iPhone Blogging Experiment

This is sort of an experiment. I am posting this rom my iPhone using
Google's new mobile tools.

Both the photo and the text for this entry originated from my iPhone.

As frustrating as my job can be at times, sometimes I need a little
boost. This afternoon I turned around and saw the pink reflection of
the sunset on the mountains just as a little storm front passed low
nearby. The iPhone picture probably doesn't do it justice, but just
look at this view out of my office window! How many people have a
view like this?

Choir Treats

Kaysville Elementary put together a children's choir this year. Surprisingly, Indy wanted to be in the choir, but Elise did not. Indy has had to get up early on Tuesdays and Thursdays for choir practice an hour before school.

Tonight the choir presented their Christmas concert. The kids sounded great. It was good for Indy to perform as part of a group.

When asked what he liked best about being in the choir, Indy's response was:

"I liked being in the choir because they gave us donuts and treats when we came to practice in the mornings!"

So, did he just do this for the treats?

The first day of December 2007 saw the first real snowstorm of the season in Utah. Of course, it gave me an excuse to break out the ol' John Deere tractor for some plowing action. However, the kids also took advantage of the fresh snow, and spent most of the day playing outside. Here is a shot of Olivia and Aiden "surfing" on their sled in the front yard.

Hummer Happenings, Moab, UT Event

Thanks to the quick work of the Hummer technicians, we were able to attend the Hummer Happenings event in Moab this weekend. We arrived safely Friday afternoon at the beautiful Red Cliffs Resort (about 20 miles outside of Moab). Our room is right on the Colorado River!Saturday morning we ran "Hell's Revenge" with a group of other Hummers. What a cool sight to see 12 other Hummers on the trail with you. Our trail boss was none other than Dan Mick the "Mayor of Slickrock!" The Orange Beast performed flawlessly, and we arrived safely back at Red Cliffs Resort this afternoon. We plan on heading home tomorrow morning after another lovely breakfast on the patio of the lodge overlooking the Colorado. Here's a group shot:

Disaster Strikes!

We had a small problem on day 4 of our Moab Easter trip. Both the rear air suspension and the steering broke on the Hummer! Here is a shot of the carnage of the air spring: Luckily, we were in a location that was tow-truck accessible. We had to have the Orange Beast towed to the dealership in South Jordan for repairs. Thanks to the quick work of the service techs at the Hummer store, I was able to return to Moab to pick up Melinda and the kids and return home safely.

Easter Moab Trip 2007 (Day 3)

Today we ran two trails: Gemini Bridges and Bull Canyon. We found a couple of geocaches near Gemini Bridges. Along the way, we saw some great panoramic views and some spectacular scenery. At left, is an example of HDR photography. This picture is actually a composite of three shots. Below is a picture of Elise with the geocache she found, as well as a shot from Bull Canyon looking up at Gemini Bridges.

Moab Dunes

Since the Red Rockers had exclusive trail rights this morning, we had to wait until noon before we could get on Behind the Rocks. What to do to pass the time until noon? Go play on the sand dunes, of course!

Moab Easter Trip, April 5-11, 2007

We are in Moab with our friends BJ, Jaci, Emily, Chris, and Garrett for our annual Easter trip. Today we tackled Behind the Rocks, one of the most difficult trails here. Last year, I failed to make it up this obstacle, which is encountered at the very beginning of the trail. This time, after a couple of attempts, and some excellent spotting from BJ, I made it up! Pictures do not do this obstacle justice. There are huge gaps in the slickrock (my right rear tire is in one in this picture), as well as a nice slick coating of sand to hamper traction. The Orange Beast did not overcome this obstacle unscathed, however. On my first attempt, I snapped off the left rear u-step. Oh, well. No pain, no gain!

The Ultimate Vintage NES Auction

Mr. Edwards, if you are reading, this one's for you. Check this out. I'm speechless. This has got to be the coolest eBay auction item ever!

SOTU

I always try to watch, read, and/or listen to the President's annual State of the Union address to Congress. Despite multiple interruptions, I was able watch and then read much of the speech. While there was nothing particularly new or groundbreaking in the speech, it was interesting nonetheless. Here are a few of my thoughts:

• "Madame Speaker" Pelosi was unusually generous in introducing the President. Is this the same Nancy Pelosi that recently derided the President as being incompetent?
• The President gave a nod to bipartisanship in stating that both sides must be willing to cross the aisle when there is work to be done. We all know that this will never happen. I think the Democrats will be nothing but vindictive after so many years of Republican majority in Congress.
  
• President Bush rightly touted the economic growth that has occurred on his watch. Too bad his critics in Congress and in the news media refuse to acknowledge that the President's tax cuts have led to unprecedented prosperity that trickles down to all walks of life in our society.
• Did I detect a hint of fiscal conservatism in the President's remarks about balancing the Federal budget by reducing spending rather than raising taxes? I am a strong supporter of the President, but I believe that a significant number of Republicans in power right now have abandoned traditional conservative principles (fiscal responsibility among them). I hope this signals a return to those principles.
• The President paid lip service to entitlements (Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, etc.). He had a prime opportunity to spearhead Social Security reform with a Republican-led congress for the past seven years, but didn't get 'er done. There is no way this is going to happen now, and he knows it. This is a real hot-button issue for me, and should rightfully be the subject of a future post. In a nutshell, I do not think that the Federal government is capable of managing my retirement funds better than I can. They should stop stealing my money, which, under the current system I will never get back (stealing is considered a crime in most parts of the world), and let me manage it myself. It's called individual accountability, and there is precious little of it left in our society.
• I think the President's proposal to create a tax deduction for health care coverage is a sound one. However, a Democratic congress will never settle for anything less than full-blown socialized medicine. Boy, don't get me started on that one.
• Immigration is one area that I strongly disagree with the President on. He can call his plan whatever he wants, but it amounts to amnesty. We simply must stop the flow of illegal immigrants into this country. They have broken the law by entering this country illegally. They should not be rewarded by being put on "the path to citizenship." They should be deported.
• I missed the whole section on energy reform, due to a call from Melinda's cousin, Jerry. But after going back and reading this part of the speech, I think it is safe to say that the Presidents goals for energy reform are admirable, but ambitious at best.
• I also missed much of the speech on the Iraq war. Let me just say that I do not think that going to Iraq was a mistake, and that we simply have to succeed there. The Democrats are calling for a withdrawal, a retreat, a strategic redeployment, or whatever you want to call it. That would only make things worse. All those men and women who have fought and died will have done so in vain if we lose our resolve now. Certainly, mistakes have been made, but I think the President's new strategy at least deserves a chance. As long as we are there, shouldn't success be our objective? Apparently the Dems do not think so. I did see Jim Webb's weak response to the SOTU, in which he called for renewed diplomatic efforts, rather than boots on the ground. News flash for Mr. Webb: You cannot negotiate with Islamic terrorists. They would view an American retreat as a sign of weakness, and would surely step up terror attacks on US interests abroad, if not in our own country. The Democratic stance on this issue is a pre-9/11 mentality, and it is just plain wrong.
• Call me old-fashioned, but the President's Oprah-esque vignettes spotlighting several special Americans had no place in a SOTU speech.
  

In the Beginning, There Was Orange

Well, here is my first ever blog post. I'll use this blog to write about myself, my family, and our adventures with the one and only Orange Beast (our 2003 Hummer H2, 6" lift, 38" Nitto Mud Grappler Tires, custom Fabtech off-road suspension, color: Sunset Orange Metallic--hence the name Orange Beast).

Oh, yeah, I may share some of my views about various current events, as well. I tend to follow politics, current events, and all sorts of electronic gadgety things. Should be fun!