On September 19 . . .

in 1978:
We ran some red lights in Los Angeles in the middle of the night.  While rushing to the hospital to have a new baby.  We later realized we didn't need to speed because the baby wasn't delivered for 22.5 more hours!  (It wasn't my idea to speed anyway.  I was busy trying to confine the water breakage to the towel so it wouldn't damage our car seats.  And I think Fred was just looking for an excuse to . . . be  b-a-d.)

in 2009:
We obeyed all the traffic laws in Orem in the middle of the day!  While driving to the nursery to buy some new trees.  We are now smart enough to know we don't need to speed.  And the trees won't be delivered for four more days anyway.  (It wasn't my idea to buy trees.  I was busy working on school assignments.  And I think Fred was just looking for an excuse to . . . plant trees.)

In 1978:
We suffered the beginning of a 10-day record heat wave in L.A. with a broken air conditioning system at Kaiser-Permanente Hospital.  After the birth, a very hungry new daddy bought himself something to eat at the hospital cafeteria.

In 2009:
We suffered a beginning-of-the-season defeat in Provo by Florida State at LaVell Edwards Stadium.  After the game, a very disappointed hubby bought us some groceries to eat.  At Harmons.  (I think he was just looking for an excuse to . . . buy ice cream.)

In 1978:
We stared at our new son and wondered what he would grow up to be.  Chewed a lot of ice chips.  Had never drunk a Diet Coke, or any other kind of cola. (Except once in junior high when I took one sip of Debbie Steele's cherry coke when we rode her horses to the Dairy Queen after school.  I felt like a true sinner.  For a lot of years.  I never told anybody.)  We noticed how incredibly beautiful our new baby was.

In 2009:
We remembered our grown son and wondered what he would be like today.  Bought large Diet Cokes and chewed all the ice chips.  Noticed how incredibly beautiful the mountains are.  (I think I was just looking for an excuse to . . . not prepare my Primary sharing time for tomorrow.)

We miss you, Alex, on your 31st birthday.  No 
                                        excuses.

I Am Kind

of sad about my blog. 

In case you hadn't noticed, all of my sidebar links have dropped, kind of like my boobs.  They're all the way at the bottom and I don't know how to get them back where they belong. 

My links, not my boobs.

This gorilla is sad, too.  His Tavern on the Green in Central Park is declaring bankruptcy.

Labor Day

It's no secret that I use my blog as an excuse to avoid doing less pleasant tasks. Like writing an inquiry unit for a class I'm taking. It doesn't matter that I just can't think of how to teach prefixes and suffixes using the inquiry method when the sun is shining on a perfectly good day off.

un + enthusiastic = "I don't want it!" (Annie, age 3)
power + less = you can't make me

So, I practice avoidance behavior. Whenever I can. And here's proof:

#1. I didn't blog all summer.

But who would want to blog to avoid these guys?

Certainly not I.

#2. I rest my case.

And now I believe I'll go outside and smell the grass.

Birthday Wish

Wish we could call Ceri for her 56th birthday yesterday. I guess we COULD call her if we stood outside and yelled at the sky, but that is widely considered to be an exercise in futility.

I stood outside and yelled at the sky on Shawn's birthday. It was an exercise in futility.

Maybe it had something to do with what I was yelling. Or it was just a wrong number.

I'm still planning to call you for your birthday, Shawn, but I'll probably use the phone.

Not Bad for a Beginner

These are not her running clothes. But this girl just finished the 180-mile Red Rock Relay in St. George this morning. She and 9 of her teammates completed the whole distance in about 28 hours, and finished in the middle of the pack.

Not bad for a beginner.