It is getting harder and harder, to say goodby, to an old friend.

For a while, I have wanted to sell my old friend. My 1997 Chevy Cavalier.

It is not the fasted car on the road. In fact it has a engine that Hot Rod magazine named as one of the top ten, worse engines of all times. I don't think I can put up any facts to dispute that claim. The best that I could do is maybe find a few more, that I could add to the list, so it might come in 12th.

Still, the appeal for me, is the drop top. I know that I could, after I sell this one, go and buy another convertible, but I don't know if it would be the same. This car has been in the family for over eight years now.

Too me, doesn't have to be the best, to win your heart. All you have to do is have some fond memories, to make it part of your history. I have had a few in this one.

Back in April, I tried to sell it, before the tags, expired. I parked it about a mile from my house, with the four sale signs on the front windshield. I decided to walk home for the exercise, and got two calls, before I got home. Both calls seemed very interested and I asked them to call back in fifteen minutes, so I could get home and get another car and meet them back at the old Cavalier. I didn't get another call, all afternoon and into the evening. I thought this is strange. I found out later, that some one had stolen the for sale signs off the windshield.

I drove it a couple of more days, and the thermostat went bad. I have been trying to find time, ever since, to get it fixed. I don't know if I'm not just trying to postpone the inevitable.

Here's to good old memories, may they always bring a smile to our face - Boyd

Nothing like a baptizim, to lift your spirits.

Saturday morning, I was planning my morning, knowing there was so many things that I wanted to get done, before I went to work at my second job. As I was doing this planning, I felt the need to check the messages on the answering machine, something I never do.

It was a nice surprise to hear a message from the White's. There grandson, Robert Hooten, was getting baptized at ten and they invited me to come. And also to stand in the circle when Robert got the gift of the Holy Ghost.

What a pleasure it is, to have friends, like the Whites and the Hootens, that they would except me, Just like family.

Thanks for letting me be there, Boyd

Setting records and setting the record strait.

It has been a while since I have written any thing here in my blog, and now that I have a day off, I thought I might just set a personal goal of four blogs in one day. They may be short blogs, but it will be a record for me.

I also wanted to set the record strait.My last blog was about my beautiful wife. As I went back and read what I had written, I noticed that I had not come close, to the way I feel about my wife. I don't think words are enough.

Pictures cannot capture, all of her beauty. There is a special, peaceful and amazing look that comes over Shar, when she is holding a baby.

The refiners fire has and is still, polishing her spirit, like a gem or a precious stone. My bride is something special. My weakness, in words, can not diminish her beauty. Sharlene Ann Smith is the reason that I am working on my eternity and my eternal marriage.

Love, Boyd

My wife, too no know her is to love her!

Yesterday was my wifes birthday. Saturday is my twenty ninth wedding anniversary. And everyday, I am more and more in love with my wife.

The first thing that attracted me too her, beside her beautiful looks, was that we both had a rough childhood. She understood me and helped me past it.

Sharlene has many talents. She is great on the piano and very good at any craft that she tries. But if you ask her what her greatest accomplishment in her life is, it is her kids. Nothing else really matters to her. I have to admit, that I some times get jealous, but she always knows when I need her just to sit with me.


She has always been, and always will be, very beautiful. One year, I was doing some photography work for a friend. I took some of the photographs for the Misses Utah pageant. At a dinner function that me and Shar went too, one of the contestants was going from couple to couple, sizing up the competition. There was a look of relief on this lady's face, to find out that my wife was just with the photographer.




I love my wife and she is the reason I'm here today. I hope that all who read, know of the deep joy that I have, because of my wife. I also wish this kind of happiness, for all of you.

Love you all, Boyd

Just when you think your done, you remember something.

It seems that I forgot to explain the title of my last blog. The yellow, yellow, yellow, green refers to the light system that starts a drag race, shown here on the right. Commonly called a Christmas tree, the yellow starts at the top, and goes down, one light at a time, ending on the green. When you get the green, you go.

I also forgot to tell you, I won every race. Even when they made a mistake, and gave us a forth run.

I feel a little guilty, because I beat my daughter, Michelle. Maybe I would have felt better, if I had told here how to time the lights. There is always time to repent of this sin of omission.

Once again, thaks for reading-love Boyd

Yellow, yellow, yellow, green.

Most of my blogs, are about me. Sorry, this one is also about me. Next week, I promise I will write about my lovely wife, cause it's her birthday. Truth is, she is my favorite subject to write about. But this one is another one about me.

If you are going to be a novelist, you need to write about things that are interesting. And things that are heroic in nature. Things that are poetic. Things that are interesting to a large group. If you choose to write things that only interest yourself, you most likely will starve, unless you already are independently wealthy. I figure if I was to feed my family, by writing in my blog, I would start a new trendy diet. One look at me and you can tell, I'm not a novelist.

The bloggers diet. It doesn't taste as good as diet coke, but it is much more effective.

Warning, I'm about to go into whine mode. Life has been 95% disappointment for me, lately. I know that I shouldn't complain and I know that I should be loosing my life in the service of others. Very good advice and I would be lying, if I said that I didn't need work in that area.

Let me tell you a little about my life, lately, and why I have spent so much time, feeling sorry for my self. There is a happy ending, so you may just want to stick around to the end.

Here is a example of why I complain. Friday night, my grandson came over to visit, while my son and daughter in law went to a movie. Were was I? Working my second job. I haven't seen my grandson in over two weeks. Seven days with out Jackson, makes one weak.

Thursday, a trip to the oral surgeon, were I expected to hear "lets set your appointment for the implant for a month from now". I'm missing one of my front teeth and spend a lot of time, holding back on my smile, because I'm embarrassed. Instead, I hear "let's schedule ex-rays for a month from now, and then we can think about an implant.

Yesterday, was the trip to Lagoon (the local amusement park I talked about). You think that I could have a good time. Oh no, not me.

We had a great Chinese lunch before we went to the park. I couldn't eat most of it because of my teeth. The rice was good, but its just not fair to watch everyone else enjoy sesame chicken.

The very first ride we went on, we got soaking wet. Most hot summer days, that would have been welcome, but it was cool and cloudy.

Almost dry, we went on the log flume. Because we had so much weight in the log, we got soaked to the bone, again.

My company did buy the tickets and provided a dinner. After dinner, my ulcer started acting up, and my kids who came with me and Shar, Michelle and Matthew, really wanted to go on the rocket. I don't have to describe a ride, with the name, the rocket, too convince you that It was not a good idea to mix a bad stomach with 4.8 g"s. The food all stayed in, with the help of a diet coke. But now I have to lick my diet coke habit, all over again.

Matt and Michelle are ride crazy. For them it's the wilder, the better. They went on the new ride, wicked, twice and enjoyed being up front the best. The first time they road on it, Shar and I, stood around and waited to see them on the ride. Each time a car would go by, we would look for our kids. After about twenty cars, there was the one with my kids on it, grinning from ear to ear. That was definitely part of the 5%, good.

I'm leaving out most of the really bad experiences. I figure, you the reader, have endured enough. For me, the good stuff happened at the end of the night. Every time, that I have gone to Lagoon, since they opened up the drag racing attraction, I have wanted to race. I have also been too cheap to do it. It cost $12.00 to go down the track, three times. I know thats not a lot money, but I don't do much spending, on myself.

My loving bride, insisted that I do it. I think that she worries that, as I get older, I will stay grumpy, forever. I went, I rode, I conquered.

Not only was it the best twelve dollars I ever spent, but I also confirmed something about myself that has been bugging me for a while. I like what I like.

It took only fifteen minutes, in a fake race car to but a smile back on my face. I can't say how long it will last, but it feels like it will be a long time before I will need an infusion of Boydness.I hope that it will last till Janurary, when I will get to push Jackson around Disney Land and spend a week with my most favorite people in the whole world. My family. That includes you mom, so get feeling better.

Now that's my world. And I came up with a new word, "Boydness". Spell check may not like it, but I do.

Love ya all - Boyd
P.S., I forgot my camera, so I had too get my pictures off of lagoons web site. I'm a good photographer, but I could never take those shots, because of the time delay on my camera.

Going to take a sentimental jouney.

I have been over thinking things at work, too much. So I have decided to do a little couch potato therapy. A couple of nights ago, it was "The Glen Miller Story" on TCM.

The first time I saw "The Glen Miller Story" (you can add vibrato for special effects, when you say, "The Glen Miller Story") I was home, sick, from elementary school. Great Story, great acting and great music. You can't beat a Jimmy Steward movie and I have to admit, I did check lime wire for some Miller music.

But the best was yet to come. As I was thinking about the first time I saw "The Glen Miller Story" (too much?), I remembered a couple of things from my childhood. For most people my age, that is not a big deal. But I have spent, most of my live, believing that I had a childhood to forget. What a pleasant surprise.

Not only did I remember, in some detail, but they were happy thoughts. Who know it could happen to me.

I remembered my train set, that I got for my birthday, one year. I asked for a train set and I got one. It may not have been the one that I asked for, but looking back, I got better than what I had asked for. And the bonus? My father played with me, with the train set I got.

My father didn't buy new things. I guess it was from growing up in the depressions. And my train set might have been used, and not really the envy of the neighborhood, but I can say that it was one of the few times that my father, played with me. And that's good enough for a hand full of warm an fuzzy, memory's. And they feel pretty good.




Yah I know, I grew into my ears.

love you all, Boyd