My Favorite Use of Toilet Paper

Working at Dairy Queen was monotonous.  Flipping burgers and blending blizzards gets a little old after a few months.  My teenage coworkers remedied this situation by playing pranks.  Jokes ranged from adding salt to soda cups to filling each other’s pockets with whipping cream.  Teenagers are also very stupid.  That’s why the walk-in freezer does not let you get locked inside.

I worked with a fun group of people:  Brian La Croix, Debbie Caulkins, Jason Mills, and our friend Perry to name a few.  Being around that group made flipping burgers bearable and even enjoyable. 

At some point a toilet paper war started.  There is some confusion as to who started the war and about how many times a pocket got filled with whipping cream to instigate the war, but it started and no one was backing down.  Most weekend shifts ended with a run to the grocery store to buy 12-packs of toilet paper. 

Now you wouldn’t think that people making $4.25 per hour would want to blow an hour’s wages on toilet paper, but when you get out of the mindset of it being toilet paper and consider it more like a badge of retaliatory honor, the value of the water soluble paper increases. 

There is an art to toilet papering a yard.  It starts with parking down the street from your intended target and preparing the rolls.  You have to open the bag and get each roll “started” so it is ready to unravel when thrown.  We got really good at gauging the perfect parabola over our friend’s trees to make toilet paper stick for months to years well out of reach of ladders and rakes.  In fact, toilet paper in my parent’s trees once took over a year and a half to break down and blow away. 

Our toilet paper war went on for months.  Keep in mind this was happening in California where there is no winter peace season.  One night the crew closing the Dairy Queen decided it was Jason Mills turn to get TP’d.  But the problem was, Jason knew it was coming.  We knew he knew.  He was really good at waiting up for us. 

This week, we changed tactics.  I ran up the driveway first and grabbed his garden hose and quietly turned on the water as everyone else flung toilet paper rolls in beautiful arching curves in the sky.  Jason heard us and came running out the front door in his white briefs underwear.  I stepped out of the bushes and pulled the trigger on the hose nozzle and hit him square in the chest.  The blast caught him off guard and the water sent him hydroplaning right off his feet.  He went down straight on his back on the concrete and landed with a thud.  Time stopped.  But then it sped up as he lept to his feet and chased after me with a speed generally reserved for Cheetahs on the Nature channel.  He almost caught me, because even with shoes on, it is really hard to run when you are laughing uncontrollably. 

OK, working at Dairy Queen was anything but monotonous. 

Meeting 1993 me

I wonder what 18-year-old me would think of….me.

June 1993, I walked away from Fontana High School for one last time.  We just returned from grad night at Disneyland.  Graduating Seniors had the park to themselves from eleven at night to about five in the morning.  I was still wearing my tie, because all young men had to wear suits to grad night and Disneyland to avoid gang conflicts.  The bus ride home from the theme park was brutal.  We were exhausted.  I had to be at Dairy Queen to work at 10 am.  My nap on the bus was going to have to hold me over.  Well, the nap and the free soft drinks that came with working at a fast food restaurant. 

But what if I didn’t have to go make blizzards that day?  What if I jumped forward to today and walked into my front door and met 2017 me? 

1993 me was starting summer quarter at Cal Poly Pomona in a week.  My plans after High School included studying Pre-veterinary medicine, going on a mission for my church, getting married, getting a Veterinary medicine degree, moving to Colorado and raising six kids while hunting, fishing, and hiking during my time off.  1993 me wanted to live in the mountains and have several dogs.  I figured I’d look like Mark Harmon or Sam Elliott when I was 40.  I hoped my wife would be outdoorsy too.    

So what would that me think of now-me?  What would he say? 

Well, there would probably be some discussion about how fat I am.  In fact I think younger me would probably threaten older me about getting into shape.  I think younger me would love my garage and my house and the mountain I live by.  I think younger me would highly approve of Emily.  I’d probably have to threaten younger me to quit checking her out.  Younger me would wonder why we only had three kids, and why I didn’t get a Doctorate.  He would wonder why I’m still fixing appliances and not kicking off my next business venture.  I don’t think he would be very happy with where my business ended up.  I think he would absolutely love seeing all the cool places I’ve been able to hike and backpack over the years.

Younger me would be stoked that older me speaks Russian.  He would think that is the coolest thing ever.  He would be disappointed that I haven’t been back to the Ukraine.  Younger me would love my dog. (we didn’t have a dog for very long growing up because my brother was allergic).  Younger me would want to wrestle with older-me’s kids.  Because, who wouldn’t want a chance to get to do that on an even playing field?  And younger me would also want to go down to the track and race my kids too.

But, I wonder who would benefit more from the conversation?  Younger me learning from older me, or older me getting back in tune with younger me. 

But at the end of the day I don’t think either of us would change a thing.  I’ve got a pretty great life. After I took younger me on a tour and resisted the temptation to print off a list of companies that did well over the past 20 years, older me would tell younger me to get to Dairy Queen and start my shift.  Younger me would forbid older me from ever visiting Dairy Queen again. 

IS IT COLDER INSIDE OR OUTSIDE A SNOWCAVE?

My son did a science fair project on snow caves this year.  He built one up about 7 feet tall and 20 feet wide and dug a space out for two people to lay in.  I thought it would always be warmer inside the cave, but there is a point, even with people inside that it starts acting more like a refrigerator and is cooler inside than out.  

First we tested it with two young women sleeping inside overnight.  That night there was just a tent material front door on the cave.  These are the results:

The next experiment was with a 9 hour candle lantern inside.  It tipped over in the middle of the night and went out.  Once again, it just had a thin tent material door on the opening.  These are the results:

The next night we tried again with the 9 hour candle lantern.  This time it did not go out until 6:30 am.

Then we covered the door with a summer sleeping bag to make the cave more airtight and we tried it with no one inside and no heat source inside.  The temperature spiked during the day, but the inside temperature was steady.

The next test was with a candle and the door covered with the sleeping bag.  The candle went out at 6am, but only kept the cave a couple of degrees warmer than without it.   And it was still colder in the cave than outside.

Two boys laid inside the cave and watched part of a movie on a tablet with the sleeping bag over the door.  Two bodies only raised the temperature by about 6 degrees.  It was still colder inside the cave than outside.

Bear in mind that a snow cave protects you from wind and rain and snow, but all other things being equal, it is only warmer in the cave if it is below 23 degrees outside and you have covered the door with a sleeping bag.

He took first place in the 6th grade and 2nd place overall.  Good job, Buddy!

THE STRUGGLE IS EASIER WITH A FRIEND.

Passing hobbies to the next generation





This still feels like home.

Teach a boy to fish...and you'll have a fishing buddy for a lifetime.

The Journey

Day 5.  8.8 miles today.  Bring it, Kings Peak! 

One of my kids doesn't like living at home.  He doesn't much like his parents right now.  Or his school, or his teachers.  I just hope that when he is older he will remember how much he smiled, how much fun we had, and I hope he will remember the incredible parts of the world he got to visit because his family loved him and wanted him to be with them. 

Dreams and Obstacles

Monday 01/04/16 20:42 Basement office

Day 4.  Still in the game. 

I like the dream.  I like the idea of crossing a rugged part of Utah by myself.  I like the idea of feeling good about my body again for the first time in over a decade.  I’ve been busy, stressed, and struggling for a long time.  I pray I can stick with it and be motivated for another 301 days this year. 

Going back to work after a few days off is enjoyable when the work van is clean, the office and shop are cleaned up and ready to hit a new week.  That was the case today.  I have a runny nose.  That makes tilting my head forward not so fun, but the day is almost over and I survived another one.  Off to the gym tonight to get the miles in.  Several hundred miles to go to get ready to hike across the Uintas. 

Appliance repair is not a prestigious profession.  I thought I would be a pilot as a teenager.  I got a degree in Animal Science to become a Veterinarian, but didn’t love the medicine enough.  I tried to grow a service business but was unsuccessful.  I want to do something that brings passionate people together.  I have had no inspiration on what is next in my life, so I will just keep pushing forward and see where this ride takes me. 

Enthusiasm

SUNDAY 01/03/16 23:10 Basement Office

Day three.  Took a 3.4 mile walk outside in the 15 degree weather.  My dog was un-phased by the cold.  He is so enthusiastic about exploring.  Doesn’t matter if he’s been there 500 times, it’s still brand new to him.  Since I can’t smell I wonder what that is like for him to stick his nose in every nook and cranny. 

Today got me thinking about mortality.  What would I want said at my funeral?  What music would I want played on the day that remembers my life?  I don’t want it to be depressing.  I don’t want it at a church because I want my animals to have a chance to smell my body and understand I’m not coming back.  My favorite hymn of all time is All Creatures of Our God and King played by the Newsboys.  Second favorite rendition is by David Crowder Band.  Those two songs have to be played.  It would be a strange exercise to write your own obituary.  That will be something for another day.  It would start, "He loved his wife, his kids, and his animals with an equality that could only be understood by those who knew him."  That's a good start.  But for now, may I learn to live with as much excitement and enthusiasm as my dog. 

Snowshoeing

Saturday 01-02-16 13:00 Basement Office

The beginning of the journey is always the easiest.  The first step may be really hard but then the next leg of the journey is usually the easiest.  No big distractions to get you out of the groove.  At least that is how it is for me.  I’m good for the first two weeks.  It happens to be a holiday weekend, so time is not an issue on day two.  So far so good on the first two days.  3.7 incline trainer miles yesterday in about an hour.  2.0 snowshoe miles today in about an hour and a half.  It was 20 degrees out but I wore too many layers.  It was too warm for thermal underwear.  No wind today.  Just nice, crunchy snow to float over.  There is a purity that snow brings that makes me want to be a better man.

I guarantee snowshoeing burns more calories than a treadmill.  And you can’t beat the view (my wife was hiking with me).  The view of the mountain was nice too. 

 

My daughter snowshoed with us too.  She wanted some quiet time so she took a different path home.  I think she loves the mountains as much as I do.  I am very proud of the woman she is becoming.

What is it about solitude that is so intriguing?  Through solitude we find out if we even still like ourselves.  We hear the cumulative sum of all that we have absorbed.  Is that why we dispel the quiet so much in our lives?  Noise from television, music, conversations.  How much actual meditation do we still do?  I’m guilty.  But sometimes the right music and send you thinking in a better direction.  Sometimes music and meditation go hand in hand.  But they require solitude to be complete.

Highline Trail Utah Preparation

2015 was a hard year.  I turned 40.  My weight got up to 290 pounds.  I had atrial fibrillation, and my heart was shocked back into rhythm in the E.R.  I was diagnosed with sleep apnea and learned to sleep with a mask.  I closed a business and went through bankruptcy.  Yes, my thirties were better. 

Even though my forties started out on a low note, I am excited to see the rest of this decade of my life improve.  2016 is fresh and exciting.  I’m not a big fan of the term “New Year’s Resolution,” but the end of a year is a good time to reflect on what went wrong and what can be better the following year. 

For years, I tried working 6 days a week, and putting everything I had into a failing business, that I always thought could be revived and saved.  That ended in problems with my health and ultimately was not the smartest way to correct problems.

I used to hike mountains a lot.  I grew up in Southern California just above sea level at about 1,200 feet. My friends and I hiked the mountains above Fontana regularly.  The high points were Mount Baldy (10,064 feet) and Mount San Gorgonio (11,503 feet).  Last year my brother and I broke my personal altitude record and hiked Mount Timpanogos to an elevation of 11,752.  However, I live above 5,000 feet now so the elevation change isn’t as dramatic, but it is still very hard to gain over 5,000 feet in elevation in a day. 

This year I have some new goals.  I’ve never hiked alone.  I want to cross the Uintah mountains in Utah on the Highline trail from the East side to the West as a solo trip. That is an 80 mile trek.  It has 5 points that are higher that I have been before.  Dead horse pass is 12,200 feet, Red Knob Pass is 12,248 feet, Porcupine Pass is 12,236 feet, Kings Peak is 13,528 feet, and North Pole Pass is 12,256 feet.  Most of the rest of the hike is at an altitude similar to my previous maximum.  80 miles in 10 days with 10 days of gear seems daunting but doable.  I can only go if I’ve lost enough weight.  I’ve gotta be under 250 pounds and get my pack down to start at around 60 pounds.  I know the pack could be much lighter, but I like being comfortable once at camp and am willing to work harder when hiking to have a more comfortable bed when I get there. 

So it begins.  Start training 21 miles a week.  Eat better, Sleep 8 hours per night.  Stay motivated.  Don’t get hurt.  Pray for success.

10 DAYS

80 MILES

5 PERSONAL ELEVATION RECORDS

ALONE.

Miracle of Life

DOG

Endure the storms.

The Beauty of Obstacles

Pinewood Derby at the Pinewood Speedway

I can be a little over-zealous about hobbies.  My wife says I'm out of control.  You have heard of the husbands who are gone fishing every week, or watch sports for six hours a night.  Well, I'm not a huge sports fan, but I do enjoy the Pinewood Derby. 

It started 31 years ago.  I was eight years old.  My Den leader gave me a little box that contained a block of wood, four nails, four wheels, some stickers, and a page of instructions.  I took it home and helped design, sand, and paint my car.  I loved working with my Dad in the garage.  He was a mechanic and genius with tools.   

Jerry Loessin was a member of our Cub Scout Committee and he built a two-lane wood track for us to race on.  He set it up at the church.  We had a very high tech timer system.  Two adults would sit in chairs at the finish line and the side that won would raise their hand.  Some of my first experiences pleading to God were while cheering for a five-ounce block of wood on wheels.

 Race night was exciting.  Our kitchen scale lied and our car was too heavy.  Just a little over 5 ounces.  My dad broke a sweat in the hallway with his corded drill as he carved away some of the wood underneath to make weight.  We removed the Lego driver and steering wheel and finally were legal to race.  It was a long night.  The judge on my side of the track didn't raise his hand that night.  I kept losing that night, but I have kept my losing car all these years.  I raced three more times as a youth.  I was able to take first place in two out of three of the following races.  I love those memories.



When I found out I was having a boy, I started planning and studying physics.  I read up on friction, gravity, aerodynamics of slow speed, energy conservation, and moment of inertia.  I found and read a 500 page textbook titled, "Physics of the Pinewood Derby."  Yea, a little over-zealous.

My son turned eight and we built his first car.  I let him do the design even though I knew it was not ideal.  His car was average and did not win a single heat.  He went to our minivan and cried about losing.  They weren't little tears either, they were the big industrial wailing tears that make parents crazy. 

The better part of a decade of research turned out a really slow car.  Back to the drawing board.  It was a great learning experience for my son.  I am glad he lost.  I am glad he experienced failure.  I got him up at six in the morning the next day.  We drove to McDonalds with a pad and pencil and his car.  We talked about the weight and physics and drew some pictures of next years car.  A year passed and he raced again.  We shaved too much off his wheels and they were binding up on the track.  His car was a little faster, but we still didn't win.  More egg McMuffins, more plans, but no tears on race two.  He was learning.

For the third year we decided to make alignment a priority.  We found a guy with a track in his basement on tested his car.  After two years of disappointment, my son took every race by multiple car lengths.  It was a very powerful experience for him.  He had empathy for the boys who lost.  Six years and two sons later and we can build a pretty fast car.

So, most zealous Dads would stop there.  They build some cars, buy a lot of specialty tools, learn everything about it and have some fun.  But I'm not a zealous Dad.  I'm over-zealous.  I designed a logo, created a theme, got another business license, and built a stadium.  We emptied the 5,000 square foot warehouse we used with our other business, and put in a 56 foot 8 lane track.  We installed a sound system, screens, picnic tables, chairs, displays, and now we host races all the time.  Now I get to see cars built by kids and their parents regularly.  Each car really is a work of art.  Some look like cars, some look like parade floats, and others resemble a kids favorite candy bar.  But at the end of the day, each kid loves their car if they got a say in the design and got to work on it with their parents.  They love them even more if they win.

I do a little presentation at each race.  I show a picture of my first car followed by a picture of a snail.  I talk about how slow my first car was.  I talk about winning and losing and the importance of getting back up and moving forward.  I like to look at the faces of this generation and see their expressions.  Some of them will start working on their next cars the next day.  And you can see in their expressions which ones are zealous and which ones are over-zealous.  My youngest turns 11 in a month.  He can no longer defend his title at our speedway.  On Tuesday night of this week a Cub Scout came in and knocked him off the record board.  But, one day he will have a son, and maybe this Pinewood Speedway thing will still be around, and maybe his son will be the over-over-zealous one to break the record again.  Or maybe he will spend his time fishing.

Some cars I built as an adult...

#pinewoodderby #pinewoodspeedway #woodwork

Happy Book

I don’t know when I started this list.  Sometime after getting married.  I started dating new lists after Chris was born.  It’s been a fun ride.  These are some of the things that make me happy.

1.       Emily’s fluttering eyes.

2.       Puppies

3.       Dogs

4.       Lizards Eating Moths

5.       Catching really big fish on lakes where there are “no fish”.

6.       Buying gear

7.       Emily’s curly brown hair

8.       Two words.  Wal-Mart.

9.       Lasagna

10.   Back massages

11.   Foot massages

12.   Other massages

13.   Sparkling apple cider

14.   Pet stores

15.   A clean (spotless) house

16.   Video games

17.   Dinosaur toys

18.   Rock and Roll

19.   Books

20.   Jets

21.   Building models

22.   Shoot-em-up movies

23.   Pet stores

24.   Emily’s kisses

25.   When it’s so clean you don’t have to wipe

26.   Lingerie

27.   High test scores

28.   Correct answers that were well thought out from difficult questions

29.   Bubbles

30.   The ocean

31.   Being up and working before the sun is

32.   Sunrises

33.   Fresh snowfall

34.   Baseball

35.   Reading Stimulating Literature

36.   Physics

37.   The movie Titanic

38.   Speaking Russian

39.   “New Mail”

40.   Nikki-dog

41.   Jogging

42.   Hiking

43.   Sleeping like spoons

44.   Rex ‘n Torque

45.   Being right

46.   A’s (grades-not the baseball team)

47.   Emily’s “cutesy” look

48.   Hitting home runs

49.   Blocking home plate so well that the runner never gets within two feet of the plate

50.   The dream of hitting a Baseball into the Hartman’s pool from FOHI’s Varsity baseball field

51.   Carrie’s smiles

52.   Carrie’s laugh

53.   Baby “bubbles”

54.   Carrie’s blue eyes

55.   A good night’s sleep

56.   Jane’s F-15 video game

57.   Wingman interceptor flight controller

58.   Walks with Carrie

59.   Geckos

60.   Science

61.   Cookie dough and moose tracks ice cream

62.   Scouting

63.   Sunrises on campouts

64.   Toys

65.   Toy section at Wal-Mart

66.   Tool Section at Sears

67.   Victoria’s Secret

68.   New books

69.   Lizard stuff

70.   Bed time

71.   Frisbee football

72.   Mail order CD’s

73.   IBC root beer

74.   Reptiles magazine

75.   Explorer Jogging Stroller

76.   Being naked

77.   Skinny dipping

78.   Understanding an entire Chemistry lecture

79.   Watching Emily breastfeed

80.   Carrie trying to crawl

81.   Carrie sticking out her tongue

82.   Carrie sucking on her top lip

83.   Insects

84.   Stars on a clear night

85.   Locking the door after work

86.   Showing Carrie off

87.   Showing Carrie’s pictures

88.   Watching live minor league pro baseball games

89.   Ballets

90.   Ballet Goggles

91.   Risk (the board game)

92.   James and Blake’s “alliance” in Risk games

93.   Jurassic Park and Lost World

94.   Candlelight dinners after work

95.   Carries crinkly nose

96.   Amazon.com

97.   Barnesnnoble.com

98.   Janes.ea.com

99.   Carrie humming while eating

100.                        Carrie playing chase

101.                        Carrie playing peekaboo

102.                        Being able to see the mountains in California

103.                        When the checkbook balances

104.                        Payday

105.                        Carrie saying “dog” and her excited look

106.                        White wings paper airplanes

107.                        Watching the lizards eat

108.                        Seeing Emily dance naked

109.                        My multimeter and ammeter

110.                        Having enough work to make lots of money

111.                        Having my dad say he is proud of me.

112.                        Being satisfied at the end of a day

113.                        Watching young scouts come together in a time of emergency.

114.                        Christopher’s dimples

115.                        Looking at Christopher’ s eyes

116.                        Playing anything with Carrie

117.                        Tic-Tac-Toe with Carrie

118.                        Watching the stars with Carrie and having her fall asleep in my arms

119.                        Commission!

120.                        500 crickets in a box on the doorstep to feed the lizards

121.                        A Blake-clean house

122.                        Fixing a problem in record time with no hang-ups

123.                        Kristin’s hugs

124.                        Snapping my sister’s bra

125.                        My dad’s handshake and smile after shooting my first deer.

126.                        Craftsman tools

127.                        My air compressor and shop vac

128.                        Root Beer

129.                        Macaroons

130.                        Lasagna

131.                        Bikini line

132.                        Long talks with my Mom at 2-4 a.m.

133.                        Tips (the monetary kind)

134.                        Watching Carrie hold up her snake saying “FUFFY” (his name was Fluffy, she couldn’t pronounce the L)

135.                        Hearing Carrie say “izard” when she wants to go to the garage to hold the lizards, and watching her hold both hands out in anticipation

136.                        Em’s long hair

137.                        When Em packs a lunch for me

138.                        Seeing Evan get married

139.                        07/08/02 Christopher’s “Webster” laugh

140.                        Watching Chris run

141.                        Tickling my kids

142.                        Chris running to me with two bar clams, handing me one and making a light-saber clashing noise

143.                        Chris’ fascination with airplanes

144.                        Chris saying “ug” when he sees a bug

145.                        Carrie and Chris’ mini workbench

146.                        Rockets

147.                        Being the one the neighborhood boys catch snakes for

148.                        Carrie calling me at work and saying with a gasp, “Uhhh!  It’s Daddy!”

149.                        My outdoor fishpond

150.                        Reading

151.                        Getting my diploma

152.                        The potential with Quixtar

153.                        Hummingbirds fighting over my yard

154.                        The way if feels when a  goldfish nips at your finger

155.                        Chris’ black eyes – man they are a dark color.

156.                        Big, well-trained German Shepherds

157.                        Getting certified to work with Freon

158.                        Being out of debt

159.                        The “Bed of Roses” soundtrack

160.                        My 3 car garage

161.                        My rocket launcher

162.                        The Fruit Heights house falling through

163.                        The house purchase working out

164.                        My reptile room

165.                        Being the only Russian speaking, appliance repairman with a Bachelors of Science in Animal Science in the entire world

166.                        “Smallville”

167.                        Adam Sandler movies

168.                        The dog run

169.                        Automated sprinklers

170.                        Movie family night at the outdoor amphitheater in Ogden

171.                        08/04/02 Palm Pilots

172.                        Glide recovery rockets

173.                        Radio Shack

174.                        Finding out that Em is pregnant

175.                        Riding Lawn mowers

176.                        Knowing that reptiles are coming out of hibernation

177.                        Snake tongs

178.                        Lizard nooses

179.                        Affecting young men in a positive way

180.                        Sports cars

181.                        Big trucks

182.                        Jars of Clay:  “Little Drummer boy”

183.                        Rocky movies

184.                        The undying resolve to never give up

185.                        Staying up late to think

186.                        Chris standing by my bed and staring when I wake up

187.                        Carrie’s smiles

188.                        Riding Garden Tractors

189.                        Fixing microwaves in “my” shop

190.                        Garden tractor wagons

191.                        Egg-lofting rocket competitions

192.                        Rock-sim software

193.                        Father-son campouts

194.                        Carrie smiling and sprinting to me across the yard when she sees that I’m home from work.

195.                        Hearing the pipes in the basement crackle and knowing Em is getting out the the bath (her skin red from heat)

196.                        07/28/07 Coleman falling asleep in my basement office with a blanket

197.                        Hitting wiffle balls with my kids

198.                        Air rockets

199.                        Winning the egg-lofting contest

200.                        Geocaching

201.                        Breaking records with my business

202.                        Seeing a competitors magnet on the refrigerator I’m working on

203.                        “Short-bus adventures”

204.                        Dutch oven cooking for family

205.                        Christopher wanting to play computer games

206.                        Christopher asking if today is a work day and me saying, “No.”

207.                        E-bay

208.                        Being my own boss

209.                        Creating a successful business

210.                        Knowing that my competition doesn’t stand a chance.

211.                        Taking my dog backpacking

212.                        Airshows

213.                        The f-22 Raptor aircraft

214.                        Central air (don’t have it yet)

215.                        When my yard is topped off

216.                        Finding good employees

217.                        Paying bills the day they come

218.                        Net-flix

219.                        Jennifer Garner movies

220.                        Girls with Sai’s

221.                        My Glock

222.                        Concealed Carry Permits

223.                        My tactical baton

224.                        My light/laser for my pistol

225.                        Walking on a frozen lake

226.                        Ice fishing

227.                        Sonar

228.                        “The pelican” fishing boat

229.                        Cache doing a 200 yard blind retrieve

230.                        Cache coming out of thick brush with a duck in his mouth

231.                        Watching Carrie catch a 6 pound 3 ounce Wiper, her first fish

232.                        Watching Chris catch his first fish through the ice

233.                        My 15 passenger van with roof rack

234.                        Klondike campouts

235.                        People asking who trained my dog

236.                        Taking my dog to restaurants as a service dog

237.                        Headlamp flashlights

238.                        Butterfly crescent kicks

239.                        Step up side kicks

240.                        Sparring

241.                        Watching Carrie spar against two boys

242.                        Sparring with Emily

243.                        Gina Carano fights

244.                        The ferrets attacking Emily’s socks

245.                        The ferrets stealing tennis balls

246.                        05/25/10 Coleman asking if we can cuddle.

247.                        Coleman wanting to help fix his bike so he can ride

248.                        10/18/13 Coleman asking me, “Will you swing me”   The swing broke last summer.  I won’t hear that again, I’m afraid

249.                        Watching Godzilla the Savannah Monitor fly through her cage with her mouth open while chasing a mouse

250.                        Mango smoothies at Burger King

251.                        The Pinewood Speedway

252.                        Touchscreen laptops

253.                        Android phones, I remember really wanting a color Palm Pilot at one time

254.                        Applications on cell phones

255.                        Coleman asking if he can work on his Pinewood Derby car 3 months before his race

256.                        Having a storefront

257.                        The look on people’s faces when they see Carrie and Emily in Venture uniforms.  Most women are weaksauce.  My girls aren’t.

258.                        Trango 4 tents

259.                        Riding out a thunderstorm in a tent on the top of a mountain with my girls and my dog.

260.                        Hatching quail eggs

261.                        Watching Coleman roll on his back in a chair the first time he shot a 20 guage shotgun

262.                        Ducted fan pinewood derby cars

263.                        The look on peoples faces when they see the Pinewood Speedway the first time.