The Weight Update

To Blog or not to Blog

I don't know how to blog and I feel embarrassed to be a blogger. I hate to sound like Andy Rooney but "blogging" seems obscene to me. Really, in our entire language we couldn't come up with a better term for keeping a personal web log than a blog? How about a webichle (web + chronicle)? or a wost (web + post)? OK, these aren't that great either but it seems like there must be something better out there than "BLOGGING". Even still, I have decided its time, as the scriptures say, "to keep a record of this people" and so I will blog! Despite the ickiness of the term, I hope you enjoy it!

Sunday, January 9, 2011

A Tragedy In Arizona

Yesterday, while Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was hosting a town meeting in Tucson, Arizona, 18 people were shot by a 22-year-old man. Six of the 18 died including a nine-year-old girl and a federal judge. 12 others were injured and are in various degrees of recovery. Congresswoman Giffords, who was shot in the head, survived both the shooting and the surgery, and, against all odds, the doctors are optimistic for her recovery. It is incomprehensible. My heart actually aches when I think of the depth of devastation this has caused in so many lives. One choice, one decision has changed the course of hundreds of lives. What if the choice had been different? Why wasn’t his choice different?

But his choice wasn’t different and now the blame begins. We need tougher gun laws, the level of vitriol in our country is outrageous; its killing people, people are being killed because of the irresponsible things politicians have said on radio and tv, Arizona is the hot-bed for intolerance right now, Sarah Palin was connected to the shooting, crazy conservatism is to blame, etc. People jump on whatever band wagon they agree with and the finger-pointing, name-calling, and mud-slinging explodes.

I think they are all wrong. I do not think this happened because our gun laws are too lenient or because the talking heads have riled up the citizenry. I do not think this happened because one state in the union is promoting intolerance. I think vitriol is no more or less present than it always has been but it is expressed more loudly. But I do not think any of this is caused one man to shoot people. I believe all of these, including the shooting are reflections of a change in American culture. As a country, we have moved away from the ideals of self-reliance, accountability, and conscience.

The greatest generation, our grandparents generation, was not that long ago. Why were they the greatest generation? Were there stricter gun laws? Did politicians act more responsibly? Was the level of vitriol in the country lower? We were fighting WWII after all; losing more men and women in battle than ever before or since. Yet they supported each other and continued to respect America. Why were they the greatest generation?

The greatest generation was individually self-reliant, accountable to one another for their actions, and had a collective moral conscience that was not regulated by government. The American climate during the greatest generation was responsibility and respect. They did not want to remove the phrase “Under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance” while ignoring the most vile music lyrics under the guise of artistic liberty and freedom of speech. America really was a shining city on a hill, an example to the world, a symbol of hope to humanity.

What has changed since that generation? The people. People who used to be self-reliant have become dependent. People who used to be accountable to their God and to their neighbors have become entitled. People who used to have a conscience have become selfish and unprincipled. Our greatest generation grew up working and sacrificing; they became adults instilled with gratitude and respect. Our generation has grown up with abundance and hand-holding; we have become instilled with selfishness and immaturity. The people have changed. We are a nation of spoiled brats.

So, why is anyone surprised by the finger-pointing, name-calling, and mud-slinging? Why is anyone surprised that people are willing to yell the most hateful things at each other? Why is anyone surprised when our Congress can’t get along? Why is anyone surprised when there is argument and disagreement among our media? Why is anyone surprised at the level of violence in America?

Tougher gun laws are not the answer. More stringent media regulation is not the answer. More regulation and bigger government is not the answer. I submit that if we really want to see the climate of violence and all other negative trends in America change, we as a people need to change. It is not the government’s fault, it is not the media’s fault, it is not the school’s fault, it is our fault. It is so much easier to point a finger away from yourself, blame someone else, or look somewhere else for a solution than to realize I am responsible and I must change. As the people go, so goes the country.

We must return to the principles that once made us great. Individual self-reliance, personal accountability, and every man’s character of conscience. Only in this will we achieve a collective restoration of the American culture. Until then, we will continue to sacrifice principles of liberty, individual freedoms, and human life.

And I will pray for our nation, live within these principles to the best of my ability, and instill these values in my son, who is the next generation. And I wonder, will America be better or worse then?

Saturday, January 1, 2011

The Record Player

For many reasons I love my dad. One of them is the entertainment he provides for our family. He has a unique way of communicating that usually ends up with an outburst of unexpected laughter from the listener. Also, he is always doing something so unbelievable that no one would believe it if it wasn’t my dad doing it. My dad marches to the beat of his own drummer and if you aren’t paying attention, you might miss something great!

My dad has an extensive record collection. It’s the good stuff, old Firestone Christmas records, old 40’s music, etc. He even has a few of my mom’s and my old stuff in his compilation. A few years ago for Christmas, we gave him a new record player/radio/CD player/tape player created to look like an old radio. The turntable works great but it only plays one record at a time and the CD player has quit working. For awhile now, he has lamented that technology has progressed past his collection and he worries that, although he has a turntable, at any moment it could quit and all his vintage music would be inaccessible. He looked into buying a new combination player that will burn a CD from any music it plays, but the price tag quickly changed his mind. As a result, he has been trying to figure out a way to get his music onto CD’s which are the latest technology. He sporadically spends a lot of time trying to find a solution to this problem without spending a lot of money.

It started this Christmas. He heard me say how much I miss the old records at Christmas. That set everything off. He decided to bring the working record player/broken CD player to my house for Christmas with several of his old Christmas records – which I loved. Then his mind began to plot. He called me one day and suggested that “Since I love the record player so much, he would like to gift it to me.” When I asked what he would use, he told me '”Oh, I have some options in mind.” Then, he pulled out his OLD Gerard turntable from some unknown corner of the garage. This is the unit he used before we bought the combo unit and hoped to never see again. However, he likes the Gerard because it plays more than one record at a time (scratching all the records below but that’s beside the point). He dusted it off and brought it to his room. He plugged it into the boom box he inherited 20 years ago from Michael and let ‘er rip! All he heard was what sounded like mice squeaking throughout his room. He couldn’t figure out what was wrong with the hook-up. So, as he has done so many times before, he called the local technological superman, Lamar Newmeyer. Within minutes Lamar was in his room listening to (and wondering at) the ancient sound set-up. Lamar took one listen and suggested a pre-amp was the ticket; he suggested Dad check with Radio Shack, The Guitar Center., etc. So, off Dad went to procure a pre-amp.

In the middle of his quest, I spoke to him. I suggested he purchase a turntable at Costco that would not only plug into his old boom box, but could plug into the computer and pull his music off the records and turn them into mp3 files which could, in turn, be made into CD’s (which is what he wanted all along). He was delighted with the suggestion and to his great joy, found that the turntable with the USB plug-in was $30.00 less this year than last. At last, he could rest easy, his music would not die! He went to Costco and made the purchase. He called me with his report; “I have the turntable, it’s really nice.” I told him that was great. Then he dropped the bomb; “So, I was thinking you could borrow my turntable for as long as it takes to turn the records into CD’s. In the meantime, I went to the Guitar Center. They have a pre-amp but it’s $70.00. They have a cheaper one, $21.00, but they won’t have it in until February. I decided I can wait until then.”

I blinked in total confusion. I was now to get the entire record collection onto CD? He was still going to buy a pre-amp? And then it hit me, this is my Dad’s true genius. He was able to get rid of the broken turntable/CD/Cassette/radio unit under the guise of being benevolent, purchase a new-fangled turntable with plug-ins and procedures he didn’t understand and get someone who does understand to get all his music onto CD’s saved for generations, and get his beloved Gerard to work in his own room to listen to his own records for as long as he, and/or his Gerard, are alive. Do you think this series of events just fell perfectly into place for him or was it a carefully planned plot with all details cunningly designed to save his records, record player, and music legacy? I think the latter. Or maybe he just wants to be a DJ mixer with his old Gerard – DJ Larry Lair; wickie wickie wickie . . .

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Bees

My son and my dad have an interesting relationship with bees. From the time Pace was born, he has loved bees. He loved to see pictures of bees, hear bees, watch bees on T.V., and draw them.

But to see a bee in person, well, that was the end all bee all!

In fact, he might have become a certified bee keeper if not for a traumatic beetrayal when he was stung by a bee he thought was his friend. The sting did not hurt as much physically as it did emotionally beecause he loved bees and couldn’t understand how a bee could hurt him. Grammy put a penny on the sting to draw out the poison but it didn’t take away the sting of innocence beetrayed. From then on, he carried on a love/hate relationship with bees, he still loved to look at bees but from a good distance away. One more sting on the Kindergarten playground permanently changed his relationship with bees from love/hate to bees are not my friend! Nature can be so cruel.

Then there’s my dad. He has never expressed much feeling one way or the other about bees. However, there is an occasional clue that they may not be his favorite insects.

Dad didn’t say a word about being stung, but it became obvious as his lip blew up like a balloon. It happened during a particularly stressful time of preparation for a long and tedious back surgery to remove cancer from Mom’s spine so it would probably have gone altogether unnoticed except for his suddenly enormous upper lip.

The occurrence didn’t seem to affect his previous indifference to bees and he continued to live his life at peace with them.

Last Monday Dad found a round, black, fuzzy piece of lint on his bed. He picked it up and threw it away. On the way to the trash, it stung him. He came out holding his finger complaining that he had been stung by a fuzz. Mom looked at it, got a penny, and hoped he didn’t die of some sort of bizarre fuzz-sting reaction. Later, I asked Dad what happened. He explained, “Well, to the best of my recollection of the incident, I think I must have been working in the yard when a cold bee found refuge in my warm pant pocket. When I laid down on my bed, it must have been trapped between me and the bedspread. When I got up, it apparently stumbled around trying to recuperate when I came upon it. I thought it was a fuzz but the prompt sting assured me that it was not. Although I had provided it with shelter, it must not have been willing to repay my earlier kindness for when I picked it up, it promptly pierced my finger with its venom.” This is how my dad tells me he has been stung by a bee.

I think my son and my dad have learned that bees are not loyal companions but a force to be reckoned with!

2010 Memorable Christmas Moments

We had a wonderful Christmas shared with Mom and Dad Philp. Christmas Eve they stayed overnight with us. We had a delicious spaghetti dinner made by Ryan followed by our traditional Family Home Evening featuring the reading of the Christmas story in Luke. Ryan also read from Matthew and the Book of Mormon. An additional treat was the record player and collection of Firestone and Goodyear records that Dad brought – this is the Christmas music that I remember. As the music played, it took me back to Christmases on Rovey; our brick fireplace crackled and popped with a warm, inviting fire alive with brilliant colors. I miss that home so much that every Christmas I feel I would like to go there and tell the current owners that I have come home for Christmas! However, we are sharing our traditions and creating new traditions in our home for Pace so hopefully he will have wonderful memories of childhood Christmases just as we do. In keeping with one tradition, we opened one gift on Christmas Eve. Pace opened his “Scooby-Doo Mystery Van with Ghost Catching Shaggy”!

He was so thrilled we thought maybe Christmas morning would be a let down! I opened a beautiful card with $50.00 from Mom and Dad, Mom opened a CD of the Messiah given by me, and Dad opened his gift from Dana – a leather wallet and money clip. After that, there was time for one more story, a beautiful pop-up book I found last year about the birth of the Savior, and time for bed. We told Pace he needed to get to bed in order for Santa to come but he just couldn’t go to sleep. Pace is no dummy, he recognized this year that we don’t have a fireplace and wondered how Santa was going to get in. Mom is no dummy either! In preparation for this question, I bought a Santa Key that only works for Santa; an invention that became necessary for homes without a fireplace. This answer seemed acceptable and off he went to bed. Sleep, however, was a whole different story. As we periodically checked on him, we caught him playing with his new Mystery Machine. When caught, he quickly threw his head back on the pillow and acted as though he were sleeping. Santa was not fooled, however, and it wasn’t until close to mid-night that he finally fell asleep for good! So, a bleary-eyed Santa and his helpers went to work filling the stockings and setting up the toys. Finally, Santa was able to go to bed around 2:00am.

Our thoughts were also with Dad Weight who was in the hospital in Las Vegas. He took a fall earlier in the month and was so weak and dehydrated that he couldn’t walk. We knew the hospital was the best place for him but our hearts ached for him to spend the holidays there. He has been long-suffering since losing Mom and we wish we could wave a magic wand and put him back into a happier time. Our heart-felt thanks to Ryan’s sister and brother-in-law, Cheryl and Steve, for the constant and loving care they have given and continue to give to Dad. As a P.S. Dad was diagnosed with pneumonia and had to stay in the hospital until Dec. 30. He will be released back to his assisted living facility – his progress will be monitored to see if he needs to be moved to a more intensive facility. We continue to pray for him and hope he finds some good and happiness each day.

Christmas morning didn’t start for us until about 9:00 a.m. since Pace, Mommy, and Daddy, slept in much to Grandad’s chagrin. Both Grammy and Grandad were up with the sun waiting for the rest of us to wake up. When Pace finally went into the front room, he was very apprehensive, still unsure if he was on Santa’s nice list. Pace began to empty his stocking but it was only after Grammy said that Pace must have made the nice list, did he get excited and yell “YES!!!” as he finished emptying his stocking. We had a lovely morning opening gifts, listening to vintage Christmas music on the record player, and laughing. Some of the more memorable gifts were:

Pace: Trio Batcave, Iron Man’s Iron Car, a Spiderman and Batman action figure from Santa, a new Ralph Lauren outfit from Aunt Dana, a card game called Sandwich from Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Steve, Wii video games – Super Hero Squad & Lego Star Wars – and a Lego Batman shirt from Mom and Dad, a Nintendo DS video game – Spiderman - from Grammy and Grandad, a new art set including a drawing book, acid-free colored pencils, and a small male are manequin, a missionary bank and Faith silly bands from Uncle Michael and Aunt Jodi, and various other small gifts.

Daddy – Wii video game from Santa, a Dutch Oven from Mom and Dad Philp, a grill press from me, and a cute little calculator that says “Daddy” on it from Pace.

Mommy – White gold adjustable chain for my diamond pendant, a beautiful painting of the Savior’s Second Coming, a box of Sees candy, an a candle from Ryan, a purse with $50.00 and a $25.00 gift card for the Outback from Mom, a picture frame, a necklace with a dolphin, and a My Little Pony – Rainbow Dash – from Pace, and Dead Sea lotion and body soap from Dana.

We then had a quick breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. Mom and Dad went home and we had some down time for the afternoon. Around 5:00 we headed over to Mom and Dad’s house where we prepared a wonderful meal of baked ham, green-bean casserole, macaroni and cheese, and sweet potatoes. We have cheesecake and cream-cheese fruit cake for dessert. It seems Santa visited Pace at Grammy’s house as well and we opened a few more gifts there.

Christmas was wonderful. It was filled with the Spirit of the Savior and the joy that is Christmas. Beginning with the First Presidency’s Christmas Devotional through Christmas Day it was a season filled with all of the magical wonders of Christmas. Time to look forward to 2011 and whatever it holds. But, I miss Christmas already!

Friday, December 24, 2010

Merry Christmas!

A Walk Through Christmas’s Past

The memories I have of Christmas are so poignant it’s almost painful to remember them; but remember them I do. I have always loved Christmas so I hope you will indulge this walk through my Christmas memories in picture.