One of the Best Cleaning Tools Ever

If you don't already have one of these, you must get one. I think Suzi was the first one who originally introduced me to the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. I wish I knew what was in it....it is amazzzzzzzzzing. Since I haven't quite taken on the project of covering every white wall in my house with paint, there were quite a few ding/black marks on the walls and floors that needed to be taken care of. I went through 4 of these things getting most of them "erased."

Random

It's 11:07 pm. I can't sleep. We've been in Idaho for the past three days helping Phil and Buelah on the farm. OK, as helpful as one who grew up in the city could be. I did learn how to move handlines and stake them so they don't fall over. Dallas fixed one of these pivots by adding two new gear boxes and motors. He calls them "a real man's sprinkler." Work starts Monday. Stay tuned...

A 30 Day Unplanned Vacation

So...a brief report of what's been happening around here while I wait to start the new job on June 1.

1. Dallas' Freeways To Fuel project -- taking off and getting great press, see below (I was the unofficial photographer at the press day)

2. Reading a few books:

Junk Science -- Dan Agin, PhD http://www.amazon.com/Junk-Science-Politicians-Corporations-Hucksters/dp/0312352417: "An overdue indictment of government, industry, and faith groups that twist science for their own gain."

Why Beauty Is Truth: A History Of Symmetry -- Ian Stewart http://www.amazon.com/Why-Beauty-Truth-History-Symmetry/dp/046508236X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-8708678-7260107?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179115202&sr=1-1: "Anyone who thinks math is dull will be delightfully surprised by this history of the concept of symmetry."

Eat, Pray, Love -- Elizabeth Gilbert http://www.amazon.com/Eat-Pray-Love-Everything-Indonesia/dp/0143038419/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-8708678-7260107?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179115310&sr=1-1: "At the age of thirty-one, Gilbert moved with her husband to the suburbs of New York and began trying to get pregnant, only to realize that she wanted neither a child nor a husband. Three years later, after a protracted divorce, she embarked on a yearlong trip of recovery, with three main stops: Rome, for pleasure (mostly gustatory, with a special emphasis on gelato); an ashram outside of Mumbai, for spiritual searching; and Bali, for "balancing." These destinations are all on the beaten track, but Gilbert's exuberance and her self-deprecating humor enliven the proceedings: recalling the first time she attempted to speak directly to God, she says, "It was all I could do to stop myself from saying, 'I've always been a big fan of your work."

3. Golf, Golf, and More Golf: Hobble Creek, South Mountain, RiverBend...cheap golf is the best! We played 18 at South Mountain today. I don't believe they have a single fairway that is flat (see picture above) http://www.slcountygolf.slco.org/south_mtn.html I lost by two strokes to the neighbor...

4. I have cleaned the house, including things that probably haven't been cleaned since I moved in. I cleaned out the garage and organized everything into plastic bins. Dallas thinks I'm a little OCD, but at least I haven't resorted to the labelmaker yet (although I really want one).

5. Triathlon Training...I love it, I miss it..Did 2100m swim and 5K run yesterday. Getting back into the swing of things feels good. I am planning the race season for the remainder of this year and '08 as well. Here are the planned races for this year so far:

http://www.envirosports.com/events/event.php?eventid=1902 -- Escape from the Rock

http://burleylions.org/spudman.html -- Spudman

http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1415246 -- Xango Echo Triathlon

http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1415006 -- Jordanelle Triathlon

http://www.firstwave-events.com/kahuna/ -- Big Kahuna 1/2 Ironman

http://www.redrockco.com/halfironman -- SOMA 1/2 Ironman

6. Watching the Jazz v. Warriors series (Jazz are now up 3-1 and I am hoping that I can finagle a way to get tickets to game 5) and the Buffalo Sabres v. Rangers (that's over and now they are playing Ottowa). As much time as I spent in Buffalo these past 5 years, I consider myself a local fan. While I am on this topic, I need to remind myself to blog about Buffalo. It is a destination that everyone should put on their list. Shelley will probably laugh, as I think she just returned from a trip to India, but Buffalo has a lot to offer! :)

7. Checked my credit report. Everyone is entitled to do this annually for free: https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp

8. Picking spuds out of the cellars for Dallas' "Fresh Spuds" business. People have no idea how many potatoes fit into one of those cellars. People also have no idea how bad they smell when they start to go bad.

9. Attempting to catch fish in the "Hanks Private Reserve" with the Mexican farmworkers and then attempting to catch them with my hands in the stream. I am 0 for 32.

10. Gardening, or rather, attempting to begin to have a green thumb. The wildflower garden is coming along, the lillies are coming through, and I planted a few more flowers this weekend. Pictures to follow...I am amazed as to how a tiny seed grows into a beautiful flower.

11. Checking out cool things on the internet. Here's a great find for everyone who just can't remember what they have run out of when going to the grocery store. The price is ridiculous, but the concept is awesome!!!! I mean, come on, how can anyone turn down uploading their grocery list on their IPOD?

http://www.intelliscanner.com/products/kitchen/order.php

12. Figuring out a way to get my Mathematics Teaching Credential: http://www.wgu.edu/index.asp

If anyone has any unfinished projects, babysitting, or research that needs to be done, I'm available :)

Freeways To Fuel

Dallas made big press with his 'Freeways to Fuel' co-venture between UDOT and USU. Here are the press links....He is quite humble, but I am awfully proud. Hanging out on the side of the freeways was pretty cool....

They were still talking about it Sunday on the thumbs up Opinion page..

http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_5882336

and Saturday on the opinion page of the "Buffalo Chips and Beehive Page" of the Daily Herald: http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/221412/

Best Story here on the front page of the Tribune:
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_5851961?source=rv

Great interview with Dallas on FoxNews:
http://www.myfoxutah.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=3150179&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=3.2.1

Another Good Story:
http://www.deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660218922,00.html

Good Story:

http://www.clippertoday.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=1&twindow=&mad=&sdetail=20894&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=1005&hn=clippertoday&he=.com

OK Story:
http://hjnews.townnews.com/articles/2007/05/09/news/news02.txt

Short CBS Blurb:

http://kutv.com/topstories/local_story_128190119.html

Even the Spanish Channel was there:
http://www.univision-utah.com/portada/7417471.html

Top Story on the 6 o'clock news -- click on video player
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=1196168

Day 1

I officially shipped all of my corporate materials back to the office yesterday at approx 4:30 pm MST. Therefore, I consider that the beginning of my "cooling off period" prior to starting my new position. Dallas is in full swing with his "Freeways to Fuel" project with UDOT and USU -- (there will be an official press release next week so stay tuned for that) and so it's not as if we can just jump on a plane and run away. Oddly enough, I do not have a passport so our choices are limited anyways. We looked last night and there really isn't any place I am longing to go domestically. Big suprise :)

I spent the rest of the day and the first part of today cleaning the house, catching up on Season 2 of "The Office" and checking my e-mail about 100 times. It's funny how you become co-dependent on your computer and your phone. They should offer separation anxiety courses for people who leave jobs like this.

The funniest part of this morning was where I checked my bank account and found out that I was paid the normal amount I am usually paid on the 1st and 15th of each month. That's hilarious. Someone forgot to tell accounting that I am no longer employed.....