Why is she hugging Dat bear ?

Tonight we watched Star Wars (Episode 4: A New Hope) as a family.  This was partially for FHE (Family Home Evening), and partially because Karen and I have decided our kids need to be versed in "the classics."  We borrowed the trilogy (the first ones from the late 70's and early 80's) from Karen's brother Brian and have plans to watch all three episodes, with the kids, in the next 1-2 weeks.  I'll do another post at some point about the other movies Karen and I have deemed "classics" but for now I wanted to explain the blog title.

Catalina, who recently turned 4 years old, has a limited understanding of these films.  So throughout the evening she was asking questions that a four-year old might ask.  "Is dat a bad guy?"  "Are dem friends?"  "Who cut him arm off?"  "Is him da good guy?"  "Is dat guy dead now?"  "Why him so sad?"  and on and on and ON!

By far the most amusing of these questions was her sincere inquiry that is the title of this blog.  She asked the question after the scene where Luke Skywalker and Han Solo shoot the Imperial fighter jets out of the sky.  After showing Luke and Han celebrating, the movie switches to a shot of Princess Leia hugging Chewbacca.  And Cat wanted to know why "dat lady" was huggeen "dat bear."

I love her questions!  They're funny but also very sincere!  :)

...

How Is It Possible ?

This morning I finally got my permanent crown on at the dentist.  It was actually as good of an experience as I could possibly imagine having, even considering I had to have a filling done too.  But this blog isn't about that experience ... it's about what happened after I left the dentist today.

On the way home from the dentist I got a wild hair.  No, not one growing out of my clean(ish)-shaved scalp, but one of those ideas to do something seemingly out of the blue.  I decided it was time to clean my car.  No, it would be better to call it "detailing" because this was the most deep-cleaning my car has seen since ... well ... ever !

I'll spare you the details of the experience of cleaning every nook and cranny in my car.  What I wanted to share was the interesting paperwork and assorted items I found.  Among those things I located as I cleaned out everything in my car were the following (with what I found the most interesting saved for last):
 - A roll of Ace Bandage wrap (about 5 feet long).
 - A presidential dollar coin.
 - A green, size medium Fender guitar pick.
 - Three pencils (two unsharpened).
 - A pencil box filled with dry erase markers.
 - Three pens (all without caps).
 - A Snickers bar (which I delivered today to my sister Jaimee ... don't worry little sis, I got it brand new last Friday at work so it's not that old or anything!)
 - My cigarette lighter for the car (it's a 1997 Mercury Tracer so they still had those instead of auxiliary ports).
 - A bicycle owner's manual from Josh Jr Ben now Brooklyn's bike.
 - Directions to the Father's and Son's campout for Stetson Hills ward ... from August of 2006!
 - The original insurance ID cards for my car ... and one for the Trans Am !
 - A receipt for a burger at Conway's Red Top ... from May of  2005 !
 - Colorado Registration papers from random years, including 1998 (when I first registered my car!)
 - Two umbrellas.
 - Two window ice scrapers (one big, one very small).
 - A replacement light bulb for any of my four turn signals.
 - A business card for the guy who has moved my pool table ... twice.
 - And finally ... the most incredible find ...

every ... single ... oil change receipt ... since I bought my car!

I have no idea how it happened that I kept all of them.  It certainly wasn't planned.  Each time they change the oil (at Jiffy Lube, in case you were wondering) they present you with a pink sheet (carbon copy) with dot matrix printing that shows what you had done at the "shop" that day.  I just take them and fold them in fourths and place them in the lower compartment on the front passenger side door.  And there they have been collected every 3-4 months for the past 13+ years.  I know it's not like finding buried treasure or the Titanic or anything, but it was very interesting for me.

Maybe I should "deep clean" my car more often!  :)

...

How Did You Get Signed Up For That ?!

This past Friday (July 8th) was Day One of the Colorado Springs East Stake 11-year old Campout at the Youth Camp in Palmer Park.  This was our ward's second campout of the year (I blogged several picture posts from our first one back in June).  Regretfully, I did not take any pictures with the camera for this campout, so you'll have to read about it instead of just skim some pictures.



One of the "best" things about this
campsite was that there were
already bathroom facilities!
No latrine digging necessary!

 This campout was much easier (for Dave and myself anyway) because the Stake Primary Presidency was in charge of basically all of the food and activities.  Each ward was assigned one activity that they were responsible for, which works out well because then the "burden" is carried by all.  One of the wards either could not or chose not to attend, after they had agreed to complete one of the more planning-intensive activities: the 5-mile hike and orienteering course.



Because I arrived (with all four of our boys in the van) as one of the very first adult leaders, one of the Primary Presidency asked if I could help out with that.
I said "I suppose Dave and I could probably do that, if there isn't anyone else."
What she heard was "Yes!  Please oh please let me do this!  I'm so excited to wrangle 40 boys and adults on an unplanned hike through terrain I am largely unfamiliar with, even if the rains come rolling in and the boys are not interested in trekking anywhere!"  The title of this blog is the question Dave asked me when I advised him, via text, that we now had the closing flag ceremony AND the evening hike.

Our campground was approximately just to the left
of the big yellow splotch below the word "contours."

But, as with all good-hearted things that are "blessed" by the Lord, it turned out very good!  Dave ran off to get some "prizes" for our winners and we made the hike into more of a walkabout where the boys would head out, with their leaders, to identify as many different animals and/or plant varieties in the native area.  The team with the most total identified species would win the fun-size candy bar prizes.

Even better than the way this ended up being very easy to facilitate, was the really cool experience of having our four boys lead the education piece prior to the hiking excursion.  There were (coincidentally) four sections of "Safe Hiking" rules to review, so we assigned each boy one section before dinner and explained to them that they would need to educate their peers on their assigned section before we headed out on the hike.  It was so impressive to see how well each boy prepared for his assignment and even more impressive to see how well they spoke clearly and loudly when it came time for them to present.  One of the boys is usually quite shy and quiet, but even he spoke in a tone loud and clear enough for all to hear and understand.

I was so proud of the boys for stepping up in a pinch (even though they didn't know they were) and knocking one out of the park (no pun intended).  A fun hike event was had by all and the winning team identified over sixty plants, animals, and bugs!

...

How wet will my seat be ?

I have a bad habit of leaving my window rolled down when I get to work each day.  This isn't an issue related to possible theft, etc. as my car is nothing anyone would ever try to steal.  And without 3rd gear they'd barely make it out of the parking lot before they just gave up.  The real issue is when it rains, or as happens in Colorado Springs, when it POURS!

Today we got one of those downpours, which I was very excited about.  I have blogged before about how much I love the rain.  I also LOVE the lightning and thunderstorms that often accompany a good, hard rain in this fair metropolis.  There's just something about that explosion of water, including the residual dampness of everything in sight, that makes me oddly very happy!

But I cannot remember exactly how FAR DOWN I left my window this morning ... and since the rain lasted for hours (not just the typical 20-30 minutes we usually see) anything more than a 1-2 inch opening is going to result in a super soggy commute tonight.  I normally don't mind a wet bottom (as compared with a scorching hot interior of the car if I didn't leave the window cracked open) on the car ride home ... but tonight is my nephew's first birthday party ... so I'm not driving straight home.  I'm headed to my brother-in-law's NEW house for the party ... most likely with a soggy bottom!

If it's too bad I'll have to be even later to the party because I'll have to stop by the house to change ... here's hoping the big SUV parked next to the driver's side of my car blocked most of the rain ... or that by some miracle I only left the window cracked open.  I doubt it.

Wish me luck!  :)

...

Where is Point A ?

Start at Point A.

Take a right (out of the parking lot).

Take a right (into the roundabout).

Take the second right (out of the roundabout).

Take another right (at the stop sign).

Take a left (at the second stoplight).

Take another left (at the stoplight where the road ends).

Take a right (at the next stoplight).

Take a left (at the 5th stoplight).

Take a right (at the first stop sign, long after the only stoplight).

Take another right (at the second street).

Take a left (at the stop sign which comes up almost immediately).

Take another left (at the first street).

And finally, take an almost immediate left into a driveway.

Where are you ?!

My house!

Now the question is ... where did you start?!

First correct comment on this blog or on my Facebook post wins a free Snickers bar.  I'm totally serious too!  I'll even mail it to you if you're from out of town!  Happy guessing!  :)

Disclaimer:  Karen, you are exempt from this contest because you knew I was going to blog this!  :)

...

Why is she making THAT face ?

My daughter Myra had her first experience with fireworks this 4th of July.  Her Uncle Daniel had some fireworks to shoot off, saved from last year when the display got cut off shortly after the show was supposed to start with a freak hailstorm that damaged tons of roofs, cars, etc.

This is the face she was making while the fireworks were going off ...

 

I had to share the pics because it was too funny how she was trying to watch but also (kind of) cover her eyes from the lights and noise.

...

How is it ANY different ?!

Today my family and I spent the first 6+ hours of our day at the VGRA pool (the local pool in Karen's parent's neighborhood that Karen is the Pool Board President for).  It is a fun community pool but it has been poorly managed and facilitated by prior board leaders, etc.  That's all fine and well because this current board (and it's super talented President) did an AMAZING job of setting up, planning for, and running the annual 4th of July pool party!  Kudos Pretty Lady on the best 4th of July Party we've ever been to at the pool!

Amidst the various activities of the day, I was reminded of a topic I haven't blogged about before but that has often been on my mind to blog about (every time we're at the pool).

Here it is in a nutshell:
At the pool, many women and teenage girls are dressed relatively immodestly (i.e. in clothes that barely cover the "things" you're not supposed to see in public).  My issue is this ... how is it "acceptable" to be virtually naked at a pool or while swimming, but it is an outrage if a woman shows too much leg at a formal dinner or wears a low-cut blouse to work, school, or any public place ?!

Let me be perfectly clear on this part ... I am NOT advocating women to dress more scantily-clad in more areas than the swimming pool!  I am simply questioning whether or not there is a double standard here.  I sure think so!

The fact that I can see so much "skin" at the pool is a big deterrent to my happy, family pool experience.  I don't think women need to be showing so much "stuff" and I think it doesn't help them in the quest to not be "objectified" or "treated like a piece of meat" and "ogled at by men."

Tell me you didn't think about how guys would be "checking you out" and how good you look in that swimsuit you recently bought.  Tell me you weren't excited that it accentuates the positive in your physical form.  You're lying!
You DO want us to look at you and you're hypocrites if you get upset that a man cannot avoid looking!  It is virtually impossible NOT to look when everywhere around you there "it" is!

I know it must be difficult to find swimsuits that are modest but also flattering.  No one wants to wear a dress while swimming.  But your willingness to buy those swimsuits that are available supports the industry that continues to teach women to use their bodies to attract men.  But I'm off topic ... I just wanted to point out that I think almost every woman concedes that it is okay to show more of themselves than they want to at the pool, even if they are normally a "prude" in other public situations.

What do you think?

Post a comment below or on my Facebook page.  I am interested in other perspectives on this.  Maybe I'm just getting old and curmudgeonly!

...