know that she needed much more time to look through the rest of the store. So I drove home to shovel the driveway and came back 45 minutes later to get her (and she still was not finished shopping).
The person who performed our marriage (I'll always remember his name, Vernon Thomander) counseled Mom and me always to do everything together. I understand the wisdom of his counsel and have tried to observe it throughout our marriage. His intent, I'm sure, was to strengthen our marriage and help us draw closer to one another. But I'm quite confident our marriage will continue stronger if I "buy" and Mom "shops" separately!
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Under the Weather
A virus is making its way through Central Iowa, leaving a path of misery and woe. It is so widespread that the local news ran a feature story on how many people are sick, missing work and school. Unfortunately, Brenda and I have both been afflicted.
A backup remedy is Red Hots candy. The cinnamon seems to burn the toxins out of my system. And when I eat too many, my tongue gets burned as well. But that seems a small price to pay to feel better.
Finally, I resort to chicken noodle soup. This cannot be canned soup, but has to be the dry mix package boiled in water.
When I was a boy I would sometimes come down with the croup. Mom would drape a sheet over the bed and support it in such a way to make a tent. A vaporizer would go underneath the tent to create a mist for my lungs. And she would also rub Ben-Gay and Vicks VapoRub on my chest. Interestingly, this mixture smelled very much like root beer extract. I still have fond memories of root beer scented reading marathons while ill.
I've noticed that when I get sick, I get REALLY sick and need special pampering and tender loving care. (I know Brenda gets sick, too, but that is just "normal" sick.) I also get cravings, which I assume is my body's way of telling me that it needs something to fight off the symptoms of illness.
The first and foremost requirement when I am sick is for salt and vinegar flavored potato chips and citrus flavored soda; Squirt or whiskey sour is best, though Fresca will do in a pinch. These alone practically guarantee a rapid and full recovery. Or perhaps they just ease the misery.
A backup remedy is Red Hots candy. The cinnamon seems to burn the toxins out of my system. And when I eat too many, my tongue gets burned as well. But that seems a small price to pay to feel better.Finally, I resort to chicken noodle soup. This cannot be canned soup, but has to be the dry mix package boiled in water.Any of these remedies work best with a good murder mystery or two.
Aside from food, I also need a large box of lotion-infused facial tissue and an inhaler to clear my passages. I usually don't take much medicine. I can only take a half dose of Benadryl, because I react to it so strongly. It clouds my head and makes my skin feels so sensitive that even the bed sheets irritate me. And I will take NyQuil only in the most extreme circumstances, because the taste is far worse than the ailment. Isn't there some way in today's scientific world that medicine can be made to taste better?
When I was a boy I would sometimes come down with the croup. Mom would drape a sheet over the bed and support it in such a way to make a tent. A vaporizer would go underneath the tent to create a mist for my lungs. And she would also rub Ben-Gay and Vicks VapoRub on my chest. Interestingly, this mixture smelled very much like root beer extract. I still have fond memories of root beer scented reading marathons while ill.
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Wisdom of the Fathers
For Christmas this year I had copies made of an audio recording my Dad sent to me while I was serving as a missionary in Viet Nam. I stumbled across this recording while organizing my basement and realized that, because he died in 1976, my wife and children never heard my father's voice. The recording was brief (less than five minutes) and the quality wasn't very good because of the state of the technology then. Also, because Dad had a cold the voice didn't sound quite right. But it was an interesting gift.
This has me thinking about some of the things Dad used to say to us kids. Two things readily come to mind:
While Mom usually got stuck with the dishes, on occasion we kids would do the dishes with Dad. He always insisted on washing and we had to dry and put away the dishes. If we found a dish that didn't quite get washed clean and had a bit of something stuck to it, we would gleefully point out the problem and hand the dish back to Dad. He would look at it and say, "It's a damn poor wiper who can't get what little the washer misses!" We weren't allowed to use such language, of course. But this made us all the more anxious to find the next problem so we could hear him say it again!
Utah Power and Light, the electric utility where I grew up, used in their advertising a character named Reddy Kilowatt. When Dad would say something to us that we didn't quite catch and we would say, "What?", he would reply, "Watt? Are you a light bulb?"
I don't know why these things stick out, but they are very clear memories. I'll add more examples later.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Cognition and Emotion
For years I have been studying how cognition influences emotion, or how our thinking drives our feelings. I can remember very clearly telling myself in high school that while I could help what I thought and what I did, I could not help what I felt. I don't know why at the time I believed that so strongly. Perhaps it is because in the teen years emotions can be so very powerful. As it turns out, I was wrong about being able to help what I felt because I did not understand the link between thoughts and emotions.
We enjoy a gift of agency that cannot be taken from us. While we may not enjoy the power to change the circumstances we face in life, we always have the power of choice regarding our thinking about what we experience and, thus, the associated feelings. More on this later ...
Many people are bothered by feelings about past events or are fearful about the future they imagine. As the first figure shows, the past and future can have no direct impact in our lives because they are, by definition, not present. However, we are capable of remembering (re-presenting) the past and imagining (pre-presenting) the future in the present through our thinking. In other words, we create a present-based version of the past or future. So we can "experience" the past or future in our thoughts, but not in reality. If we remember the past with fondness or look forward to the future with hopeful anticipation, this can be a blessing. However, too many look backward with regret and forward with fear. This is not useful or healthy. The past is behind us and cannot harm us; only our thinking about the past can cause us to suffer. Similarly, the future is before us and cannot harm us; only our thinking can do so. I hold to Dan Zadra's notion that "Worry is a misuse of imagination."
And while we do experience others and events or circumstances in the present, it is our thinking about these that are the cause of stress and suffering. This is a difficult concept to understand and accept, but is so powerful and liberating. The power of our minds and our agency is phenomenol.
What is the main message of the first figure? I experience the world -- past, present and future -- through my thoughts, which give rise to the emotions I feel. If I struggle and suffer, the immediate cause is my thinking about the past, the present, others and events or circumstances, and not any of those things directly.
The second figure expands on this by illustrating that living in the world of "should" and "should not" rather than in the world of "what is" (reality) is the cause of our suffering. This, again, is a function of our thinking. My friend, Rebecca Overson, counsels that we stop "shoulding all over ourselves" in order to end our suffering. The wise come to learn that "pain is inevitable; suffering is optional." (Unknown author)
We enjoy a gift of agency that cannot be taken from us. While we may not enjoy the power to change the circumstances we face in life, we always have the power of choice regarding our thinking about what we experience and, thus, the associated feelings. More on this later ...
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Saturday Morning Waffles
A tradition in our family was for Dad to make waffles on Saturday mornings. I don’t remember how this tradition was born, though I have fond memories of my father cooking eggs and potatoes on occasion. Somehow, Dad’s cooking tasted extra good – probably because of the novelty of him cooking. I’m sure that Mom must not have appreciated our making such a big deal out of Dad’s cooking when she did the lion’s share of fixing meals!
In our “empty nest” we rarely have waffles. In fact, we no longer own a waffle iron. But on Saturday morning it was a big deal to dig out the thrift store waffle iron and make a big batch. Here is the original recipe I used:
Combine:
· 2 cups flour
· 2 heaping tablespoons baking powder
In a separate container mix:
· 1/4 cup oil
· 2 cups milk
· 4 eggs
Add all ingredients together, mixing well (add solids to liquids so it doesn’t lump on the bottom). Cook in a hot skillet. Eat and enjoy!
One modification I made later was to separate the egg whites, beat them until stiff, and then fold the whites into the batter (don’t mix too much).
In our “empty nest” we rarely have waffles. In fact, we no longer own a waffle iron. But on Saturday morning it was a big deal to dig out the thrift store waffle iron and make a big batch. Here is the original recipe I used:
Combine:
· 2 cups flour
· 2 heaping tablespoons baking powder
In a separate container mix:
· 1/4 cup oil
· 2 cups milk
· 4 eggs
Add all ingredients together, mixing well (add solids to liquids so it doesn’t lump on the bottom). Cook in a hot skillet. Eat and enjoy!
One modification I made later was to separate the egg whites, beat them until stiff, and then fold the whites into the batter (don’t mix too much).
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Happy Birthday!
We observe birthdays annually, advancing one year every 365 days (plus one day in a leap year). This cycle is tied to planetary motion, of course, reflecting the orbit of the earth around the sun.
I remember when Emily celebrated Autumn’s pi-day at 3.14 years old. Imagine if instead of observing annual birthdays, we all marked pi birthdays. (A one-pi birthday is three years and 51 days, a two-pi birthday is six years and 102 days, and so on.) This might be ideal for those who like to shave years off their actual age. “How old are you anyway, Dee?” “Well, I am coming up on 18 pi … still a teenager.”
Conversely, we could also celebrate metric birthdays. A metric birthday is not quite as long as a pi birthday, and uses a different taxonomy. (A one-kilo birthday is 1,000 days, a two-kilo birthday is 2,000 days, and so on.) If someone asked me how old I am today, I could reply , “Today I am 19.9 kilodays old. On April 30 I’ll hit the big 20-k!”
So here’s a little fun. As of today (ages rounded to one decimal point):
▪ Brenda is 18.2 kilodays old
▪ Ben and Emily are respectively 10.8 and 9.5 kilodays old
▪ Autumn and Prairie are respectively 1.9 and 1.3 kilodays old
▪ Lisa and Brian Higginson are 10.2 and 12.3 kilodays old
▪ Vaughn and Dean are 1.3 and 0.2 kilodays old
▪ Brian and Laura Wangerin are 9.6 and 8.5 kilodays old
▪ Laura is 8.4 kilodays old
▪ Lindsey and Dustin are 7.5 and 8.9 kilodays old
Maybe I’ll figure out pi-birthdays later. Right now my head hurts, but I also feel much younger!
I remember when Emily celebrated Autumn’s pi-day at 3.14 years old. Imagine if instead of observing annual birthdays, we all marked pi birthdays. (A one-pi birthday is three years and 51 days, a two-pi birthday is six years and 102 days, and so on.) This might be ideal for those who like to shave years off their actual age. “How old are you anyway, Dee?” “Well, I am coming up on 18 pi … still a teenager.”
Conversely, we could also celebrate metric birthdays. A metric birthday is not quite as long as a pi birthday, and uses a different taxonomy. (A one-kilo birthday is 1,000 days, a two-kilo birthday is 2,000 days, and so on.) If someone asked me how old I am today, I could reply , “Today I am 19.9 kilodays old. On April 30 I’ll hit the big 20-k!”
So here’s a little fun. As of today (ages rounded to one decimal point):
▪ Brenda is 18.2 kilodays old
▪ Ben and Emily are respectively 10.8 and 9.5 kilodays old
▪ Autumn and Prairie are respectively 1.9 and 1.3 kilodays old
▪ Lisa and Brian Higginson are 10.2 and 12.3 kilodays old
▪ Vaughn and Dean are 1.3 and 0.2 kilodays old
▪ Brian and Laura Wangerin are 9.6 and 8.5 kilodays old
▪ Laura is 8.4 kilodays old
▪ Lindsey and Dustin are 7.5 and 8.9 kilodays old
Maybe I’ll figure out pi-birthdays later. Right now my head hurts, but I also feel much younger!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
All I want for Christmas is ...
This year we planned to stay home for Christmas, but in the end we could not stand to celebrate the holiday without seeing the grandchildren. Oh, yes, and our children, also. So we braved the icy roads of Interstate 80 and spent a lovely week in Utah.
Normally I don't put much emphasis on gifts I receive. After all, we continue to practice our tradition of "used Christmas" and it is easy not to get excited about receiving a gift with a history.
But this year! I received a bust of the Savior (I've always wanted one). I received an iPod (I've always wanted one). I haven't figured out how to download music yet, but I will ... someday. I received a training kit that will teach me to play the piano. (I've always wanted one.) I received an annotated (with personal notes and memories) book about why daughters need fathers (I hadn't always wanted one, but do now because it made me cry). I received home-bottled salsa (I've always wanted some). And more! (I've always wanted more.)
Unfortunately, Brenda cheated. She broke our rule about giving only used Christmas gifts to present me with the following:
I forgive you, Brenda, for buying me the complete collection of Calvin and Hobbes. (I've always wanted one.) I haven't quite been able to bring myself to actually open the set so far, but plan to do so ... soon.
Illusions
I've always been intrigued by optical illusions. We tend to trust in what we can see ("I'll believe it when I see it!"), but it is very evident that it is easy to trick our eyes and brains. In each example below, we see something that isn't so, or see only part of the whole.
For example, the illusion at the upper left appears to show lines moving toward or away from each other. In reality, the lines are perfectly parallel. Immediately to the right are two lines enclosed by arrow points at either end. The lines are the same length, but the top one appears to be shorter. And the figure to the right spells a word. Is it "Good" or "Evil"?
On the next row is an elephant with a confusing number of legs. Is the number four? Or more? To the right of the elephant is a black and white figure of a young woman. Or is it a musician playing an instrument? And which figure is longer, A or B? Both are, of course, the same size.
In the last row the circles in the center appear different sizes, but are not. The wavy checkerboard turns out to be composed of straight lines. The next figure does not contain a drawn circle, though one is clearly visible. It is only the appearance of a circle, composed of off-setting horizontal lines. And Lincoln's hat is just as wide as it is tall.
Illusions of this type can be fun. But it important to remember that much of what we experience in life is very illusion-like. Events in life are inherently meaning-less; we are the ones who provide the meaning. Human beings are meaning-seeking. We tell ourselves stories (i.e., give explanations) about everything we experience in order to make sense of life. But we mistakenly assume that our conclusions are the truth rather than just stories we tell. And our emotions flow from our conclusions and stories.
We need never be in the grip of strong emotion because we enjoy the greatest power ever ... the power of agency, or choice. We can always choose to tell a different story and, by so doing, experience a different emotion. Those who learn this lesson early in life escape much pain and suffering.
My hope is that we all become "dis-illusioned" with life and with other people. I find personally that I do much better in life when I am curious about what happens rather than when I am angry or frustrated or upset. Curiosity causes me to see behind the illusion I hold to other possible truths, some of which are even more likely and many of which do not cause me to suffer.
For example, the illusion at the upper left appears to show lines moving toward or away from each other. In reality, the lines are perfectly parallel. Immediately to the right are two lines enclosed by arrow points at either end. The lines are the same length, but the top one appears to be shorter. And the figure to the right spells a word. Is it "Good" or "Evil"?
On the next row is an elephant with a confusing number of legs. Is the number four? Or more? To the right of the elephant is a black and white figure of a young woman. Or is it a musician playing an instrument? And which figure is longer, A or B? Both are, of course, the same size.
In the last row the circles in the center appear different sizes, but are not. The wavy checkerboard turns out to be composed of straight lines. The next figure does not contain a drawn circle, though one is clearly visible. It is only the appearance of a circle, composed of off-setting horizontal lines. And Lincoln's hat is just as wide as it is tall.
Illusions of this type can be fun. But it important to remember that much of what we experience in life is very illusion-like. Events in life are inherently meaning-less; we are the ones who provide the meaning. Human beings are meaning-seeking. We tell ourselves stories (i.e., give explanations) about everything we experience in order to make sense of life. But we mistakenly assume that our conclusions are the truth rather than just stories we tell. And our emotions flow from our conclusions and stories.
We need never be in the grip of strong emotion because we enjoy the greatest power ever ... the power of agency, or choice. We can always choose to tell a different story and, by so doing, experience a different emotion. Those who learn this lesson early in life escape much pain and suffering.
My hope is that we all become "dis-illusioned" with life and with other people. I find personally that I do much better in life when I am curious about what happens rather than when I am angry or frustrated or upset. Curiosity causes me to see behind the illusion I hold to other possible truths, some of which are even more likely and many of which do not cause me to suffer.
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
When it rains ...
Enough already! The old adage about problems coming in threes certainly isn't holding true for us. I think the needle is stuck on the record (an analogy that won't make sense to anyone younger than 30, because the CD was introduced 26 years ago in October of 1982!)
Several weeks ago Mom and I decided to replace our garage door because it was so water damaged. I did this against my better judgment, because we had not saved the total amount of cash to pay for the new door. And wouldn't you know, this apparently unleashed the following avalanch of unplanned expenses:
I am re-learning the lessons of financial viability -- avoid unnecessary debt and always have a cushion for unexpected expenses. It looks like for Christmas this year Mom is getting a garage door and a water heater, I am getting a tire and a battery, and Laura is getting tires and a radiator. Merry Christmas!
Several weeks ago Mom and I decided to replace our garage door because it was so water damaged. I did this against my better judgment, because we had not saved the total amount of cash to pay for the new door. And wouldn't you know, this apparently unleashed the following avalanch of unplanned expenses:
- the water heater failed and had to be replaced
- a tire on the van picked up a nail in the sidewall and had to be replaced (punctures in sidewalls can't safely be repaired
- the battery in the van failed and had to be replaced
- the Honda Laura drives needed four new tires
- the radiator in the Honda had to be replaced
I am re-learning the lessons of financial viability -- avoid unnecessary debt and always have a cushion for unexpected expenses. It looks like for Christmas this year Mom is getting a garage door and a water heater, I am getting a tire and a battery, and Laura is getting tires and a radiator. Merry Christmas!
Friday, October 24, 2008
1978 - 2008
You undoubtedly have heard me relate the story of how, on the night before we were to be married in 1978, a member of our ward who had agreed to accompany Brenda as her escort to the temple called and told Brenda that she would not do so. You may remember that Brenda – in some desperation – called Ardeth Kapp, whom she had met once three years previously, and asked if Sister Kapp might go with Brenda to the temple the next morning. Sister Kapp graciously agreed, staying until the ceremony was complete and then quickly leaving because she was late for a meeting with President Kimball! In the years since then, we have maintained a correspondence with Sister Kapp.
A few weeks ago we were pleasantly surprised to learn that Sister Kapp was to be the speaker at our annual Stake Youth Standards night. I bent (okay, broke) the rules a little and wrote to Sister Kapp asking if we might be able to see her while she was in town to speak. She was nearly as excited to see us as we were to see her and we got to enjoy dinner (hosted by the Stake President’s family) with Sister Kapp and a little bit of private time with her following the youth meeting.
Prior to this opportunity, we did not know if we would ever see Sister Kapp again. What a blessing it was for us to renew our acquaintance with her and to understand in richer detail than before just why she agreed to put her busy schedule as a counselor in the General Young Women presidency on hold and accompany Brenda to the temple. We are richly blessed to know Sister Kapp and hope that in some way we might be able to impact the lives of another individual as she has ours.
We do not have a photo of Brenda and Sister Kapp from our wedding (she had to leave before we took photos), but here is a photo from our recent reunion with her.
A few weeks ago we were pleasantly surprised to learn that Sister Kapp was to be the speaker at our annual Stake Youth Standards night. I bent (okay, broke) the rules a little and wrote to Sister Kapp asking if we might be able to see her while she was in town to speak. She was nearly as excited to see us as we were to see her and we got to enjoy dinner (hosted by the Stake President’s family) with Sister Kapp and a little bit of private time with her following the youth meeting.
Prior to this opportunity, we did not know if we would ever see Sister Kapp again. What a blessing it was for us to renew our acquaintance with her and to understand in richer detail than before just why she agreed to put her busy schedule as a counselor in the General Young Women presidency on hold and accompany Brenda to the temple. We are richly blessed to know Sister Kapp and hope that in some way we might be able to impact the lives of another individual as she has ours.
We do not have a photo of Brenda and Sister Kapp from our wedding (she had to leave before we took photos), but here is a photo from our recent reunion with her.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Moving On
Although I was released from my calling as my ward's Young Men president a couple of Sundays ago, my last activity took place this week. We had a combined activity featuring square dancing. How fun to see about 40 youth and their parents strutting their stuff! Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. And I noticed that most everyone also got quite a workout!
It is going to be hard leaving the Young Men program. I remember early in my mission in Viet Nam that President Bradshaw, probably seeing something in me that I did not yet clearly see in myself, warned me that I would complete my mission and return home unsatisfied, feeling that I had not done everything I was supposed to do. That was certainly true then ... and it remains true now.
Most church callings seem to me to be designed to do more than the average person can possibly accomplish. With the Young Men, I certainly never figured out how to attend all the meeting, hold all the interviews, work with all the quorum presidencies, meet with all the families, track all the progress, prepare all the lessons, plan and carry out all the activities, fill out all the reports, perform all the service, and do all the good that I was expected to do. I do leave this calling with some regrets for what I did not do well or do at all.
But I also know that I made an impression on these young men. I know that I taught them truth, shared my testimony, encouraged them to live the gospel, helped them understand the scriptures, showed them how to serve, taught them to honor women, and had some fun with them. That's not so bad, really. I could have done worse.
Now I move on to another calling, to serve on the stake high council. I don't yet know what I am supposed to do. I don't yet know what I will need to learn to fulfill my responsibilities and magnify my call. I don't know what will come easily to me and what will not. I don't know whom I will help and whom I will hurt. I only know that when this calling ends, I will leave unsatisfied, feeling I did not do everything I was supposed to do.
I will not have figured out how to attend all the meetings, conduct all the interviews, correlate all the activities, train all the leaders, support all the teachers, report all the progress, motivate all the priesthood holders, preach all the sermons, and render all the service I could have. But perhaps I will have made an impression. Perhaps I will have taught the truth, shared my testimony, encouraged others to live the gospel, helped people understand the scriptures, showed them how to serve, taught them to honor their family members ... and had some fun with them. And that won't be so bad, really. Maybe at that day I will once again leave thinking that I could have done worse.
It is going to be hard leaving the Young Men program. I remember early in my mission in Viet Nam that President Bradshaw, probably seeing something in me that I did not yet clearly see in myself, warned me that I would complete my mission and return home unsatisfied, feeling that I had not done everything I was supposed to do. That was certainly true then ... and it remains true now.
Most church callings seem to me to be designed to do more than the average person can possibly accomplish. With the Young Men, I certainly never figured out how to attend all the meeting, hold all the interviews, work with all the quorum presidencies, meet with all the families, track all the progress, prepare all the lessons, plan and carry out all the activities, fill out all the reports, perform all the service, and do all the good that I was expected to do. I do leave this calling with some regrets for what I did not do well or do at all.
But I also know that I made an impression on these young men. I know that I taught them truth, shared my testimony, encouraged them to live the gospel, helped them understand the scriptures, showed them how to serve, taught them to honor women, and had some fun with them. That's not so bad, really. I could have done worse.
Now I move on to another calling, to serve on the stake high council. I don't yet know what I am supposed to do. I don't yet know what I will need to learn to fulfill my responsibilities and magnify my call. I don't know what will come easily to me and what will not. I don't know whom I will help and whom I will hurt. I only know that when this calling ends, I will leave unsatisfied, feeling I did not do everything I was supposed to do.
I will not have figured out how to attend all the meetings, conduct all the interviews, correlate all the activities, train all the leaders, support all the teachers, report all the progress, motivate all the priesthood holders, preach all the sermons, and render all the service I could have. But perhaps I will have made an impression. Perhaps I will have taught the truth, shared my testimony, encouraged others to live the gospel, helped people understand the scriptures, showed them how to serve, taught them to honor their family members ... and had some fun with them. And that won't be so bad, really. Maybe at that day I will once again leave thinking that I could have done worse.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Table Tennis
The Asian American employee network at Pioneer sponsored a table tennis competition this week. I did not participate in the tournament last year, but decided on a whim to do so this year. Fortunately for me, Donglong Liu consented to be my doubles partner. Unfortunately for him, I unexpectedly got a cast on my foot three days after signing up.
As might be expected, my mobility was limited and I turned out to be more of a liability than an asset to Donglong. In our first match we went up two games to none, but our opponents came back to sweep the final three games and were victorious in the match.
Here you can see me warming up with Donglong. His arm and the ball are both blurry because he hits it very fast! If you look carefully, you can see the cast on my left foot showing under the table.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Casting around
After a year of treatment for heel pain with no real improvement, my podiatrist recommended immobilizing my foot for 30 days. My options were a cast on my foot or bedrest for a month. I thought bed rest sounded great, but it wasn't very practical!
As you can see, I don't let my immobility stop me from exercising. I am working with weights even if I can't walk, run, or bike. So here I am in workout clothes at the fitness center at work. Check out the muscle in that right leg! No wonder the cast on my other leg was so tight.
Actually, this is the second cast on my foot. The first one was extremely uncomfortable. I tried to tough it out, but after five days experienced what I can only describe as a bout of claustrophobia of the foot. I literally couldn't stand to have the cast on my foot for another moment. I tried cutting the cast, but ran into two problems: I couldn't reach to my foot very well and my tool (wire cutters) were not up to the task. So I went next door and told my neighbor, Steve, that I was going crazy and needed his help removing the cast right away. He brought out his heavy duty metal snips and did the job. Afterwards he said that he has helped a lot of neighbors with a lot of things, but this request was a first for him!
My relief was short-lived. I went back to the doctor's office the next day for another cast. But I insisted on more padding to avoid a repeat of the first experience. So far the second cast is an improvement. But I still have three weeks to go ...
As you can see, I don't let my immobility stop me from exercising. I am working with weights even if I can't walk, run, or bike. So here I am in workout clothes at the fitness center at work. Check out the muscle in that right leg! No wonder the cast on my other leg was so tight.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Lots of zeros
Large numbers fascinate me. I think this started as a child with my interests in dinosaurs (millions of years ago), the speed of light (unbelievably fast), and the distances in the universe (one light year is nearly six trillion miles). It continues today, but now the context is often something like the federal budget deficit or the cost of waging war.
Here is how I make sense of large numbers. First, consider the ordinary paper clip, which weighs about 1.4 grams. One million paper clips weigh nearly 3,100 pounds, or over a ton and a half. The number "one million" is very large when you envision a ton and a half of paper clips in your office. But the number "one billion" is much larger; one billion paper clips weigh more than eight Boeing 747 passenger jets. And the number "one trillion" is almost too large to fathom. This many paper clips would weigh more than four Empire State Buildings.
Next, consider a penny, which is 1.55 millimeters thick. A stack of a million pennies would reach nearly a mile high. A billion pennies would reach from Des Moines along Interstate 80 a little ways past the Utah-Wyoming border; driving at freeway speed (75 miles per hour) it would take almost thirteen hours to drive that distance. And a trillion pennies would reach around the earth nearly 39 times or between the moon and the earth four times. And I don't think I can drive that far.
Finally, consider time. There are 86,400 seconds in a day. This is a number I can grasp. One million seconds is just over 11.5 days, or a week and a half. So each month sees the passing of almost three million seconds. But a billion seconds is almost 32 years. With luck, I might reach the ripe old age of three billion seconds. But I'll never reach one trillion seconds; this is nearly 32,000 years.
So I get a little concerned when I hear that the federal deficit has reached the trillions of dollars. From the US National Debt Clock:
The Outstanding Public Debt as of September 19, 2008 is $9.7 trillion. The estimated population of the United States is 304 million, so each citizen's share of this debt is nearly $32 thousand.
Here is how I make sense of large numbers. First, consider the ordinary paper clip, which weighs about 1.4 grams. One million paper clips weigh nearly 3,100 pounds, or over a ton and a half. The number "one million" is very large when you envision a ton and a half of paper clips in your office. But the number "one billion" is much larger; one billion paper clips weigh more than eight Boeing 747 passenger jets. And the number "one trillion" is almost too large to fathom. This many paper clips would weigh more than four Empire State Buildings.
Next, consider a penny, which is 1.55 millimeters thick. A stack of a million pennies would reach nearly a mile high. A billion pennies would reach from Des Moines along Interstate 80 a little ways past the Utah-Wyoming border; driving at freeway speed (75 miles per hour) it would take almost thirteen hours to drive that distance. And a trillion pennies would reach around the earth nearly 39 times or between the moon and the earth four times. And I don't think I can drive that far.
Finally, consider time. There are 86,400 seconds in a day. This is a number I can grasp. One million seconds is just over 11.5 days, or a week and a half. So each month sees the passing of almost three million seconds. But a billion seconds is almost 32 years. With luck, I might reach the ripe old age of three billion seconds. But I'll never reach one trillion seconds; this is nearly 32,000 years.
So I get a little concerned when I hear that the federal deficit has reached the trillions of dollars. From the US National Debt Clock:
The Outstanding Public Debt as of September 19, 2008 is $9.7 trillion. The estimated population of the United States is 304 million, so each citizen's share of this debt is nearly $32 thousand.
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