I'm Talking the Old and the New of Chritmas.

I am not a normal person. And I don't mean that in a self deprecating way. I just know that I look at things, differently.

So what are my thoughts of Christmas? I love Christmas!

That is not to say that there are a few things about our "modern day Christmas", that I don't like. I can not stand the song Christmas shoes. I know, I know, everyone reading this is now screaming, "thats one of my favorites". And I can not tell you how many times I have heard, "that song is what Christmas is all about".

For those twelve people on the entire planet, who don't know this song, here is the tenure of the song; A man is doing some last minute shopping on Christmas Eve, when he finds himself in the check out line, with a little boy. The little boy is trying to by shoes for his Mother, because She is deathly ill and the little boy wants His Mother to look good when She Meets Jesus. The poor child doesn't have enough money, so the man reaches into his own pocket, to make up the difference.

OK, lets have a show of hands, how many think that Christmas is about feeling guilt-ed into doing something for others? And can I only get the Christmas spirit, if I happen to run into a little boy, who's Mother is about to die, on Christmas Eve?

If anyone has ever run into such a sad set of circumstance, I have never heard of it. So does that mean that very few get the Christmas spirit?

I don't know about you, but my guilt would not have been lifted by tossing out a few bucks. I would feel the need to race the Child home, to be with his Mother so they could share there last moments on this earth, together.

What makes Christmas special is different for each individual. It is a combination of memories and understanding of what Joy filled the Heavens and a few here on earth, to know that the most High, was willing to go beneath it all, for us.

In my own life, as a child, I can only remember four Christmas' that stood out. Two, I have mentioned before. The year me and my brother Steve got a mini bike and the year that me and Steve got a motorcycle. Worldly gifts to be sure. But they also represented sacrifice on my parents part and brought a lot of joy to our lives for years to come (not just on Christmas morning, like a lot of gifts).

If only because it was unique, the year we had a crow fly into our house, and hide in our Christmas tree. Now that year has stuck in my mind. How can you forget a thing like Blacky the Christmas bird?

Then there was the year that my Mother bought a lot of gifts from a mail order catalog. What makes that year different was when She got the big boxes with the little boxes inside, there was no way to hide them on the way to her room. I waited a minute or two, and then peaked to see if I could catch a glimpse of what was for me. What I did catch, was a big smile on my Mothers face, as she shut the door, tightly.

I sometimes see that same smile on my wife's face, when she shows me what she has brought home for our kids (even if my youngest kid is twenty two). And it is the same smile she gets when she buys something for Jackson, our grandson.

Hey, maybe there is enough material to write a book. The title could be- The Bike, The Bird and The Christmas Smile. Nah.

Monday, me and the kids went to see the Christmas lights at Thanksgiving point (if you don't know what Thanksgiving Point is, you best Google it, because I can't describe it), instead of Temple square. Even though we had a good time, I don't know if we will go again next year. The fun was in our being together and the little things that go with it.

Part of the fun, for me, was having Jontey (Amy's little sister, from the Little Sister program) take pictures. When She wasn't taking pictures of the lights, She was telling us how badly she wanted to see the live Reindeer at the end of the light show. There was also picture taking with Santa. Poor Jackson just screamed, but Jontey looked really cute. Booth picture's turned out really cute, even with Jackson's tears. I will put them on my blog, later, when I get a copy.

Dinner that evening, was in honor of Justin's graduation with an associates degree. He let that fact that he was graduating sneak up on us, so we were not even aware of it til the week end before. I'm not sure if we are done celebrating this event.

Well, here is my point. Memories are made of a lot of things. Some of them are worldly, like a motorcycle. Some are have no price tag, like letting some one go crazy with a digital camera.

If you still like to bring a tear to your eye, every time you here Christmas Shoes, I say enjoy. Me I puffer Joy To The World, because I know, The Lord has come.

Thanks to all who have giving me so many good memories.

Love Boyd

Is it to late to do a little Thanks Giving?

I hope to make this short and sweet, just to let everyone know I am still alive and blogging.

I had a great Thanksgiving, but have been spending to much time, writing a single e-mail of such importance, that I have re-written it five times and counting. I can not say a thing about this e-mail because of the sensitive nature. Sorry to peak your interest and then not spill the beans, but I couldn't think of an excuse, so I went with a little of the truth.

There are many things that I am thankful for that are so easily forgotten. Take HDTV for instance. After about three months you forget about how wonderful the picture is, until you watch a show in non HD.

One of my favorite gifts from our Father in Heaven is a the hot shower. Before the shower was invented, humans would take a bath once a week. Now I don't wake up with out a hot shower. It's only in the last fifty years or so, that "unwashed of our society" have had a shower available to them.

I know that I have received so many so many blessings I can not begin to mention them all. Let me just speak of what I hold closes to my heart. I have a wonderful family. I have the Gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. I have a roof over my head, with a bathroom and in that bath room, there is a shower.

The Irish have a saying, "I'm blessed with work". And so am I.

I have vehicles that not only get you to were you want to go but play music and control the temperature.

I also have the blessing of many trials, tailor made to make sure that I grow as much as I possibly can.

And did I mention, I love a hot shower.

Love Boyd

I am happy to announce.........I have a brand new Blog Link!

Maybe it is true, that most blogs have a feminine touch. If this is my feminine side, I'm OK with that.

Looking over to my right (is that your left. Just kidding), you can see that I have a new link. Jake and Amanda Zornes are my niece and nephew, from my wifes side of the family. And I think that they have a wonderful blog (and ya, it's feminine).

Link up and then scroll down to see there movie, were you can see how they made there announcement to there family.

OK, maybe I have more than one feminine trait. I like new baby's, in the family.

Only one thing wrong with there blog. No place to leave a comment. Maybe they are more secure, in there blogging and don't need comments to show that some one is reading. They may not, but I do.

Love Boyd

Incredible Story's of Grandma Case, #1

Grandma Case was a woman with few faults. Telling story's about her past, was not one of them. I loved that she had a new story every time I came to visit.

One story was about me and my two sisters, Stacey and Reva, and my brother Steve. The short version, as best as I can recall, goes like this.

Growing up in Southern California, we always thought it a treat to head north and visit Grandma and Grandpa Case, in Kainsville, Utah. One year, around Christmas, the tip was on. On the way up. all we kids could talk about was snow and how cool (pun not attended) it would be to slide down a hill on a sled.

After ariving, Grandma and Grandpa wpent hours rounding up warm coats hats and a few winter toys to set out on our little adventure. About an hour up the mountian side, we found ourself on the tubing hill.

Not one of us got further than twenty feet from the car, because of the cold. At least thats the way Grandma tells it.

I never remembered any of these events, but Grandma remembered everything, twenty years after it happened.

I will try to tell as many of these story's as I can, If I can remember some.

Let me know if you have a Grandma Case story, or a story about any other Grandma.

Boyd

Hard Truth and Consequences

Let me start by apologizing for this post. It seems I am stuck doing long, lengthy rants that feel like me blowing off steam, more than any thing else. Next post will be a memory, via Grandma Case, I promise.

Saturday night was a wedding, after getting up at 3:00am, working twelve hours and standing in a line at Auto Zone for forty five minutes. Not a chance that I was going to be in a good mood.

Doesn't matter were you are, you can learn lessons, from the many things going on around you. On purpose, I am not going to give you any details about what happened at the wedding, because I am so tired of the innocent people getting hurt and those who cause so much pain. are rewarded. Lets just say that more than one person is perplexed at why I am no longer there friend, because of there actions towards me and my family.

I may have forgiven them (even though no request for forgiveness was made), but what confuses me, is how they don't understand the consequences of there actions.

So my family and my wifes brother's family, snuck out for Chinese food.

Dinner was wonderful.

In all aspects of live, there are consequences to actions. Man can not change that fact. And yet "the world" seems to believe that it can.

In 1998 I made a big mistake that I am willing to admit. I bought a 1992 Chevy s10 Blazer with a bad motor. My brother Steve helped me put a new motor in it, but it never reached it's full potential. That was a bad choice on my part and I lived with the consequences.

The story of the hunk of junk, mention above, doesn't end there. About a year later, this car was stolen.

Four youths were coming home from a party, when they decided that walking was beneath them. My car, seemed to be handy and is less than two minutes, they had wheels.

Then it was decided that the party didn't need to end, so they spent a couple of hours grabbing beer from grocery stores, and running out the front door. They were not worried, because if any one got a license number, they were in my car.

The next morning, after drinking and driving all night long, they went through a school zone, doing forty, in front of an officer of the law. As soon as the lights came on, it was a high speed chase, ending with my Blazer in some one's fence (I think the real reason this truck was bound for the scrap yard, was because of that high speed chase). The four youths scattered and only one was caught.

During questioning of the one youth that was caught, a lawyer had to be present. In the interest of this fourteen year old boy, all pressure was removed, to have the boy point a finger at the other three, for fear of bodily harm, in retaliation.

The full consequences of these actions, for this youth, were as followed; He was made to pay back my deductible and my time lost from work, amounting to about five hundred dollars. And he had to write me a letter of apology. Thats it. No money was ever returned to the insurance company (making every one's rates go up). The other three, were never punished in any way. The hard truth is the consequences didn't fit the crime.

With out consequences there is no remorse. The proof is in the letter of apology, that I received. Past the opening line of "I'm sorry I took your car", was a page and a half of please feel sorry for my because I had to spend a few hours at night after school, working a job (provided by the state), for six months, to pay back the five hundred dollars.

That happened about nine years ago, and that boy should be a man by now. It is obvious that there was no way for me to see how his live turned out. But I do know what happened to some of the boys I grew up with.

The consequences of your actions, good or bad, always catch up to you. The world can only delay, never remove.

Congress has just sent money (out of our pocket) to help people stay in homes, they couldn't afford in the first place. Consequences, delayed. If they couldn't afford the home then, how can they afford it now.

I could go on and on with example after example of situations were people confuse compassion with changing the consequences of ones actions, but it is like talking horsepower to a car nut. You get it, or you don't.

In my own life, I am going to take a slow, hard look at how I handle the consequences of what I do and how it effects others. Slow, because of the need to think things through. I think better when I take my time.

It's true, I love you all. Boyd

A Day of Epiphany

Yesterday, I tried and tried to write a blog about how I think Barock Obama should have been made to answer a few questions before this nation made him the most powerful man in the world. I didn't like a word I wrote, because of the anger I felt. Don't get me wrong, there will be a post in the future dealing with this issue, but it may take a week or two more, before I can write it.

The avoidance mechanism kicked in and I surfed on over to LDS Talk and watched a few Glen Beck video, and gained an epiphany.

http://www.lds.net/videos/id_344/title_an-unlikely-mormon-conversion-story/
http://www.lds.net/videos/id_345/title_an-unlikely-mormon-conversion-story/

I don't always agree with Glen Beck. Maybe if we conservatives could get together on a few more things, we would be winning more elections. What I can agree with Glen on, is the concept of Zion. It was what converted Glen to the Gospel and was my freeing epiphany.

There is only one cure for all the sickness of the world.It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

My sister Stacey did her part, working on prop 8 in California. Steadfastly stating that she (we) love every individual. But changing the meaning of what marriage is, or what a family is, serves no one.

I don't care who you are, I love you. Or I am trying to love you. True charity will save the world. And I may not be perfect at it, but I am trying.

Love ya all, Boyd

P.S.; if you don't get the whole epiphany, it's because words can't say it all.

A funny thing happened on the way to the polls.

My sister, Stacey, my son Justin and his wife Mellisa, have all been asking for more memories of my life growing up, in Southern California. I don't know if it is the age or if I just wanted to leave the past in the past. But here is one memory that popped up, wile driving my wife to the polls.

My wife asked me how I was going to vote on the zoo. She automatically assumed, because I enjoy making fun of people who treat there pets, like people, that I would vote no on zoo funding. I like our zoo, so I voted yes.

Growing up, we gave a few pets a shot, but none were more successful, with my Father than our cockapoo, Black Bart.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cockapoo
The appearance of Cockapoos may vary
Other names	Cockapoo, Cockerpoo, Spoodle (AU)
Country of origin	United States
]
Not recognized by any major kennel club

A cockapoo (also called a spoodle or cockerpoo) is a hybrid dog, bred by crossing an American Cocker Spaniel (or English Cocker Spaniel) and a poodle (in most cases the miniature poodle or toy poodle), or by breeding cockapoo to cockapoo.

My mother may have brought this dog home but my it was my fathers dog. And he treated it like he should have treated us.

Don't get me wrong, I liked the dog. But you could also say that I was jealous. Yeah, thats right, a teenage boy being jealous of a nine pound fur ball. As perfect as I am now (on a perfect scale of one too ten, ten being perfect, I put myself at a solid three), as a teen, I had a lot to work out.

We had another dog, a German Shepard named Lisa. One time, my Father was working on a car and on a test drive, the breaks gave out, and my father had to choose, the house or Lisa. My dad choose the house, and gave the kitchen a little too much ventilation. Too be fare, I think alcohol was involved. There was always alcohol involved.

But my fathers favorite, was Bart. Bart would love to go for a ride in the car. When in the car, Bart would either be bouncing around, jumping from windshield to the back window, or sitting between the back of the drivers neck and the head rest. One time, my father had to be towed home, because the little beast jumped from his neck perch and slammed the automatic transmission into reverse, while on the freeway. If memory serves me right, that car was a beautiful, white, Oldsmobile 442 (ok you purist out there, I know that the 442 is not supose to have a automatic, but if you check your facts, the later years produced a few) that I don't recall ever seeing again.



How or why that dog was still among the living, I have know idea.

All these thoughts came back, because my lovely wife asked me about the zoo. Who knows what will trigger the next memory. Maybe a douhnut will remind me of the time I worked at Winchells?

So, Mellisa, don't take it personal if I tease you about your cats. It's a free nation (for now), you can dress them up any way you want (alright, truth is I have no idea if Mellisa has ever put cloths on her cat). Just remember, some day, Jackson will ask you about your childhood and I hope your animal stories are better than mine. Maybe you should blog a few and save the best for years from now.

Just remeber what Glen Beck said, any one with more than two cat's, should be reported to homeland security as a nut job.

Is it wrong to want an old friend (General Motors) to die?

Any one who knows me, knows what a great fan I am of cars. And given the choice, American cars. To be more specific, cars that were built by G.M. . So why do I want to see all three of the Big Detroit Three pass on?

I don't know what it is in our DNA or our up bringing, that will make us choose a car company, and stick with it. My Father had a few Ramblers in his stable, maybe because of there connection to the Hudson's he use to race. My Mother likes Buick's and Oldsmobile's. My sister, Stacey once told me that if she ever bought a new car, it most likely would be another Lexus. Her husband, Doug, likes Audi's. My sister Reva, has, last I checked, a fondness for Subaru's. My wife, Sharlene and my daughter, Michelle, have decided too be strictly in Chrysler's court. And last but not least, my brother Steve could talk a while, about his Porsche or his Jeep.

For me it's a Chevy or a Pontiac. The Pontiac is easy to explain. The first car I ever bought was a 1970 Pontiac GTO with a Ram Air IV engine, producing over four hundred hoarse power at the crank. I bragged about this car more than I think I drove it. Even with the price of muscle cars falling faster than my income, that car would, in poor condition, be worth ten times what I paid for it. I know, because I looked.

Chevy's I can't explain.

With such a great love for American cars, you would think that I would be all for a government bail out for these really sick company's. It's because history repeats it's self.

Twenty years or more ago, Jaguar, one of England's finest sports car builders, found themselves in the same spot that G.M., Ford and Chrysler are in, today. The quick history goes something like this; Company can't make payroll, government loans money. Car maker goes father into receiver ship. Government takes over company. Cost skyrockets while quality goes downhill fast. Government sells to private investor's who reverse coarse and then sell to foreign investors.

There is a reason that the currant Democratic government has a interest in saving the big three, but it is not what you would think. In fact, it is the very reason that these auto makers are in trouble. Unions.

About ten months ago, while visiting my sister Stacey, Stacey let me read some of the trade magazines for the auto industry (at the time she was working for R.L. Polk, the company that provides data for the auto industry, to help them decide which direction the company should go). Most of the articles were about G.M. and how it needed to provide more hybrids to survive. The articles were right, without really knowing why. Unions.

If you break down any manufacturing company, like G.M., you have many departments, but really just three areas that differ, one from another. Manufacturing, research and development, and the bean counters.

Among the bean counters you have the marketing department. For years, I watched G.M. do what I would call substandard marketing when it came to there small cars and trucks. G.M., who if they were a country would have the fifth largest national gross income, in the world, can't sell a single Colbalt to anyone under the age of thirty, in the state of California, I think not. They put all there eggs into the truck/suv market for a reason. Unions.

OK I'll let it out of the bag, why I think that it is unions that are the demise of the big three. I have heard all kinds of figures tossed out, between 65% and 95% of the cost of a Detroit vehicle is labor. For years, all three of the US automakers have made one bad contract with the unions, after another. Guaranty's that pay will be there, even if there is no work. Add to that, health care packages that lasted till death and the generals troops were set for life. I use the word, "were", for a reason.

Here is how I see it, doing some simple math. It takes about the same amount of labor, to build a Cadillac DTS as it does a Saturn Aura. Still four wheels, four doors to attach, one front wheel drive train, same amount of airbags, seats front and back, one stereo and the list could go on and on. If your labor doesn't increase by much and your materials end up costing approximately 10% more, how can you justify (not that I think you should justify) a price tag that is 200% more, for the Caddy?

I have a friend in the auto finance business, that explained to me, that on small American cars, the money was being mad on car loans. In order to compete with non union shops, like Toyota, G.M. was satisfied with producing small cars for rentals and big cars and trucks, for the money. Financing cars of all sizes was very lucrative, back when there was money to loan. Last night I heard that GMAC was so short on cash, you need a credit score of 740 or higher to get a loan. Is it any wonder that G.M. sales are half of what the were a year ago?

Why would hybrids have helped if G.M. could have gotten them out sooner. Because crazy people have money too. In theory, the general could have put those folks who are sitting at home, collecting a pay check, back to work on the assembly line, because of the extra labor involve in building a hybrid. No more dollars spent on labor, but you can add around $10,000.00 to your price tag.

For the record, I am not a fan of hybrids. I think that G.M.'s eight cylinder engine that runs on four cylinders when on the highway makes more since to me. And with a very little engineering knowledge, a lot more should be done with cold/hot air intakes and free flowing exhaust systems. One good O'l boy, who's nick name is Smokey (I can't remember his real name) got 52 mile per gallon out of an old Pontiac Fiero, back when the factory was pushing to get 28. That puts the hybrids real world numbers to shame. Some think that this is were the hundred mile per gallon carborator rumor started.

Anyway, the car could never be put into production, because it didn't use a catalytic converter. It didn't need one.

So why do I what to see my favorite car company go away? Because there are so many "car guys" at G.M. . The Chevy ecotec engine, for example, has won the four cylinder drag racing competition, for eight years in a row. There was a time when Corvettes were banned from Firestone road racing, because the were so far ahead of the competition, I.E. Porche, ect.. I could go on and on about all the men and women at G.M., who are doing it right, but why? There are so many wonderful thing that these car guys could do, with small cars, big cars, trucks and suv's, if just given the chance.

But as history has shown us, G.M. will go the way of the Jaguar, and maybe in thirty years or so, we will see cars that can compete on the market place. If there is still a market place. The Democratic party has always got the union vote and now we will see if they return the favor. No matter how bad it gets, they will always say that it's the fault of the previous Republican President's, failed policies.

To get to the point, no were has the combo of Government and industry worked. But this country just voted for change. So can I say it, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Boyd

Some thing happy, for a change.

It is times like these, that the natural man in me comes out. Is it wrong to post pictures of my grandson, Jackson, before his father can?..........................Well of course it is. But that didn't stop me.
These Pictures were taken by Justin and they were not the best in the lot. But I thought it best, to leave him the good stuff, for his own blog.

The next post will be more seriousr, but fo now Happy Halloween.

Boyd

And a Nother Thing

One more reason I'm not voting for Obama.

Judges- Most people don't realize, how much Judges in this country have been writing laws from the bench. Obama has already stated that he will choose Judges who can put themselves in the place of the defendant. Doesn't sound all that bad, or does it.

Ever ask yourself why there are so many minority's are in prison? Growing up on the edge of a rougher part of town, I saw some of the reasons that people turn to crime. I am well aware that I don't have all the answers, but I know that two of the reasons are justification and a lack of community disapproval.

Justification may have the word justice in it, but they are two ends of the spectrum and leads only too more crime.

The lack of community disapproval may be best illustrated by a old George Carlin joke; You should never get caught with marijuana in the state of California. They are so strict, you could get a ticket.

Many don't know how many Judges the President chooses or what an impact Judges have made in the last few years. No one payed attention when a city council in Florida, condemned a large section of beach front property, not because the houses were sub standard, but because a developer would put more expensive homes on the beach front land and increase the taxes to the city. The case went all the way to the (not so) supreme court (in this case anyway) were the city/developers won.

I may be preaching to the choir here, but I will do what I can do and I will say what I can say. I think that if I do my best, and tell it like I see it, come Tuesday night, I will sleep just fine regardless of who wins the election.

Too quote an old Bee Gee's song, it's only love and love is all I have, to steal your heart away.

Love you all-Boyd

Three reasons I am not going to vote for Obama

I wish this post title could be changed too three reasons I am going to vote for McCain, but reality is, I'm voting McCain, not because I wan't to, but because I have too. I will try and make it short and sweet. The three reasons;

#1 Socialism- No were in this world has socialism brought long term economic growth to this or any other country, or any other.

On the radio the other day, I may have heard the best way to explain why it doesn't work. I man came home from work, when his ten year old daughter asked what is so wrong about voting for Obama. The father asked the daughter how she would feel if spent all night trick or treating, came home and had to give half of it up, too another child who doesn't have any candy. Now what if that child figured out that he/she would get about the same amount of candy, if he/she stayed home or went out on Halloween.

#2 Military-He has already said that he would replace soldiers with diplomats. Again, something that has never worked.

#3 The Economy- You may think I'm talking about socialism again, but as the last great economy on the planet, we need to be financially growing. France peeked at 25% unemployment. If the US ends up with 25% unemployment, more people in China starve.

I tried to make this short post. As always, I'm begging for comments.

Boyd

Handing out apologies, like candy on a halloween night!

First let me say, I'm sorry about my last post, being all political and what not. Let me also say that I'm sorry about the post to follow this one, being all political and what not.

One night after dinner, Justin and Mellisa asked me to tell them something from my past. I drew a blank. After many years of trying to live the life of an enigma, I think it is time to hand out a few "I'm sorry"s. Some of these apologies are heart felt, even if I keep it lite and full of levity.

e⋅nig⋅ma

1.	a puzzling or inexplicable occurrence or situation: His disappearance is an enigma that has given rise to much speculation.

2.	a person of puzzling or contradictory character: To me he has always been an enigma, one minute completely insensitive, the next moved to tears.

3.	a saying, question, picture, etc., containing a hidden meaning; riddle.

I'm sorry for being such a puzzle.

As a young adult, I was ashamed of my life. I was so ashamed of being impoverished (poor), that I didn't take the time to notice that I was having fun and growing, too. The request that Justin and Mellisa had, too delve into my past, made me think about when I was a young man.

One year, for Christmas, when I was about ten or eleven, me and my Brother Steve, got a mini-bike too share. Two years later, it was a motorcycle. A 1968 Hodoka wombat 100cc. A motorcycle, now so rare that even Wikapedia hasn't a clue.

We may have been the first kids on the block to get a motorcycle, but we sure were not the last. Seems that my father was ahead of the curve when it comes to the dirt bike craze of the early seventy's, in Southern California. I never told him, thank you, and for this, I am truly sorry.

I'm sorry that I didn't let my boys (and my girls, if they wanted too) ride motorcycle, when they were young. It was my fault and not there Mothers.

I think it was because there is a small part of my brain, that loses oxygen when I sit on a motorcycle. Like the time I road a friends bike over a cliff, and angels had to come save me. I'm sorry you had to read that, Mom.

My Father was not always on top of things. It would be a waist of time to go into all the things that he did wrong, as a Father. But in one case, I have too speak up, and give an apology to my Sister, Reva.

My Father never bought anything new. Although he often spent more money repairing things, than it would have cost if he would have just bought it of the shelve.

One year for Reva's birthday, he picked up a bike at Goodwill (So Cal's D.I.). I happened upon him repainting the frame in the backyard. He choose avocado green, because he thought it was the most ugly color he could find (and it was), and he thought all teenagers would choose what he thought was ugly.

I'm sorry Reva, for not saying anything. I don't think you ever took that bike out of the yard.

I'm sorry that I watch so many boring T.V. shows, driving my family crazy.

I'm sorry I make fun of Dancing with the Stars, when the ladies in my home are watching.

I'm sorry that I have made fun of "High School Musical", even though I enjoyed having small parts in my high school musicals.

I'm sorry I hated Les Mizs (enough said).

I know that this is just a hand full of the things that I need to apologize, for. In my comments, your welcome to add to this list (it's true, I will do anything for comments).

Oh, and let me also say how sorry I am, that this post has no pictures and has gone on too long.

Love yah all, Boyd

Love, Mormons, Politcs and the Dichotomous Man.

Its another political season, and I am running for Town Council, for the Township of Magna, Utah............again. And though I sometimes wonder if I am the right man (person) for the job, still, I am the only one on the ballet for my district.

It is a job in politics, without pay and with very little power. And so, if I speak of my love for the job, I believe that it makes me a dichotomous man.



I like many Mormons, am very concerned about the future of this great country. My life experiences may give a most unique point of view, which I feel compelled to share with the world.

The Mark of the Devil: The History channel, likes to delve into religion, A subject they can only rely on learned men and college professors to guide them. Only after forty five minutes on the subject of the anti-christ, one of these learned men, explained that the number 666 or the sign of the beast, was most likely a popular and crafty way of naming a secular politician, with out naming a name.

Is it a far stretch too assume that any politician who seeks to replace the Gospel of Jesus Christ, with solutions for life's ills, with a government hand out, would be part of the anti-christ?

President Bensen Once said (previous President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints)
"The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature."
--Ezra Taft Benson, "Born of God", Ensign, July 1989,

If I am correct, that the anti-christ can be found in communist and socialist governments, then wouldn't it be safe to say, that it is the duty of Mormons and Christians alike, to fight off these evils.

As always, I am willing to listen too why I am wrong. I know that I am not a perfect man, and I know that there I can learn from others.

I also know, that there is evil in the world, and I must do what I can (even if all I can do is write a angry blogg) too stop it.

Please reply, Boyd

Two and Two make for a good day.

Most of my favorite television shows are on summer vacation, but I do have a movie and TV show that I recommend for tivo.

I know that I have recommended Ghost Hunters before, but I think that it is worth at least one look. And it's not a re-run. If it helps, try tivo-ing it, and you can skip to the end too see what happened. Then you can answer the following questions; can it be called a reality show if it is so surreal? And why is a reality show on the SciFi channel, and followed by wrestling? Now that's scary. Ghost Hunters, tonight on the SciFi channel, check your local listings for the time.

The movie that I have on my Tivo list, is a old, black and white, golden oldie. Binging up baby. this is probably the best romantic comedy of all time. It stars Cary Grant and Audry Hepburn, who are both very funny, from the very second they show up on screen.

You will get no plot lines out of me. And don't go hitting the info button on this one, you will just spoil the fun of discovery.It on at six, mountain time, but you will want to check the local listing for TCM (channel 132 on dish).

Now from the old, too the young. I was pleasantly surprised, that my niece and nephew, have got a blog of there own. I recommend both. For one thing, they are not as wordy as I am. Take a moment, and see what I am talking about.

For Michaela, (AKA Layla), http://laylas-log.blogspot.com/
For Spencer, http://defendersclubhouse.blogspot.com/

Well, I can't complain about how I am too wordy, and still yap on. I have given four good recommendations, so go enjoy.

Boyd

Hiaku 2 U

The older I get, the harder it is for me to work this work schedule, that I currently work. The problem I falling asleep at nine o'clock, after being up till two am, the previous night.

One thing that sometimes helps is thinking about Haiku's.

My sister got me started and I thank her. It's my thought, that I can fall asleep faster, by concentrating on a single thing, rather than let my mind wonder from subject to subject.

So, to break the rules of Haiku, here is a series of four.

Early fall, sunset.
Maple, takes colors from rays.
Pine sits, jealously.


Cold, winter has come.
Maple stands with baron limbs.
pine has a smug smile.


Spring comes, as always.
Maple leaves, return anew.
Pine climbs, ever up.


Summers warmth, settles.
Maple and pine, find balance.
Only maple claps.

Now thats entertainment, two.

If brevity is the soul of whit, than my last post was lacking in levity and spirit. But I liked it anyway.

As long as my last post was, I still didn't make my point, very clearly. Every generation seems to be more and more addicted to being entertained. Those who know this, have taken advantage of us. by turning out mediocre trash, filled with even more trash (I know, redolent). So, when I find something that I like, and it doesn't have sex, drugs or the promotion of any thing, non family oriented, I'm gonna let it be known.

And, as good as I think Ghost Hunters is, I have most of my family to back me up. The next show I am going to talk about, doesn't really get my whole family excited. Eureka.

A couple a years ago, while lying in my bed, half awake and half asleep, I thought up a good story line for a book. I pitched the idea to my writer/daughter, Michelle, of a city in the middle of no were, full of eggheads. Michelle was as always, polite, and said what a good idea, and then dropped the subject.

A month later, The SciFi channel came up with almost the same idea. But they added a little twist. A reluctant US marshal becomes the town sheriff and solves problems and crimes, while having a smaller I.Q. (111, which he brags that he didn't even study for).

A lot of laughs, a lot of drama and surprisingly, a lot of cloths (except for the episode were the cloths vanished).

Check it out Tuesdays, the the SciFi channel. Not perfect, but I like the warm and fuzzies the show gives me with the interplay, between friends and famlily.

Hav fun watching, Boyd

PS; the comercials durring the show, are starting to blurr with the show. I sign of how Tivo is starting to change things.

http://www.scifi.com/eureka/

Entertaining, isn't it.

I often wonder, if anyone reads my blog, except my loving family. I try to write it as if, some one who got lost, and accidentally landed here, could actually be entertained, moved or just been left with a thought provoking idea.

I maybe a failure at attracting readers, but that sure hasn't stopped me from giving my opinion.

This post was really inspired by another post, that I linked too, from my sister's, Stacey, blog (which I will promote till my dying day) http://lusciouschaos.wordpress.com/ . You will want to bookmark her blog, because it is everything I want mine to be.

Here is the link, I was referring to , above. http://www.ohmystinkinheck.com/weeds-invading-well-tended-home-gardens-everywhere/ .

It is a well written post, by a woman who accidentally rented the TV series Weeds. If you have never heard or seen the show Weeds, there is nothing wrong with you. In fact, I would put you in my "normal" category. After reading this post, I get the impression that it is a sitcom about people doing nothing but self gratifying, evil, selfish things.

When I checked it out, there were more than sixty comments and growing. In the year and a half that I have been blogging, I have yet to see a comment that was not from a family member (keep up the good work, fam), or a trick to try to get me to go to a porn site (two of those).

Rather than trying to copy this lady's great post, to get people to read me and leave comments, I decided to write about the TV shows I watch and why (this may be the equivalent of bloggers suicide). My only hope is that I don't scare my family away.

Speaking of scare, let's start with Ghost Hunters. Ghost Hunters is a show that is hard to recommend for everyone because it depends on what moment you happen to watch first. One night, while channel surfing, I paused just long enough to watch a light weight camping chair move four inches without the help of any one on this side of the vail. I was hooked. I called my daughter, Michelle, down to watch the replay and she was hooked.

It took a while, but even Shar watches with me every once and a while.

The essence of the show is a team of volunteers who travel to places that are haunted (or not) and using different electronic equipment, capture evidence of those who have passed on.

As entertaining as this show is to me, the reason why these volunteers do what they do, sometimes gets lost in the excitement of finding evidence. There main goal, and was before they became a semi famous TV show, is to help people deal with things that go bump in the night.

Halloween night they do a live show just for fun. I don't know if the tradition will continue but my wife and kids like the idea of sitting around with popcorn and goodies and watching the show. Live means it goes on until the wee hours of the night and in all cases, paranormal activities are far and few between.

A regular show is about thiry hours of video/audeo tape, condenced down to about thirty seconds of evedence, so you may want to watch a few of the one hour shows, to get to know the members of the team, so you can fully enjoy the halloween show.

By the way, one of the two lead investagaters is LDS. I won't spoil it by telling you which one, but he will be easy to spot. Just look for the extra tee shirt, even in warm weather. And the constant use of the word fletch, as in what the fletch.

I know that I have only bored you, the reader, about one show. Don't worry, there will be more.
Hey, if you really want to know the highlite of our month was buying a new kitchin stove.

I promise, more is coming, Boyd

Butterfield, the forgotten canyon.

Butterfield Canyon is just a few miles from my house. And because it is on the west side, it is not as well known as some of the canyons on the east side of the Salt Lake valley.

I took a couple of hours, and of coarse, fifty pictures that I wanted to share. In the next couple of weeks, I'm going back, after the leaves have changed. I hope to bring my family, because these pictures seem empty without them.

Enjoy, Boyd

So what is wrong with a Prius?

Many people are confused. Some times emotions, replace simple math.

I will be the first to admit that I watch to many car shows on TV. I was watching one of these shows, called Truck U, when they did a price comparison of a new Toyota Prius and a 96 Ford Ranger pickup. Hey, even I didn't think it was a real world comparison.

So I decided to compare my 2004 Chevy Trail Blazer, to a 2004 Prius, that I found on Ebay. This should give the edge to the Prius, because I bought my Trail Blazer, last year, before the price of fuel made my mid-size SUV, plummet in price.

Let's look at the Prius. I financed the complete cost of my Trail Blazer, so let's do the same with the Prius. Cost of Pruis, with tax an licence, about 19,500. That would put a five year loan payment at about $450 a month. Average millage for an American, 12,000 a year. At 45 miles a gallon, and at $4.00 a gallon, your looking at about 90 bucks a month, fuel cost. That makes a total cost of $32,400.00 for five years.


The Trail Blazer has a payment of $210.00 a month and gets an average of 17 miles per gallon, for a total of $25,000.00 for the same 60 months.

We are not done yet, because you have to factor two more cost to make the fair comparison. You have to count on the receiving a $2,000.00 tax credit and you have to buy new batteries about the end of our 60 month venture, about $4,000.00.

Sure, I didn't factor in the cost of insurance, because of time, but I have heard rumors that the Prius cost more, because the cost of repairs is much higher.

So if you like the look of, and the feel of the Prius, I don't think $8,600.0 is to much to pay , over five years, is to much to pay, for what you want. If the looks of the Prius are not your personal choice and gas goes to $8.00 a gallon, the Honda Civic, hybrid is not a bad idea. Same millage, but it is less trendy, so less upfront cost.

For now, I like what I bought. And you really don't want to get me started on the hole "global warming" thing (don't worry, that's for another post).

Leave a comment, Boyd

This ones for LDS.net

Lately, my life has been work, sleep and Tivo. So when it comes to having something to blog about, I, in my self pity, have ignored the opportunity, to talk about things, like the new Temple being built in South Jordan.

I have had plenty of encouragement, from my sister Stacey and LDS.net, who both have told me about the push for good "Mormon" blogs, and subject that are near and dear to LDS hearts.

This Temple is suppose to be done in December and when completed, will be the Temple that I will be assigned too. Another interesting fact; South Jordan will be the only city in the world, to have two LDS Temples.

When I first went through the Temple, over thirty years ago, I was not that impressed. I had a very large headache and couldn't do any thing right. For the longest time, I only went when there was a special occasion, like a wedding, etc.

One day, while working for a company that supplied laundry soaps, I was having a very bad day. I was angry at everything and everyone. Then, the boss came out of his office and said "we have got a problem, we need someone with a Temple recommend to make a delivery to the Salt Lake Temple". I didn't feel to good about doing it, because of the mood I was in, but I was the only one with a recommend.

I think that I felt a little of what Joseph Smith, felt, when he was in the sacred grove, when he went from being in the power of something so evil, and then feeling so loved. As I walked down the hall leading to the Temple Laundry, I felt a physical change so strong, I still remember. And by the time I got to the end of the hall, no more anger. No more mental pain from all that evil. Just the pure love of God.

Mere words, fall short of the testimony that I now have of the Lords House. And the many times that I have since, returned, have been a great blessing in my life.

I will try and get more picture, as the temple is being completed and maybe a few around the time it is dedicated.

If anyone from LDS.net, finds there way here, by accident, or on purpose, leave a comment, and I will be glad to link to your blog, or what ever.

Thanks for reading, Boyd

Yesterday, I finally down loaded the first halve of the Smith family reunion. And of coarse, my first thought was to post about a hundred pictures.
Then I got the idea to add music, so it didn't feel to much like a vacation slide show.
There is only one picture, after the credits, so I will let you decide if you just want too listin to the music.

Next time, I will do a little better job, or I will have Justin do it.

Justin has the mad skills and the better software.

Happy Birthday, My Love

Originally, I was going to call this post, love and space aliens, but my better demons told me that it was to undignified, for such a dignified lady.

But I am still left with the problem, of trying to explain how I can be married thirty years, this August 25th, to a woman who doesn't look thirty. Maybe, it's like in Close Encounters of The Third Kind, were people who have been up-ducted, don't age a bit.

All I know is that I am the luckiest man in the world. It may be my wifes birthday, today, but I still get all the presents. Just having her in my life, is the biggest gifts my Father in Heaven has given me. And the older I get, the less I forget to mention my thanks, in my prayers.

So Happy birthday, Sharlene, and thank you for thirty years of happiness.

You know, some things just don't make since to me.

This is another post about me and my random brain.

There are a few things in life, that just don't make since to me. And some times I think that I am the only one who sees these strange phenomenon.

Like, why is it I can't walk in cowboy boots, and yet,Chuck Norris made us believe that you can do karate, while wearing them.

Why does a college book, about writing detective novels cost $60.00 and the best detective novels cost about $6.00. And you have to force students to read the school book.

Why, aren't all cars, convertibles?

Why is competitive shopping, not a Olympic game? I'm not kidding.

Channel surfing has taught me that just about anything can be Olympic contest. If volley ball, played with your feet, can be a Olympic event, why not shopping?

There are those who may say, you don't have to be an athlete to shop. Any one who says that, has never gone shopping with my wife. And my wife, doesn't have a shot at the gold, compared to her mother.

While were on the subject, of the Olympics, why is there no cheerleader competition?

I'm not one of those who wants to sit and stare at young women in short uniforms, but I've been watching the mens basketball, on tape delay, without commercials. Half time is a static shot of the crowd. I almost miss the commercials.

Oh well. If nothing else, these questions make life, interesting.

Boyd

Making Changes and Random Thinking

I think that every once and a while, it's not a bad idea to mix things up a little. So why not change the layout? Not much change to the content. The more things change the more they stay the same.

During the Smith family reunion, we talked about blogs, a little. Every one said the same thing, about my blog, so random (which is just another way of saying, crazy). So I think I will get a little more "random", because that is who I am.

I think I first discovered how different my thinking pattern is (was), my first year out of high school, when I joined a drama club (so dramatic). The club leader was giving training in, how to learn your script. He gave us all a characters and a set of circumstances, and told us to impromptu a seen. The improv fallowed the script from a play very closely, were the circumstances were the same, for every one but me. I of coarse went off in a direction that was distinctly, me.

This is not self deprecation, but a realization of who I am. Hey I'm OK and your OK.

So it's just me, being me. And being happy. Boyd

Wolcome Home and Happy Birthday too two great kids

Sunday, wah hoo.

Sunday is suppose to be a day of rest, but not Sunday, August the 3rd.

At the risk of being redundant, I am not happy, unless I am way too busy. Make it a family day and I have got my little slice of heaven.

A small birthday party for Justin, my oldest son, after putting six hours at work and I was ready for a nap. A nap that I needed, before I went with the fam, to the airport, to pick up my daughter, Amy.


Enough about me.

I don't know if it was luck or he knew what he was doing, but Justin (and his better half, Mellisa) found the perfect place for the Smith family reunion. This is only one of the many things that Justin has done to make me proud.

I hope that he had a well deserved happy birthday.


Then there was our little adventure to the airport, to pick up Amy from her gigantic adventure, to Italy. Amy didn't have a whole lot to say, because she had been on a airplane for a day and a half, with out much sleep. Still there are so many things that a father can say about one of his little girls, bravely taking on Europe.

It may seem like my kids get all the good stuff, but it is I who gets the greatest gives, when ever I see my kids growing and enjoying this great life that our Heavenly Father has given us

file copy

Another good day-Boyd

Photographs and Snap Shots.

Photograph by Justin










A photograph is a work of art. A snap shot is a picture that you take, while on vacation, to add to your memories. After four days, three nights, eleven hundred miles, three national parks, a sink hole, a three hour play and approximately nine hundred clicks of the camera, I have plenty of both.





Oh ya, it was a blast.

I took my computer to work, yesterday, to show some of my fellow workers, about half of the pictures that I took(and I have to give credit to my family, for some of the better pictures, before they start laughing at me, for taking all the credit), when I noticed that I didn't want to show the art work. I would rather show my family.

Friends don't let friends, do impromptu slide shows.

This photo, is a metaphor for life. My brother in law, Doug, is looking forward on the trail and missing all the beauty behind him. Truth is, he was on assignment to look for the next rest stop, with shade.

In our car, on the way home, Matt asked everybody, "what was your favorite part of the trip". Everyone agreed, that is was hard to pick one thing. Everything was great. But I think I enjoyed the camp fire, on the last night, because we all just sat around, talked, sang and just had a good time. And I forgot about my camera.




Enjoy the pictures. There are plenty more were these came from. Boyd

A little brevity on the Forth.

The History channel, gave this definition of a joke: Two story,s that are told as one, with the first being the long story, or set up, and the second going a different direction from the first.

Here is one of my favorites. Years ago, when designing the space shuttle, NASA contracted with Mortin Thiokol to build the solid booster rockets, to be built in Howell, Utah.

To get from Utah too Florida, for launching, the solid booster rockets have to go, by train, through the mountains of Colorado.

The engineers who designed these rockets, had to make sure that they could make it through the many train tunnels, in the mountains of Utah And Colorado.

These train tunnels were designed a hundred and fifty years ago, to fit the standard American train.

The size for the standard American train was built as large as possible and still fit on the standard American track.

The first trains, were imported from England. So the standard American track was determined by the size of the trains coming from England.

England had designed there trains, based on the size of the roads, of the time. England's roads, had first been built by conquering Romans, centuries before.

The Romans made there roads, wide enough for a chariot, pulled by two horses.

The widest part of a horse is the rear hind quarter.

In conclusion, it would be very easy to say that the size of the space shuttles, solid rocket booster's, were determined by a couple of ancient, horse's butt's.

Even when I tell you whats coming, it's still funny.

Happy Forth of July.

The head line reads: Family splits, as Mormon, man goes from parole, back to jail.

I have been working on a post for a couple of weeks, and don't see a end in sight for the coming political rant.

This is a kind of sub-post to it, because I didn't want to keep going off in different directions.

Part of what is going wrong, with this country, is a very skewed news system. Most of the national or world news that comes to us, in the form of The Nightly News, local newspaper or even the five minute news blips you get when you are listening to music in your car, has one source.

It doesn't matter what story it is, all the facts, or tenure of the story, comes from the AP. Now, Internet new, is not much better, because people like me can state any thing, make any point and never have to tell a lie, to tell a lie.

A friend of mind has eight kids, three of them return missionary's. Until recently, he worked for Utah state corrections , in parole. He has longed, for a long time, to return to Oregon, to be near his (and Her) parents. He just got a job with Oregon's correction's, but in a jail facility. He left his RM's at home. So every word of the above headline could be true, but also a lie.

So how do you know if you are getting the whole story? I have just a few thoughts. Because I know it would be impossible to check out every story, for your self, might I suggest that question every news story and put more than one story together.

Central Utah has many turkey farms. Monday, in between songs on the radio, the news announced that there will be about fifteen hundred jobs lost in the turkey industry, because of the price of corn. Never a mention that the price of corn is rising because our government has decided too turn the corn into ethanol. And of coarse there doesn't seem to be any mention of the fact that the price of oil keeps going up, even though we have, as tax payers, spent all this money on ethanol. All of these stories are connected, but thanks to clever, one source spin, we have to connect the dot's our selfs. Thank You AP for giving us stories that.......

I will have to tell you that I left part of the story out, myself, just to prove a point. The news story also said that they expected the jobs to come back next year. So you can see that I can be caught in a half truth myself. By the way, they didn't say why the jobs were coming back.

We Mormons are counseled to question every thing and then take it to lord, in prayer. If you are a non Mormon, it might be worth it to get to know a Mormon, so you have that option available to you.

It is not going to be easy, but we can and will get to the truth. Sooner than later, I hope.
Trying to do my part, Boyd

Happy Birthday, to two great women in my life.

Monday was my daughter, Michelle's Birthday. tomorrow is my Sister, Stacey's birthday. Two very different Ladies who continue to have a impact on my life.

I hope Michelle won't be upset at this story, because it is very personal. I wasn't at home for Michelle's birthday party. Some time in the middle of celebrating, she found out that her best friend from High School, lost her mother. Her friend had no one to leave her children with but Michelle so her party became baby sitting.

When I got home from work, Matthew told me what happened. Never a complaint from Michelle. None of the "why does this always happen to me" that I think would have come out of my mouth. When you belong to Michelle, as a friend or a relative, you will never need to worry about needing some one to love you.

Stacey has some of the same quality's, and keeps pushing it up a notch. I will never, but really believe that if I told a friend, if you need a place to stay in So. Cal., just give my sister a call, she would welcome in a stranger with open arms. Don't worry Stacey, I don't really have that many friends and don't think any of them would take me up on the offer, if I was offering.

She also has the most interesting blog, I know. The thing I enjoy the most, about her blog, is her ability to let everyone know what is happening with her family.

I really miss my extended family and I am so glad to get any info that I can.

Here's wishing both of you Ladies happy birthday and may you always look just as young as you do now.

Love, Boyd

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 291 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

The fathers day gift, part two.

I some times think that everyone knows how hard it was too make me a picture that I can dream about.
This is the s-10, style of truck that Justin started with.

Slip on down to the blog, below to see the finished design. And besure to leave your commits, or just read a few.

The gift, that keeps on giving.

This year I got some great gifts for fathers day, but there is only one that I can share with you and brag about.

As long as I can remember, I have loved cars. I love all kinds of cars, but custom cars, too me, are like art work and engineering combined.

One of the talents that I have, is, I can design a car in my head. The problem is, I can't put it down on paper, let alone, build the car.

About a month ago, I had a light bulb moment. Justin, my oldest son, is studying to be a graphic artist, and has become extremely good at photo shop. I told him what I wanted and gave him some examples from other cars, and some how, he put them togther, with a few of his own ideas and, "vol la".
This truck, doesn't really exist, but it should.

Thanks Justin, for the picture and the right to brag on you.

My other kids, also have many talents, but it is hard to show you how good a book is, or how well an interior deign works, in my blog.

That's what is great about being a dad. You get to see great things, from your kids.

Thanks Kids, and thanks too you the reader.

Boyd