Further Proof that I am Not Right in the Head

Friday afternoon Tami called me arond 4:00 to tell me that there was a string coming out of Carter's backside. We both cringed; fearing that it was some kind of gauze or packing material left behind by the medical staff during his surgery. We've had a handful of complications with other surgeries done on both Carter and Ian by the same surgeon so it certainly seemed plausible. Tami was on her way to Primary Children's to have Carter checked out.

I quickly wrapped up my last few tasks at the office and dashed out to pick up the kids from Tiff and Jared's house.

As I was racing up I-15 my phone rang. It was Tami calling from the emergency room. All is well. The string was just one of the stitches that should be dissolved any day. No reason for alarm. Tami and I both breathed a HUGE sigh of relief and commented on how thankful we both were that we were not facing another stay in the hospital. I hung up the phone and said a little prayer of gratitude.

As I made my way up the freeway a strange thought occurred to me. I quickly grabbed my phone and dialed Tami's number. She answered and I asked "If you pull the string does he talk?"

Yeah, I ain't right. But I am pretty stinking funny!

8 Days in the Hospital

It was one week ago tomorrow that Tami, Carter and I arrived at Primary Children's Medical Center. We are certainly not strangers to this place. During Ian's first year he had 4 stays here totalling nearly a month. This is Carter's third surgery; each one requiring a stay of 4-7 days. So we know our way around the place.

PCMC is an amazing place. I consider it a great blessing that we have such a terrific children's facility so near to us. Each time I am here I meet people who have come from hundreds of miles to recieve the serivces and quality of care that PCMC can provide. They are too far from home to even hope for visits from family and friends. They don't have the luxury of trading places with a spouse to give each other a break. We really are blessed to have such a place so near to home.

The staff here is also very special. There is always the rare exception, but on the whole these are people that love children and have a unique understanding of children's needs. They also do a wonderful job of helping parents and siblings cope wtih the challenges of having a loved one in the hospital. They truly do strive to make the most of what is generally a very difficult situation.

As I sit here beside Carter on what we pray will be his last night here I can't help but ponder the lessons of the past week. Life doesn't present challenges like this without accompanying lessons.

Faith seems to be the great lesson of the past week and even the past few months. So many times discouragement, frustration or despair got to me. I could not understand why these things had to happen to me, my family or my child. I couldn't understand why so many things had piled on Tami and I over the past few months. I wasn't sure if we could make it through and at times I was pretty sure I didn't want to make it through the challenges. But each time, I found faith.

Sometimes it was a friend calling with some encouragement or with a good laugh. Other times it was Tami's strength reminding me that I don't have to do it alone and that things would work out. But most of all it was belief in God. It was an ever-growing knowledge that when those times of total frustration or utter despair hit there is a higher power who listens to prayers and answers prayers. It was also an understanding that faith is a gift from my Heavenly Father and I need only ask for it. I won't always get the answers to "Why?" when I want them and the problems may not go away as quickly as I would like, but I always get the strength I need to see it through.

I have also been reminded that Faith is a verb; an action word. If I believe, I must do. I can ask for strength, but if I don't put that strength to work, what good does it do me? Turning the steering wheel of a car does very little unless that car is in motion. Asking God to direct my actions does nothing unless I am in motion.

I have also been reminded of one of the great reasons for marriage. After spending four days and three nights here with little or no breaks Tami had reached the breaking point on Thursday afternoon. When I arrived at the hospital I could see the fatigue in her face. As she lamented the thought of leaving her baby and going home I explained that getting some rest was the best thing she could do for Carter at that moment.

48 hours later it was I who had reached the breaking point. Too little sleep, plenty of stress and a load of disapointment had brought me to the edge of tears. It was then that Tami arrived. She took Carter to the playroom and left me to unwind and catch a quick nap. Before long I was feeling good again and ready to finish out Carter's stay at the hospital. I am so thankful to have a companion who compliments me so well.

Its been a rough week. It has also been a very enlightening week. I hope I have learned the lessons I was supposed to learn. I certainly don't want to repeat the course.

It Is Done! ...well mostly.

Moving is never fun. Unless you have guys like Jared, Nick, Mike, David, Brandt and my Dad helping. I have often said that there is never a boring moment with these guys, but who knew moving an entire house would be so entertaining? I learned all too well that its very difficult to move a piano while Nick and Jared are putting on their comedy show. Fortunately, everyone's fingers and toes survived. Thanks to all the guys plus Tami and Tiff for making this the most efficient and entertaining move I have ever been involved with.

The new place is pretty cool. Or at least it will be once we dig out from under the avalanche of cardboard. I have my own selfish reason for wanting to get the unpacking done quickly. The new home has a sizable garage and right now, the bulk of the boxes awaiting unpacking are in the garage. I made an agreement with Tami that she could have a craft room all her own, if the garage could be strictly my domain. So, the sooner I get all the boxes out of there the sooner it becomes my "Man Cave". Tami already donated a good stereo to the cause, there is a refrigerator (six packs of b - SODA)!) and I have some good posters, signs and a dart board to go on the walls. Plus there has to be plenty of tools, sporting equipment and fishing gear. Some strobe lights and a disco ball might be cool too.

Here are a few other positive points about the new pad:

1) I never tire of hearing Carter refer to the new house as "The Pine Cone House" because of the large pine tree in the front yard.
2) The covered deck in the backyard that will make year-round grilling even more enjoyable.
3) Tami and I once again have a master bathroom. That may sound trivial, but I am going to enjoy not sharing the shower with action figures, Tonka trucks and Legos.
4) My commute has been reduced from roughly 70 miles and 90 minutes to less than 30 miles and about 30 minutes.
5) Walmart no longer has to be considered a prime option for date night.
6) Applebees and Denny's are no longer considered the pinacle of fine dining options.
7) We no longer reside in a county whose top employers specialize in nerve gas and nuclear waste.
8) I am 45 minutes closer to my favorite fishing spots.
9) My inner childhood nerd enjoys watching and identifying the airplanes as they fly over.
10) We are so much closer to family and friends. Which means going to see those family and friends is no longer a trek on par with that of Lewis and Clark.

So, c'mon over folks...and take some empty boxes with you!

Things I Learned While Commuting 120 Miles Each Day

For those of you who don't already know, my new job, while very exciting and ripe with possibilities, is not close to home. In fact, the shortest route is a mere 67 miles each way. That means that on the best days I spend a minimum of 2-1/2 hours in the car. It gives me plenty of time for random observations.

1) There are few things I enjoy quite like going 85-90mph down a 2-lane, desert highway just after sunrise.
2) There is nothing like a small herd of deer alongside the road to make me re-think my speed.
3) On Tuesday mornings the entire Sandy City police department and members of assorted other police departments in the state migrate out into the desert. I have no idea why, but it sure spoils the 90mph part of my drive.
4) Small-town convenience stores are favored gathering places for elderly men.
5) Those same old men will give you stink eye when you enter the convenience store if you are not a "regular". If you are a regular you can expect a very warm greeting. [Picture "Norm!" from Cheers]
6) I have never recieved the "warm" greeting.
7) Odds are that the cashier at the convenience store uses the same greeting criteria as the old farts.
8) Even with over 1700 songs (4.8 days of music) it is possible to grow tired of listening to my iPod.
9) The "random" feature on my iPod is not as random as I expected. Why do Queensryche and Red Hot Chili Peppers always seem to come in groups of 2 or 3?
10) Lehi, Utah is the slowest town on earth.
11) There is no "fast lane" on Utah highways. I already knew that, but the past few weeks have been a harsh reminder.
12) I hate scrubbing bugs off my windsheild, but its always fun to watch them splatter.
13) No one should ever be allowed to own a vehicle that looks anything like a police car.
14) I can't wait to move closer to work (and friends and family) this weekend!

19 Church Members Sickened by Pizza Hut in Mississippi

They are calling it food poisoning. Personally I think they just forgot to say grace before eating.

What the...?

Today I did my duty as a fan of the NBA and voted for my choices for the NBA All-Star game, just as I have everyday for the past few weeks. Once my picks were submitted I decided to check out who was leading the fan voting. I was appalled! I expected perennial fan favorites to be there - Kobe Bryant, LeBron James... not only are they fan fav's, they have earned the honor. Then there are those who's stats may or may not warrant a vote, but who are still loved by the fans and get the sentimental vote - Shaquille O'Neal, Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Allen Iverson...

Next I noticed another type of player included among the leaders. Let's call them the "WTFs?" Bruce Bowen? When did cheap shots and lazy offense become important statistical categories? How did the entire starting five and the sixth man of the Houston Rockets get in there? T-Mac? You have to expect that one. Ron Artest is having a good year and we knew Yao Ming would be there, but Rafer Alston, Luis Scola and Shane Battier? It would take combining their stat sheets to warrant an intelligent vote! I realize that Houston is the fourth-largest city in the country and obvious they have a very active, albeit ignorant, fan base but seriously people!

Another head-scratcher has to be Yi Jinlan. He isn't even one of the top two players on his team! Yet, he is third among East centers. 1.3 billion voters obviously helps a bit.

Beyond all this though, one thing aroused my ire. Take a look at the top 11 vote-getters for West guards

Player(Team)
Votes

Kobe Bryant (LAL)
1,903,798

Tracy McGrady (Hou)
1,216,224

Chris Paul (NO)
1,059,161

Manu Ginobili (SA)
669,837

Tony Parker (SA)
614,939

Jamal Crawford (GS)
462,039

Steve Nash (Pho)
441,746

Jason Kidd (Dal)
381,906

Rafer Alston (Hou)
372,130

Jason Terry (Dal)
323,279

Brandon Roy (Por)
267,053
(courtesy NBA.com)

Who's missing? Kobe, T-Mac, Chris Paul... yeah expected those. Steve Nash & Jason Kidd... they are in the twilight of their careers, but definitely legends. Who is the #2 assist man in the NBA? Deron Williams. D-Will got the shaft from fans last year and it would appear he's getting it again this year. I am hopeful that the coaches will do the right thing and send Williams to his first All-Star game, but I am still disturbed by the ignorance of NBA All-Star voters. Here are the stats for the top point guards in the west. You tell me if D-Will belongs:

Deron Williams 15ppg/10apg
Chris Paul 20/11
Jason Kidd 8/8
Steve Nash 14/8
Tony Parker 21/6

The only person on that list with a better over-all stat line than Deron Williams is Chris Paul. Williams' stats are even more impressive when you consider he has been battling a nagging ankle injury on a team that has been devastated by injuries.

People please, go to NBA.com and vote for Deron Williams. Vote for a player who truly deserves to be honored as an NBA All-Star.

Health Department Makes Themselves Sick

Here's a quickie that made me giggle this morning. Nothing better than getting sick at the Health Department Christmas party!